• HEALTH & RECOVERY
    Welcome Guest
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules Thread Directory 1 Thread Directory 2
    Mindfulness Links Addiction & Mind
    Sober Living Partner Program (SLiPP)
  • H&R Moderators: streaM Freak

healthy shopping on a low budget and easy recepies ideas...

neverwas

neverwas

Bluelighter
Joined
Feb 23, 2002
Messages
6,705
Location
The yellow brick road!
So for a while i have been on a low income and have very little money to work with when it comes to food shopping. Normally the lack of $$ tends to lead me to take the quick and easy way out and grab cheap instant meals like pasta, and other sorts of instant and ready to eat foods...

Thus i feel fat afterwards and end up eating pasta ALL week...

*rolls eyes*

Over the last week i have really wanted some new and HEALTHY foods to eat or just some ways of making my money work for the healthy food i wana eat. It seems that if you wana go on a real health food binge it all costs a fortune.

So id like people to share their recepies for someone on a low income budget and id like to know what people put in their shopping carts each week or when they shop, and the average cost of their shopping.

Also...are there any foods out there that arent expensive that can make a variety of dishes that arent priced through the roof? Im really over pasta...and it seems that if i were to spend $$ on fruit and vegies and had to eat them every day it would bore me...so it needs some spicing up i think...
 
Leafy green vegetables are really cheap. I like Asian style stir-fries (using the least oil possible) and used to shop on Victoria St in Richmond - really, really cheap stuff. You can get rice noodles and some chicken stock and make brilliant Asian style noodle soups for next to nothing (mind you, it's only about $6-7 a bowl for pho there anyway!)

There are several seafood shops there, as well as butchers, so I'd stock up on whatever fish was on special and get some salmon as a treat now and then. Skinless chicken breasts are also pretty cheap there (since the Asian culinary preference is for dark meat). Can't go wrong with dry-fried chicken in spices on a bed of bok choy and chinese broccoli :) Yummmm...is it lunchtime yet? :)

Sorry to harp on about Vic St but it really is great :) Most cities have an Asian shopping area you can suss out.
 
buy bulk dry foods like bags of beans, oat meal, rice, quinoa (is a full protein grain), etc. A dollar worth of beans makes 5 or 6 cans. Simply soak them over night to make them much gentler on your intestines.

Bean burritos with salsa are really cheep. (about 15-20 cents)
Pancakes
Tofu dishes
spaghetti (you remarked that you were sick of this)
rice and quinoa stir frys
Protein shakes
multi-vitamins

I hope this answers your question, and if you want a specific recepie, just ask :)
 
I guess im also lookin for a change in what my meals are...

I dont really eat three meals a day and when im hungry i tend to snack or eat a huge meal...but yeah...due to a low budget i wanted to know what else is out there...

Ive been to Victoria Markets heaps and have always enjoyed walking through them and i like buying fruit and vegies and things but i just find they dont fill me up enough and im hungry an hour later...therefor i only buy foods i know will fill me up...even if they are bad if you eat them every day like i do...

plus...i am trying to cut down on how much pasta i eat because i was told if you eat pasta and dont excersise straight afterwards it turns into fat cells or something and is bad for you?!

and cause its cheap and easy to make i eat a lot of it...
 
Originally posted by *starfalls69* plus...i am trying to cut down on how much pasta i eat because i was told if you eat pasta and dont excersise straight afterwards it turns into fat cells or something and is bad for you?! [/B]
Click to expand...

Pasta is a good meal for skinny people wanting to bulk up. To put it diplomatically, regualr consumption would not assist a skinny person keep their figure.

Signat :D
 
I'm bad with recepies but here are some ideas:
- try whole grain pasta
- sardines
- other fresh/frozen fish
- chicken
- raw eggs
- whole grain cereals
- beans and rice
- yogurt
- mushrooms
- localy produced sesional fruits and vegetables
You can buy different vegetable sauces to spice these things mentioned.
Also nice source of fats and proteins are nuts, but they could be expensive (seeds too).
 
What I do ( I am on a budget also) I buy lots of frozen veggies. They stay fresh longer and their better then canned veggies. I also buy the bags of frozen chicken breasts/or tenders and that way it's cheaper ($6-$8 a bag) and I just take them out as I need them.

A great way to have a quick meal that's healthy is get a piece of tin foil and put a piece of frozen or thawed chicken in it, surround it in your favorite veggies, I like broccoli, cauliflower carrots, then add a little soy sauce and teriyaki sauce maybe sesame seed oil and fold it up like a pocket to seal all ends. Just bake like 20 minutes and you have a great meal with no mess. My BF calls them chicken pockets, but they are simple to put together and there is no mess. You can do the same thing with fish too.

