How can I eat healthy cheap food with $80 for 1 or 2 wks?

Question

I’m on budget , I can’t spend more money. My mom moved to far city away from my job and school so I need live in car as I cannot put gas daily for the far drive. So I’m living in car few days a wk , job ends at 5:30am so I sleep in car til 2pm, and need save money to rent my own studio Apt Feb.

I’m sick of fast food , only burgers are $2 from the value menu, I have no fridge in car. So what’s cheap? Only chipotle has a taco for $4 that’s healthy. But what else is cheap? I want spend $10 daily on lunch & dinner only. I don’t eat breakfast as I wake up late.

Rosexøxø · Accepted Answer

Loaf of bread and:

Canned chicken

peanut butter (if not allergic)

tuna

jelly 🤷‍♀️

mayo

ideally the meats. Canned chicken is usually cooked like Swanson brand. Tuna is secondary cause too much is bad. Don’t be going a whole year on it lol. Peanut butter will be most ideal spread and mayo is secondary. Oh can consider cream cheese or butter of course.

Gonna want to try and add some fruit like orange banana apple or pineapple. To get in some easily accessible and crucial vitamins/ antioxidants.

For anything canned you can just get a one time can opener or use other things like a spoon. 🥄 google the methods.

You can eat bread with sausage and egg or just one of these- PREFERABLY EGG. You can find access to this being fully cooked if you buy it at a McDonalds which they can sell to you as a single item. Should be around a dollar or two. SO if you have a cooked egg with your loaf of bread voila you’ve got your carbs and protein.

Either way. You should also look into any food bank or church food giveaway. DONT eat ramen. It’s an illusion. It’s empty food. Like eating plastic. It’ll leave you hungry and within enough time weak as if you’ve not eaten in days. Only eat ramen once in a while if you need to make some serious budgeting cut.

DO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER living with your mom. Plan and use the time whiskey while there.

Keeping your car warm and maintaining privacy and safety there is gonna be challenging. Also it will be difficult for you to think clearer under stress.

Get roofing with mom. Some heat. And strategize your next steps. You can still do this stuff with diet at moms and use the cars gas for travel instead of heat.

Some walls and a door will be better than the doors of a car and glass.

Car is still option but, there could be better options.

If you do use a car, consider parking near a place open 24 hours like a grocery store or hospital that will have cameras and security.

Do not just park in the most random of places with none around. That should be last resort. Unless you somehow had a pet with you, safety training, and/or safety devices.

Instant carbs or carb filled meals will be your savior.

Instant rice 🍚 or instant burritos that can have rice beans and meat in it.

If it’s cheap also consider sandwiches 🥪 meat cheese I don't know a leaf of greens. 🥬

Eating healthy will push you further, but if you feel it’s not working for you, try these options as a rotation before going back to fast food items. Fast food can help with getting enough calories.

Dollar stores
food banks
church food banks

If you think you’ll be on this road for some time, consider a food assistance program you can apply for via the internet and use your cash towards other things like gas and hygiene etc.

👍 get plenty of rest, laugh every once in a while, and never stop planning ahead and moving forward. Every step counts.

Best to you. Also if I was more financially at liberty, I’d reach out and give a friendly donation every once in a while. So apologies for that. But still possibly to take steps towards independence and progress. And finding a better job will ALSO be a plus. Try checking every day even just for a few minutes. And consider a government job like postal work. Or working for a big company like Amazon.

Working at a place with food or grocery will probably mean discounts on food or ease of location. I. e. you work grocery store and after shift pick up a few things- OR you work shift at some restaurant and get at least one free or discounted meal, which isn’t too bad. 💯

Best to you! Truly!

VIVANT · Accepted Answer

Your challenge isn’t “eating healthy” on $80 for two weeks. It’s the fact that you live in a car and can’t cook.. I think a lot of advice will be based on things that are cheap that last a while, which is largely going to be cooked food.

In your particular Predicament I’d say …sandwiches, fruit, nuts. You could have four very filling sandwiches with vegetables and how much cheese or peanut butter for $10 a day.

You can buy a container of salad that’s pre-washed so you don’t need a place to wash it and just get enough for that one day and then try to find some high-quality multigrain bread and protein source. If you eat meat, you can get sliced meat. If not, cheese tofu hummus…

sandwiches are great staple for a transitory situation because they’re relatively clean, so the food doesn’t go bad And they can last a day. So you can make four in the morning, wrap them up and eat one every couple hours.

Nuts Crackers fruit, can be a snack. Canned peas and chickpeas can be a nice addition to a salad and the amount that’s in the Can is not a ton so it wouldn’t be hanging around to go bad.

