Getting started: how to cut costs and eat healthy?

[reader2580]

I just discovered MMM a month or so ago.  I've already decided to make some changes to pay off debt much faster.  I'm not inclined to sell my house to be closer to work or any of that.  I am in a position where I almost certainly couldn't sell my current house and buy another one.  I already very rarely eat out, don't drink coffee, don't drink alcohol, and don't eat out at lunch time.  (Every financial article about cutting costs talks about not eating lunch out and no buying Starbucks or other coffee every day.)  I have $20K in credit card debt at 4.99%.  I can probably pay it off the credit card debt by end of 2016.  I do contribute a healthy amount to my 401K.

My problem is I really don't spend enough on food.  As a single male living alone I spend around $200 a month on food total including any eating out.  I end up eating mostly junk food because it is cheap and easy.  By 4 pm or 5 pm I am ravenously hungry and don't feel like cooking.  I want to eat right away as I am so hungry.  When I do cook I end up with large quantities of food and I don't want to eat the same thing for days on end.  A few years ago I bought a bunch of Tupperware containers that could be used to make food in advance that can be microwaved for dinner.  I never ended up using them, but I still have them.

I really need to spend more on food to buy more produce and healthier food.  My current diet is totally unhealthy and probably contributes to some of my health issues.  Luckily, I am not obese, but I am probably 20 pounds overweight.  Part of the MMM philosophy seems to be about living a healthy lifestyle in addition to having a good financial plan.  I just don't know where to start on eating a healthy diet.

[WildJager]

Hey man.  So, I like cooking so I'll try to stick to some of my simpler solutions.  On the road I usually bring a knife, cutting board, crock pot, and spices.  With that combo, you can make a wide variety of healthy food.

When you have energy, pre chop lots of vegetables and aromatics (onions, garlics, etc).  Throw them into plastic bags in then into the fridge.  Grab some spices, oils, and sauces to have around the kitchen.  If you're hungry after work as you say, eat something.  Then start prepping for tomorrow.  Throw the aromatics, meat, spices, and vegetables into the crockpot.  Then throw that into the fridge.

In the morning before you head to work, take the pot out of the fridge and turn it on.  When you get home, throw some cheese and dairy if you'd like, or softer vegetables that you don't want all mushy (like carrots).  Maybe even pasta if you feel like it!  After 30 minutes, stir and eat.

Save the leftovers in your Tupperware, and freeze.  Wash, rinse, repeat until you have enough variety stored up that in those times that you're hungry and don't want to cook you have something to break out and microwave (keep some of your favorites in the fridge in single serving containers for easy access, great for lunch!).  Cook fresh when you have the patience.  Enjoy the process, and consider it somewhat of a ritual.  You may find over time that you actually enjoy cooking, and you will expand your potential.

The key to avoiding junk food is to have food available when you don't feel like cooking.  It's easy to order a pizza when you have a fridge full of raw ingredients.  It's a bit harder to rationalize when you are seconds away from some delicious ratatoulli or beef stew in the microwave.

[Jakejake]

When my husband's away on business my motivation to cook a "real" meal just for myself is pretty low, even though I'm a decent enough cook and make real dinners every night generally. Things that work for me:

- burritos: very quick, especially if you have a microwave. A can of beans or cook a pot from dried ones ahead of time, a pack of tortillas, some salsa. Add in whatever you have on hand like lettuce, tomato, avocado, shredded cheese, onion, olives, plain yogurt, etc.

- yogurt. I make plain yogurt from scratch once a week (but you could buy it), and then make a big bowl of cut up apples, pears, or sectioned oranges, dump in some yogurt, and granola or cereal. It feels like I'm having a big Sundae for dinner.

- omelets or scrambled eggs with a ton of veggies.

If the immediate/convenient thing is a factor in what you grab, if you like boiled eggs, that might be a way to go for high protein snacks. You can bake a dozen in the oven at once and not even get stuck with a pan that has the gross boiled-egg residue on it that you have to clean. http://www.greetingsfromtheasylum.com/2011/05/got-eggs.html

[reader2580]

I know that a large part of my problem with being so hungry at 5 pm is my lack of proper eating during the day.  I eat a yogurt cup for breakfast and often eat no lunch.  I find that even if I do eat lunch that I'm still just as hungry at 5 pm.  I think I have gone without lunch most days for enough years that my body is programmed to be very hungry at 5 pm unless I have a huge lunch.

I should probably eat a real breakfast, but time is a big issue.  It is best for my long anti-mustachian commute to leave home by 6:30.  I suppose I need to get to bed earlier so I can get up and make breakfast.

I have to figure out how to make room in my finances for more spending on better food without harming my goal to pay off debt ASAP.

[patricklosangeles]

I am a big fan of oatmeal: cheap but hearty and filling -- even better in winter months.  You can get a 3 pound canister of oatmeal for a couple bucks.  This will last months.  Buy organic honey or agave nectar for a light sweetener.

A few scoops of oatmeal, enough water to fully cover it.  Then microwave 90 seconds.  Drizzle lightly with honey/agave.  2 spoonfuls of some kind of plain/unsalted nuts. (I prefer sunflower seeds!)  Then 4 spoonfuls of fruit (frozen blueberries, or a diced apple with cinnamon).

This is a healthy super-cheap 2-minute breakfast that also works as a late-night snack.  Note you can sub any kind of nuts and any kind of fruit.

[11ducks]

+1 for oatmeal.

I do similar daily meals, because its easier and cheaper.

Usually on Sundays I prepare for the week, and freeze. It takes a few hours but pays off, as mornings aren't a rush to get ready.

I chop veggies and some fruit, seal it in ziplock bags and freeze to make quick vegetable smoothies each morning.
Cook 2 chicken breasts, 4 sausages, chop/shred (I have 1 tuna day), add to some steamed veggies, ziplock and freeze in lunch portions - take a fresh seed roll and that's lunch daily for a week.
I make a big soup once a week, vegetable or bean, put it in cup sized jars.
I make up snack mix of nuts, sultanas, cranberries, chopped licorice, seeds.
You can add in individual yoghurts, sliced cheese, snack size chip/biscuit packs, a piece of fruit.
I have a sodastream so take 2L of chilled sodawater, you could freeze a bottle of water.

Alternatively, taking canned tuna or ham and tortilla wraps to work, with some salad mix makes a quick and easy wrap. I mix it up with leftovers, fresh spring rolls, the occasional bean, rice, pasta or other salad, boiled eggs, chopped meats, crackers with bite size toppings.

Also I leave some stuff at work (bread in the freezer, a few canned soups and muesli bars) so i'm never so hungry I have to buy lunch.  Not taking food is a guaranteed way to encourage binging/unexpected spending.

[Zette]

Check out Budget Bytes:  http://www.budgetbytes.com/

The author of the blog is single, so the proportions work out well for just 1-2 meals, or for a small number to be put in the freezer.  The food is fairly healthy (although too much pasta and starches for paleo types) and usually includes some veggies.  She's currently doing a "weekly recap" of what she cooked and ate that week, which you could follow as a meal plan.  In September she challenged herself to eat on $4.50 per day -- an adult male would likely eat larger portions than she does, so your numbers will be a bit higher but still very good.

Her baked oatmeal is a good one for breakfast -- make it on the weekend and scoop out and nuke a serving every morning:  http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/07/baked-oatmeal/

I just wish she'd hurry up and get married and pop out a couple of kids so her cooking would more closely match my family!  She'd never get away with some of the leftover repeats with 3 picky kids!  ;)

[NotJen]

I know that a large part of my problem with being so hungry at 5 pm is my lack of proper eating during the day.  I eat a yogurt cup for breakfast and often eat no lunch.  I find that even if I do eat lunch that I'm still just as hungry at 5 pm.  I think I have gone without lunch most days for enough years that my body is programmed to be very hungry at 5 pm unless I have a huge lunch.

