50 - 70 bucks a week diet

[Drayen]

Is this possible? I can do this if I buy food that tastes good and isn't nutritious, but healthy foods seem to cost way too much.

-Lean Ground Beef ($4.00 lb)
-What Bread ($1.50)
-Oatmeal
-???

Lunch meats seem to be way too expensive for how much you get. Eggs have barely any calories, et, tuna is too much usually.

[goodfella0729]

i spend about 70 bucks on a food and that lasts me a little over a week. i buy: chicken, steak, pork cutlet, frozen veggies, eggs, diet green tea, bottled water, whey protein (one jug a month), skim milk. andi eat 5-6 times a day.

[mark2dx]

$50-$70 a week lasts me about 1.5 weeks, including things that make me smell good and look pretty.

Whole Oats (non instant)
Dry Pasta
Marinara Sauce
Peanut Butter
Whole Wheat Bread
Milk
Frozen Chicken Breasts (bagged)
Bananas
Broccoli
Dry Cereal

Buy store brand if need be, find a Wal-Mart or Target if you must; typical grocery stores will usually mark their prices up drastically compared to those stores.

[Oddball8945]

I keep it under 50 on a bulk chicken, bulk cereal,vegetables,pasta,oats, oils all cheap skip loafs of bread or bake your own and skip lunchmeat and ground beef and itll cost less

[Fallen_Horse]

Beans + Oats

[turtle_soup]

it is SO doable.
i spent 30$ on groceries yesterday...
chicken breasts on sale 1.88 lb.
Turkey 7% 4.99 a pound
Pita bread.
Red pepper
Mustard


Already have everything else.

Watch the sales and stock up when theres a good deal! freeze the chicken breasts, turkey, etc..

[Vlps5122]

taco bell - $0.79 tacos

[newgene]

Actually, eating healthier saves us money. Here are some staples:

-- Tuna (~$0.75/can)
-- Cottage Cheese ($0.90/cup)
-- Bottled water (about $0.15/bottle at Sams); you can even just get it off the filtered fridge too, but the bottles are handy for work and traveling
-- Chicken breasts (~$2/lb)
-- Oats (~$3/tub)
-- Eggs ($2.30/18)
-- Plain yogurt ($1.60/qt at wal-mart)
-- Milk (~3.50/gal for skim)
-- Canned beans/vegetables (pretty cheap)

Just to name a few...

[EbineezerScrews]

I do what they guys above have suggested.

$70 should do the trick

[Andershocknic]

i'm at like 35 a week, i eat bare min, chicken frozen veg, oatmeal, eggs, occasionaly i'll buy some steaks and freeze them for later on, . then a bunch of rice. I love buying in bulk. saves a bunch.

[Drayen]

Guys, how does this look?

3 Loaves Wheat Bread
1 Box of Frozen Boneless Chicken Breasts
10x Tuna Canned
4x Whole Grain Spaghetti
2x Marinara Sauce
1 Lb of Lucnh Meat Turkey
1 Lb of Ground Beef
1 Carton of Eggs
1x Big thing of Oatmeal
1x Bag of Pita Bread
2x box Protein Bars.. need sugar spikeeeeeeeee

Will that last a week for 175lber?

[berardi1111]

SAMS CLUB COSTCO BJS and you're set

[Bstu]

a little off topic, but is it alright to get canned veggies/fruit over fresh produce? its a little cheaper(im on a budget) and itll be easier to prepare for me

[grapemaster]

rice beans oats lentils pasta when its on sale peanut butter, sweet potatoes, potatoes, chicken breast (on sale) is probably going to be your best protein bet, beef and fish are too expensive. stick with veggies more than fruits. then start building up your stock pile of spices... I do a lot of stir fries, a lot of indian, etc. It is cheap.

drayen i would ditch the luncheon meat and u could make ur own bread.

[newgene]

Originally Posted by Drayen

Guys, how does this look?

3 Loaves Wheat Bread can you eat that much before it molds?
1 Box of Frozen Boneless Chicken Breasts good
10x Tuna Canned good
4x Whole Grain Spaghetti good
2x Marinara Sauce good
1 Lb of Lucnh Meat Turkey some can be well-disguised processed junk, but some are cool
1 Lb of Ground Beef good
1 Carton of Eggs usually cheaper to buy 18 count if that's what you're buying
1x Big thing of Oatmeal good
1x Bag of Pita Bread I have no opinion; I don't buy them
2x box Protein Bars.. need sugar spikeeeeeeeee fine as long as you count it as a true snack; this is about the only pricey item you have on here; lot better choices if you try to make something yourself (check the other threads)

Will that last a week for 175lber?

See in bold. Also, some of it will easily last more than a week. Sounds like you have enough spaghetti and meatsauce to make about 8 dinners if you stretch the meat in the sauce. The bread will easily last a week. I would guess that's about 4-5 sandwiches a day. You would run out of turkey first. The two boxes (dozen each) of bars will last you for a week at 3-4/day; so yes, that will definitely last. You'll also not need a new tub of oats every week.

