Cheap, healthy grocery list?

this is what my grocery list looks like generally - im a pretty low earner and so know how you feel to have to eat on a budget.

Bag of lentils
tinned pulses - chick peas, pinto beans, kidney beans
brown rice
Quinoa
wholewheat pasta
Wholegrain bread
Oats
Frozen brocolli and spinach
tinned tomatoes
dried fruit - prunes and apricots
Nuts - rotate between almonds and walnuts normally, or when money is really tight you can often pick up bags of 'broken mixed nut pieces' for cheap
Tahini
almond butter
soy milk

Fruit and veg from the market stall:
onion
celery
carrot
bag of apples
avocado
banana

This doesn't cost me very much, and the amount of meals I can make with it is very extensive so it doesn't get too boring.

the bulk section is your friend.

Do prunes taste OKAY? I've always had an interest in them, but never went for it. Your list looks pretty good!

Prunes taste pretty good if you ask me. They remind me of raisins...really big raisins.

Question, are you a vegetarian? Are there restrictions on what you can physically eat?

I've got some ideas, I just want to be sure.

 I love prunes. They're like big squishy and chewy raisens - great with cereal, as a snack, in porridge etc.

I shop the grocery ads. To the above shopping list (great staples!!) I add what ever cheap meat/chicken is on sale. Today there was shrimp (25-31/pound) on sale for $5.98. As I only use about 1/4 pound per serving (4oz) that makes it just over a dollar per serving. Sometimes I find chicken legs, thighs or a combo for under $1/pound. I buy 3-4 pounds and seperate it into meal + leftover for under $1/serving. (love to roast the thighs and make soup!) I find boneless, skinless chicken breast for under $2 /pound and stock up. There was a great deal on beef the other day.... $1.69/pound and I sliced it thin, seperated into 1 pound bags for stir fry... When it goes on sale I buy enough for 4-5 meals and freeze. Then I can alternate and not get bored. (splurged the other day on baby back ribs! my kids LOVE them, so when they visit I defrost and BBQ).  

Thanks to this recession, I now find myself in the same boat with needing to spend less on groceries but wanting to keep it healthy.  I was shocked when I left Super WalMart this evening with ONE bag of fresh produce for a few days at the cost of $18!!!  That didn't include any dairy, grains or lean protein.  I even purchased a head of lettuce (vs. the bagged), regular carrots (vs. the peeled baby), and oranges and apples on sale to help save $$$. 

I'm trying to challenge myself to stay under $25 per week on groceries just in case the recession gets worse.

I don't know how those on extremely restricted budgets, and with families to feed, pull it off.  What a shame that over processed, starchy foods such as Ramen Noodles and Mac and Cheese are exorbitantly cheap in comparison to fresh fruit.

Ok, I just wondered because I didn't see any meat in your food plan.

Anyway,

Chicken breasts you can buy big bags of them in the frozen foods section for $8+ 

Canned tuna

Cheese sticks

Cottage cheese

Bags of frozen veggies

Fruits and veggies in season

Bulk bags of cereal/buy boxes when they have the good sales

Yogurt- it's always on some sort of sale. Plus Walmart brand has a nonfat kind that's 38 cents for 6oz containers

Meat slices from the deli. Better for you and cheaper than the packaged kind

Oats- are insanely low priced

Lentils and beans are also very cheap

If you want the light versions of bread products, I don't think you'll find many deals on those, but they aren't that expensive in the first place

Giant Eagle is a great place to go grocery shopping if you have a card. You save money on gas and get good deals. I always go shopping there on Tuesdays because it's "Banana Tuesday" where they have them on sale for 29 cents per pound

Surprisingly generic brands aren't that bad. In a lot of cases, I've found generic products that a better for you than the name brand.

You can also save money by skipping the unnecessaries. 

My typical round at the supermarket:

chicken breast, tuna in the pouch (I hate the mushy, wet canned stuff), veggies (lettuce, celery, bell peppers, potatoes, onions, etc... whatever is on sale), fruit (apples, bananas, oranges and strawberries), kimchi, brown rice, etc

in all honesty i eat ramen noodles in my diet. I just dont use the seasoning packet they throw in with it. usually just a tsp of soy sauec is good for me. I mix the noodles with steamed pea pods, water chestnuts, and carrots. its a pretty good stretcher meal. :)

I seem to be in keeping with the rest of the pack...i do use the weekly flyers and coupons quite well...they can be a great help when trying to stay in budget

as far as a grocery list...i look at it as what i need to have in my fridge/pantry:

lettuce-whichever is on a good sale i buy more of at that time (romaine or spring mix/baby greens--i like this better)

other vegetables-carrots, peppers, cucumbers (when in season/on sale), tomatoes, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, onion, garlic, dried or cannned beans

fruit-apples, oranges, pears, strawberries (when in season/on sale), grapes (ditto), grapefuit, bananas (not much for them myself but my b/f loves them)

grains-i love all bran mixed with some other cereal (for volume...and because upping the amount of all bran just doesn't make sense to me when I can get the rest of my fiber from fruits and vegetables, and some other grains); i also love oatmeal; rices and pastas in moderation..i also make homemade pasta with a whole wheat/enriched/semolina mixture.....all things are either economically priced or can be bought and stored (if you have the space and means)

dairy-milk can be frozen (if you don't mind the particles that can form when frozen...they don't take away from the taste/nutrition but if you're a visual person and can't get past them.......this can be great if you live alone and don't drink that much milk but don't want to spend the extra for the cartons; yogurt (again...when on sale i buy several)

i also love soy drinks...i mix them with my skim milk for a thicker taste and extra protein

nuts and seeds-go for whatever your taste is...bought in bulk you will save!

meats-depends almost entirely what's on sale/last days sales...if you have freezer space it definitely helps!

i do buy frozen dinners when sales are on, also....helps sometimes when i haven't had time to cook anything to bring to work

i'm sure i've skipped over much of what i have!

as long as you try to get something in each of the food groups it is all up to personal taste and budget allowances for groceries and incidentals...i usually track everything on a spreadsheet so i know what's gone out for these things and am staying in budget....with "real" food you will always spend more...but when tempered with sales and bulk stuffs you can stay within a modest budget and still have really enjoyable food!

Original Post by mars_0112:

Surprisingly generic brands aren't that bad. In a lot of cases, I've found generic products that a better for you than the name brand.

 

Most generic brands are made in the exact same factory to the exact same recipe as a brand name.  If you're buying canned/boxed/frozen food, always try the generic first (unless the nutritional info/ingredient list looks worse than the brand you were after); I've found very few generic products that I don't like.

Also, check the prices of the bulk food section against the bagged stuff.  Most of the time, bulk is cheaper but where I live, several kinds of beans are cheaper by the bag than in bulk.  And because they're in different aisles, most people don't notice.