I should probably eat a real breakfast, but time is a big issue.  It is best for my long anti-mustachian commute to leave home by 6:30.  I suppose I need to get to bed earlier so I can get up and make breakfast.

I have to figure out how to make room in my finances for more spending on better food without harming my goal to pay off debt ASAP.

I think you know the answer - you have programmed yourself to be ravenous at 5pm.  You need to change the programming if this no longer works for you.  It will probably take a while.  What can you change about your 5pm routine that will distract you from eating at that time?

You don't necessarily need extra time in the morning to eat a better breakfast.  You can keep your yogurt cup if you like it, but add fruits, nuts, or granola to make it more substantial (portion out beforehand, no extra time needed).  Or try oatmeal.  Make a batch over the weekend, and have bowls ready to go in the fridge.  Or throw together overnight oats in the evening.

Figure out a way to eat lunch every day.  If that doesn't work, try eating a good afternoon snack around 3 or 4 pm.  Nuts, cheese, fruits, veggie sticks, hummus, etc.

[sser]

Breakfast: I usually do a 'loaded yogurt jar' for breakfast, which I prep the night before and eat in the office. About a serving of plain yogurt (from large container), a chia seed/ hemp seed/ buckwheat groat mix with ground flax seed for some good omegas, 1/4 cup old fashioned oats (also an anti-inflammatory), mix that up and add frozen berries on top. I also add a little coconut oil for extra healthy fat. I think is is usually about 350+ calories, so you can add more or less if needed.

Lunch: My favorite rice-n-bean variation is fried rice using a wild rice blend, steaming in chicken broth, and sauteing in coconut oil (plus worcestershire sauce and soy sauce or other flavors). Add eggs and whatever veggies are around (maybe frozen peas, corn, some carrots, onion, spinach, etc), then throw a can of black beans or something in at the end and top with green onion - yummy enough to eat for at least 3 days and fairly filling. I do get kind of sick of most other stuff that I have tried (except for soup), so this has been a win.

Also already mentioned, but crockpot meals don't take a ton of prep and usually task great. Fall is the perfect season to start using them (and you could probably find a good crockpot with a timer that switches to low heat on craigslist).

Dinner: Hummus!!! Easy to make in bulk for a week, or buy on sale. Eat with carrots, rice crackers, or something else. Usually make a quick spinach salad, toss with walnut oil and a dash of salt, then add cheese, seeds/ nuts, and a few cranberries or something. Can always switch out for a good sandwich, frozen meal you already made, soup, leftovers, etc. Usually does the trick, though I have a weakness for ice cream...

Snacks: As others have mentioned, nuts are always good. Heath food stores have some good snack mixes that you could try and then make yourself. Also like dark chocolate!

[Runrooster]

I doubt you need to spend more money, beans and rice are cheaper than "junk food".  Set a goal to make dinner on the weekends at least - one meal with three servings on sat, a different one on Sunday. I use bagged frozen veg, already prepped and can defrost in microwave, so you use only what you need.  Chili, stews, good places to hide vegetables until you're used to eating them plain.

If two meals a day works for you, I wouldn't change it.  I used to eat like that and then felt like 3/day was healthy, all that did was put on weight.  It does help to have some fruit, nuts, carrot that you can eat while prepping dinner.

Healthy is also relative: my idea of junk food insta meals includes potstickers and frozen pizza, spaghetti/sauce, breaded chicken, ravioli, which still ends up $4/meal.  Even a quick sandwich will be cheaper than $7/day.

[Gondolin]

A blended shake of milk, oatmeal and peanut butter makes a great, filling shake that can be prepared in 2 minutes and consumed at leisure during the drive to work.

Also +1 to all the comments which focus on changing when and how you're eating. For a no cook solution buy apples, cottage cheese, almonds, bagels, etc. and bring them to the office every week so that there is food on hand. Eat breakfast on the road and 2-3 small meals during the day. Grab a handful of almonds to eat in the car on the way home. Then, when you get home you'll be hungry but not so hungry that you can't delay eating to cook.

[Tyson]

For snacks I use raw nuts, maybe with some chocolate chips mixed in.  Fast, easy, and substantial. 

Learning to cook for me was all about finding a few dishes that I liked that I could make easily.  There are a few hacks I figured out to make things easier.

1. Make large batches of rice, beans, and/or potatoes.  Don't flavor them or do them in a sauce.  These become the foundation for each meal. 

2.  Find good combos for your carb substrates.  For example, I make up a lot of rice and I know I like several variations - Beans and Rice with Cheese, so I have beans made up (or bought in a can) so I can just combine and microwave.  Sausage with rice and mixed veggies, so I usually have several sausages pre-cooked and sitting in my fridge, along with some pre-cooked mixed veggies in their own container, too.  Or Fried Eggs with Rice and Spinach - I keep frozen spinach in my freezer and use microwave it for 45 seconds to thaw it before combining it with the rice and putting my freshly fried eggs on top (with sea salt, lemon pepper and paprika!).

3.  Sauces - make or buy sauces to give yourself even more variety.  Costco has a very nice combo pack with Vindaloo and Green Curry that are pre-made, you just have to combine it with whatever else you are heating up.  Artichoke Pesto sauce is another great way to add flavor.  Tons of stuff to make or buy. 

[big_slacker]

When I do cook I end up with large quantities of food and I don't want to eat the same thing for days on end. 

I hate to break this to you, but most very fit people cook in bulk and eat the same thing for days on end. The reasons of course are:

1-Convenience, being able to just heat and eat something healthy instead of a fat pill in a cardboard box.
2-Portion size and thus total cals consumed daily are consistent.

That doesn't mean your food has to be super boring. Change up seasonings and sides. If you've got chicken breasts, brown rice and veggies you can have:

Chicken teriyaki (add teriyaki sauce)
Burritos (add a whole wheat tortilla, avocado and some salsa)
Thai chicken curry (add some yellow curry sauce and crushed peanuts)

And so on. In terms of cheapness, keep the concept of having core components that don't cost a lot. Prep and cook on sunday night then again on wednesday night. Enjoy results.

[mm1970]

When I do cook I end up with large quantities of food and I don't want to eat the same thing for days on end. 

I hate to break this to you, but most very fit people cook in bulk and eat the same thing for days on end. The reasons of course are:

1-Convenience, being able to just heat and eat something healthy instead of a fat pill in a cardboard box.
2-Portion size and thus total cals consumed daily are consistent.

That doesn't mean your food has to be super boring. Change up seasonings and sides. If you've got chicken breasts, brown rice and veggies you can have:

Chicken teriyaki (add teriyaki sauce)
Burritos (add a whole wheat tortilla, avocado and some salsa)
Thai chicken curry (add some yellow curry sauce and crushed peanuts)

And so on. In terms of cheapness, keep the concept of having core components that don't cost a lot. Prep and cook on sunday night then again on wednesday night. Enjoy results.

You forgot #3:
3.  You get so sick of it that you aren't tempted to overeat, even if it's something you like!

You might want to check out My Body My Kitchen.  This guy preps every weekend, but he freezes his meals in individual containers, so he can rotate them.  He may cook 6 servings of something, but they go into the freezer.

So weekend #1,
Make 7 servings of chicken, rice, and broccoli
Make 7 servings of fish, sweet potatoes, and green beans
Make 7 servings of meatloaf, potatoes, and steamed carrots

Eat one for lunch, one for dinner.  At the end of the week, you have 7 servings left.
Repeat the next weekend.
You now have 14 servings left.

