The NutriSystem or Jenny Craig diet is designed to help customers lose weight. However, the shipped boxes from NutriSystem are extremely expensive by themselves ($9.82 a day for just the Basic Plan, more money for pricier plans) and require you to buy extra food to supplement the NutriSystem package. Meanwhile, the Jenny Craig diet is priced at $3.27 per item, if you choose the premium deal, and at $3.63 per item, if you choose the As You Go deal. Your hard-earned money is likely going to the additional services the companies offer and the cost of manufacturing the food products. With a little bit of research in weekly ads, you can easily pull off a NutriSystem / Jenny Craig meal plan that is far cheaper and ensures a steady weight loss!
Most people who choose the service seem to be women. I'm not sure if women are more vocal than men or if there are really more female customers, but on the company reviews and on YouTube, there are A LOT of female reviewers! For this myTake, I am going to assume that the meal plan must be within 1200-1500 calories for a successful weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week for the typical woman of reproductive age. In addition, I am going to assume that the meal plan for one individual must be $3 a day, on average. I am also going to assume that the person has no special dietary restrictions or food preferences and can eat anything on the table (aka no picky eaters here).
First, let's look at what's for sale at my local grocery stores. Please note that what's for sale at my local grocery stores may not be for sale at your grocery stores, so you have to make adjustments. The best way to eat cheaply is to make a strict budget and eat the locally grown foods. Eating locally grown foods is not only good for your wallet, but it also supports the local economy.
The Dollar Menu
Kroger - Prices from (August 24 - 30, 2016)
Heritage Farm Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs - $0.88/pound
A chicken drumstick is about 2 oz of meat. A chicken thigh is about 3 oz of meat. There are 16 oz in a pound. So, for a pound, you can buy 8 drumsticks or 5 thighs. If you can select your own numbers of drumsticks and thighs, then you have to use this algebraic expression:
2x + 3y = 16,
where x = number of drumsticks and y = number of thighs.
Broccoli Crowns - $0.88/pound
A broccoli head includes the floret and stem. A "broccoli crown" likely refers to the floret part, the part where most people eat, even though the stem is perfectly edible.
New Crop Large Gala Apples - $0.88/pound
Apples generally tend to be the heavier kind of produce. One or two apples may fit inside one pound.
Yellow Peaches - $0.88/pound
Peaches, like apples, tend to be the heavier kind of produce.
Red Tomatoes on the Vine - $0.88/pound
I have seen these tomatoes before. These tomatoes are kind of small and bite-size.
Fresh Selections Garden Salad (12 oz) OR Fresh Selections Cole Slaw (16 oz), Select Varieties - $0.88/item
I think the 16-oz Fresh Selections Cole Slaw package is the more preferable choice, because it weighs heavier than the Garden Salad, indicating that there may be more food mass.
Sweet Corn in Husk - $1.00/3 items
These whole sweet corn cobs cost about 33 cents apiece.
Vidalia Onions - $0.77/pound
A typical onion would weigh about 1-2 pounds. Depending on the exact weight, you may be paying somewhere around a dollar for one onion.
Green Bartlett Pears - $0.99/pound
Pears tend to be the heavier kind of produce.
Michelina's Entrée (4-9.5 oz) OR Kroger Microwave Sandwich (4.6-5.7 oz), Select Varieties - $1.00/item
If you want to buy a prepackaged meal for a buck, then you should look for the product that has the greatest weight. Apparently, Michelina's Entrée can weigh as heavy as 9.5 ounces of food! However, I would not recommend frozen entrées, because of their high salt content and the inability to ration the container.
Kroger Buns (8 count, Select Varieties) OR Hunt's Ketchup (24 oz) - $1.00/item
The Kroger Buns or the Hunt's Ketchup? Both items come in one-dollar packages. I think the Kroger Buns should be preferred over the Hunt's Ketchup, because bread is a form of staple food.
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (7.25 oz) - $1.00/item
A box of Kraft Mac and Cheese has about 4 servings. This should last you 4 mealtimes. So, one mealtime costs $0.25.
San Giorgio Pasta (10-16 oz) - $1.00/item
Given that the 10-oz box costs as much as the 16-oz box, you should buy the 16-oz box, because you will get more food with a little bit of money. All that pasta can be stored in the pantry or cupboard for a very long time, so you can eat pasta anytime you want.
Hunt's Pasta Sauce (24 oz, Select Varieties) - $1.00/item
With pasta, you can buy Hunt's Pasta Sauce in 24-ounce containers. This is great, if you want a spaghetti dinner!
