Frugal Food: How To Eat Healthy For Cheap
I’m not a foodie, nor a diet/healthy eating blogger, but as frugality blogger and busy student, I still have to eat. I wish I had more time to think about food, but the busier I get, the less I am able to fuss over it: buying it, preparing it, lugging it around to eat when famished.
If you’re like me, when times get busy it’s nearly impossible to get to the store regularly to buy fresh fruits and veggies that will bruise and ruin in your bag all day, much less eat them before they go bad in the veggie drawer of the fridge.
When you’re busy (and especially, stressed) it’s the most important time to load up on healthy foods that will give you energy and boost your immunity. And it doesn’t have to over-the-top expensive; often you can buy things on Amazon for a much more affordable price, especially if you use an Amazon promotional code for the foods you’re purchasing.
Here are my tips and tricks to eat healthy when you’re busy and broke:
Your Healthy Eating (long shelf life) Stock Pile:
- Nut mixes. I know it’s tempting to get trail mix with M&Ms, but avoid any mixes with high sugar or salt content. Save the “indulgent” mixes for dessert or a high powered occasional snack. My favorite mix is the raw nut mix from Trader Joes….I was worried I wouldn’t like raw, but I actually prefer the flavor!
- Dried fruit is always an option. If you’re too busy and are sick of nectarines making a mess in your work bag, go for dried fruit. Branch out beyond apricots and banana chips to explore dehydrated persimmons, white peaches and add dehydrated strawberries to your morning cereal.
- Oatmeal. Long shelf life, good flavors and easy to eat on the go. Throw a packet in your bag and just add hot water or milk in a coffee cup at work and you’re set. Extra Frugal Tip: Buy the plain oats in bulk, and premeasure single servings into ziploc bags or tuppers. Add your own dried fruits, brown sugar or cinnamon so all you have to do is add water and it’s already measured!c
- Canned tuna. Albacore is good for you. I will sometimes just crack open a can to top on my salad or eat on its own just for simple protein. Don’t feel obligated to make an elaborate tuna salad sandwich…just open the can, drain the water and go for it.
- Frozen veggies and chicken. One of my best quick-recipes is soup. Keep broth mix on hand, throw it in a pot with frozen veggies, chicken and rice or noodles, let it simmer while you study and in a few hours, you have an easy one-pot meal.
- Tofu. Tofu has a long shelf life and is great in stir frys. It’s low in fat, high in protein and can absorb flavor when marinated. If you’re planning a busy week (or month!) ahead. Get tofu, frozen stir fry veggies and some teriyaki sauce that will stay good for weeks if you’re too busy to cook it.
- Dried grains and beans. Simmer grains and beans in a broth while you study or do laundry to make hearty stews, soups and casseroles. They have a looonnnggg shelf life and really fill you up!
-Supplement any of these with fresh fruits and veggies when you can, but when you can’t get to the store or worry you won’t consume the fresh stuff in time, this is a great option!
Other tricks I’ve picked up:
- A crock pot is your friend. You can get them cheap at the thrift store and throw in some veggies, broth and chicken to have a tasty stew when you get home with little or no fuss.
- Brew your own tea and mix your own lemonade. If you find you spend a lot of beverages, brew your drinks in bulk. I put some water in my coffee maker and brew green tea that way. I then add some sugar in a large pitcher and chill the tea in the fridge. Crystal light is also cheap and easy to make!
- Investing in tuppers based on sizes you typically buy single serving snacks of. Apple sauce, pudding and yogurt doesn’t have to be purchased in single servings. Buy a large jar and bring a small tupper of it in your lunch (much, much cheaper!)
- Buy in bulk & Compare. NuttyGuys.com has a great selection and offers fair prices. I’ve also had luck at Trader Joe’s if you have one in your area. Know that many chain supermarkets usually charge more for these types of items so shop around!
Buying tupperware containers that are individuals sizes have recently become my lifesaver, and like you said it's definitley much cheaper than buying prepackaged stuff. I love oatmeal, and I always buy the packets. But I never thought about buying the plain oats in bulk, using a ziploc and adding my own fruits, that's a fabulous idea! A crock pot is a huge money and time saver for sure, I don't know what I'd do without mine. Thanks for sharing these tips, they are great!
1Thank you so much! It's easy to buy single servings, but if you want to save money, most of us don't realize the price difference for convenience! Thanks for stopping by darling!
2I like eating shelled peanuts for my mid morning pick me up. Dried fruit can be dangerous though, it actually has a lot of sugar. I also made some baked chicken in the croc pot last night and it is delicious!
