Want to save money on food?

[cherryblossom]

Get healthy.

I lead an incredibly healthy lifestyle and save TONS on groceries. I grocery shop on my lunch break each Monday for the week and keep things in the work fridge along with stuff that I bring from home. My daily diet is something like:

8am - breakfast bar on the go (optional protein shake)
9am - yogurt with granola at work
1030am - apple with glass of milk
12 - chicken salad or lunch meat sandwhich (I bring the salad lettuce and cooked chicken from home)
3pm - muscle milk, this could be another fruit snake, or something like crackers, something light and healthy
530pm - another salad
615pm - gym (pre workout shake)
730pm - clif bar and post workout protein shake
8pm - chicken/steak/pork with veggies (frozen or fresh but store bought)

Once you eliminate processed and prepacked foods and eat fresh things that you cook / prepare yourself, you save a ton and are eating rather healthy. It's win-win.


I am also a casual body builder. This is the diet I pursue leading up to summer. The intent is to be high protein, high fiber, low carb; enough protein to maintain muscle, but very low fat/carbs so I am in a caloric deficit of 300-400 cal/day.

I come from a very different perspective on diet and health.. but in my opinion this is not a healthy diet. You are consuming too much animal-based proteins (and lunch meats are among the worst health-wise as they are filled with nitrates and linked to cancers!) Animal based proteins are high in saturated fats and cholesterol and are low in nutrients and fiber. Nuts, leafy greens, vegetables, and fruits are much more nutrient dense, lower in fat, and contain more than adequate protein. There are many body builders who follow a high-quality protein diet without overdoing it on meats, yogurts, and protein shakes. While you may be consuming "whole foods" I have to say that being health conscious for years this is not a diet that I would consider optimal.

[Nsmith508]

Nice!

[Ramose]

I don't see how this would save money. This is for gaining muscle and consists of expensive supplements to a healthy diet.

[kartcoup]

Perhaps, you can save money from this tip because you're going to plan your grocery and buy only the things you'll consume and eliminate that things that you might not need.

[lending55]

• Join a coupon swapping organization. Swap coupons with users in the same geographic area. Exchange for items that you frequently use.
  
• Create a grocery list and stick to it. Don't venture towards the eye-catching advertisements.
  
• Don't buy things just because they're cheap. Buy only what you actually need.
  
• Stick to your budget. This will force you be more creative with your recipes and pay more attention to your nutritional needs.
  
• Compare prices. Most grocery stores post the "price per ounce" along with the cost of a product.
  
• Buy in Bulk. It tends to cost less if you buy larger quantities. Buy durable goods that you'll need in the future, such as kleenex or paper towels. Buy family-size cereal.
  
• Shop for grocery store baked goods early in the day. That is when bakeries mark down their day-old items.
  
• Shop for grocery store meat later in the day. That is when the meat department marks down the items about to go past the "sell by" date. This meat is perfectly safe and can be frozen for later use.
  
• Consider buying private-label or store brands. In many cases, these rival the quality of the well known brands, but at a significantly lower cost.
  
• Avoid processed foods. They may be convenient, but they're usually expensive and less nutritious. Buy cheap, healthy foods that are easy to fix, such as whole grain pasta, legumes and lentils.
  
• Select plant proteins. Include grains, legumes and nuts. Animal products can be very expensive. Meatless Monday is a public health campaign associated with the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. It encourages people to give up meat once a week to cut the intake of saturated fat. Check out the site for meatless recipes!

[cascade11]

Check to see if your local grocery store participates in the "Saving Star" program. It's an e-coupon program where you load digital coupons onto your store's loyalty card, saving the hassle of cutting coupons.

[Autoin Chance]

I ate 3 meals and 1 tea each day (maybe 1 snack too)

but no junk food (once a month)

when I am hungry in night period --> drink water very much. water VS acid in my stomach.

[VanReb]

Great post! Thanks!

[Copper]

Your plan is nice. I try some thing similar like this. This idea ma not work for a quick weight loose but much effective to maintain a good shape.

[BrianJone]

cooking at home will save you money

[livingit]

Eating small meals more fequently is best

I save money by buying ingredients an cooking rather than buying processed foods that are frozen or packaged. I feel much better about cooking from scratch for my family's health and my budget.