Simple Truth Organic Greek Yogurt OR Chobani OR Dannon Greek Yogurt (4-5.3 oz, Select Varieties) - $1.00/item
The Chobani yogurt is not worth the cost here. You can find a cheaper deal at Meijer. The Simple Truth Organic Greek Yogurt may be worth the cost, because it is organic. The quantity you get is not much -- only 4-5.3 ounces. If you want a greater quantity and a better value, then you should opt for the yogurt at Aldi.
Sabra Hummus with Pretzals (4.56 oz, Select Varieties) - $1.00/item
I have never tried this before. I remember seeing these things at the school cafeteria, but they were so expensive there! At Kroger, these cost just $1.00 apiece. They must be on sale. I don't think they are worth paying for, though, because they can only be eaten as a snack, and a $1.00 snack is too expensive.
Chef Boyardee Canned Pasta (7.25-15 oz, Select Varieties) - $1.00/item
One fifteen-ounce can of Chef Boyardee pasta has 2 servings. So, you can eat this for two mealtimes. Chef Boyardee canned pasta is very concentrated in salt, so you may want to add water to dilute the salt concentration and add more volume to your food.
Meijer - Prices from (August 21 - 27, 2016)
Chobani Greek or Simply 100 Yogurt (5.3 oz, Excludes Flips) - $0.88/item
These yogurt cups are cheaper than the ones in Kroger. If you have brand loyalty to Chobani, then this is the better deal. If you don't have brand loyalty to Chobani, then you should buy the yogurt at Aldi.
Locally Grown Eggplants - $0.99/pound
Western eggplants are fatter than Chinese eggplants. An eggplant may be 1-2 pounds, but you are probably not going to eat a whole eggplant during one mealtime. So, an eggplant represents 2-4 mealtimes.
Locally Grown Bell Peppers - $0.79/item
Bell peppers can be steamed, baked, grilled, or placed in soups. If you have too many green veggies, then you should buy some orange or red bell peppers to balance the colors and nutrition.
Locally Grown Roma Tomatoes - $0.88/pound
Tomatoes can be eaten raw or cooked. A beginner-level dish using the tomato is the Chinese stir-fried tomatoes and eggs. If you don't have eggs, then you can drop tomatoes in the canned tomato soup bowl or the Chef Boyardee Canned Pasta bowl.
Locally Grown Cucumbers (each) OR Green Onions (bunch) - $1 for 3 items
The cucumber is not a bargain. The green onion is. If you select 3 bunches of green onions, then that amount can last you a whole week. You can drop the green onion roots in water and allow more food to grow! Free food!
Cheddar Cheese Pretzal Poppers (10 count, 7 oz) OR Popcorn Chicken (7 oz) - $1/package
The popcorn chicken is totally not a bargain. If you buy this, then you are spending $1 on just 7 ounces of meat, which translate to 2 chicken drumsticks and 1 chicken thigh. If you go to Kroger, then you can buy a whole pack for $0.88/pound. The cheddar cheese pretzel poppers may be worth your money, if you mash them up in the food processor, put the poppers in the pot, and fill the pot halfway with water. At least you will get fats and carbs from the pretzel-cheese soup.
Rice-A-Roni OR Pasta Roni (4.2-7.2 oz) OR Cups (1.97-2.32 oz) - $0.89/item
With a very tight budget, you should buy the 7.2-oz box of Rice-A-Roni or Pasta Roni. One box can provide 3 meals for you in a day. Because of high sodium, you may want to dilute the product with water and eat it like soup.
Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup or Tomato Soup (10.75 oz) OR Swanson Broth (14.5 oz) - $0.75/item
The Swanson Broth seems more economical for your money than the Chicken Noodle Soup or Tomato Soup. It may be a useful flavor enhancer to your soup dishes throughout the week.
Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom (10.5 oz) - $0.99/item
The relatively low amount of food you get in this product and the relatively high price make this a poor choice.
Aldi - Prices from (August 21 - 27, 2016)
Baby Bella Mushrooms (8 oz) - $0.69/pack
These mushrooms are a tasty, nutritious source for protein.
Baby Carrots (16 oz) - $0.49/bag
One baby carrot is one ounce. So, there are probably 16 baby carrots in the bag. With one dollar, you can buy 2 bags of 32 baby carrots.
Cucumbers - $0.25/item
These cucumbers are a great bargain! They are a wonderful, hydrating snack! With $1.00, you can buy 4 cucumbers and prepare them for raw consumption.
Red Grapes ($1.58 per 2-pound package) - $0.79/pound
These red grapes seem a bit pricey, but then they come in 2-pound packages. Who eats 2 pounds of grapes in one sitting?