3Nuts can be dangerous too. Have you checked the fat and calorie content of a handful of peanuts? Definitely eat nuts but keep in mind that a mere ounce of peanuts has 28 grams of fat and 170 calories.
4I'd love to see a recipe for the chicken you made, or any stand out crock pot recipe. I got one months ago and still haven't broken it in. Thanks…
5Shannyn, thanks for these tips! We are trying to eat healthier, but our budget can't handle the grocery lists of some of the diets out there. Plus my husband is thinking about going to school, which means we'd be on an even tighter budget.
I'm very excited about the rumors (please be true!) that we are getting a Trader Joe's in our town.
6Love this! I just signed a new lease and living is not cheap in Chicago. These are super helpful
-Hallie http://www.coralsandcognacs.com
7This is an awsome article. I love the oatmeal idea.
8Isabella http://sweetzenlife.blogspot.com/
I like the tupperware idea. For me, just thinking of it all lined up in my freezer ready for consumption in 5 quick microwave minutes is yummy yummy!!
B Kelly http://www.moneymasteryacademy.com
9I love nuttyguys.com but I don't find that with shipping it's inexpensive at all – the quality is fantastic though.
10I love that NuttyGuys does Groupons every once in awhile. They have dried persimmons and raw pistachios which are hard to find elsewhere, so I'm glad you like the company too! I've had a good experience with them in the past!
11Tupper? Is it so hard to use the whole word? "Tuppers" is not a word. It sounds flat stupid.
12Tupperware is a specific brand. "Tupper" is a common term used to define any kind of plastic storage for food. You can say kleenex instead of tissue I suppose, but that's just not the way I work Mika!
13Oatmeal? Are you crazy!
14I think it depends on how you look at frugality. Some people see frugality as deprivation and others see as a way to get more. You can replicate a lot of favorite foods at home. We cook fajitas, burgers, grilled chicken, pasta, and other easy foods at home. Plus there's less grease on home cooked meals. Some restaurants put too much sauce and seasoning on their dishes, it's just easier for us to make what we want at home.
15If you want to lower your Mercury intake, you might avoid canned tuna/albacore.
Just sayin'.
16I do this myself, and I even do organic! (My local Co-op has a wonderful bulk section!) I also buy meat when its on sale, (poultry mostly-as red meat costs alot more) and I buy my veggies in bulk so I can freeze them. I make alot of one pot meals with rice.pasta, quinoa, cous-cous, and only do potatoes every once in awhile. I've managed to cut my calorie intake by 30% by cutting out processed foods and I always make extra to store and eat later. All in all my costs are down as well as my waistline. Also buying a bread machine and making your own is another cost cutting matter, and there is nothing like the smell of home made baked products in your home.
17Eating healthy is not expensive at all! Beans, fruits and veges are cheap! I heard if you stick around the perimeter of supermarket you'll be good to go!
18Healthy eating means maintaining a nutritious diet. I believe it to be important to every one. I stress a healthy life to my family and friends and I try to show them the benefits to it. I think the greatest benefit most of all is that it makes you feel and lool great. If your not eating healthy, then you are not helping your body. You are filling it with what it does not want, instead, help your body out and eat healthy. The turn out is awesome. I have been eating healthy for years and I have never felt better in my life.
19http://www.lubedealer.com/wholesale-motoroil/home.aspx
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24Thank you so much for reassuring me that tofu will keep in the fridge! I bought a brick of it weeks ago and never got to use it. I'm glad to know there's a chance that my tofu-cooking extravaganza can still happen! I also second your tip about oatmeal packets, and about single-serving containers. I've been buying a quart of plain yogurt on sale and topping it with whatever jam/granola/cereal I have on hand.
25-A great source I've found for healthy eating is the "Recipes for Health" section on the New York Times website. I made beans from scratch from their recipe, and the next day, soup out of those beans also based on their recipe. I was so proud! And the best part is, a lot of the ingredients in the recipes are inexpensive (legumes, veggies, grains), and there is an explanation for what benefits you get from the dishes, so it's an all-around win.
-After years of buying coffee and soft drinks, I've stopped buying bevarages altogether (unless coffee is medically necessary). I also cut down on sugar, so now, even if I want a soda, it tastes much too sweet to enjoy. I love teas, and have found that good quality green tea bags can be re-used a few times, so I just leave it in my cup and refill with hot water until the flavor is gone (note: steeping time gets longer for each refill).
26-For snacks at work, I bring something I like but don't love. That way, I will eat it when I am actually hungry instead of when I have a craving for it. In my case it's store-brand multigrain bars.
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