Hi, I do think that you have it. How long before this hit you and does it work each day for you.  I can see what you are saying just to make it work is  almost impossible.  I am trying to put in gear what you say and I see but something always put an end to good intentions. 

Hello,

I to have a limited income and your problem sounds alot like mine. The best answer i could give you is proportion control. As long as you have proportion control you can eat anything you want to as long as you dont have alot of it. Now this may sound hard because trust me it is! But it's all about self control. You can have your southern dinner but instead of having a heapin' pile of mashed potatos try only having a scoop of mashed potatos. And a healthy kind of butter for people like you and me is called Brummel and Brown yogurt butter. Its good and healthy! Also foods like saled and fruit are food that you cant have enough of! Well thats the best advise i can think of so i hope i helped you out on your quest to a happier and healthier life!

One quick suggestion is to start your day with a healthy breakfast.  May I suggest oatmeal?  I buy the large canister of old fashioned oats at Walmart for less than 2 dollars.  There are 30 servings in the canister.  Yummy and a real bargain. 

Good luck.  Weight loss is always a challenge but try to maintain a positive outlook.

There are several items at Sam's Wholesale that have become staples in my diet
EAS Carbohydarate controlled Shakes (a case of 24 for abt $26)
Fiber One Oat and Chocolate Bars (a box of 20 for abt $7)
Organic Spring Mix Salad (1-lb for abt $4)
Dannon lite and fit yogurt
Frozen Talapia
Frozen Broccoli (4lb bags)
Canned soups (about $1 a can)
Easy Mac (not the healthiest but portion controlled and very cheap)
Salsa 
Whole grain Light English Muffins

I also buy things like steel cut oats, rolled oats, oat bran, lentils, nuts, dried fruit, succanat in the Bulk Department at SunHarvest where I also buy almost all my produce and other grocery and dairy items at WalMart.

 

I couldn't eat well without coupons and the grocery game.  Eating healthy doesn't have to cost a lot!!!

Although, health foods can be expensive you can still eat healthy on any budget. Start with simple changes like fat-free dairy products instead of regular dairy products, bread made with whole grains, oatmeal or cereal with whole grains, canned veggies and beans, etc. Every little bit counts! Also, you may want to consider changing the way you prepare your foods. Potatoes are good for you and full of potassium but instead of frying them you can cook them differently. I come from southern roots and I understand the eating habits, but now that health eating is a concern we just have to tweak the cooking a little.

 

A

I think you are one of many, like me, that is on a fixed income or possibly just trying to stick to a grocery budget.  At any rate, maybe some of my tips may help--I hope so.  Clip coupons, shop at a grocery store that doubles coupons, buy in bulk along with freezer bags and repackage meats when you get home from the grocery store.  Also, plan your meals in advance--try to use what is in your cabinets when making your grocery list.  Get the weekly flyer for the grocery store you're going to shop at, make your list, and check your coupons as you make the list.  Some cheap foods that are also good for you--dried pinto beans, canned salmon (salmon patties), chicken (thighs or breasts) for chicken & dumplings, chicken & BROWN rice (white rice isn't good for you).  Buy super lean hamburger and make your own meatballs for spaghetti (make them in advance and freeze them for a quick dinner).  Always buy the meat that is on sale that week --it not only saves money but adds variety to your weekly menu.  Desserts--jello w/mixed fruits, yogurt w/granola, a simple piece of fruit, bran muffins w/walnuts.  And one more thing, watch your portions.  That was the hardest thing for me to do, because I love to eat.  I hope some of this helps.  Good Luck!!

One of the best ways, I found is to cook in bulk when you have time, so your food is ready and you don't pick on bad stuff. Avoid buying bad food in the first place. I cook big amounts that last for 2-3 days for my family such as cooked lima beans from scrach, adding chopped onion, carrots, one potatoe, parsnipps, chopped celery, lots of fresh parsly, cilantro, and dill, add water, black pepper and boullion. Cook for a while until beans are soft.(you can pre cook beans seperately in advance) this meal is very very satisfing, healthy, balanced and very tasty. If you need more tips please e mail me, good luck. OP.

ps. Find a local produce market, where the prices will be cheapper.

For those on low income wanting to join Weight Watchers- ask for a scholarship . They have a way to offer it to you at no charge. You may have to pay for weekly but I think that is even waived if your income is low enuf.

 

Dear Sue,

Greetings, and I hope these two items prove very helpful and healthy for you, your fiance and your budget.

1.  Healthy alternatives to beef:    MorningStar products (frozen), especially MEAL STARTERS Grillers Recipe CRUMBLES, equivalent to one pound ground beef, only 80% less fat.  