Each subsequent weekend, you only make 7 servings of two items.

You don't get tired of your meals that way.

http://mybodymykitchen.com/

[seathink]

+1 for oatmeal, but I never have time in the morning for breakfast.

So I have a bin of oatmeal in the a drawer at my cubicle. Even regular oats will cook in the microwave. (Get a big handled mug as your bowl). In the middle drawer I keep a cinnamon shaker, raisins, peanuts, bag of apples/oranges, bread, and peanut butter. In the work fridge is a bulk yogurt container. And I eat the leftovers for lunch, not dinner. They feel less blah at work for some reason.

[reader2580]

When I do cook I end up with large quantities of food and I don't want to eat the same thing for days on end. 

I hate to break this to you, but most very fit people cook in bulk and eat the same thing for days on end. The reasons of course are:

1-Convenience, being able to just heat and eat something healthy instead of a fat pill in a cardboard box.
2-Portion size and thus total cals consumed daily are consistent.

My mother cooked a reasonably healthy dinner seven days a week and never served the same thing two days in a row.  Lunch on Saturday was usually leftovers and one dinner a week might be leftovers.  It is a lot easier when you are cooking for five and your job is to stay home and raise the kids.

If I can't figure out a way to have a healthier diet while not eating the same thing for days on end I know I'll keep on just eating junk food.

[plainjane]

When I do cook I end up with large quantities of food and I don't want to eat the same thing for days on end. 

I hate to break this to you, but most very fit people cook in bulk and eat the same thing for days on end. The reasons of course are:
1-Convenience, being able to just heat and eat something healthy instead of a fat pill in a cardboard box.
2-Portion size and thus total cals consumed daily are consistent.

If I can't figure out a way to have a healthier diet while not eating the same thing for days on end I know I'll keep on just eating junk food.

This is when I was going to point out the option of freezing things, and the importance of switching up spices/sauces, but I see that this has already been covered in the thread.  So why don't these options work for you?

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Want giant quantities of food instantly available at 5 pm? You need a SLOW COOKER! Cut up the veggies the night before, load crock pot in am, come home to giant quantity of soup. Eat lots. Save some in the fridge for lunch the next day. Freeze some for later dinners if you don't like to eat the same thing all week. Goodwill usually has crock pots.

Here's my super-cheap, super-easy split pea soup recipe:

Half a pound of carrots (3 large ones or assorted smaller ones) cut into coins
4 large ribs of celery (more if I am using the little ones from the inside of the stalk) cut up
Half to whole onion, chopped
teaspoon of marjoram (measured in my hand)
bay leaf
sprinkle of black pepper
pound and a half of split peas, rinsed
7 cups chicken broth (I use Better than Bullion, which is much cheaper than canned)

Dump everything in slow cooker. Cook 4-6 hours on high or 8-ish on low, depending on the strength of your slow cooker. When you get home from work, just scoop and eat.

Good luck!

[horsepoor]

When I do cook I end up with large quantities of food and I don't want to eat the same thing for days on end. 

I hate to break this to you, but most very fit people cook in bulk and eat the same thing for days on end. The reasons of course are:

1-Convenience, being able to just heat and eat something healthy instead of a fat pill in a cardboard box.
2-Portion size and thus total cals consumed daily are consistent.

My mother cooked a reasonably healthy dinner seven days a week and never served the same thing two days in a row.  Lunch on Saturday was usually leftovers and one dinner a week might be leftovers.  It is a lot easier when you are cooking for five and your job is to stay home and raise the kids.

If I can't figure out a way to have a healthier diet while not eating the same thing for days on end I know I'll keep on just eating junk food.

What do you eat for lunch when you are ravenous at 5 pm?  If it's basically all carbs, that's likely your problem.  Think about eating something more fat and protein-based.  One of my favorite lunches is a can of tuna packed in olive oil (I drain off some of the oil) mixed with some bell pepper, green onion, celery maybe shredded cabbage, jalapeno, pickle, olive, avocado - basically whatever is available.  That and a piece of fruit is a really healthy meal that will stick with you better than say, a sandwich with a ton of bread.

Protein can be cooked in single portions so you're not repeating meals.  For instance, google "microwave salmon".  You can do one portion in a few minutes and then have something different the next night.  Or make a couple portions of chicken, have it one night with cooked veggies, and the next night shred the extra over a huge salad.  Hard boiled eggs are another good thing to keep around because you can make a bunch and then eat them at random times throughout the week, rather than day after day - in fact, try eating one when you're starving at 5 pm and that should give you the fortitude to stay away from the junk food and cook a proper meal.

And cooking gets easier the more you practice it, so take heart.  I'm not sure why people discount the value of practice when it comes to cooking, but do it daily and eventually it will become second nature.

[reader2580]

There is a lot I need to think about as far as what to do about healthier eating.  I can afford to spend more and still pay down debt.  I don't see any way to eat a better diet (that I will actually eat) without spending more.  Heck, they spend nearly $2 per meal at a homeless shelter.  I am not going to buy and eat bulk beans for every meal.  In August I spent $154.66 on groceries and $22.84 on dining out.  When I see even the most mustachian budgets they usually spend more on food.

Habits take a month or more to form so it will take time to change my eating habits.

I have to see how much food I can really fit in my freezer.  My freezer isn't particularly large.  I like the slow cooker idea.  I already have one that I only use for the rare potluck.

[reader2580]

What do you eat for lunch when you are ravenous at 5 pm?  If it's basically all carbs, that's likely your problem.  Think about eating something more fat and protein-based.  One of my favorite lunches is a can of tuna packed in olive oil (I drain off some of the oil) mixed with some bell pepper, green onion, celery maybe shredded cabbage, jalapeno, pickle, olive, avocado - basically whatever is available.  That and a piece of fruit is a really healthy meal that will stick with you better than say, a sandwich with a ton of bread.

Most days I skip lunch which is a big part of the 5 pm problem.  My body is so programmed at this point to be ravenously hungry at 5 pm that if I eat a normal lunch at the noon hour I am still ravenous hungry by 5 pm.  Only if I eat a ridiculous huge lunch am I not totally hungry by 5 pm.

I eat 90% carbs right now which I know is part of my unhealthy diet.  Today I forgot my yogurt at home so I had a donut for breakfast and no lunch.  It is past 5 pm and I haven't eaten anything since about 9 am.  I'm not even sure what I will eat for dinner yet.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

There is a lot I need to think about as far as what to do about healthier eating.  I can afford to spend more and still pay down debt.  I don't see any way to eat a better diet (that I will actually eat) without spending more.  Heck, they spend nearly $2 per meal at a homeless shelter.  I am not going to buy and eat bulk beans for every meal.  In August I spent $154.66 on groceries and $22.84 on dining out.  When I see even the most mustachian budgets they usually spend more on food.

Habits take a month or more to form so it will take time to change my eating habits.

I have to see how much food I can really fit in my freezer.  My freezer isn't particularly large.  I like the slow cooker idea.  I already have one that I only use for the rare potluck.

Sometimes you can fit more if you buy quart-size freezer bags and sort of flatten and stack them--then there is no wasted space. I often do it that way and I almost never get leaks. Or rectangular containers will stack better than round ones; that's my other favorite way to freeze :-). I don't usually freeze whole meals because we're a family of 4, so leftovers are not as big a problem, but I often cook up big batches of bulk beans and freeze. Or rice--cook a pound or two of brown rice at a time and freeze it in one- or two-cup portions.