Organic Bananas ($0.98 per 2-pound package) - $0.49/pound
A 2-pound package of bananas may be better than a 2-pound package of grapes. Bananas are more starchy, so they can add more calories to the diet so that you are not too calorie-deficient. I went to Aldi recently and saw the regular bananas were only $0.44 for a bunch, while the organic bananas were $0.98 for a bunch. So, it's possible to buy 2 regular bunches that cost less than one bunch of organic bananas.
Friendly Farms or Fit & Active Low-Fat or Non-Fat Yogurt (6 oz, Assorted Varieties) - $0.29/item
These yogurt cups are cheaper than the others I've found in the weekly ads! They may be useful in getting some fat into your diet! Choose the Low-Fat yogurt over the Non-Fat yogurt, because you need the fat.
SimplyNature Green Pea Crisps (3.3 oz) - $0.99/item
This may be a healthy snack, but the cost . . . ay!
Fresh Thyme - Prices from (August 24 - 31, 2016)
Yellow Peaches, Nectarines, Pluots - $0.88/pound
Yellow peaches, nectarines, and pluots tend to be on the heavy side. You can probably buy 1 or 2 of those items for a pound.
Canteloupes - $0.50/item
A cantaloupe is a pretty large melon. A melon that costs $0.50 is more economical than a smaller fruit that costs the same value.
Navel Oranges - $0.50/item
I think the cantaloupes are better than the oranges. A cantaloupe is big; an orange is small. Both have orange flesh.
Hass Avocados - $0.88/item
Nope, the cantaloupe still wins. However, the avocado contains a lot of fat content, so it would be nice to buy just one avocado to get your daily dose of fat.
Bartlett Pears OR Minneola Tangelos - $0.99/pound
Pears and tangelos are like apples, peaches, nectarines, and pluots. They are heavy, small fruits. The cantaloupe still wins.
Beefsteak Tomatoes - $0.77/pound
Beefsteak tomatoes are kind of heavy and big. For a pound, you can probably buy just one tomato. Just be sure to ration the tomato in your dishes!
Green Beans - $0.77/pound
At Fresh Thyme, green beans typically are sold in 2.5-pound packages. Two-pound packages may contain enough green beans to make 4 stir-fried plates! Yep, they are totally worth the cost.
Red Rose OR Russet Potatoes - $0.50/pound
A Russet potato is about 1-2 pounds. With a dollar, you can probably buy just 2 starchy potatoes. They are not much, but then one baked potato can provide as much as 300 calories! Eating two means 600 calories! You may get more calories, if you make deep-fried French fries.
Bunched Kale OR Celery - $0.88/item
With a dollar, you can buy a bunched kale or a whole celery head. With two dollars, you can buy one bunched kale and one celery head. They are a bargain, because of their size.
Green Leaf or Red Romaine Lettuce - $0.99/item
Kale is a leafy green vegetable. Romaine lettuce is also a leafy green vegetable. Hmmm... the kale seems to be more economical than the green romaine lettuce, unless you buy the red romaine lettuce. If you drop the celery head and choose the red romaine lettuce, then you can buy more colors of the rainbow!
Bunched Broccoli - $0.99/pound
A broccoli head usually weighs between 1-2 pounds. I know the store usually sells broccoli heads with florets and stems, both of which are edible.
Stuffed Clams (4 oz) - $0.99/item
One stuffed clam has breading and spices. I suppose it can be eaten during lunch or dinner as one meal. There are carbs in the breading and protein in the clam. Water may be drunk on the side to dilute the saltiness of the food.
Fresh Thyme One-Day Special Deals
8/27/2016 - Large White Eggs (1 dozen) - $0.49/dozen
A dozen of eggs makes 12 eggs. Two dozens make 24 eggs. Buying 2 dozens with 1 dollar means that each egg is worth four pennies. However, this good bargain is on August 27, 2016, so you should remind yourself on that day to pick up some eggs. Eggs are a good source of protein and fat. You need both to survive. Do not discard the egg yolk, because you think it is high in cholesterol and fat. That is a waste of good food and money, because the egg yolk takes up a significant portion of the egg. Eggs are proof that it is cheaper to be a vegetarian than a vegan who relies on expensive dietary supplements.
8/29/2016 - Mini Seedless Watermelons - $0.99/item
Assuming that you are buying one mini seedless watermelon for yourself, you are not going to eat the whole watermelon in one sitting. You should cut the watermelon in half. One half should be eaten for dessert on one day, and the other half should be eaten for the next day's dessert. To get your money's worth of food, you should peel away the skin and use the rind to make a stir-fried platter of watermelon rind, another Chinese recipe.
