Thread: How to diet on a budget?

bro it doesnt get any cheaper than chicken. Grab some almonds, peanut butter and cottage cheese and your good to go!

Originally Posted by bigcruz

bro it doesnt get any cheaper than chicken. Grab some almonds, peanut butter and cottage cheese and your good to go!

Yep....those are a base for me plus eggs, canned tuna, nutella, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, top round steak, and extra lean ground beef. Plus I kill a shitload of deer each year. .

I bust out the grill on Sunday afternoons and cook steaks, deer meat and chicken for most of the week....By Thursday, it's canned tuna and hamburger meat until the weekend.

Cheap and easy.

You may have to shop at multiple places to get the best price, I go between 4 stores regularly. 1 place I go just for eggs because they are only $1 a dozen. Then chicken I stock up on when there is a sale, typically around $1.89 a pound. Beef I get 80/20 for $2.50 a pound, not the leanest but you can drain the excess fat. Other than that regular peanuts, oats, tuna, whole wheat pasta (you can find for $1 a box sometimes, I grabbed like 15 boxes last time) and whole milk (when bulking) are all staples for me. None of it is terribly expensive, it can just be a pain sometimes going to several stores in one day but it adds up to saving a lot.

Find a friend with a card to restaurant depot, stock up on 40lbs of chicken, bulk cans of tuna, and a 25lb bag of brown rice.

Originally Posted by newkid

Find a friend with a card to restaurant depot, stock up on 40lbs of chicken, bulk cans of tuna, and a 25lb bag of brown rice.

This is a great idea. I was thinking I might have to find a farm and feed store. Though I dont think I can find someone with a restaurant depot card.


Keep'em coming guys.

I prefer potatoes for my carbs. Loads of potassium and they're generally cheap. Bake a dozen one day and reheat 'em in the microwave throughout the week.
You can find roasts for 2 bucks a pound. Beef or pork roasts. Use them in stews, long cooking breaks down the connective tissue, and you get a bonus of sulphur containing aminos to boost your tendon health.
Eggs are okay, and cheap, but meat is generally a better protein source. Eggs are good for vitamins and other nutrients.
Olive oil and canola oil are decent sources of fat.
Strong-tasting leafy greens are generally a good source of vitamins and minerals. Parsley, kale and spinach. Frozen veggies are just as good as fresh, and cheaper. Tomato paste makes things taste good *and* it's another great source of potassium.
Cheese is good for protein, calcium and fat.

Look at what foods you are eating, and buy bulk.

What about preparing mass amounts of foods and storing them? I made jerky before with my dehydrator and it was freaking awesome but the cost out weighed the final product.

I thought about freezing meals but if I need to eat on the fly...well, that wouldnt work. Thought about one of those air tight suction bag things. Which would be my best bet But I just dont have the cash to buy it. I might be able to find a grinder and grind my own meat. Which might allow me to at least break even with the food purchased to food consumed in an X amount of days.

As far as veggies, man, those are so freaking expensive! I love fresh veggies but broccoli is $4+! What are you thoughts on frozen veggies? Or canned?

Im not cheap. I just dont make enough money atm. It all goes to school, gas and now my cars busted ass alternator. I understand how important a proper diet is and how much it needs to be on lockdown.

I can give two shits about taste. I grew up in a semi-hippie family so the taste of tree bark isnt new to me. If it sustains my life force, I will consume it.

Keep brainstorming!

Costco is my go-to place. I also have some discount food places I will hit for certain things.

Protein: Eggs, Top round, chicken breasts, ground turkey, tilapia (if I'm cutting). These days canned tuna makes me gag, but its a cheap option. Just recommend you rinse it and don't go overboard w/ it considering the mercury issue.
Carbs: Oatmeal, brown rice. If you need more robust carbs for a bulker I also suggest looking for sales on bulk stuff like barley & lentils - you can get it at Whole Foods, but generally I don't think anything there is cheap. But this also an option if you're looking for something a little "more".
Fats: peanut butter, almonds, Olive oil
Veggies: The jumbo bag of spinach at Costco. Cannot beat it. Cheap asparagus too! I can't get thru the spinach before it starts going bad, so I use it for lots of salads (and make my own olive oil & vineger dressing to get the fats from the OO) and I also have one of those off-brand (i.e cheep) hand blenders that I use to mix up a whole egg + some egg whites and a couple cups of spinach or asparagus, throw in some non-salt seasoning and some scallions, blend, make scrambled eggs. (I love them, I love green eggs and ham, Sam I Am!)

And a decent bulk protein mix. You can also check places like slickdeals.net and watch for the deals on protein mix.

Originally Posted by TJTJ

I need pointers. Ideas. Foods. Preservation. Whatever you think is the best or a great way to maintain a consistent diet on a budget without succumbing to cheap processed foods.

Go to a black neighborhood and ask around for foodstamps...

They go for 50 cents on the dollar...

They are more than willing to sell them to continue their drug abuse...

Once you find a seller, hit her up every month when she gets them...

Double the food bang for your buck...

Chicken,eggs,tuna,milk,nuts,seeds...

Subways eat gay

Originally Posted by ExLe

Go to a black neighborhood and ask around for foodstamps...

They go for 50 cents on the dollar...

They are more than willing to sell them to continue their drug abuse...

Once you find a seller, hit her up every month when she gets them...

Double the food bang for your buck...

damn thats a good idea. will this work in largely hispanic neighborhoods as well?

Perfect mix for a cheap diet!

Buy Ground Beef 1-2 lbs. Cook. Store in tupperware in fridge.
When you get hungry/need to eat.
Bust it out

Put on whole grain/wheat bread.
Throw on some baby spinach leaves, cheese(if you want), and spicy mustard.

This works for turkey/chicken etc. too.

Find a hunter. They kill fuckloads of lean meat and usually once there freezer's are full..

I have 500lbs. of Elk in my freezer right now. muhahahaha. Season usually starts in OCT and runs through Dec, Jan. Aka right now

Originally Posted by BP2000

Find a hunter. They kill fuckloads of lean meat and usually once there freezer's are full..

I have 500lbs. of Elk in my freezer right now. muhahahaha. Season usually starts in OCT and runs through Dec, Jan. Aka right now

That, my friend, is a fucking awesome idea. But I live in the city and do not own a rifle. I should though.

Originally Posted by PappyMason

damn thats a good idea. will this work in largely hispanic neighborhoods as well?

It might, but hispanic moms tend to care more about buying food and are reluctant to sell them... But it wont hurt to ask around...

In low income black neighborhoods this is a very common thing...

It's easy to ask around in black neighborhoods because almost everybody knows somebody that sells them or is willing to...