foods

joanie

cant afford lots of foods on list what to do am also diabetic help

Susan_RD_101

@joanie

Some essential whole foods that can be cheap and help you to improve your diet include:

• Oats
• Brown rice
• Whole grain pasta
• Whole grain bread (look for at least 5 g fibre per slice)
• Frozen fruit
• Bananas, apples, oranges (or whatever is seasonal)
• Frozen vegetables
• Fresh carrots, beets, cabbage (and other seasonal vegetables)
• Canned or dried beans, lentils, chickpeas
• Canned tuna/salmon
• Unsalted peanut butter

As much as possible, try to browse flyers for deals and purchase in bulk when able. You also don't need any "special" foods as a diabetic; just plenty of unprocessed, whole foods that are mostly plant-based.

There is a myth that you need to avoid carbs to manage your diabetes, but this isn't true. What's more important is choosing high-quality carbs (i.e. unprocessed grains high in fibre) and distributing them throughout the day.

If you are stuck, you may wish to ask your doctor to refer you to a dietitian who can help you meal plan within your budget needs.

Kind regards,

joanie

THANK YOU AM ON VERY LIMITIVE BUDGET ANY HELP APPREATED

OldHobo

Beans are relatively inexpensive either way, but If you have more time than money dried beans are usually about half the price of canned and you get to control the salt.

Oats - Kroger, the dominant big Grocery Chain in my parts, sells store-brand steel-cut oats in a 28-oz box for $3.19 which is $1.82/lb. Sprouts, a small chain aimed at the natural and health food market, sells them in bulk for 99¢/lb. Point here is, become a student of the food suppliers in your own area.

Speaking of oats, my oatmeal is made with half steel-cut oats and half toasted buckwheat groats also called kasha. Kroger doesn't sell them at all. Amazon gets $10.49 for 1500 grams, $3.31/lb. Bought 900 grams at Mediterranean Grocery for $2.49 which is $1.26/lb. Mediterranean Grocery is a small locally owned store mostly specializing in southern Mediterranean, eastern European, and Middle Eastern food items. You probably don't cook with buckwheat and I'm not necessarily trying to convince you to. My point is there is an opportunity to save a lot of money, expand the variety of your diet, and improve the quality of the ingredient you buy by shopping at small, locally owned, ethnic markets. I also shop regularly at La Fiesta Supermarket and Great China Food Market.
While I was at Mediterranean Grocery I also got some fresh Bulgarian feta cheese for $4.69/lb. This creamy and delicious sheep's milk cheese comes in a vat about 30" x 18" and you cut off a chunk the size you want. If I don't buy it from them I get a vastly inferior product from Kroger for roughly $1 more per pound.

Have you looked into community gardens? They all seem to be run differently but you might be able to get high quality produce virtually free, by supplying some volunteer labor, getting some sunshine and exercise in the bargain.

Do you cook with culinary herbs? Not only do they improve the flavor of your cooking but they can supply a big chunk of mineral and vitamin requirements. The reason I mention them here is, despite being very expensive in the grocery store, many are virtual weeds. You can grow them free in a sunny corner of your yard, on a window sill, or even, with an inexpensive "daylight spectrum" grow bulb, in a dark corner of your home.

So those are a few ideas and examples of ways to save grocery $s off the top of my head. There is no way to exhaust the topic so, on your behalf I'm asking other Cronometer members to add their thoughts and experiences.

EssieBrady

Speaking of oats, my oatmeal is made with half steel-cut oats and half toasted buckwheat groats also called kasha. Kroger doesn't sell them at all. Amazon gets $10.49 for 1500 grams, $3.31/lb.