Eating for Nutrition Only

I am most certainly in this situation right now, on a tight food budget and eating healthy. I buy groceries once a month, but occasionally pass by the market to purchase stocks when they run out. My food choices changed from white rice to brown, from white bread to wheat or rye instead. I also eat apples instead of bananas because of the fructose levels. Through this change of nutrition-focused grocery shopping, I was actually able to save much more because rebates are sometimes given by market owners directly to those who shop by bulk, that is aside from the promos on some of the purchases you have already made.

 

I'm a big-time food junkie so as much as I'd like to adopt your method, I think it would really be hard on me. I have no problems related to weight but eating good food helps me reduce stress and feel happier. Anyhow, I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. I always exceeded my budget because of my large appetite.

 

Not everything organic or natural is nutritional or acceptable to the human body, but they are far better to consume than any processed foods. I for one try to maintain a 4/5 natural foods and 1/5 whatever that is available for me to eat that time balance; I'm not always at home, so I have to adjust my food eating a lot. Growing self-garden foods is hard, especially if one is in cold climes and limited living space. There are solutions I have seen that may be of help, like "Bottle Tower Gardens" or "Barrel Gardens."

 

Since I love to eat good food, I think I would only consider doing what you did if I have no choice because money is tight. But if I had money to buy whatever I want to eat, then I would probably not deprive myself of those sweet, oily and fatty foods.

 

Good luck on your goal. I don't think I could ever do this unless absolutely necessary. I love food and have really bad discipline when it comes to implementing diets. I guess I would have to plan out every meal and make them ahead of time. I have tried a similar regimen before but was only about 65% successful.

 

I think you might get tired of it quite soon, as a big part of eating is actually enjoying the food that you eat. Giving up all your treats and not adding any condiments would make the food taste really bland, and sooner or later you might be craving some "real" food". There are so many different ways to create tasty meals on a small budget. I don't know if there are any farmer's markets in your area, but if there are, it would probably be a good idea to visit them, as they often give away their unsold produce for half price at the end of the day.

 

It is possible and still have the odd treat. I guess it boils down to balancing protein sources and then what carbohydrates you eat. I did this for a long time, focused on protein and then bought frozen veggies and alternated with wholewheat pasta or potatoes and bread to go with the meal. I had a lot of soup and used thick soups as a sauce for pasta bakes as well. A loaf of bread can go a long way and can be very versatile or tortilla wraps.

 

You can still eat whole foods and make amazing treats and there is no reason to give up most fruits.. real food is by far superior to anything you will get from a box and you need the nutrients for healthy survival. Everyone on an oily, fatty, refined sugar, salty diet may not be obese on the outside but they most likely are on the inside. People only think of their weight when they eat that way, but their health will definitely sneak up on them. What you're doing is so good for you and so so good for your health and any access weight you might have. Now all you have to do is search for great recipes and ways to make your food amazing.. it doesn't have to be bland or boring. You aren't missing out at all if you find how to make it work. Also, if you have a farmers market near by, take advantage.. your bill will drop even further and the foods are much better quality and larger to boot. Then go directly to the source whenever possible. Good luck

It's funny how it's so normal to eat so poorly and those of us who don't are so abnormal and looked at like we have 5 heads. You're doing something so right. It may be a budget thing, but you will love how you end up looking and feeling.

 

I think it is one of the best methods to save costs as well as eat really well. But I think one must be very careful while giving up treats as it leads to lots of boredom in the food. I believe that a mix of everything is important in your food.

 

I can't imagine myself doing the same thing right now. But I certainly hope this works well for you. Have you considered having your own garden to help you save even more? A friend of mine has a lovely spice garden and I envy how she can just pick from her garden anytime she wants.

 

There were times during the first couple years of me moving out on my own when money was really tight, because in addition to making less since I was just out of college, I was also paying off a lot of furniture I had just purchased in addition to all the other necessities I would need up front such as appliances, glassware, dishes, lamps, irons, first aid kits, etc...

I didn't totally shun processed food. Hot Pockets for example would often go on sale, if you bought the large case of them and they would come out to a little over 50 cents a piece. I can't really complain about only spending about 50 cents on lunch each day for a month. Plus it's not that hideous nutrition wise, it's just a flat bread crust with some meat, cheese and veggies.

I also ate a lot of pasta, either with tomato sauce or with just some olive oil, garlic, and Romano cheese. That's a quick easy dinner for $1 - $1.50. Our local Wal-Mart was also selling $3 frozen pizza's, so I would bake half of one for dinner some nights - again, only costing me $1.50. Occasionally I would get a $1 menu burger from McDonalds or Burger King for dinner, and maybe a $1 fry.

I would often keep a 2lb or 5lb bag of frozen fries on hand though if they were on sale. I also kept a large bag of mixed frozen veggies on hand, that I would buy from GFS for like $6, but it would last me about a whole month. Then, to get some meat in my diet, I would buy bulk packs of thin cut pork chops. So some nights for dinner it was fries veggies and grilled pork chops.

Tuna is also a life saver when you are eating on a budget. You can obviously make tuna melts, or toss it in pasta.

For breakfast it was usually either some eggs and whole grain or wheat toast or all natural peanut butter and grape jam on whole grain or wheat toast with coffee.

You can also save a lot on beans, buying them dried and cooking them yourself. Just freeze what you don't use up right away.