Healthy Weight Loss

[Hack]

How to be a frugal foodie

Shopping smart doesn't mean you can't afford healthy eating

Eileen Connelly/ Associated Press

Drink fat-free or low-fat milk, and make sure half of the grains you eat are whole grains.

Do these healthy eating guidelines sound costly?

Researchers at the University of Washington raised eyebrows earlier this month with a study finding that a healthy diet is expensive and difficult for cash-strapped Americans to afford. And with the cost of food rising faster than other products — the Agriculture Department estimates that grocery prices will rise by 3.5 to 4.5 percent this year and another 3 to 4 percent in 2012 — it would seem that problem may only get worse.

But frugal foodies say it's still possible to eat well on a budget. It just takes a bit of organization and some smart strategies.

The path starts with understanding what's healthy and what's not. That's where the federal government comes in. The USDA has updated its recommendations with the aim of helping people make better food choices.

Details of the new "plate" that replaced the "food pyramid" earlier this year can be found on www.choosemyplate.gov. The site explains what types of foods provide which nutrients and which "empty" calories provide little nutrition and provides recipes for a variety of meals.

It's easiest to save if you have some basic cooking skills to rely on. Cooking is almost always going to be less expensive than buying prepared meals or eating out.

Healthy meals don't have to be gourmet concoctions, said Kelly Hancock, the author of the soon-to-be-released book "Saving Savvy" and a blogger at FaithfulProvisions.com. "You don't have to be a master chef to cook dinner every night."

Once armed with the knowledge of what to eat and how to pull it together, getting the most out of every grocery dollar requires a system. But that doesn't mean you have to resort to building up a case full of coupons.
"If you don't have the basic concepts down, coupons are not going to help you," said Hancock.

Instead of focusing on clipping and organizing coupons, put your time into planning, said Steve Economides, who with his wife, Annette, operates the website AmericasCheapestFamily.com, and last fall wrote the book "Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half."

"Everything we talk about really comes down to planning in advance," he said. "The more you plan, the more you save."

Here's a recipe for grocery saving success:

Plan meals and shopping

The Economides family makes one major shopping trip per month, with a second to pick up necessities in between. This helps cut down on impulse purchases.

Although they acknowledge that their shopping strategy relies on plenty of storage space and a large freezer, they advocate minimizing trips as much as possible. "The more times you go into a store, the more you're going to pick up unplanned items," said Annette Economides.

It's also critical to plan meals and develop a good list. Sit down for a few minutes and map out what your family will eat for the week, and you'll be less likely to randomly fill your cart. Check recipes to make sure you've got all the necessary ingredients, and aren't inviting an extra run to the store for that last item — and six others.

Waste less food

The U.S. generates more than 34 million tons of food waste each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Much of that comes from homes where uneaten food gets discarded.

Overshopping is a big contributor to waste, so planning will help cut down on that problem. Hancock said one way she avoids tossing out good food is by preparing extra-large batches and freezing a portion of what she's cooked as a convenient second meal. The Economides family also uses a weekly "leftovers night" to create a smorgasbord dinner.

Stock up with sales

Smart-shopping advocates say it's easy to get fooled by advertising if you don't know what food typically costs. Grocery chains often include items in their fliers that are not really on sale — or sale prices that are not their lowest. To know when an item is really a bargain, keep notes on the prices charged in various stores, and the price of items when they're put on sale. The stock up for your freezer or pantry.

Be sure to put whatever storage space you have available to work. Building a stockpile of staples is an important step in stretching a budget — but that doesn't mean you have to fill a room with surplus. Avoid going overboard by keeping an inventory of the items in the pantry and freezer to help you decide whether it's time to take advantage of a sale.

Shop by the season

The height of summer is prime time for many fruits and vegetables, and prices drop as the various crops hit their peak. Choosing what's in season can keep costs down, while picking out-of-season produce or items shipped a long distance will require an extra bounty.

"There's no excuse for saying, 'I can't eat fruits and vegetables because they cost too much,'" said Annette Economides.

Recipe website Epicurious.com offers an interactive seasonal ingredient map that can tutor you on what to watch for at http://epi.us/Oi8yx.

Find a local farmers market for really fresh bargains. If you shop at the end of the market hours, you'll typically find vendors offering steep discounts.

Contact a local Chamber of Commerce or visit www.localharvest.org to find a market near you. Freezing or canning any extras can extend the life of those deals through the off-season.

Hancock said seasonal items like marinades for grilling will be on sale in the spring, while baking products are discounted before the holiday season. Stocking up on items with long shelf lives during seasonal sales can help cut costs.

[sylvie]

evening all ~

it's been a bad week for me, and i have been offline building myself back to a healthier frame of mind.. hated that i gained that 4 lbs, and it sorta went downhill from there..

but, today i went for that 1 hour 10 min brisk walk which felt great..
the last couple of days ive been eating decent (not great)
i have NOT been eating junkfood nor drinking sodapop, and been sticking to that just fine.. its more the portions ive been having a hard time controlling, as well as the white flours, dang starches!

