Let's Do Lunch Community

I am a mother of 2 teenagers and 1 preteen, our food budget is limited right now. I have been on eating plans in the past and struggled with spending a lot of money on my food alone.  I would love to put my family on this but it costs a lot to eat healthy.  Can anyone tell me how they find away to eat this food and stay within a budget?

Hi:

Where are you located? In some areas there are wholesale fruit and veggie markets. The prices are considerably lower than at a supermarket. For example, I had been buying tomatoes for .79lb when it was $1.99 at my regular store. Lettuces are much lower too. Red Peppers for .99lb and various fruits at affordable prices.

Chicken is an affordable protein. When the prices are down, I buy a large amount and freeze what I need for a later date. Fish tends to be high, but tuna in a can, or canned salmon is almost always on sale. Beans by the can are very cheap if you buy the store brands. Often you can buy 4 or 5 cans for $2 or $3 when sales are on.

Although canned fruit is not the optimum choice, it may be an option for you. Again, buy on sale. Just make sure you buy the kind that is packed in its own juice, no sugar added, no heavy syrup.

I hope this helps you.

P.S. If you are located in No. Jersey I can tell you where those wholesale markets are.

Vicki

I live in Virginia.  I will start looking around for values and bargains. I should have looked up food budget before I posted.  Thank you for replying.

Kit- Congratilations on choosing to shed your excess weight with Let's Do Lunch.  Welcome aboard !  LovinLDL posted meals that cost less than $5 and feed her large family http://www.letsdolunch.com/boards/index ... 2.0.  You can do this on a budget.  You won't be buying junk food or fast food.  Pam

Kitkat, you might try cooking beans from dry.  I think you get more for your money that way.  Can finish them into a nice bean soup, or cook a little firmer to be added to some of the wonderful reipes on this site that call for beans.

Welcome to a fellow "kat"...

Kathy

Welcome Kitkat....this can be done on a budget....I think the biggest savings is in buying dried beans.... beans and corn make a complete protein in case you don't have meat at a meal...I buy in bulk and freeze as much as I can..there are tons of great recipes on these boards and lots of thing that you will learn along the way that will help you...

Cookie

Also, some people have cooked the dried beans and then frozen a portion of them to use later.  So cooked beans do freeze well, from what I understand.  I usually use what I cook, but do use the dried beans too.  It is so much cheaper than the canned beans.

Thanks, for all the responses! I feel the love!  I can do all things through Christ and I am so excited to get started.  Thank you all!

Hello all,
I've been lurking for a few weeks now, but I just have to speak up on this one. There is a wonderful ministry that has been a special blessing to many people during these tough times called Angel Food Ministries www.AngelFoodMinistries.com where anyone can order a great deal of food, including fresh fruits and vegetables for a really low price compared to shopping in the store. They also take food stamps and are available at many local churches throughout the country. The website tells you all about it, what you can get and when/how to order. They only do it one weekend a month, but you can purchase a months worth of quality food at wonderful prices. My niece feeds her family of six all month for about $165 there and then supplements with bread, milk, eggs and a few other essesntials from the store. There are no qualifications, you don't have to be a member of any church or give any kind of financial information to qualify; you just order, pay and pick it up. I've told many people about it and nobody has been disappointed.
Good luck and God Bless.

HI Kit,

You have already received some great advice. I think the only thing I can add is that after you start looking at recipes on the boards, you will quickly learn that a lot of different things can be substituted within the recipe and you will still get a great result. That will allow you to take advantage of the sales when you have them and also use coupons. Please go on line and do a search for grocery coupons and you will get some great ones. It does take time but it is worth it.    And when the weather is right, plant a garden - even a container garden will reap a lot of veggies.

So for the subbing, a recipe may call for White beans but you can sub Lentils if you have them or if they are on sale or canellinni beans. It is really the seasonings that add the specific flavors of the  recipe. If you make a huge batch of soup, you can have some plain for your supper, you can add some shredded chicken or turkey (whatever is on sale ) for your lunch and for your family dinner and you can add in a lb of pasta as well for them. That would be very filling and economical. The teens will burn up the carbs. Italians have been cooking that way for years and it is very economical.

If you can watch the Food Network there are a lot of shows aimed at saving money. They even use the leftovers to create another meal - nothing goes to waste.  But buying in bulk is also going to save you lots. And I have heard that some supermarkets are selling their bruised fruits and vegetables at reduced rates on specific dates as there has recently arisen a market for this produce. You may wish to ask about this at your local market.

You just have to get real creative. If you can stock up during the sales, your weekly bills should diminish.
The most economical thing you can do is to take care of your health! And you are doing that with LDL. 

Julie

Just think of the money saved by not buying the junk food.  I went in the market for banana's and came out with banana's and cherries.  My husband made comment on the cherries and I told him that was my potatoe chips.  I was addicted to chips.  It was cheaper than chips
Clown Lady

Kitkat - I had a friend that just ordered from Angel Food Ministries last month.  My son's family is ordering for this month because it has cut their budget in half for a weeks grocries.  We've tried their breaded chicken box and the food was good.  I just placed an order for their bonless skinless chicken breast.  It was only $21 for 10 lbs. of chicken; I usually pay about $16 for 5 lbs of chicken at Costco. 

Hi Kitkat, sounds like you have already gotten some really good advice. Just want to point out the increase in health that good food makes. Better health=less trips to DR=savings in$!
Welcome to this WOE,
Bobbi