This is pretty much what I live on in a TRAVEL situation. Or if I Don’t have a functioning refrigerator.

good luck 💚

Massageman · Accepted Answer

First of all, learn to cook you so you aren't dependent on some "fast food" joint. You can control the flavors, you control the ingredients so you can control the calories, etc. Learn a few cuisine "profiles" - Mexican/Hispanic, Oriental, and Italian (flavor profiles) can provides dozens, if not hundreds- of dish possibilities. All- for example - use noodles/pasta of some kind. Change the topping and you change the dish. Learn to make "roux" (pronounced roux)- basis for hundreds of sauces, gravies, etc. . 1 part of a fat, heated, + 1 part flour, mixed, pull from the heat. Add liquids- typically water or milk- bring back to boiling. Add cheese for cheese sauce, etc. Pre-cook in bulk. When ground pork goes on sale, for example, I make my own pork sausage patties, pre-fry them and freeze them (35 to 100, depending on the size), and I'll pan fry some and freeze in portions. Re-heat patties for breakfast, add a handful of sautéed bits in your spaghetti sauce, etc. I wish you well.

Makeushiver · Accepted Answer

I usually make a lot of soup or stew, e. g. Hook PR Congee, both same dish and its made with stickier short or medium grain rice with a couple off vegetables some protein a d for me lap cheong, Chinese sausage as it has the flavor I associate with jook. I can easily ! make dinner for 2 weeks with not too much work and I think its the most superb comfort food on the planet. You can make the base for it and then add prawns a couple of days, chicken beef or leave all veg. Use plenty of fresh gonger. Its inexpsnsive, delicious and easy to make. As long as you cook the rice until it reaches the consistency of porridge you really can't do wrong. not some type of soup. Chicken and*.*. Good luck. There's thousands of recipes online.

James The Foodie · Accepted Answer

Stretching your budget while eating healthily is very possible. Invest in non-perishable foods, such as canned beans, lentils, quinoa, and oats—foods that can be easily stored and required no refrigeration. Fresh fruits and vegetables like apples, oranges, carrots, and cucumbers that don’t spoil quickly can ensure you get your nutrients. Look for farmers' markets or grocery store deals for seasonal produce.

For ready-to-eat options, try hummus and whole-grain bread, or nuts and dried fruits—great for energy and filling too. Peanut butter and whole-grain crackers are both delicious and cost-effective. Remember to stay hydrated with water. 🍏🥪

Anonymous · Answer

Why do you keep asking this same question? You could find a good-paying job instead of spending time on here asking obvious questions over and over again.

Hawt14Gurlz · Answer

If you're fat, you could just go without eating.

How can I eat healthy cheap food with $80 for 1 or 2 wks?

The main reason I'm so hot for teen girls is they end up looking like this half the time in this country past their teen years. Please just stop eating so much. Eat eggs and rice, chicken and rice... you have plenty of money for that. On my planet, we ate peas and bugs... or at least the equivalent that is.

SuchSightsToShowYou · Answer

Don't buy your food from restaurants. Buy from grocery stores.

A pound of cheese sticks, a one-pound loaf of fresh bakery bread, and a sixteen-ounce bottle of orange juice will cost easily less than ten dollars, depending on where you live. That's probably more food than you could eat in one sitting, and I guess you don't have refrigeration, but you get what I'm saying.

You can buy packs of carrots or other vegetables at the grocery store that are already peeled and washed for absurdly low prices.

The grocery store I go to sells fresh-made pizza right out of the oven. You can get a gigantic slice for like two dollars and fifty cents. If you're a small person, that might be enough of a meal for you all by itself.

In terms of how much you get for how much you spend, grocery stores are way better than restaurants.

Good luck.

bobby_bush_eater · Answer

Rice, can or fresh beans, chicken, pasta, fresh or fresh frozen fruit, fresh or frozen vegetables can easily be a staple if you're disciplined enough. In the winter especially when I make more soups and stews.

The keys are introducing enough variety with essentially the same ingredients. That's why I use YT so much for cooking just to get so much variety.

On your budget tho the main thing is needing cheap protein that's lean and healthy which cuts off most meat and fish. Look for what's on sale too, plus cheap cuts of meat usually make good stews/stir fries.

tiajoka · Answer

Dried beans, discount meat (portion and freeze it) rice, tortillas (you can even make them at home!) Veggies, make burritos!

Greek yogurt is easy to make cheap at home. Frozen bags of vegitables, or green peppers, onions, potatos.

