When I was in college living off campus, the famous small packs of noodles sold 10 for $1.00. I loaded up my cart (50 for $5.00!), along with frozen flavored pasta & veggie mixes, bagels and other varieties of noodles and rice with flavor packets.
I look back sadly on my eating habits during those days, now knowing so much more about good nutrition. I might as well have been eating dust. White noodles...with a salty flavor packet...likely infused with some not-so-good artificial ingredients and preservatives. Yep, they filled me up, but did I get many vitamins, minerals and fiber alongside the calories from those meals? Not so much...
Budget eating can be a challenge whether you are a student, post-grad trying to pay off school loans, a working professional hit hard by tough economic times, or if you are just plain frugal.
Is it really possible to eat healthy on a budget?
The simple answer is yes. There are a few tricks of the trade. Not all of them may work for you, but even applying two or three will probably lead to some savings in your pocket!
1. Buy nutrient-dense foods. What does this mean? Choose foods where you get the most vitamins, minerals, calories, protein and carbs per serving. Nuts, eggs, peanut butter, yogurt, milk, fruits and vegetables are all good choices. Nuts can be pricey, so buy in bulk or when on sale.
2. Buy small amounts of foods that spoil quickly. Peanut butter, nuts and dried beans have a long shelf life, so stock up when you find a sale, or buy a large container at a wholesale club. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables in small amounts that you know you will eat in the next 3-5 days. Throwing spoiled produce away is like putting dollar bills down your garbage disposal!
3. Replace meat with beans. One pound of Laura's Lean Beef costs about $5.00 and provides four, four ounce servings. A one pound bag of lentils costs about one dollar and will provide you with many more than four servings!
4. Drink water. Only water. From the tap. If you don't like your local water, use a filter. Juices, alcohol, sweet tea and sodas are simply extra calories that our bodies don't need that take extra dollars that we do need from our bank accounts.
5. Make a pot of soup. Any bean based soup is inexpensive when made with canned beans, but will be even cheaper if you use dried. Chili, tortilla, lentil, vegetable - the varieties are endless! This only requires the forethought to soak the beans overnight, then you are ready to go. If you choose lentils, there's no soaking needed. As an example, I made chili this week. Ingredients included:
2 (15oz) cans beans (store brand organic) = $1.78
48 oz can V-8 juice (store brand) = $2.19
2 (15oz) cans tomatoes with jalapenos (store brand) = $1.98
1 lb ground beef, 92% lean (Laura's Lean Beef) = $5
1 onion = $0.79
1 red bell pepper = $1.79
1 zucchini = $0.82
Spices (already had on hand, but you could just add salt and pepper)
Jiffy cornbread mix = $0.50 (need to add 1 egg and small amount of milk)
Total Cost: ~ $15.00
Number of Cups: 10
At one cup per serving, you have 10 servings @ $1.50 each including cornbread. Even if you ate two cups per serving, the cost is roughly $3.00 per person and will still feed five. With the exception of fast food, I cannot think of one time I've ever eaten at a restaurant for $3.00!
To cut the cost further, choosing dried non-organic beans over canned organic would be cheaper and going with the store brand meat (which I don't necessarily recommmend) would all lower the cost more. Make it vegetarian by leaving out the meat and you save another $5. And if you can't eat chili for an entire week? Freeze it and save for later.
But what if I'm trying to lose weight while eating on a budget?
Cut your usual portion of food by one-third to one-half of what your normally eat or share your meal with a friend, spouse or coworker. The good news? Not only will your waistline start to shrink, but your tab at the grocery AND when dining out will magically shrink too!
