How to maintain a cheap & easy diet?

[willus772]

Ok so I know and understand the importance of a diet, however I have always struggled with keeping to it. The main problem is that I cannot afford most of the good stuff and I cannot seem to make the time to prepare my meals. If Im being honest I can say that I pretty much always eat out. I've been running for a bit over a year now and have since started eating out a bit more healthy, however, I am starting to wieght train now and need to increase my calorie intake. I don't think I can do it with salads and subs, lol. I live alone and I work waay too much to be cooking all of the time, so I am having a hard time figuring out how I am going to plan this out. Last time I kept a good diet I was eating about 3500 calories a day and was managing it by precooking everything. I'd rather not have to do that again, does anybody have any suggestions for quick and cheap foods that I can use as a major part of my diet? Help is greatly appreciated here...

Thanks!

 

[PillarofBalance]

This is one of those questions that is asked all the time... And if you really look at the numbers, keeping a good bodybuilding diet, is cheap. You don't need fancy ingredients so the austerity of it is the beauty.

Here is a grocery list:

Almonds (raw)
Chicken Thighs
Eye Round of Beef
Whole Wheat Bread
Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes
Frozen Veg like broccoli
Rice
Beans
Olive Oil
Eggs
Oats

^^^ See what I mean? I don't see Foie Gras on the menu bro. Buy in bulk when you can, cut coupons, look for sales.

When you hear "Bodybuilding is a lifestyle" they don't mean getting ripped and banging hot chicks all day long. Its shit like grocery shopping and hours of food preparation too.

 

[NutNut]

If done right bulk cooking tastes "almost" as good as a fresh meal the key is to bulk cook most meals but make 1 or 2 fresh each day. It's not that you don't have time it's about making it a higher priority. Other options would be ordering pre-prepped healthy meals from places like http://www.magickitchen.com/info/PrePrepared-Meals.html though if you are in a big city you can find similar services locally, the last option is keep it simple. crockpot/one pot meals, eggs, tuna, milk etc. the basics rarely take more than 10-15min a meal and many can be prep'd before hand to speed up the process.

 

[willus772]

And I know it. I was hoping for an easy way out, lol. I seriously haven't been to the grocery store in like a year, but I'm sure eating out isn't much cheaper anyways. Besides, I have my Foreman and bulk cooking worked before. I guess there haven't been any magic solutions to food intake since I've been gone, lol. My list of quick and easy always consisted of tuna, eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, instant oatmeal ect... Do you guys have any quickies that you enjoy as a meal?

 

[NutNut]

protein powder, pb, a lil water, blueberries, mix it toss it in the freezer until it is sludge-like.

it's cheaper to cook your own meals by far.

 

[ajdonutz]

Eggs, oats, protein powder, milk, bananas, peanut butter, ground beef, breads, cheese, chicken breast, brown rice, lunch meat... thats my grocery list. Gets me ~4300 cals/day, ~350g protein/day, plenty of complex carbs and healthy fats, all you need to clean bulk, for about 350 a month. I throw in sweet potatoes when i have the cash too. Breads just so cheap

 

[NutNut]

I'd avoid the lunchmeat and use real meat instead.

 

[Needswork]

Is this because sodium or is there another reason? Ive heard no deli meat but never heard why?

 

[Pearl]

Yes, high sodium and being processed with preservatives. But if it's between deli meat and fast food/fast carbs, eat deli. Trader Joe's has a selection of deli meats without nitrates/nitrites.

This might be a solution to 'what's for dinner?' To be released Oct 1, watch for it.

Paleo Slow Cooking: Gluten-Free Recipes Made Simple $29.95/$19.77 Amazon Check your library this fall.

Description:
Although eating a paleo diet has proven to be highly effective in shedding unwanted weight and improving overall health, many find preparing and cooking real-food meals on a daily basis difficult to manage. Let's face it, prepping and cooking meals, as well as cleaning multiple pots and pans, can take a lot of time from your already hectic schedule. Not to mention the difficulties in making healthy food taste delicious. Enter the slow cooker, an easy-to-use devise that allows you to enjoy a wonderful, home-cooked meal without slaving for hours in the kitchen. Chrissy Gower shows you that cooking real food using a variety of vegetables, clean cuts of meat, and healthy fats does not have to be a complicated, boring, or time-consuming endeavor. In this real-food-made-easy guide, Gower teaches you how to prepare full-course paleo/primal entrees, soups, stews, breakfast dishes, and desserts. To make every meal more enjoyable, Gower also includes several quick and easy side dishes to go with your slow cooker meals.

 

[MortenBB]

i really dont understand when people from the US complain about food prices. It's ridicilously expensive here..

like twice or three times as more..

 

[Pearl]

Another new release:

$11.99 paper/$4.99 Kindle

The Shredded Chef: 114 Recipes for Getting Ripped and Healthy

Description:
If you want to know how to build muscle and burn fat by eating healthy, delicious meals that are easy to cook and easy on your wallet, then you want to read this.

Do you lack confidence in the kitchen and think that you just can't cook great food?
Are you not sure of how to prepare food that is not only delicious and healthy but also effective in helping you build muscle and lose fat?
Are you afraid that cooking nutritious, restaurant-quality meals is too time-consuming and expensive?
Do you think that eating healthy means having to force down the same boring, bland food every day?

You're not alone. With this book, you can cook fast, healthy, and tasty meals every day (and on a reasonable budget) that will help you build muscle or lose weight, regardless of your current skills. More than just a bunch of recipes, though, in this book, you're going to learn how to eat right without having to obsess over every calorie. These 9 scientifically proven rules for eating are the foundation of every great physique, and they have nothing to do with following depriving yourself of everything that tastes good. You'll also get a spreadsheet that lists every recipe in the book along with their calories, protein, carbs, and fats!

 

[Pearl]

MortenBB where U B? The Outback?