Buy things like rice, beans, and flour in bulk. It's cheaper. Make sure to have some salt and pepper on hand for flavor, or other spices. Lard is also very cheap in substitution of butter or oil.

Use oats, they're very cheap. Bananas, tomatos, eggs (although only low quality ones are affordable unfortunately but still healthier than a granola bar)

jard82521 · Answer

Try getting canned foods. I dont know what kind of selection you have, but there are usually different types of canned fruits (pineapples, peaches) and vegetables (peas, green beans, corn) and usually canned tuna or some other kinda of protein, as well as canned chickpeas, which will give you lots of fibre and also protein. Cans aren't too overpriced, and can help you get in some vegetables, Proteins and fruits. If you still have money, try getting dry foods, like cereal or trail mix. Id also reccomend planning your melas ahead, to be extra sure you have food for each day

Levin · Answer

Focus should be trying to be as healthy as possible in that environment.

But generally your options seem to be camping food.

ie, wholegrain bread, peanut butter, canned tuna, nuts, beans, chocolate. Try and find a way to get fresh foods in you such as salads and fruit. Antioxidents will keep you healthy.

Don't want to get scurvy or some shit :)

Jersey2 · Answer

Buy peanut butter and a loaf of bread, wholegrain if you want even healthier. You can buy some fruit and veggies like carrot sticks. Buy some multivitamins so you have all of what your body needs. Go down each aisle at the grocery store and see what else is cheap. Find a place that has a microwave available if you can and then get frozen burritos and heat them up soon after buying them. Check out food banks and also ask them for tips. Check out churches for help. Google for help near you.

CupcakeTheDestroyer · Answer

I would honestly just buy some pantry stuff to make sandwiches, that would be about as expensive as a meal and last you about 10 times as long. Or maybe even just some charcuterie stuff. There’s not a lot you can eat from restaurants that isn’t going to make you feel shitty after enough consumption

D_Bone_Steak · Answer

You make more money by eating ass.

Shamalien · Answer

buy cans of shit in bulk. Vegetarian chili is a great option, buy a loaf of bread and it should keep for a few days. You can live pretty well off of that. And tbh at your point consider a food bank

Gwendoline · Answer

Fill up on vegetables, rice, potatoes and pastas.

Agape93 · Answer

Buy bulk generics and portion it.  Chicken is cheap and healthy. About 6 to 8oz a day. Rice is cheap and filling.  Onions, potatoes and peppers are cheap and nutritious.

HusamRocks · Answer

Some canned beans, milk, bread, some vegetables u only need to wash them, turkey slices, yogurt...  I highly recommend staying away from fast food or u will lose ur liver 👍🏻

morganherrel · Answer

Just eat much much less.  It's amazing how little you need to eat to still be healthy. Get some protein and vegetables in there somewhere if you can.

Avicenna · Answer

Nuts and dried fruit will be staples of your diet

Unit1 · Answer

Rice, peas and red kidney beans. That's what Andrew Tate ate during his broke days.

RingOfFire · Answer

"How can I eat healthy cheap food with $80 for 1 or 2 wks?" Vote for President Trump and you'll be able to do it for at least 4 years.

LostandFound__x · Answer

Not sure if you have an ALDI in the US but it’s so good.

Fromdusktilldawn · Answer

Lol maybe leave the USA, heard from many people that life there makes you fat and healthy food is not always available and expensive

Crazzyyworld · Answer

Soup kitchen and food bank and dollar store. Bread sandwiches

Staximus · Answer

Go stay with friends or family if you can, you can work and go to school somewhere else. Living in a car is no place for a woman.

jamesgoldman · Answer

If you're cooking probably gonna involve beans or chickpeas, those are cheap

captain_voidwalker · Answer

Lol 80$ well you can eat a bag of lettuce every day I guess

blueonblack22 · Answer

Beans and rice.

jahaims · Answer

You can eat 1 lb of beef a day on that budget

Kingofkings1992 · Answer

Eat plenty of ramen. You’ll survive

Jmmmfi4 · Answer

TRUST ME EATING HEALTHY IS NOT CHEAP !!!

Anonymous · Answer

Eggs.

kaucky1 · Answer

Junk food

How can I eat healthy cheap food with $80 for 1 or 2 wks?

Most Helpful Opinions

AI Opinion

What Girls & Guys Said

What are some cheap ways to eat healthy that you would recommend?

How can I eat healthy cheap food with $80 for 1 or 2 wks?

Most Helpful Opinions

AI Opinion

What Girls & Guys Said

What are some cheap ways to eat healthy that you would recommend?

We're glad to see you liked this post.