There are tons of things you can do with chicken that is fast and cheap.
You just have to get creative, I love to cook so I have tons of ways to make great food on a budget. Asian flavors are the easiest ways to cook on a budget because noodles, veggies, chicken can all be bought pretty cheap. Just be careful not to use too much oil. Get a Wok if you can, I love mine and it is so versatile. You can do a lot with it. PM me if you want more recipe ideas.=D
 
I eat a lot of canned soup..vegetarian vegetable is my fave. Cheap...and a lot healthier than the instant pasta. I add black and cayenne pepper to make spicy veggie..its way good!
 
A few Ideas I use are:

* Roasted Veggies I usually buy fresh veggies from the supermarket,( pumpkin, potato, snow peas, capsicum etc) Then chop them up in chunks and bake them and add some spices to them. Then I can refridge or freeze them and reheat them for dinner/lunch with sauce during the week.

* Stir fryed anything is always good. If you buy some stirfryed meats/sauces then cook them you basically just have to add rice to them when you want to eat it


*When I cook pasta I usually add Tuna or Salmon to the dish to make it healthier and tastes nicer.

Also Just on the pasta note, try buying Gluten free pasta its available from healthfood section of coles etc and is only around $2 pkt. I find its kinder on your stomach late at night.


:)
 
*starfalls69* said:
Ive been to Victoria Markets heaps and have always enjoyed walking through them and i like buying fruit and vegies and things but i just find they dont fill me up enough and im hungry an hour later...
Click to expand...
Not the Queen Vic Markets (which are expensive IMO!) but Victoria Street in Richmond (you can take the 109 tram from the city). It really is a hell of a lot cheaper to shop there than at a supermarket.

As for ideas to fill you up healthily, I personally believe you need *some* complex carbs, plenty of leafy greens, a little protein and minimal fat in most meals. Can't go wrong with stir-fried chicken and vegetables on brown rice. This is just as quick to prepare as pasta and a much more balanced meal. I used to do a stir-fry for two for about $5.

Other possible ideas - cous cous with wilted spinach? Dead easy to make, just get some chicken stock and simmer, bung in the cous cous until it absorbs the stock, then stir through baby spinach leaves. Definitely filling and pretty healthy.

I'm a bit of a tightwad and know some good cheap food places all round Melbourne so if you let me know which side of town you're on, I can offer some pointers? One good one that few people know of is the Prahan Market on Saturday afternoon - the fish stores there clear out all their stock dirt cheap after 5pm - $5 a tray for everything. I used to go and pick up $15-20 worth of yellowfin tuna for $5, and the same for salmon. Get there at 4:50 though because it's chockers - quite a fun little ritual actually :)
 
Yeah sorry Aunty Est...i called the Queen Vic Markets, Victoria Markets.

I know the 109 tram goes through a heap of markets to and fresh fruit and vegie places so i may jump off the tram this weekend...

My cart this week consisted of...

1 bag of pasta
1 jar of pasta sauce
2 packets of cup of soups
cat food (not that thats for human consumption)
milk
coffee
tea
muesli

no fruits or vegies... :\
 
if you don't eat fruits or vegetables, you should REALLY take a mult-vitamin.

Also, protein powder in bulk is really cheap, and it looks like you need a source of fat (especially omega-3 fat).

good luck, it looks like your preatty strapped for cash!

beans and salsa burritos baby!!!!
 
I live in a big household, so most of my meals are for 4+ people, but you can always reduce the quantities.

I do a lot of exercise, and hence need a lot of food. It needs to be high in protein or i also don't feel full.

My saviours are lentils, beans, chickpeas, nuts and seeds. These ingredients can all be bought in bulk for pretty cheap amounts, and really help fill out a meal. If you can't afford to eat meat 2/3 times a week, pulse foods will flesh out the protein content in a meal.

I would also recommend eating lots of fish, as this can be purchased pretty cheaply (in cans) and also has a nice high protein content. (just watch out for mercury poisoning)

The recipe i just finished making for tonight's dinner is my current take on

veggie patties:

You will need:

brown lentils (that have been soaked overnight)
1 brown onion
1 small knob of ginger
bunch of parsley
bunch of coriander
200/300g precooked chickpeas
pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
sunflower seeds
wholewheat flower
1/2 or a whole Zuchinni
2 eggs

Place 1 cup of (pre-soaked) brown lentils into a pot with a tbsp of powdered tumeric and a tbsp powdered cumin, and boil for ~ 30/40 minutes, until lentils are tender.

Meanwhile process 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds and 1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas. (can be bought precooked in a tin for convenience, they cost around $1-2 for a tin)
chuck the mixture in a mixing bowl.

slice up the onion and ginger and fry in non stick frypan till tender.

Chop the coriander and parsley and chuck that in a food processer with the cooked onion, and give it a couple of whizzes.
put this mixture in the bowl with the seeds etc.