Tips
1. Read the FDA's guide to maintain good hygiene and safe consumption.
2. Many American homes have a refrigerator, a stove, a conventional oven, a countertop, and a sink. Indeed, if you live in a badly misshapen house, then you may struggle in getting good food on the table. So, you should really invest on a good stove (with a range/vent/exhaust hood) and oven to eat healthy. A refrigerator must have a freezer. The freezer can preserve food longer.
3. Use Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to keep track of your finances and meal planning.
4. Read my previous myTake, titled "The More Economical Dollar Menu".
5. You don't need a gym. You just need to be active. Read my previous myTake, titled "10 Reasons Why You Don't Need A Gym". Besides our ancestors did not have gyms. Most of them lived very back-breaking, agrarian, impoverished lives.
Weekly Meal Plan
I uploaded a copy to Google Sheets, so you can see a larger picture. You can view and comment, but cannot edit.
Analysis
It is best to design the weekly meal plan in advance. So, if you want to start dieting on Thursday, you have to do the grocery shopping and meal prepping on Wednesday night.
It's best to keep track of what foods can be eaten earlier (the poppers) and what foods can be eaten later (the unripe bananas), so that the foods don't have to sit in the fridge for a whole week before consumption.
A 1/2 of a raw cucumber may seem like a little bit of food, but the raw cucumber is mostly water and fiber, so that little bit of food is likely going to be very filling.
I did not specify the amount of water you'd use. That's because I intended that the water would be used to make Chef Boyardee Canned Beefaroni Soup (with real tomatoes!) and a Kroger Hot Dog Bun (to sop up the juice). The water is there for 2 reasons. First, it is to dilute the salt concentration of the canned food, because it is very unhealthy to eat so much salt in a little bit of food. Second, it is to increase food volume.
Desserts may be something very simple, sweet, and very nutritious -- fruits and yogurt! That beats eating the ice cream (which is just made of milk, milk fat, and lots of sugar) in the NutriSystem kit any day, eh?
On that Saturday, the eggs are bought, because of the one-day special deal. I'd imagine boiling 8 of them that night for consumption on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Lunch on Monday is a Red Romaine Lettuce salad with 3 hard-boiled eggs. Hopefully, the lipid-soluble vitamins in the lettuce leaves can be absorbed by the fat in the eggs. But if you combine the low-fat yogurt with the salad, the yogurt becomes the fatty dressing.
Dinner on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday is a Scrambled Egg Sandwich.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the bananas are probably overripe by now, you have to eat them quickly. In case there are too many bananas, it's okay to allocate some of those bananas for consumption on the previous Thursday and Friday, because on those days you reach the minimum amount of calories. With such a big breakfast of bananas on Tuesday and Wednesday, you probably don't need to eat so much pasta for lunch! So, 1 oz of pasta may be good for you.
The stable foods should be prioritized first. If you don't have staple food, then you will starve yourself to death. Vegetables should be prioritized second, because they provide a lot of nutrients. According to the Food and Drug Administration, you should "vary your veggies" and eat all the colors of the rainbow. That's why the tomatoes (red), carrots (orange), bell peppers (hopefully yellow), red romaine lettuce (sort of red and purple), and greens (green) are chosen. Meats and fats are third in priority. But meats can be quite expensive, so in the meal plan, you are able to just eat yogurt, avocado, and on Saturday, eggs. Fruits are last in priority, because they cost so much and provide too little calories to sustain yourself. If you are wealthy, then you can buy a lot of fruits. But if you only have a few dollars a day to spend, then you should seek more nutrition from vegetables than fruits. Bananas are okay, because one medium-sized banana generates about 100 calories; and the watermelon and cantaloupe can be eaten on several days for dessert.
At the end of the week, you have the remaining amount of food. It's best to eat that amount of food in 2-3 days. During that time, you can plan your next grocery shopping trip and meal planning.
Disclaimer: I am not a Registered Dietitian. Do not take the weekly meal plan as your permanent meal plan. The meal plan I provided is just a way to make sure you are spending less than $21 on food per week and lose weight, while fulfilling some dietary recommendations (vary your veggies and lower sodium) provided by the USA Food and Drug Administration and USA Department of Agriculture (Choose My Plate and the New FDA Food Pyramid).
Hopefully, the meal plan shows you that it is actually easier to lose weight (you are constrained by your financial resources) than to maintain the same weight or gain weight. Indeed, you really have to spend a lot of money to pack on the pounds! It is no wonder that obesity is one of the diseases of affluence.
What Girls & Guys Said
Opinion
1Opinion
Still too expensive for me. I'll stick to TV dinners and fast food.
Really? How much are TV dinners and fast food in your area?