We use for ANYthing calling for hamburger, except patties:   tacos, cassaroles, et al.  Delicious--ALL my non-vegetarian guests love the meals I make with it.   After they've praised the taste, I kindly explain what I've used and it's benefits.  A great gentle introduction to healthy eating for many folks in my Georgia region.

For your husband who loves MEAT, a truly meat-taste healthy hamburger is:  BOCA BURGER, also in the frozen section.  

2.  Angel Food Ministries:   This volunteer organization is a tremendous budget help, and, I believe it may be nationwide by now.  You can access their menus and place orders to be picked up at a local church, usually.   NO questions asked, NO forms to complete, NO invasiveness to your privacy.  Simple locate a local distribution point, view the month's menu and make your choice.   COST IS $30 for about $60-75 of groceries, with other ADDITIONAL MEAT options for an additional $18 or so.  The meats are usually restaurant quality, and their menus include a LOT of protein, in chicken and beef and some pork. 

Since at age 53 I lost my job to a company reorganization last year, this ministry has been a God-send.  Out of 6 months of items, we've only been disappointed with a few specific products.  I hope you'll find it wonderfully helpful as well.  Enjoy surfing their website:   www.angelfoodministries.org

God bless you,

Karen

 

 

 

 Shani- Your budget must be larger than mine.  I find that items such as the Yoplait yogurts to be VERYdetrimental to my budget.  The idea is great for the nutrition side of things, it's simply a matter of who adds the fruits to the yogurt.  I have a friend that makes her own yogurt, but I find that destroys my time management.  I simply add fruits to plain or vanilla flavored yogurts that you can buy in much larger quantities, sometimes even generic versions, for a much cheaper price.  When I'm really on a tight schedule and money is tighter than usual, I sometimes find sugar free fruit pie fillings, and mix small amounts of that with my plain yogurt. 

The bottom line usually boils down to this: the closer I can get to the original form of a product, the cheaper it is.  That is why buying my vegetables at the local Farmers Market instead of the grocery store makes my dollar go a little bit further.  I'm not blind to the fact that with the price of fuel going up, so is the price of items here too.  

Good luck wishes to all of you (us) trying to squeeze as much benefit as possible from each dollar we earn.  

Lisa (AnotherLisa) 

 Karen - Thank you so much for the information about the Angel Food Ministries. A friend from work had told me about her mother getting boxes of food from her church which she would share with her. Once, she brought me a wonderful bag of frozen, skinless chicken breasts. I just didn't know what the name of the program was or where it was being handled in my area. I've been on lay-off from me job for over two months and my unemployment is only half of what I usually bring home. Needless to say, we are living on a very limited income and it's been very hard to afford any type of meat and fresh fruits and vegetables. After reading your post, I checked the Angel Food Ministries website and found four churches in my area which participate. I contacted one by e-mail and, hopefully, will hear from them soon.

Again, thanks a million for your information. I'm looking forward to hearing from the church.

Bless you,

Deb 

 

Hi, I know how hard these times & money are! Even for those of us without a Medical condition. I may be banned, the allowances for posting are so vague!

But there is a 'free' web site called DietTV.com. It lets you enter all your personal stats, pick a Diet (Diabetes Diet is there) & it will make you a menu & shopping list to follow that is very resonable & track your progress, print it to take to your Dr. & make sure it's ok.

And sorry, given what most American's have in their cupboard. You may not be able to acheive that. And it must not have worked for you anyway? Or you wouldn't be Diabetic. ONLY by change can you acheive change. You only get the same results if you keep doing it the same way, over & over.

Regards, 

I use coupons.com and I go to products website if they have one, some times they offer coupons. Also you can call them and ask for them which will take a while to get to you. I have typed in Free stuff or samples and Free coupons and I can find some stuff that will work for me and my family of 5. I do find it easy and cheaper  for me to make stuff from scratch. I also find it that name brand is not always the best buy (with a coupon) or taste any better then store brand. Don't forget sunday's paper has coupons also. Hope this help you, Krazzy Karrol in New Mexico

PS I am a stay home mom and know that you might not have time to make from scratch, try a crockpot, fix it and forget it (that is a good book to have)

Hi Karen in NE Georgia, txsuebaby and all interested Readers:

Karen definitely had the right idea by directing you to the Angel Ministries.

In addition I might suggest that you check your local community for any "Food Pantries". Groceries donated by large supermarkets and food drives are available on a weekly or monthly basis to members in need, at no cost to them.

Hope this helps you and your family!