[galliver]

I think to give good suggestions we need to know a little more about how/what you eat now and what your food preferences are. Are we talking frozen pizza? Bag of chips for dinner? Easymac? How do you feel about various vegetables (faves/blech?)? Fruit?

One aspect of going from a very carb/junk based diet is that you might not be used to the flavors/textures of Real Food (TM) (mainly: vegetables) and you'll fall off the wagon pretty quickly if you launch straight into kale salads with tofu or something. Ease yourself into it: throw at least 3 vegetables on your frozen pizza or in the easy mac (as an example). Onions, peppers, and broccoli. Peas, broccoli, and cauliflower. Something you like and something you're less sure about, that you're trying out, or that you know is extra good for you.

Another aspect is learning to do it from scratch. So make mac and cheese from...macaroni and cheese. You can start with grated cheese and pre-cut vegetables; just wean yourself off eventually to save $$. Look up recipes for things you eat, or like at restaurants.

Finally, to have this not take up all your time, and be fast in the evening, you need to be bulk cooking. But I, for one, hate the mushy textures I associate with frozen meals and slow cookers, so I have a different approach. I make a bunch of meat, usually with fairly neutral seasonings. Whatever is on sale and/or I feel like having. E.g. I might make a pan of this chicken http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-garlic-chicken-5478. I might make some noodles and/or rice and chop up some vegetables that will last (peppers, onions, carrots hold up well, tomatoes not so much!) I also pick up some salad greens. So, for lunch I just have to throw the salad ingredients together in a tupperware and throw the chicken on top and pour some dressing (in a separate tiny container, or it gets soggy). For dinner, mix and match: noodles, chicken, and vegetables with soy sauce? Stir fry. Substitute different vegetables and tomato sauce for a pasta dish. Rice, chicken, and vegetables and maybe an egg? Fried rice. Or another salad. You have options. Worst case, you have nuked chicken and rice and carrot sticks.

Lastly (haha see what I did there): if you're ravenous at 5, and don't have anything quick prepped...have a snack! My go-to is tomatoes if we have them (I am a tomato addict and I don't care), or fruit (grapes, banana, apple, etc). But maybe cheese or a granola bar works better for you. Just as long as it's a snack sized portion.

Incidentally, I'm not a saint and won't pretend every week goes as above. I forget my lunch or don't get around to it or just get sick of cooking/cleaning more often than your average Mustachian, I think. And then utilize the cafeteria or favorite Thai takeout or whatever (though I had desk-oatmeal today, go me). But I would  be just as likely to forget to start a crock pot or run out of frozen meals so I think my strategy is just as valid as the next :)

Oh one last thing. Unlike someone posting above, I think potstickers are just fine once in a while (esp if you boil them instead of frying, and get the meat+vegetable ones vs just meat). My mom made dumplings when I was a kid (different ones) and I don't think the store-bought are all that nutritionally different; unlike boxed foods, frozen ones don't need many preservatives, etc. They're also less expensive than takeout (about $3 for a filling portion). I keep them in the freezer for when cooking is the Last Thing In The Universe I Want To Do. Good hedge, IMO, against worse junk food.

[GreenSheep]

+1 for freezing, snacks, and smoothies. (Haven't tried a slow cooker, but that seems like a great idea, too. My friend just told me today that she has one that cooks and then has a "warm" setting, so you don't have to try to predict the precise moment when you'll get home.)

I travel (fly) for work, and I work in the ER, where the hours are weird and breaks for eating do not exist. So if I can do this, anybody can! :-)

When I'm home, I start every single day with a green smoothie or juice. It's a fast, easy way to get a ton of nutrition into your body, and the juice can even be made the night before if you prefer.

As far as snacks go, I tend to do better, especially on busy days, if I have several things I can grab and eat quickly when I have two seconds. I take energy bites (recipes all over the internet, but basically nuts, dates, and a few other things -- could be oats, another fruit, spices, etc. tossed in the food processor and rolled into balls -- last days at room temp and just about forever in the freezer), fruit, green juice, carrot sticks, etc. to work and grab some every couple of hours. And I completely agree with the person who said that a snack (appetizer?) is a great idea if you're starving when you get home at 5pm and aren't motivated to cook because you're too hungry.

My freezer is constantly packed, and I never eat the same thing over and over until I'm sick of it. Each time I make a meal, I put the leftovers (usually 2-4 servings) in the freezer, so I always have 5-6 different things to choose from. To save space, you might consider just making some sauces and freezing them. Then you can add pasta and maybe some veggies later. I have pesto, marinara sauce, butternut squash "cheese" sauce (I follow a plant-based diet, so no real cheese), and a miso-curry sauce, all homemade, in my freezer right now. So between the complete meals and the sauces, right at this moment, I have a choice of about 10 things with almost no effort!

Oh, another quick and easy meal that I use fairy often is a bowl with a grain, a green, a bean, a sauce, and one other thing like an avocado, some shiitake mushrooms, or whatever you like. You can make a bunch of rice or quinoa and various types of beans in advance, store them in the freezer, and vary the sauce to get more mileage out of it before you get sick of it. I know you're not really looking to save money, but this is pretty cheap anyway!

I think a lot of this is just about establishing a routine and making it a habit. Cooking is really fun when you enjoy the final product, and despite the fact that people think it's a lot of work, it doesn't have to be. And then, when you have stuff already in the freezer, it's a lot less work to just take it out and microwave it than to get in the car, drive to a fast food place, etc. I lived on canned soup and frozen pizza not so many years ago, and now I can't believe I did that. So it is possible! :-)

[HAPPYINAZ]

I think you are framing the problem incorrectly.  You stated that you don't spend enough on food.  But based on what you have told us, that is not your problem.  Your problem is you are eating junk food rather than food that is satisfying and good for you.  It's not true that healthy food needs to be more expensive than what you are currently eating.  As others have mentioned, rice and beans are super cheap and healthy.  Burritos are super cheap if you make them yourself, and they can be very healthy if not loaded with high calorie/low nutrient foods like sour cream or lard that is in refried beans.  There is a lot of research about beans and the exceptional health benefits of them.  They are loaded with protein, will stabilize your blood sugar, and do lots of other great things for you.  Buy some canned beans and some whole grain tortillas and then add chopped vegetables like romaine lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, corn.  Put some salsa on it and microwave for a minute or two and you have a great, healthy, fast meal. 

here is another cheap and fast meal or side dish....take a bag of frozen corn, a can of black beans, one chopped red pepper, one chopped onion, half a bunch of cilantro (if you like cilantro, skip it if you don't), some chopped red cabbage (skip if you don't like cabbage, but it's super healthy and adds nice color).  Put all these things in a big bowl and mix them with a bunch of cumin and a juice from one lime.  Or you can skip the cumin and lime.  This is so versatile you can just use what you have on hand, it doesn't have to be made the same way every time.  Now you can leave the bowl in the refrigerator and the frozen corn will thaw by the time you get home.  You can eat it as is, or wrap a bunch in a tortilla and top with salsa.  It's great!  This will keep a long time and so you can make it ahead of time and eat it when you feel like it.  We take it camping alot because it is so easy.  You can make it in just a few minutes and it's super healthy and filling.  If you want to cut calories you can put it on romaine lettuce leaves with a spicy siracha mayo....it's amazing that way!

another tasty and fast snack that perhaps you could have for lunch or if you come home starving and want an appetizer while you are making dinner, try slicing some cucumber, put a little whipped cream cheese on it, top with thin slices of salmon and top that with cut green onions and some dill (if you like dill).  These are quite tasty and reasonably healthy. 

Yams (sweet potatoes) are another filling and healthy food.  You can eat them like a baked potato or mash them up and mix with other things.  Buy some yams and wash and cut them into peices.  Boil until tender.  Then drain and mash them up.  Mix with a can of salmon or a can of pumpkin and some bread crumbs.  Make into patties and fry like a burger. 

