Okay, as you can all see I am one who was once at goal... now.... not so much. But, in my defence, tomorrow is one year non-smoking and I believe stats say that on average people gain 30 pounds in the first year of quitting. That would make me a typical statistic. But enough of that.

I am trying to get back on track and having a very difficult time. Two reasons:

1) I am VERY busy. I can't remember the last time I cooked... or watched TV... or sat on a couch for that matter. Everything that I eat is grab and dash.

2) I have been back in school since February and only working part time now. I can't afford to eat! I find I am skipping many meals just because I can't afford to stock my fridge. So, when I do eat I've been starved.... then.... I'll eat ANYTHING... and lots of it.

So, my question. There has to be other people in my same position... I need to stock my fridge with:

1) Foods that last.
2) Foods that are cheap.
3) Foods that I don't have to cook. (But are still meal size)
4) Did I mention cheap....

Please... any suggestions?



Argh... one more month of school.....

Also, just out of curiousity... I keep seeing these pills for carb blocking. Anyone use such things? Any insight on whether these work? Personally... something like that scares me.... pill popping and all that mumbo jumbo...

Looking forward to your replies.

Linnea

Here's a quick one: Take deli meat, spread with cream cheese, roll. I find that five or six of those make a good lunch to take to work. Buy a pack of salad blend and scatter some leaves in on the cream cheese if you want to add some veggies to this.

I know you said no cooking, but I've found that preparing food in bulk in advance helps - I'll cook eight chicken breasts at one time, and eat them for a week.

Depending on how you handle cheese, it can be a quick snack - I snack on mozzarella when I need something quick in between meals. Some people can't handle that as well.

When I was in school and dirt poor, I did some waitressing. It's great because you always have food. The flip side it it's darn hard being around all that food. It depends on your willpower.

Other than that, I'd say go to Sam's Club and buy those HUGE things of chicken, and one of the packs of tuna, etc. I never cook either, but I can throw chicken in a crock pot in under 30 seconds...you come home and it's done.

And I know this sounds weird, but getting ONE job that pays well can make the difference. When I was a single mom, I cleaned a restaurant every morning, 7 days a week for an hour and a half. 30 days at 25 dollars a day gave me $750 a month. I got up at 5, but HEY it was SOOOO worth the money! Just suggesting that you may consider adding do-able ways of adding income.

You remind me of my pal at University, who said she wanted food that was cheap, tasty, wholesome and slimming ...realised that was a hard call and concentrated on the first two, so she ate fried bread!

My first response is that you should slow down.It cannot be good for a person to be so busy. At least allow 10 minutes peace in your life every day.

2ndly. Vegetables are usually cheap. They are made tasty by adding butter and cheese and cheap cuts of meat. ( and chilli and other herbs and spices)

3rdly when I have been poor and busy, I have found tinned tuna a godsend (scrambled with eggs. fried up with onions, mashed up with mayo..) and also eggs generally. Hard boil up a few and have them in the fridge ready.

4thy however busy/poor you are, please remember that feeding yourself is important. Otherwise you might end up on the fried bread diet..!!!

Canned fish - London Drugs usually has some door crashing deals on tuna and salmon.

Steamed Chinese take-out chicken. Comes with ginger and green onion sauce in oil.

Iceberg lettuce - not my first choice for lettuce but its cheap and requires virtually no preparation.

I would squeeze in the time to make a meatloaf. Doesn't have to be fancy. Just ground beef, seasoning and eggs. In fact I would make a couple, slice 'em up and freeze the slices.

Karen

We are on a very tight budget. I buy in bulk when ever I can. Fast food or dinner out is always more expensive than cooking.

To save time, cook one day a week, but make several meals. Some you can keep in the fridge for a day or two, others freeze. When you want them, just microwave.

Pre-made salads last for a day or two also.

I don't know what to tell you about food that is cheap and doesn't need to be cooked. Two cheaper foods I would suggest if you didn't mind cooking would be Hamburger and Chicken. You might also consider Eggs. Egss, require cooking...but are alot easier than Chicken. Crack a couple eggs, pour in a glass, stir until all yellow, then pour on a hot skillet. Cook, Scramble, and eat.

Hamburger can be prepared easily. Take some ground beef, in little slices, cook it in butter on the skillet. Flip occassionally. A word of caution, watch out for popping grease. It hurts when it hits your skin. If this is too much cooking, you might consider iceberg lettuce, celery, raw spinach, and other veggies.