Other than the eggs and ground beef (and possibly the chicken), what you have really looks like a 2-week load. You may want to budget some for odds and ends like beverages/water, weekend restaurant trips (unless that's not a separate budget line item), cooking oils, butter/milk, seasonings, etc.

I would think you could bump your list by about a third extra cost, and you probably would be looking at nearly every two weeks. So, you are probably looking at about 2/3 of the cost of what you have above.

[newgene]

Originally Posted by Bstu

a little off topic, but is it alright to get canned veggies/fruit over fresh produce? its a little cheaper(im on a budget) and itll be easier to prepare for me

I have eaten canned fruits and vegetables for years. Sure, fresh is always better, but canned is usually cheaper, and it really doesn't ever go bad.

[libby1972]

Originally Posted by newgene

Actually, eating healthier saves us money. Here are some staples:

-- Tuna (~$0.75/can)
-- Cottage Cheese ($0.90/cup)
-- Bottled water (about $0.15/bottle at Sams); you can even just get it off the filtered fridge too, but the bottles are handy for work and traveling
-- Chicken breasts (~$2/lb)
-- Oats (~$3/tub)
-- Eggs ($2.30/18)
-- Plain yogurt ($1.60/qt at wal-mart)
-- Milk (~3.50/gal for skim)
-- Canned beans/vegetables (pretty cheap)

Just to name a few...

Wow...that sounds really good actually.

[ORganiX]

I spend $150-$170 a week >_>

cause of whey protein JAy robb :P i have to buy 2 of this every week..

I know ON's whey protein would last me a month.. can save alot more..

but i love spending all my money in foods :P

[mstockwe87]

Costco/Sam's Club>grocery store

just sayin...

[easye7]

I buy almost everything in bulk, and only spend like 20-30 weekly..Get a CostCO or Sam's Club membership and buy stuff like chicken, beef, seafood, oats, PB, rice, pasta, potatoes, nuts, beans, frozen fruits/veggies, whatever you like...I only buy perishable things like milk, bread, and cottage cheese every week. Trust me the membership pays for itself almost immediately, the oats and chicken alone are life savers.



Oh canned Tuna and Salmon too, usually pretty cheap for packs of 8

[newgene]

That reminds me. I forgot a huge one. Natural PB. I get the smuckers from wally world for $2.40/lb or whole foods market's 18 oz. jar for a $2.20. I like the taste of the whole foods a little better anyway. However, you may not have on in your area.

I've heard Costco and Trader Joe's carry the natural pb even cheaper, but we don't have one in our area. Sams is all we have, and they don't have it.

BTW, I go through nearly 2 jars on some weeks, but usually it's only about 1/week.

[daYDreAmErX]

Food costs a lot more here than in the US and I live with around 150$/month (I also buy a 5 lbs of protein powder every 2 months or so) and it's not really difficult.

I think some people make things wayyyyyyyyy more complicated. Just add more fats to your diet if you really need calories. I try to include 1tbsp of EVOO or flaxseeds and a couple of TBSP of PB with my meals... that adds up pretty quick and it's really cheap.

My favorite meals that I cook in bulk :
- Chili (red beans, any grounded meat, canned diced tomatoes, some chili spices).
- Tofu stir fry with white rice : just cut a brick of tofu (I don't like that stuff but it's good in this recipe) in pieces, add a bag of frozen veggies and a jar of cheap tomato/pasta sauce... I then make a huge amount of white or basmati rice and I'm good for + 6 meals.
- Pasta with tuna and CC : i make my own sauce with cheap tomato/pasta sauce + a container of CC (it melts and it's great... texture and soft.. amazing). Sometimes I add 1-2 cans of tuna to the mix... serve with pasta for a good 800+ calories meal.

[Ted Nugent]

i can survive on less than $20 a week

-peanut butter
-frozen chicken breasts (cheaper than fresh)
-eggs, lots of eggs!!
-whey
-oats
-tuna
-frozen veggies are dirt cheap

believe me its not hard to get enough food for not alot of money.

[SpinFan]

Originally Posted by newgene

I have eaten canned fruits and vegetables for years. Sure, fresh is always better, but canned is usually cheaper, and it really doesn't ever go bad.

I'm all for frozen vegetables, the canned stuff has a ton of preservatives and sodium and tastes nasty.

Freezing veggies keeps the nutrients, you can just stick them in the microwave, and they taste great! I get these bags of mandarin blend veggies -- broccolli, carrots, red peppers, onions, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and baby corn. Delicious and only $1 each. Plus each bag contains 5 servings. A better value than canned, tastier, and healthier.

[PTN_old]

i average about 50 bucks a week, depending on what i buy. i was spending way more than that when i was buying junk. beer adds up, now that i have a solid healthy meal plan, i can keep it at 50 sometimes 60.

[Dave P]

Less than 30 bucks a week.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpo...35&postcount=1