Making chili is super fast and can be made ahead so that when you get home you can just heat up a bowl.  A can of stewed or chopped tomatos, a can of pinto beans, chop an onion, chop a red pepper, chop some yams or potatos, put it all in a pot and add whatever spices you like (garlic, cumin).  Boil it for 20 to 30 minutes until things are tender and to your liking. 

Oatmeal microwaved with a little water and some frozen blueberries or raspberries will give you a hearty breakfast in just a couple minutes.  Another fast breakfast is avocado on whole grain toast.  I love this one!  Take half an avocado and spread it on toasted bread.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and eat as is, or top with some tomato or a poached egg.  Avocado has healthy fats and so is satisfying and filling. 

There are so many websites with great recipes. If you think you like chili, just search for fast chili recipes.  If you like burritors, search for that.  Stews, soups, etc can all be fast and healthy dinners.  Think about the foods you like that are healthy and focus on finding ways to use them to make the meals you like. 

You don't have to make large quantities.  You don't have to eat the same thing every night.  Just focus on eating things that are good for you and find recipes that appeal to you.  Need some help deciding what is healthy?  Check out nutritionfacts.org or drfuhrman.com.

   




     

[reader2580]

I think to give good suggestions we need to know a little more about how/what you eat now and what your food preferences are. Are we talking frozen pizza? Bag of chips for dinner? Easymac? How do you feel about various vegetables (faves/blech?)? Fruit?

I've been eating literally junk food.  Mostly chips.  Whatever is on sale that week.  Walmart often has sales on name brand chips that go on for weeks or months.  Sometimes I buy imitation crab and eat just that.  Not so much recently since Walmart quit carrying the good imitation crab.  I have been known to eat an entire bag of pepperoni and other stuff like that.

For a number of months I have been buying mandarin oranges and apple sauce in single serve containers at Aldi and then eating one single serve container of each every night.  I know that if it isn't really easy I won't eat it.  Oranges that have to be peeled and sectioned would probably sit in my fridge until they got thrown away.

I despise corn and peas.  I have started to eat tomatoes recently and I love broccoli.  If someone makes broccoli I will eat a ton of it.

Right now I need to eat what is in my freezer.  I have six frozen pizzas, 10+ bratwurst, 15+ large hot dogs, some tuna fillets, and a stir fry in a bag.  I also have some chopper mushrooms, chopped green peppers, and chicken strips that I have mixed with Ramen noodles at times.  The brats and hot dogs are leftover from selling food once a month over the summer months.  I have been eating the brats slowly over the past few weeks.

[reader2580]

One other thing I need to do is get a outside vent installed for my stove.  I had a gas stove installed after I bought the hose, but I have no outside vent.  It sounds like it is code to have an outside vent with a gas stove to remove byproducts from burning natural gas.  I want an outside vent anyhow to remove steam and odors from cooking.

I got a quote for $300 to have the work done.  I would love to go DIY on this, but I don't recall what type of vent he said they would install on the outside of the house.  I would also need someone to help me remove the microwave to do the install.  Living alone limits what I can do myself and I hate to constantly ask for help.

[Kitsunegari]

Some of the best advises I got was "Eat food, not food products" and "Don't buy anything that you great-grandma wouldn't recognize as food". Basically buy as unprocessed food as you can, then process/cook it yourself to your taste. It's a bit time consuming, but you'll save money and get more nutrients from your food.

[mrteacher]

Some of the best advises I got was "Eat food, not food products" and "Don't buy anything that you great-grandma wouldn't recognize as food". Basically buy as unprocessed food as you can, then process/cook it yourself to your taste. It's a bit time consuming, but you'll save money and get more nutrients from your food.

I like that advice. I also like, "If it's advertised on TV, don't eat it" and "If you can't identify the ingredients, don't eat it."

In short - eat real food: veggies, fruits, meat, nuts, seeds, eggs, and some grains. Start raw and then cook it how you want. It takes time, but not nearly as much time as the cooking-averse think. It will cost less, or as much - not more, than what you spend on food now.

[Chosh]

I have a question for those people who are able to make huge batches of food to last all week - are you managing to cook everything at once, or are you spending multiple hours once per week/month cooking batch after batch?  Especially if you have a family, it seems like you need to cook a lot of food to get ahead for even 1 week.

I try to make large batches of food, but never really end up with enough to be worth freezing, as no matter how ambitious I get it seems to all be gone in 3-4 days anyway.

[plainjane]

I have a question for those people who are able to make huge batches of food to last all week - are you managing to cook everything at once, or are you spending multiple hours once per week/month cooking batch after batch?  Especially if you have a family, it seems like you need to cook a lot of food to get ahead for even 1 week.

I don't make huge batches, as there are only two of us.  Food for the freezer happens every few weeks, and it is high-value items to support quick meals later, like soup/stew, or pulled meat that don't really require much hands-on time, just time around the house. If this is something you're interested in, I really recommend The Everlasting Meal, which breaks down an afternoon of prep/cooking for the upcoming week.  So, for example, I'd cut up and roast a head of cauliflower, and then I have cauliflower all week for a variety of dishes (with hummus, or as filler for a taco salad, or in a curry).  But at the same time, I could also roast sweet potatoes.

My meals tend to be composed of multiple pre-cooked/prepped items and a couple of new things.  It isn't leftovers, and the meal isn't completely prepared before hand, but the weekend puts me in a good spot.

One other thing I need to do is get a outside vent installed for my stove.  I had a gas stove installed after I bought the hose, but I have no outside vent.  It sounds like it is code to have an outside vent with a gas stove to remove byproducts from burning natural gas.  I want an outside vent anyhow to remove steam and odors from cooking.

For the last 9 years I have lived in a house with a gas stove that is not vented outside.  We have a CO monitor in the kitchen, it has never gone off.  Please don't use this as an excuse not to start using a stove/oven or eating real food.

[NotJen]

I have a question for those people who are able to make huge batches of food to last all week - are you managing to cook everything at once, or are you spending multiple hours once per week/month cooking batch after batch?  Especially if you have a family, it seems like you need to cook a lot of food to get ahead for even 1 week.

I try to make large batches of food, but never really end up with enough to be worth freezing, as no matter how ambitious I get it seems to all be gone in 3-4 days anyway.

I am cooking for one, sometimes two people, so that makes it easier to have leftovers.  I get enough to have a variety of lunches by cooking full dinners twice a week, and freezing the leftover servings without a stop in the fridge.  My favorites for LOTS of leftovers are 4-5lbs of brisket or boston butt in the crockpot.  A whole chicken will give me 3 servings of breast meat for salads, and shredded chicken for several servings of chicken salad, or even more when added to a soup or casserole (as well as stock, eventually).  Ohh, and I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving turkey breasts going on sale soon!

Sometimes I do batch cooking bound directly for the freezer, but usually I'm eating a serving of whatever I make.  My pizza dough recipe makes 4 individual-sized pizzas or 8 pocket sandwiches, so usually I eat one and freeze the rest.  I can usually get 8 burritos out of one filling recipe - eat one, freeze the rest.

If I had a family, I would probably do things differently and cook every night - that might actually still be enough to get me leftovers for lunch, though.

[galliver]

I think to give good suggestions we need to know a little more about how/what you eat now and what your food preferences are. Are we talking frozen pizza? Bag of chips for dinner? Easymac? How do you feel about various vegetables (faves/blech?)? Fruit?