So, getting back on track, haven't weighed myself since the gain, i know ive dropped a lb or two, i can tell by the clothes fitting again, but being good and waiting til next week to weigh in.. i need to get on track and stay there first..

You're all doing wonderful, keep it up!

[PinkieLee]

GOOD MORNING!

Look at all these healthy choices folks are making. I like seeing what y'all are eating for breakfast/lunch. I'm such a creature of habit and get stuck eating the same stuff. Y'all are giving me ideas for more healthy choices.

((((sylvie)))))) don't be so hard on yourself honey... we've all had those rough weeks. This journey is hard. Luckily, everyday is a new day to start fresh! We have all the faith in the world in you honey!

Sometimes I think that our scales & bodies like to play tricks on us. On Monday, I weighed in and it said that I had gained 5 pounds after my birthday weekend. I just couldn't grasp how in the world I could have gained that much weight, that quickly. Today was my scheduled weekly weigh in, and I almost didn't do it... I guess I just didn't want to see the scale taunting me. But, I got on and I lost another 3 pounds! Technically, if I went by what the scale said Monday, I've lost 8 pounds. Good thing I totally disregarded that number... 'cause my heart was telling me it was full of crap!

So, 3 more pounds gone forever! I've only got 10 more pounds till I reach my first personal goal!

Meals planned for the day:

Breakfast:
egg whites & a spoonful of diced potato and salsa on a wheat tortilla
a plum

Lunch:
some Lean Cuisine or WW meal
garden salad with a sprinkle of WW cheese and raspberry vinagerette dressing

Dinner (working the 2nd job):
SUBWAY it is... ham & turkey on wheat
apple slices

Snacks:
94% fat free kettle popcorn
a big ol' orange

[Leigh]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Ok, well, that is just weird if someone is going to "tell on you"!

If you want help with people keeping you accountable, that is cool, but certainly no one should be "telling" on you! :-(

At first it seemed silly to Me too but I understand in a sense why she was going to do it. She's known Me for a long time and knows that My eating habits have not been the healthiest, so that is probably her way of giving Me that kick in the butt to keep Me accountable. She knows Me well enough to know that sometimes I need that extra kick in the rear to stay accountable on My ways of eating, and I'm thankful she looks out for Me :-)

I was looking through the paper this morning and saw an ad for one of our local fitness centres, Shapes, that has a coupon offering $125 for three months of the use of their training facilities. No expiry date which is good, so since My sister is going back to school full time next week, I'm going to get that membership for three months and go start working out, since I won't have to watch her during the day anymore its perfect timing (and there is a location close to My house) ~ not close enough to walk or I would but its still in the area. This is going to help Me to get started working out, and even though I know going during the cold winter months will be hell, its still not going to stop Me from working on getting healthy. There was a testimony from Shapes along with the coupon about a woman who went to there to work out and started at a weight of 365 lbs (not far from where I am now) and lost 140 lbs in about a year and a half! Obviously this won't be the case for Me and I don't expect that to happen, but its a good thing for Me to look at none the less (its an inspiration!).

Well so far its been an okay morning, I've only had breakfast but I didn't feel like much so I'm just having some orange juice and one of those Special K strawberry cereal bars ~ haven't had one in awhile and they'e been sitting in the house so I decided to have one! I still have two left which will do Me good for a couple of days :-)

[PinkieLee]

That's a great coupon for the gym membership! What I would suggest is to give them a call. A lot of gyms will let you try out their facilities (a day or two OR sometimes a week for free) to see if it's a good fit BEFORE you purchase the membership. $125 is not too bad for 3 months... but I pay $25 a month for mine (equals to $300 for a YEAR).

Take a tour, get some information and just see if you could see yourself there. What are the people like... are they friendly? Spending that kind of cash upfront, you might want to make sure that you like the place beforehand. Nothing sucks worse than paying for something that you don't use.

Matthew, you are doing so great watching your meals. Don't forget, whatever you do, DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF. A small Special K bar is a great snack, but you might want to look at other choices to keep you full at breakfast until lunch time. FOR ME, if I go the starvation route, I ALWAYS end up on a binge. Add some fruit or dairy to your breakfast and you'll feel more satisfied.

[justkim]

I had my first workout with my trainer today... we did abs, I maybe very sore in the morning. Did three miles on the treadmill before said workout also did the Jacobs ladder for the first time... I enjoyed myself believe it or not... much laughter was had and she would like 10 more clients like me since I laughed through the whole workout... even though I said NO a couple of times I still did everything I was instructed to do... even though it felt like torture... it may have felt good... I guess I am a glutton for punishment... :: smiles ::
Yesterday we talked about food intake I will be back to share what I learned after I take care of my nail client...

