[Amy752]

I second what everyone here has already said. I would also like to suggest Jennie-O turkey burgers. You can buy a box of 12 in the frozen section at WalMart for about $4! They last us a while and I'll use them as burgers (of course), and I'll also defrost them, break them up and use them as meat in pasta. Pasta sauce you can get super cheap, and I usually buy whole wheat angel hair which lasts us a while also and is not expensive. It's a good healthy meal and more filling than white pasta.

Tuna is great (and cheap). Personally I would never eat peanut butter and jelly on a diet, even if it is low fat peanut butter. Just my opinion, but there are just so many better choices. A tuna sandwhich, even egg salad if you use fat free mayo. Also, get your low fat bread at a bread outlet - much cheaper!

For snacks, low fat granola bars (around 110 or 120 cals each), hard boiled eggs, fruit, soy nuts (you can usually find them around a dollar - don't go over the serving suggestion though!), even a glass of skim milk.

It is hard to eat healthy on a tight budget, no doubt! But, it can be done. You'll probably find that you'll be eating less variety since a lot of healthy things are so expensive, but keep your eye out for good sales and different things to try. I find that it's hard to diet when you don't have a specific plan. I do Weight Watchers, but I follow it on my own (i.e free) using materials that my mom gave me. That could be an option for you if you know anyone who's a member. Or, a lot of times they will offer free registration, which means you can pay for one meeting (around $10) and get the materials you'll need to get you going. Just a suggestion! Good luck to you!!!

Just did a search - here are some more cheap ideas from another board!

I buy 16-oz. bags of frozen veggies from Walmart at between $1 and $1.25. I put them in a skillet and throw everything that looks good at the moment in there without any oil. I thrown in minced garlic/garlic powder, onion powder, kidney beans, can of diced tomotoes or Rotell, diced ham/chicken, etc, etc. (Haven't tried it yet but I be onion soup mix would be good sprinkled in.) You don't need any extra water. I let 'em cook until it gets pretty tender (I like them that way), and then watch closely while the liquid from the frozen veggies cooks off; then they'll start to "burn"/get browned and I keep stirring until all the liquid is gone.

I will mention my favorite store here....ALDI! It's a discount food store with the best prices on everything! It's mostly store brand, and you should sample just one pack of something before buying in quantity because, as with most generics, not everything will be just like name brand. I usually go every two weeks and buy a FULL shopping cart (we're talking stacked here) for around $70. I still shop superwalmart for name brands and things Aldi doesn't carry. It's the best grocery deal in town IMO.

I hardly ever buy fresh veggies anymore – they’re so expensive! Frozen veggies are on sale all the time, so those are a staple in our house.

I stick to lots of produce, which I buy at international supermarkets where prices tend to be much lower. I buy whatever deli meat is on sale for the week, and I buy string cheese in bulk. I eat lots of eggs, which are very cheap, and buy chicken and meat on sale and freeze it. If you belong to Sam's Club or a similar warehouse, you can buy large cuts of meat and freeze.

Hope some of that helps! You can do it!