I've been eating literally junk food.  Mostly chips.  Whatever is on sale that week.  Walmart often has sales on name brand chips that go on for weeks or months.  Sometimes I buy imitation crab and eat just that.  Not so much recently since Walmart quit carrying the good imitation crab.  I have been known to eat an entire bag of pepperoni and other stuff like that.

For a number of months I have been buying mandarin oranges and apple sauce in single serve containers at Aldi and then eating one single serve container of each every night.  I know that if it isn't really easy I won't eat it.  Oranges that have to be peeled and sectioned would probably sit in my fridge until they got thrown away.

I despise corn and peas.  I have started to eat tomatoes recently and I love broccoli.  If someone makes broccoli I will eat a ton of it.

Right now I need to eat what is in my freezer.  I have six frozen pizzas, 10+ bratwurst, 15+ large hot dogs, some tuna fillets, and a stir fry in a bag.  I also have some chopper mushrooms, chopped green peppers, and chicken strips that I have mixed with Ramen noodles at times.  The brats and hot dogs are leftover from selling food once a month over the summer months.  I have been eating the brats slowly over the past few weeks.

Stop chips cold turkey (or at the very least, if you want them you have to make them from raw potatoes--so you feel the pain! ;) )

Pick up a head of broccoli in the vegetable aisle. Heck, pick up the bagged/precut broccoli if you don't think you'll be up to that chore. Throw in a bowl, rinse, throw in the microwave for a minute or two (depending on your microwave and the desired state of doneness). If you're ambitious, add salt, pepper and maybe lemon juice. Tomatoes and apples just need rinsed and can be eaten whole. Salad greens, celery, baby carrots, cucumbers can also be eaten rinsed from the fridge. Avocadoes and bell peppers also require minimal prep (chopping a pepper for a recipe is a bit time consuming, but just clearing out seeds and chopping into a few rough chunks to eat takes less than 30 sec.). Green beans, asparagus, cauliflower, and carrots steam well in the microwave with negligible prep (well, if you get the chopped/bagged cauliflower). None of these will really feed you but the fiber would cut your hunger enough to prep more complex food, and/or they'd be good sides for those brats.  You can also make baked potatoes in the microwave; I'm not a fan but my mom and sister swear by them (at least, for lazy days): http://startcooking.com/how-to-cook-potatoes-in-a-microwave . 

Also, I challenge you to make that stir fry from a bag in the next week. Then do it once or twice more. Then make one from scratch. You might not want to but you came here to change and I promise it won't be as hard or uncomfortable soon!

Oh, also! You said having something for lunch doesn't move your 5PM hunger cue...have you tried having a snack at 3 or 4PM instead?

[hyla]

Two suggestions to address the being hungry at  5 when you get home issue:

1. Figure out some healthier snacks you like - broccoli dipped in hummus?  good bread made into toast?  Eat that when you get home to quash the immediate hunger, then you might be motivated to spend time cooking good food for dinner instead of immediately heating up a frozen pizza.

2. Cook in a crock pot!  Throw all the ingredients in in the morning before you leave for work, and when you get home you will have homemade dinner ready to go.  If you are mostly cooking for yourself you can get a smallish (2 qt?) crock pot so you aren't making way too much food.  Makes your house smell great too - I've been cooking some Indian recipes in my slow cooker lately and when I get home my house smells like coriander and ginger. 

[reader2580]

Right now, I spend 39 cents a day for a cup of yogurt for breakfast plus 30 cents for a can of diet dew.  No lunch most weekdays, but I do drink another can of diet dew for another 30 cents.  Dinner is often a bag of chips that cost $2 to $2.50 which may last two days.  I also have applesauce and orange slices that cost about 70 cents.

Is there really a way to have a healthy lunch and dinner for $2 to $2.50 a day?  I have shopped for fresh food in the past and the costs seem to add up quick.  $2.50 a day isn't even $20 a week.  I don't have an issue spending more, but some of you are saying fresh food should cost less than what I am spending now.  My goal here is not to spend as little as possible for healthy bland food that will keep me alive at little cost.  If the food isn't at least somewhat tasty I'll go right back to my old habits.

I already made a phone call to see about getting the vent line for the range hood installed.  I am not worried about the byproducts of burning gas, but rather the heat, steam, and smells.  I have been using the stove without and putting up with the smells, but not if I start cooking a lot more.  I do a lot of work myself on the house, but this is one thing I will pay to have done.

[NotJen]

Right now, I spend 39 cents a day for a cup of yogurt for breakfast plus 30 cents for a can of diet dew.  No lunch most weekdays, but I do drink another can of diet dew for another 30 cents.  Dinner is often a bag of chips that cost $2 to $2.50 which may last two days.  I also have applesauce and orange slices that cost about 70 cents.

Is there really a way to have a healthy lunch and dinner for $2 to $2.50 a day?  I have shopped for fresh food in the past and the costs seem to add up quick.  $2.50 a day isn't even $20 a week.  I don't have an issue spending more, but some of you are saying fresh food should cost less than what I am spending now.  My goal here is not to spend as little as possible for healthy bland food that will keep me alive at little cost.  If the food isn't at least somewhat tasty I'll go right back to my old habits.

Well, if it's bland, just pour all that salt you're used to getting from the chips, and you should be good.

If that's really what you eat every day, that's pretty gross.  Sorry.  How do you even have the energy to get through the day?  No, nothing healthy is going to be as cheap as that.

[Runrooster]

Yes you can eat healthy at 2.50 a day (tea bags are a few pennies),  but also the numbers you quoted initially were $180/month plus $20 to eat out.  $6/day can get you a nice dinner plus oatmeal, yogurt, app!es, tea for breakfast and snacks.  Chips run $2/#, about the same price as chicken breast uncooked, and an 8 ounce portion is a good meal.  Frozen veg run $1/pound, and I eat maybe half a bag in one meal. 

I mean ultimately there is no food that tastes as good and cheap and work free as potato chips.  Peanut butter sandwiches are too much work?  I watch for sales on spiral sliced ham, already cooked just put half in the freezer. Rice cooker?  You ate healthy food growing up, if your mom came and deposited a freezer full of meals, you'd eat them?  So take the time to learn how to make the food you'll eat. 

[partgypsy]

We spend too much on food but there is got to be a middle ground of where you are and eating healthily and well!

I work fulltime plus have 2 kids so if I need to make something after work it is also going to be something I can heat up or throw together (frozen entrée, quesadilla, breakfast for dinner, steamed veggies with leftover meat, etc). so during the week, have stuff you can literally heat or assemble for low energy days. I am also starving when I get home, so I eat a bowl of cereal before making the meal. Frozen pizza, throw some chopped veggies on top too.

Regarding "real food" If I am going to make something like a stew, soup, chili, quiche, lasagna, I save doing it on the weekend, so I can have hot for lunch. You got to get over eating things multiple times. OR get really good at storing AND LABELING things in your freezer to grab. If you don't know what it is or how old it is, you are not going to grab it. You want to make it as identifiable or attractive as a frozen entrée, so start small here.
Other things, cut up carrots, celery, fruit the night before and have them in bags so you can grab and go. Same thing with yogurt. I am super lazy so I know where you are coming from.

[reader2580]

Yes you can eat healthy at 2.50 a day (tea bags are a few pennies),  but also the numbers you quoted initially were $180/month plus $20 to eat out.  $6/day can get you a nice dinner plus oatmeal, yogurt, app!es, tea for breakfast and snacks.  Chips run $2/#, about the same price as chicken breast uncooked, and an 8 ounce portion is a good meal.  Frozen veg run $1/pound, and I eat maybe half a bag in one meal. 