Drain the lentils and put them in the bowl.

Grate the zuchinni and put in the bowl

Sift in 2 tbsp of wholemeal flour

Beat the eggs and mix them in.

You can either fry this mixture to make the burgers (which i did) or you can bake the patties in the oven to lower the fat content.
(if frying, you might need to coat the patties in flour before frying to hold them together)

I will serve these with brown rice and fresh dark leafy green vegetables and a chilli tomato dipping sauce.

The above quantities yielded 16 good sized patties.

Be warned: while nuts and seeds contain lots of protein, they also have a fair whack of fat (not saturated) in them. It does mean they are high in energy which means you should eat them in moderation. If you are trying to lose weight or anything, eat more lentils, beans and chickpeas and only have a handful of nuts and seeds in a day.

Enjoy.
 
oooer havent had vegie patties for a while...will make those this week...

jimmy the gun...i do eat vegies every now and then...even then i really only eat them if theyre in a stir fry or all mashed together...
 
be careful because cooking them can destroy some of their nutrients.

also, if you don't eat a variety of fruits and veggies every day, you are at risk for a vitamin defficency
 
*starfalls69* said:
So for a while i have been on a low income and have very little money to work with when it comes to food shopping. Normally the lack of $$ tends to lead me to take the quick and easy way out and grab cheap instant meals like pasta, and other sorts of instant and ready to eat foods...

Thus i feel fat afterwards and end up eating pasta ALL week...

*rolls eyes*

Over the last week i have really wanted some new and HEALTHY foods to eat or just some ways of making my money work for the healthy food i wana eat. It seems that if you wana go on a real health food binge it all costs a fortune.

So id like people to share their recepies for someone on a low income budget and id like to know what people put in their shopping carts each week or when they shop, and the average cost of their shopping.

Also...are there any foods out there that arent expensive that can make a variety of dishes that arent priced through the roof? Im really over pasta...and it seems that if i were to spend $$ on fruit and vegies and had to eat them every day it would bore me...so it needs some spicing up i think...
Click to expand...
Buy your fruit and veg at your nearest farmers market. Seriously cheep. I used to buy 3 full heads of brocolli for 90c(AUS$). I turned vegetarian recently and discovered 2 things that may help you out as well. Firstly it's ok to have a meal comprised entirely of vegetables. Before I went vege I always used to cook meals with meat, pasta or rice as the bulk of the meal and it was a real revelation to me to be able to simply be able to boil up a whole lot of veges, squeeze some lemon juice over it and call it a meal. The second discovery I made was that you don't have to just eat fruit as a piece of fruit. Citrus fruits in paticular are pretty versitile, cook an orange in with your veges and you will be plesantly suprised. I'm a big fan of simple cooking, just take your ordinary ingedients and find one unusual thing to do to them.
 
Cheap arse student budget (and low fat + sugar) Muffins

1 cup oatmeal
2 cups wholemeal self raising flour
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup currants
2 eggs
1 + 1/2 cups rice milk (may need a little more)
optional teaspoon vanilla essence

preheat oven to 180'C
1. process oatmeal to get very coarse oat flour
2. sift in wholemeal flour (be sure to dump the roughage in at the end as well)
3. mix in dried fruit, vanilla and rice milk (or soy, normal or whatever. If using dairy, i'd use low fat or skim)
4. beat eggs and mix them in
spoon into muffin tins, put a couple of currants on top.
5. cook for ~10-20min
6. serve warm from oven.
 
^Definitely buy things dried/in bulk. Beans are great sources of protein and fiber, and you can get them fairly cheap. I would recommend whole wheat pasta, as it's usually the same price or maybye just a little bit more. Also, veggied are very cheap, just buy small amounts frequently. Tuna is great for filling you up, and you could make a whole bunch of homemade energy/nutrient bars. I find these really fill me up for a long time! Definitely look into some recipe ideas on the internet, if you search for "budget recipes" on google you will come up with heaps of information! Good luck!!
 
If you want to save money on food at health stores, the thing to do is buy stuff that's on sale in bulk. This is what I do...and I buy about 70% of my food at 'expensive organic places', but without spending an arm and a leg.

You are getting so hungry soon after meals because your meals are made up mostly of simple sugars -- refined grains, ie regular pasta.

If you want to stay full longer you need whole grains, fiber and/or protein.

If you like your pasta, switch to whole wheat. It's not as tasty but you will stay full longer and it's lower in calories.

Brown rice, millet, and quinoa are wonderful grains. I especially recommend the last one. High in protein too as jimmy mentioned.

Even if you are too lazy/busy/picky to totally change your meals, throw in some vegetables (carrots, onions, and something green) and some cut up chicken, ground beef, or legumes (lentils or chickpeas) into that pasta sauce, so that at least you are getting some veggies and protein.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top