Have a great day everyone!

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Matthew

[COLOR="NavyI was looking through the paper this morning and saw an ad for one of our local fitness centres, Shapes, that has a coupon offering $125 for three months of the use of their training facilities. a good thing for Me to look at none the less (its an inspiration!).

[/I][/COLOR]

Originally Posted by PinkieLee

That's a great coupon for the gym membership! What I would suggest is to give them a call. A lot of gyms will let you try out their facilities (a day or two OR sometimes a week for free) to see if it's a good fit BEFORE you purchase the membership. $125 is not too bad for 3 months... but I pay $25 a month for mine (equals to $300 for a YEAR).

Take a tour, get some information and just see if you could see yourself there. What are the people like... are they friendly? Spending that kind of cash upfront, you might want to make sure that you like the place beforehand. Nothing sucks worse than paying for something that you don't use.

Matthew, you are doing so great watching your meals. Don't forget, whatever you do, DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF. A small Special K bar is a great snack, but you might want to look at other choices to keep you full at breakfast until lunch time. FOR ME, if I go the starvation route, I ALWAYS end up on a binge. Add some fruit or dairy to your breakfast and you'll feel more satisfied.

I echo Pinkie's statement. Go check out the gym first. In fact, check out several gyms. Nowadays, gyms are much cheaper then they used to be. Here we have one that is only $10 a month with no sign up necessary! I would pick up the phone book and call all the gyms in your area. Then visit. Then make your choice!


Also, I believe that you are on disability? In Maryland if you are on disability, you get to join the YMCA for free (or it was 5 years ago). In Delaware, it is a reduced cost. Check to see if there are programs like that up your way.

Also, Pinkie is right. Starving yourself just slows down your metabolism.

[JustJo]

On a side note...I've always tried to feed my son in a very healthy way. It's especially important because of the Crohn's that runs in my family (and the side he takes after genetically). I was making a note of what I'd eaten today, and found myself listing his too. I thought you might be interested to see what my 14 year old son ate today.

• 3 eggs scrambled with american cheese
• 2 slices of whole wheat toast, dry
• hot tea

In the lunchbox:

• V8 Fusion single (strawberry banana) that supplies 1 serving of fruit and 1 serving of veggies
• peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat (the jelly has sugar, but no high fructose corn syrup)
• carrot sticks
• green seedless grapes

After school snack:

• glass of milk
• apple

Dinner (just finished):

• Huge plate of chicken stir fry (chicken breast, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, green beans, peas, fresh spinach)
• Basmati rice cooked in low sodium chicken stock

There may or may not be a Dove ice cream bar eaten for dessert later.

[sweetfemme247]

Originally Posted by Matthew

At first it seemed silly to Me too but I understand in a sense why she was going to do it. She's known Me for a long time and knows that My eating habits have not been the healthiest, so that is probably her way of giving Me that kick in the butt to keep Me accountable. She knows Me well enough to know that sometimes I need that extra kick in the rear to stay accountable on My ways of eating, and I'm thankful she looks out for Me :-)

I was looking through the paper this morning and saw an ad for one of our local fitness centres, Shapes, that has a coupon offering $125 for three months of the use of their training facilities. No expiry date which is good, so since My sister is going back to school full time next week, I'm going to get that membership for three months and go start working out, since I won't have to watch her during the day anymore its perfect timing (and there is a location close to My house) ~ not close enough to walk or I would but its still in the area. This is going to help Me to get started working out, and even though I know going during the cold winter months will be hell, its still not going to stop Me from working on getting healthy. There was a testimony from Shapes along with the coupon about a woman who went to there to work out and started at a weight of 365 lbs (not far from where I am now) and lost 140 lbs in about a year and a half! Obviously this won't be the case for Me and I don't expect that to happen, but its a good thing for Me to look at none the less (its an inspiration!).

Well so far its been an okay morning, I've only had breakfast but I didn't feel like much so I'm just having some orange juice and one of those Special K strawberry cereal bars ~ haven't had one in awhile and they'e been sitting in the house so I decided to have one! I still have two left which will do Me good for a couple of days :-)

I wasnt really going to *tell on you* more less saying it because i know some people on here would kick you in the butt because of what happen to you 2 weeks ago.

[Thinker]

Did 33:30 of walk/jog cardio... 20 minutes of it was jogging!! Ain't that some shit??!!!

[Leigh]

Originally Posted by sweetfemme247

I wasnt really going to *tell on you* more less saying it because i know some people on here would kick you in the butt because of what happen to you 2 weeks ago.

I know honey but its still helping to keep Me accountable and aware of things, and I appreciate that (and you) more than you'll ever know

Originally Posted by Thinker

Did 33:30 of walk/jog cardio... 20 minutes of it was jogging!! Ain't that some shit??!!!

Good for you Thinker!!!