In August I spent $154 on groceries.  (I was gone on vacation for nearly two weeks of Sept.)  $60 pays for pop, yogurt, and the fruit I eat with my dinner.  That means I spent about $3 a day on the rest of my food.

I bought some eggs today that I will cook with the mushrooms, green peppers, and other stuff I have in my freezer.

[MrsPete]

Think of your health as a savings account.  A savings account that is equally important to your financial accounts.  If you need to deposit more into this account to see your health grow, do it.  At this point, you're still young and feel like you're able to eat all this junk food.  It will catch up to you as you age. 

You say you don't like to eat the same thing over and over -- that's a workable thing:

- Cook one big meal and freeze it in individual portions.  This is the perfect time of year for chilis and soups, and those things freeze superlatively well.  Pair them with half a sandwich full of fresh veggies, and you have an A+ meal. 
- Buy yourself one of those SMALL crock pots.  When you put together a crock pot meal, divide it up into ziplocks and freeze several "rounds" of the meal. 
- Look for ways to use leftovers so that they don't "look" the same:  Spread leftovers over a big, fat baked potato (and add some cheese).  Cook leftovers into a soup.  Fry leftovers in to a hash. 

I can relate to the problem of being ravenous at 5:00 and wanting to eat NOW.  I go to work at the crack of dawn and have "lunch" at 10:30.  Yes, I'm hungry before the rest of my family.  Adding some protein to your lunch should help.  Also consider bringing 5 pieces of fruit to work on Monday, and eat one every day as you leave work. 

A cheap way to make salads for work lunches:  I like to go to Harris Teeter on Sunday afternoon and fill a big box of their salad bar (which is 5.99/pound).  But I don't put in any lettuce (which is much cheaper than 5.99/pound).  Instead, I get all the good crunchies that I like ... then I go home and make up 5 mason jar salads, pushing the vegetables, eggs, chicken strips, etc. to the bottom of the jar ... then I top it off with enough lettuce to fill the jar.  It ends up costing me about $8 for five BIG crunchy salads made with all the goodies I like -- and the salads aren't all the same -- and no leftovers.  I take the five jars to work on Monday and eat one each day.  I do add a sandwich (or similar) each day, but this makes sure I get plenty of vegetables for lunch, and I only have to do the work once. 

[Jakejake]

My problem is I really don't spend enough on food.

This is not your problem. Your problem is that you are unwilling to take a few minutes to do minimal prep work, and that when you are in the store, you are making bad decisions.

Also, you have some classic signs of bad issues/addictions to sugar and simple carbs, and one of the symptoms is that when you eat them, it spikes your insulin levels, which in turn will make you feel crazy hungry. You should read four hour body, or wheat belly, so you understand the causes of that 5pm hunger, and why a giant lunch of carbs, no matter how large the meal is, will make you feel hungry later. Several people here have suggested swapping out carbs for proteins, healthy fats and fiber - but it's important for you to take a bit of time to understand the science behind it.

I feed myself and my husband on less per month than what you spend on yourself, and we don't drink pop ever, or eat chips for meals (excepting maybe one meal a month of nachos). We are averaging $1.55 per person per day. My breakfast today was homemade yogurt (6 cents per cup vs. your 39 - so one day of your yogurt budget covers a week of mine), and coffee with about a quarter of a premade protein shake instead of cream. The shake was 65 cents clearanced, for a pack of 4, so I used about 6 cents of one of those. With the cost of the coffee too, breakfast was about 30 cents.

My lunch was a smoothie, made from a few leaves of raw collard greens, puree from a squash I got in a two dollar case sale, a scoop of protein powder, and one package of equal. Cost, in the range of 25 cents.

Dinner: Squash black bean veggie burgers. Beans were from a batch I cooked at the start of the week from dried beans. The squash was the one referenced above. Two burgers with homemade relish and condiments was maybe 50 cents, mostly for the cost of the whole wheat buns. And I had an apple, they are currently 40 cents a pound, so let's say 20 cents for the apple.

That totals $1.25 for my three meals, plus I had some free-ish baked squash seeds for a morning snack, and a slim fast bar on my way home for 30 cents from a mark-down box, 1.49 for a box of 5.

[Tyson]

My problem is I really don't spend enough on food.

This is not your problem. Your problem is that you are unwilling to take a few minutes to do minimal prep work, and that when you are in the store, you are making bad decisions.

Also, you have some classic signs of bad issues/addictions to sugar and simple carbs, and one of the symptoms is that when you eat them, it spikes your insulin levels, which in turn will make you feel crazy hungry. You should read four hour body, or wheat belly, so you understand the causes of that 5pm hunger, and why a giant lunch of carbs, no matter how large the meal is, will make you feel hungry later. Several people here have suggested swapping out carbs for proteins, healthy fats and fiber - but it's important for you to take a bit of time to understand the science behind it.

I feed myself and my husband on less per month than what you spend on yourself, and we don't drink pop ever, or eat chips for meals (excepting maybe one meal a month of nachos). We are averaging $1.55 per person per day. My breakfast today was homemade yogurt (6 cents per cup vs. your 39 - so one day of your yogurt budget covers a week of mine), and coffee with about a quarter of a premade protein shake instead of cream. The shake was 65 cents clearanced, for a pack of 4, so I used about 6 cents of one of those. With the cost of the coffee too, breakfast was about 30 cents.

My lunch was a smoothie, made from a few leaves of raw collard greens, puree from a squash I got in a two dollar case sale, a scoop of protein powder, and one package of equal. Cost, in the range of 25 cents.

Dinner: Squash black bean veggie burgers. Beans were from a batch I cooked at the start of the week from dried beans. The squash was the one referenced above. Two burgers with homemade relish and condiments was maybe 50 cents, mostly for the cost of the whole wheat buns. And I had an apple, they are currently 40 cents a pound, so let's say 20 cents for the apple.

That totals $1.25 for my three meals, plus I had some free-ish baked squash seeds for a morning snack, and a slim fast bar on my way home for 30 cents from a mark-down box, 1.49 for a box of 5.

Agreed, really solid advice here.  Wheat Belly is a great book to explain what's going on.  So is The Primal Blueprint.  If it were me, I'd focus on eating healthier first, then figuring out how to dial down the costs later after you have good eating habits in place.

[GreenSheep]

I know that if it isn't really easy I won't eat it.  Oranges that have to be peeled and sectioned would probably sit in my fridge until they got thrown away.

Whoa, hold on a minute here. Seriously? I hope that was at least somewhat sarcastic. Are you really saying that you cannot be bothered to PEEL AN ORANGE? I think this might be facepunch worthy. Shall we get the catheter and bedpan ready for you? All these nice people are giving you ideas and recipes for things that are very, very simple, but they're all more labor-intensive than peeling an orange, so apparently none of this will be useful to you.

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/09/18/is-it-convenient-would-i-enjoy-it-wrong-question/

If you don't even have the willpower or energy to peel an orange, then maybe you need to see a doctor about more than just your nutrition habits. And despite the tone above, I mean that seriously and in the nicest way possible. Maybe you're dealing with a physical (anemia?) or mental (depression?) health problem that's contributing to your terrible eating habits. Or it could be that you're not giving your body the nutrition it needs, so you've become weak and unmotivated. Or maybe both, in a nasty vicious cycle.

[reader2580]

The diet dew is to keep me awake enough to function.  I have sleep apnea that I have been trying to get help for for several years.  CPAP has not been effective even after trying a dozen different masks.  I just started using a dental appliance for sleep apnea that doesn't seem to help yet either.  Weight isn't causing my apnea as I was down to a very healthy weight a year ago and it was still an issue.