If you don't mind McDonald's, you can always order 2 Double Cheeseburgers plain, w.o the Bun or whatever burger is on the dollar menu when you go.

This diet is expensive. I used to be able to keep my cabinets stocked with Pasta, Bread, Jello, Ramen, and Pepsi for $10/week. Now, it costs me $60 to keep it stocked with Steak, Chicken, Diet Rite, Lettuce, Spinach, Spices, Soy Milk, Bacon, Eggs, and Butter.

hey there,
I too am a student and totally poor and also totally busy with school. But one of my priorities is my health - and that includes eating well. One beer at a bar costs $5 - for me that's a few meals. Hm, where should my priorities be then? Beer or food, beer or food...? Food keeps my brain running so that I can read and write essays and do well in school (which I, like you, I'm sure, am paying royally for anyway.) As much as I hate having to do it, I'd rather skip a few nights out at a club or buying a few cds than skip a healthy meal. (i love and value my social life and cds, etc. and while I had an income accumulated a fair amount of material possessions, but right now those things have had to become far less important to me.)

I don't at all mean to sound holier than thou (gawd, i'm not ), it's just that it often seems to me that this isn't so much about the cost of food as it is about one's priorities (as, for example, many single moms know - i know mine did). In fact, I don't even spend that much on food, actually - probably less than I did when I was buying starchy and sugary things all the time. I always read the flyers and almost always buy sale items only (esp meat). I also somehow learned to cook, pretty much out of necessity. in order to eat cheaply, you do need to spend some time on prep work, even if it's just cutting up some celery and putting it in a plastic container filled with water so you've got it ready to eat. Cooking a meatloaf takes only about 5 minutes of prep time. Etcetera. If this means scheduling your day by the minute, well, that's what you've gotta do - hey, i do it all the time and feel totally anal about it but in the end i get myself fed and i get stuff done.

It sucks being poor (to put it lightly), but it sure does make one step back and look at one's priorities in life. and use coupons.
robyn

My cheap staples are canned tuna, eggs and peanut butter. Two out of the three don't require cooking. Hard-boil a dozen eggs, and you've got instant breakfast for a week. Speaking of instant breakfast, a big container of protein shake mix is a pretty good value for the money, too. They often have vitamins and minerals added.

I don't really have any other ideas. When you can't cook for yourself, convenience is expensive, whether you're low-carbing or not.

Thank you so much for your replies. I really like the idea of sandwich meat with cream cheese... YUM!

Luckily things are going to start slowing down a little bit. Right now I work in the morning, then go to school from 1-6... Then an hour commute each way for work...I also work first aid at home Canuck game and concerts. Plus first aid training once a week. Then there's the competitive archery... hehe... BAR??? Ya RIGHT... You'd figure with a schedule like that I'd be skinny as a toothpick...

Okay... now one more question. I have tried to do the hard boiled egg thing and leaving them in the fridge. When I do that, I can't peel them! What am I doing wrong??

Thanks again everyone!!!!

Linnea

PS TOMORROW CHECK OUT THE 'KICK THE NICOTINE' SECTION FOR MY 1 YEAR ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

Linnea -

Hope to see your Canucks in the Western Conference Finals - GO STARS.

I find it easier to peel the hard-boiled eggs under running water. Check out the recipe for Mock Danish in the recipes' section.

There is a "Simply Jif" variety of peanut butter that is lower in Carbs and a couple of tablespoons can make a quick meal on the run - for me, breakfast.

If you steam some broccoli, then cool it, you can wrap your ham and cream cream around that for an extra boost of nutrition - try seasoning with seasoned salt, celery salt, ground pepper, even Spice Island's Thai seasoning for a real treat.

Look for a good full-fat yogurt like Brown Cow cream-top - I eat it plain.

One Jicama, sliced into strips and seasoned with lime juice and either Paprika or Chili powder can provide several days of crunchy, tasty low carb snacks.

A pillow pack of pepperoni, likewise (w/o the crunch). I like the spicy version.

Linnea, you didn't say you were busy helping the Canucks! Forget food, it's the playoffs! Go, Canucks, Go!
Robyn (a transplanted Vancouverite. of course.)

Gotbeer,

What is Jicama?

Linnea

On the quick peeling of the egg thing? The egg isn't peeling cuz it's cold....what i do is warm it up under hot water, or before hopping in the shower..put it in warm water...then peel it under running water..make sense? it works great

peace,
trish

Now that makes sense!!!

Thanks Trish!