Tight Budget Diet

AnimalisNate

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Having to budget and maintain a good diet at the same time is a hassle but its a must for me lately due to a recent move and job change. I've noticed some negative things concerning my strength/energy during workouts and I am positive its from my current diet, or lack there of.


I am looking for some pointers on what to buy at the grocery store that would not only be cheap, but allow me to keep on gaining in strength and provide me with good nutrition. (i.e. tuna, nuts, wheat bread, etc..)

What would "you" buy if you had $75 to spend on food?
 
Hikeon3

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Budget is the name of my game. I feed my wife AND myself off of my hourly wages since she lost her job.

LOTS of rice and beans (very cheap and non-perishable). I boil up a new pot of each probably three times a week. Season with whatever you like. Lately I'm doing a lot of curry but I've done pre-packaged seasonings from wal mart like chili, taco, and even garlic cheddar. Usually paired with sliced london broils (super lean, 1.99/lb on sale), rinsed/drained ground beef (cheap and lean after rinsing) or chicken breasts (also 1.99/lb on sale, frozen or fresh).

Whole grain pasta is also pretty cheap. Usually just over a buck per pound. The sauce is what'll get you price-wise. I make my own, but store brand on sale is usually ~2 bucks a jar.

I do whole grain breads too mostly as a delivery system for tuna and peanut butter, which I usually buy on sale.

Veggies are simple. We do a LOT of onions and potatoes from produce and frozen peas, broccoli, green beans, and other mixed bags from the freezer aisle.

75/week is actually pretty simple. We toss in some diet soda 12 packs each week and we're in business. The cheat is usually burgers or mexican food, which are both relatively cheap. Once/week it's about 15 bucks to tack on.
 

sharperunner

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Being a single guy, I tend to eat pretty simple and cheap. I'll stock up on london broil when it goes on sale. Make 3 or 4 pounds at a time and eat it for a meal or two every day(along with a sweet potato). When my supply of it is exhausted(or I'm tired of eating it), I'll switch over to tuna(at $.49 a can, it's hard to pass up). I'll occasionally switch it up to cheap chicken(legs or quarters) for a few days or even turkey taco's when the mood strikes. Oh, and I keep 3 or 4 dozen eggs in the fridge at any given moment for breakfast and hard boiled snacks.
 
wearedbleedblue

wearedbleedblue

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Whole foods, lots of veggies, bulk purchase meats. Eggs are a good choice. Basically the more processed a food is usually makes it worse for you nutritionally and monetarily. Buy a 2-3lb roast and cook it up and you'll have meat for most of the week. Make a big pot of chili, it reheats well and usually tastes better over time. It all depends on what you like to eat.
 

purebred

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Having to budget and maintain a good diet at the same time is a hassle but its a must for me lately due to a recent move and job change. I've noticed some negative things concerning my strength/energy during workouts and I am positive its from my current diet, or lack there of.


I am looking for some pointers on what to buy at the grocery store that would not only be cheap, but allow me to keep on gaining in strength and provide me with good nutrition. (i.e. tuna, nuts, wheat bread, etc..)

What would "you" buy if you had $75 to spend on food?
http://stronglifts.com/build-muscle-on-a-budget-the-10-cheapest-sources-of-protein/

You need at least 1g protein per pound of body-weight per day to maintain and build muscle. If you weigh 70kg/155lbs, that’s 155g protein per day. The easiest way to get this amount is to eat whole protein with each meal.

Some of you are on a tight budget, still student, living in expensive cities or just frugal. These can make it hard to get the protein you need to build muscle. This post will help you — the 10 cheapest sources of protein to build muscle.


1. Canned Tuna. 40g protein/can. Buy tuna in spring water or brine. Don’t worry about the mercury: 1 can chunk light tuna per day is safe, read this.


2. Whole Eggs. 7g protein/egg. Lower your body fat rather than throwing the yolk away if you have bad cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol isn’t bound to blood cholesterol, and the yolk contains half the protein and vitamins A/D/E.


3. Whey. 1 scoop ON whey is 24g protein/30g serving. At 2 scoops/day, a 10lbs bag will last 10 weeks for 84,99$. You don’t get cheaper than this. But don’t rely on whey only because it’s cheaper. Vary your protein intake.


4. Ground Beef. 25g protein/100g. Buy 80% ground beef and rinse the fat if lean beef is too expensive. You can reduce the fat content by as much as 50%. Read this free pdf on how to rinse ground beef.


5. Milk. 30g protein/liter milk. If you’re a skinny guy, want to gain weight fast and don’t bother gaining some fat, drink 1 gallon raw milk per day. Don’t worry about the saturated fat. Stay away from milk if you want to lose fat.


6. Frozen Chicken Breast. 25g protein/100g. Cook the frozen chicken breast using a George Foreman Grill. Consume the chicken breast within 2 months of freezing for optimal tenderness & taste.


7. Cottage Cheese. 12g protein/100g. Cottage cheese is more expensive in Europe than in the US. We buy Quark cheese: 10g protein per 100g, cheaper than cottage cheese and a better taste.


8. Ground Turkey. 25g protein/100g. Expensive cuts are made from turkey breast. Cheaper cuts can contain skin, which increases the fat content. Rinse the fat like for ground beef using this method.


9. Canned Mackerel. 23g protein/100g. Canned mackerel is high in omega-3, contains less mercury than canned tuna, and tastes a lot better too.


10. Calves Liver. 20g protein/100g. Low fat and nutrient dense. Contrary to what you might believe, liver is safe. Try one of these recipes.


Bonus Tips. Buy generic food. Buy in bulk to get discounts. Freeze everything. Get a job if you don’t have one. Increase your income if you do. Cut expenses. The following meal plan gets you +200g protein per day.

* Breakfast: 3 whole eggs with spinach
* Snack: 200g cottage cheese with apple
* Lunch: 1 can of tuna with bok choy
* Snack: 500ml raw milk and banana
* Post workout: 1 scoop whey with oats & 500ml milk
* Dinner: 150g chicken breast with pasta & broccoli
* Pre bed: 200g cottage cheese with berries & flax seeds
 

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