Eating healthily...but on a budget.

Afternoon gents,

We often speak here of what the perfect diet might be for varying goals, but realistically eating chicken breasts for every other meal is rarely financially viable.

I thought I'd create a thread where we can list those foods that are perfect for a weightlifting/bodybuilding diet, but don't break the bank.

The floor is yours...

Buy some meat and grill it

Twinkies/Tinkies (copyright dependent)... If youre gonna cheat this is the absolute best way to!

Bananas never hurt anyone, either.

You don't need to eat a full breast every meal. I used to follow the old 1 gram per pound of body weight rule which was basically dreamt up by the nutrition industry to sucker people in to buying products.

I train every day and consume maybe 125g of protein.

Gram for gram I think egg whites are probably the cheapest source of protein, but bloody inconvenient.

I probably consume something similar in terms of protein, LJ.

What are twinkines/tinkies?!

Shah, meat is generally expensive. Well, meat of any quality, anyway.

How about kidney beans and the like? Good mix of carbs and protein, flexible in what they can be used in. Decent option.

Lumbering is right...Lots of ways to get your protein count up and keep it interesting..

As for one gram of protein per day...everybodys absorption rate differs so like everything else in bodybuilding it's a bit of a myth..

Just like machines don't build muscle etc..

Fists of Fury wrote:I probably consume something similar in terms of protein, LJ.

What are twinkines/tinkies?!

Shah, meat is generally expensive. Well, meat of any quality, anyway.

How about kidney beans and the like? Good mix of carbs and protein, flexible in what they can be used in. Decent option.

 Kidney beans and beans of any sort are pretty underrated in my opinion. At university when money was tight, I used to have a baked potato with mixed beans in some sauce for lunch, and it was pretty high in protein! Nice energy boost too.

Quinoa is meant to be pretty good source too I think? There's a big guy at work who swears by meals of quinoa and mince beef.

Kidney beans are great, but if you've got a bird then be prepared for the backlash. They make you stink.

Ha that's true. Luckily it was a house full of boys, so flatulence got you nothing but respect and admiration.

Fists of Fury wrote:I probably consume something similar in terms of protein, LJ.

What are twinkines/tinkies?!

Shah, meat is generally expensive. Well, meat of any quality, anyway.

How about kidney beans and the like? Good mix of carbs and protein, flexible in what they can be used in. Decent option.

Bulk meat mate - a whole sheep (edible stuff only of course - Don't start breaking out the lube) for 45-55 pounds and very good quality (if you've no objection to halal meat). With regards to the Kidney beans - if you cook then in bulk you can mix em up with Chicken or lamb and have it with Spaghetti, or any other pasta. You could buy Turkey instead for yourself and live on that for eternity. Peanut butter and Oats are also relatively inexpensive whether or not you buy in bulk. Get a wok and make your self some stir fry - buy frozen stuff to last you ages taking care to note expiry dates. Fruit and veg mostly and start eating more fish.

Also that protein bread might be pretty good for you if it does what it says on the tin. 15 gram protein per slice and you are full after 1 or 2 slices slice - bit steep at near 5 quid a loaf (unless you multibuy) but i'll give it a go and let you know how it goes.

Protein bread Shah? Didn't know they did such a thing?

Relatively new - I havent tried it but the reviews are good. Tastes as good as normal bread and is filling plus slightly less carbs per slice. Will try it after ramadhan - could mean good things.

http://www.dr-zaks.com/

also does protein pasta apparently

Really interesting. Might give it a go too. Quite a few calories mind, but less carbs is always a good thing. 30g of protein in 2 slices os ridiculous!

bluestonevedder wrote:Really interesting. Might give it a go too. Quite a few calories mind, but less carbs is always a good thing. 30g of protein in 2 slices os ridiculous!

Exactly - worth just buying the bread rather than protein shakes (or reducing it to post workout shake)

You can buy a whole chicken from supermarkets for about £4. I roast it and it can last for 2/3 days. great value for money.

Also lamb liver is great as it is so cheap. I fry it and make sure it is very well done and tastes great.

Also at morrisons they sell rack of ork ribs for £4.50 per kilo. I usully buy £3 worth and eat it with rice and it is very filling and cheap.

Certain cuts of steak are cheaper than others. Sirloin steak is expensive but rump and other typs of steak are a lot cheaper. I can get a good bit of steak for about £3.

Lamb hearts cheap.

Apparently you can buy a whole pig for about £200 and have it chopped up for you ready to go. The total mass makes enough for a couple of months so probably works out quite well. As long as you like trotters...

Has anyone tried the Jeffrey Dahmer diet? High protein and pretty cheap too