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Frugality Without the Fat

post #1 of 10
3/8/07 at 11:49am
Thread Starter 
Hi all! I'm new here, I've read a few of the posts and was drawn immediately to this forum!
I don't know if I am posting this in the correct place but I have a question involving frugality while trying to lose and/or maintain a healthy weight. It seems whenever I try to prepare healthy meals for my family, I break the budget, but when i cook the good old standby's that I grew up on...the yummy comfort food....then i can maintain or go below budget. I've chunked out since having our second child (she's 3 now...no more excuses), and I just don't know what to do. I'm extrememly frustrated. Any suggestions on how to plan healthy meals, yet not blow the budget?
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post #2 of 10
3/8/07 at 12:04pm
We try to eat healthily too. It's not so hard to do it on a budget. I buy my chicken in bulk at Costco. Try to eat a few vegetarian meals a week and that helps a lot. Usually one night a week, we have egg beaters and whole wheat waffles for dinner. Hope that helps!
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post #3 of 10
3/8/07 at 12:07pm
No real advice, I am right in the same boat. I can make so many meals cheaply and filling but I always gain weight too. So I guess I'm just bumping up so someone else with some ideas can fill us in!
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post #4 of 10
3/8/07 at 12:21pm
Thread Starter 
Here is what I know about my body type...I am curvy...and that's putting it politely. I'm 5'5, so any time I gain weight, you can see it on my short frame. I also know that I have to watch my carbohydrate intake, and unfortunately carbs are cheap and accesible! I mean a box of Target Mac N Cheese is like thirty three cents!! This isn't just a "weight" issue anymore either. I am concerned about my health. Heart disease and high blood pressure run on the maternal side of my family. Did I mention I am an emotional eater as well...yeah that's a whole different show there, catch it later on Oprah.....
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post #5 of 10
3/8/07 at 1:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoPytn07 View Post

Here is what I know about my body type...I am curvy...and that's putting it politely. I'm 5'5, so any time I gain weight, you can see it on my short frame. I also know that I have to watch my carbohydrate intake, and unfortunately carbs are cheap and accesible! I mean a box of Target Mac N Cheese is like thirty three cents!! This isn't just a "weight" issue anymore either. I am concerned about my health. Heart disease and high blood pressure run on the maternal side of my family. Did I mention I am an emotional eater as well...yeah that's a whole different show there, catch it later on Oprah.....


I can relate! I'm 5'3 so every pound shows. I'm formally obese. I'm still pleasantly plump at the very upper limit for my BMI and would like to go down another 15 lbs to get to a normal weight. Again I don't have to many suggestions. I've done it by buying more fruit and veggies and no pop, chips, cookies, snacks. Fresh produce is expensive but I saved a lot by cutting out all the junk.

HTH
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post #6 of 10
3/8/07 at 3:01pm
I know where you're coming from. I'm 5'4" and although I'm not on a diet to lose weight, I am trying to be hearty-healthy. Heart disease runs rampant on my dad's side and my mom has high cholesterol and blood pressure... a double whammy!

The Mediterranean diets are great; cheap and yummy. They use a lot of garlic, lemon, basil, and other herbs. Fresh and yummy! Things that are heart healthy can be tasty too: tomatoes, beans (esp. black beans), fish, nuts, olive oil, etc.

The more you cook from scratch the better off you will be. Try starting an indoor herb garden!
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post #7 of 10
3/8/07 at 6:30pm
It's definately cheaper to eat junk, that's for sure.

It's hard to get away from the way our parents cooked. It was delicious, but not always good for us. I have started cutting back on meat and that has helped my budget considerably. If I do use it, it is as a base for soup or a tiny it as a topping for pizza or a tiny bit in a stir fry. Getting your protien from beans is really cheap and there are tons of recipes you can use them in. It's a whole different way of thinking and it is hard at first.
At least one or two nights per week we will have a bowl of homemade soup, warm bread (defrost frozen bread loaf add seeds and bake) and a salad. If there is a good sale on frozen veggies like broccoli or califlower stock up. I through a bag each into a frying pan w/ some carrots onion and soy sauce and serve over rice. Refried beans w/ some salsa and topped with shredded lettuce on a tortilla make a nice burrito add a side of spanish rice. Spaghetti w/ a salad is cheap and easy.

It's can really be kind of fun trying new ways to cook.
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post #8 of 10
3/9/07 at 3:00am
First of all watch your portion size, I find that although we have a heathy diet, if I dont watch how much I dish up I pick up the pounds very quickly. Also if possible start a vegie garden, I normally am able to cut out most of our vegetable and fruit bill due to the vegie garden. And choose your carbs carefully. An bowl of oats porriage will fill you up alot longer than a waffel and it wont go to your hips.
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post #9 of 10
3/9/07 at 4:33am
Okay- I am currently watching my weight and trying to be extremely frugal with my food budget. First of all portion size really matters. Try to have 2/3 of your plate be vegies. Have a few "meatless" dinners (really adds up). FInd out many different receipes using chicken and fish (fresh that is!)- they are healthy for you if they are prepared the correct way. Try to start cooking from scratch (for cookies and such- put 1/2 of them in the freezer)- try some lowfat cookie recipes (I must say on a whim I bought low fat brownie mix- of course on sale and I had a coupon!- I personally liked it better than the regular brownies (the texture was perfect).

Buy the lowfat versions of everything you normally would buy- or read the labels. It is really hard to buy "healthy" when you are on a tight budget- that is why I recommend trying to keep a stockpile- if you find a good sale- buy a few extra- you can either freeze or store it away.
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post #10 of 10
3/9/07 at 9:04am
Thread Starter 
Thank you all for your advice!! I feel, sometimes, that if I were cooking just for myself, it would be so much easier! But I have this overwhelming urge to cook my husband the 'manly meals'....know what I mean? He'll eat the healthy recipes, and he'll tell me which are keepers and which are not, but I guess I feel guilty when I don't cook him a greasy steak, or load him up with a gooey cheesy fatty casserole....he loves 'slop'.
Thanks for the 'bean' info. There are a few recipes I've tried with beans and I've liked them quite a bit. I absolutely LOVE black beans. I suppose it will just be trial and error to find out which ones my family will eat. Does anyone frequent any great Healthy Recipe websites that you can share with me?
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