My diet has been an issue for a long time now.  I've been able to go for a week or two cooking decent food at times, but my body craves the fat, salt, whatever in the junk food and I slip back into old habits.  I was reading the MMM blog entries about the food he eats and I decided I need to try eating healthier again.  Yes, I have been checked for depression due to other issues in my life that have been corrected.

[11ducks]

The diet dew is to keep me awake enough to function.  I have sleep apnea that I have been trying to get help for for several years.  CPAP has not been effective even after trying a dozen different masks.  I just started using a dental appliance for sleep apnea that doesn't seem to help yet either.  Weight isn't causing my apnea as I was down to a very healthy weight a year ago and it was still an issue.

My diet has been an issue for a long time now.  I've been able to go for a week or two cooking decent food at times, but my body craves the fat, salt, whatever in the junk food and I slip back into old habits.  I was reading the MMM blog entries about the food he eats and I decided I need to try eating healthier again.  Yes, I have been checked for depression due to other issues in my life that have been corrected.
[/quote

You need to weigh up the effort/time it takes to eat properly against the significant
Likelihood of disease/reduced lifespan resulting from your current diet. Diets like yours cause diabetes, cancer, heart disease. Healthy eating will keep you alive. No, it doesn't always taste like a sweet/salty dream combo. Yes, it'll take you 4-5 hours once a weekend. It may even cost more. But Jesus, man, you are a grownup. Suck it up and eat like you value your life. Id hate for you to realise how valuable life is after it's too late.  Your body will get used to beans, regular meals, eating similar foods (millions of people in poverty eat the same thing day in day out). You need to value yourself more.

[Jakejake]

The diet dew is to keep me awake enough to function.  I have sleep apnea that I have been trying to get help for several years.  ...

My diet has been an issue for a long time now.  I've been able to go for a week or two cooking decent food at times, but my body craves the fat, salt, whatever in the junk food and I slip back into old habits. 

You're making excuses here, and acting like your body is a separate entity from yourself, and like you aren't responsible for the decisions you make. From what I'm hearing you want a healthy cheap diet. Your requirements for this healthy diet are:

- Enough calories for one entire meal need to come from Mountain Dew.

- You are unwilling to personally put forth any effort.

- Other people need to do all your prep work. If an orange needs to be peeled, a job which takes less than a minute, you need someone else to do it. If applesauce needs to be put in a bowl you need someone else to do it. You would like other people to cut up your food for you or put it into serving bowls for you, but without having to pay a premium for this service.

- You want to eat a wide variety of tasty food, but are unwilling to cook different meals each night.

- Also you are unwilling to cook one large dish weekly and eat leftovers.

- Also you are unwilling to put forth the effort to freeze the leftovers for future meals, rather than eating them consecutive days.

-----------
This is a little like a student asking their teacher how they can get a better grade, and explaining that they can't do homework because they surf the internet when they get home, and studying for tests isn't an option because they always procrastinate until the night before to study and then they are too stressed out to focus, and they can't pay attention in class because they need their earbuds in so they can listen to music because the music calms them.

[MrsPete]

Whoa, hold on a minute here. Seriously? I hope that was at least somewhat sarcastic. Are you really saying that you cannot be bothered to PEEL AN ORANGE?

So, OP, you're not used to cooking /preparing food.  You want it to be INSTANT like a bag of chips.  You're not going to improve this situation unless you change this point of view.

Something that works with my kids:  If I buy fruit, it sits in a fruit bowl and gets old.  If I buy fruit and chop it up into a big bowl of fruit salad, my kids help themselves to the "ready fruit" and it's gone in about two days, which is good.  When I bring it home, they'll even help me chop it into fresh fruit salad -- but they don't tend to pick up a whole apple and munch it.  Another note:  I have to buy different fruit each time; even if they really, really love the mixture, they want something different next time. 

So, try it.  Bring home healthy food and do your prep RIGHT THEN.  Invest in a dozen medium-sized mason jars and make up salads and jars of fruit.  That's another thing about my kids:  They LOVE eating individual fruit salads packed in mason jars.  You now have INSTANT meals ready.  You only worked once, only dirtied the cutting board and knives once, but you can eat for a week.

[seemsright]

The diet dew is to keep me awake enough to function.  I have sleep apnea that I have been trying to get help for for several years.  CPAP has not been effective even after trying a dozen different masks.  I just started using a dental appliance for sleep apnea that doesn't seem to help yet either.  Weight isn't causing my apnea as I was down to a very healthy weight a year ago and it was still an issue.

My diet has been an issue for a long time now.  I've been able to go for a week or two cooking decent food at times, but my body craves the fat, salt, whatever in the junk food and I slip back into old habits.  I was reading the MMM blog entries about the food he eats and I decided I need to try eating healthier again.  Yes, I have been checked for depression due to other issues in my life that have been corrected.

I feel better on a higher fat diet. I am known to eat coconut oil by the spoon full when I feel like I need it.

 If you like the fat, carbs and salt. Get some coconut oil a few potatoes slice them up and fry them in the coconut oil and top with loads of pink salt. That would be 10000x better than what you are eating now.  You are going to have to put some effort into your diet. And make and eat real food. Buy the yogart from the store but add some store bought granola and fresh fruit and add some sliced almonds to your breakfast, make a real lunch. Even if it is stuff from the store. Make a real dinner. Doing this might help your sleep and in turn help you feel better.

If you cannot stick to eating better...I recommend a eating clinic to help you.

[big_slacker]

So your diet consists of like only 1000 calories a day from yogurt, chips and some fruit that you wash down with diet soda and you're lacking energy and have cravings? I think we might need to get a team of scientists to figure this one out gents! :/

Eat a real breakfast, eat a real lunch and you won't be ravenous when you get home. If you like salt and crunch eat some fucking roasted salted peanuts in shell but as a snack, not a meal.

Or just keep eating like you are and die early, the Internet isn't going to fix your awful habits, you have to.

[horsepoor]

The diet dew is to keep me awake enough to function.  I have sleep apnea that I have been trying to get help for for several years.  CPAP has not been effective even after trying a dozen different masks.  I just started using a dental appliance for sleep apnea that doesn't seem to help yet either.  Weight isn't causing my apnea as I was down to a very healthy weight a year ago and it was still an issue.

My diet has been an issue for a long time now.  I've been able to go for a week or two cooking decent food at times, but my body craves the fat, salt, whatever in the junk food and I slip back into old habits.  I was reading the MMM blog entries about the food he eats and I decided I need to try eating healthier again.  Yes, I have been checked for depression due to other issues in my life that have been corrected.

Yeah, a week or two is not enough to change habits, or your tastes in food.  If you can go a solid month on a healthier diet, you'll likely be able to dial down the cravings.  Although I and others have said it several times already, I'll repeat that you should be making sure you get proteins and healthy fats.  They're very satiating and won't reinforce sugar cravings the way eating high carb will.  I'm curious what an example diet would be for you when "eating healthy."  If it's the typical low-fat food pyramid type diet with skinless chicken breast, some white rice and broccoli - of course it's an improvement over what you've been eating, but it's probably bland and won't break your blood sugar roller coaster if you're (likely) already becoming insulin resistant.  Oh and by the way, even though it's Diet Dew - that shit is horrible for you and will reinforce your cravings.  Maybe consider switching to green tea or something instead.  Do some reading on fake sweeteners and metabolism if you don't believe me.

And like others said - yeah, you're going to have to summon the willpower to peel an orange if you want to do this.  The easier you want healthy to be, the more expensive it will be - as in multiples of what you've been spending on crap.  If you want it to be cheap, you need to put in the time to cook from scratch.  If you take all the junk food out of your house, then you won't eat it when you get home, and will have to make a better choice, but you have to plan and set that up for yourself.