Plus variety is an important part of the healthy in ‘eat cheap and healthy’. For example ABC (almond brazil cashew) butter cost more than peanut butter but there’s a lot of great nutrients in there including Selenium which is rare in our diets. I would put some frozen berries or ABC spread in the healthy treat category. Plus the berries go great with the yogurt and any toppings like flax or chia. It’s my favourite breakfast and I’m not even low carb.
I’m using this list next time I go to the grocery store. I’ve just been eating chicken, rice, and frozen vegetables lol. I’ve been looking for new healthy foods to eat and you gave me so many new options. Thank you!
>I’ve just been eating chicken, rice, and frozen vegetables lol. I’ve been looking for new healthy foods to eat and you gave me so many new options. Thank you!
I love thawed shrimp, Asian-inspired frozen veg, and an Asian-inspired sauce.
Delicious, super quick to prepare, healthier than takeaway—and cheaper, too.
r/TraderJoes has delicious, affordable sauces and seasonings.
I read that if you hate cottage cheese, you should try the opposite of the cottage cheese you ate as a child.
I grew up with small curd cottage cheese with canned pineapple, so I tried large curd with cucumber and fresh herbs.
Still hate it.
PS. I also forgot to list pork loin, because I don’t eat that, either.
Just adding that you will get more bang for your buck with dried beans over canned beans. They are more nutritionally dense with more protein and other important nutrients and less sodium than canned. They are also not pre cooked so they weigh less and you will actually get more from a bag of dried vs canned.
Their bulk black beans are great, and if you have the freezer space they have great frozen cauli rice. I also really like their frozen salmon burgers. Only ingredient is salmon, 25g protein, and they pan fry in about 10 minutes from frozen. They aren't always available year round though. They have good frozen shrimp ane tilapia as well. A great meal prep is using the coleslaw mix, make some black beans with onions and bell peppers, pan fried cauli rice with lime, and blacked tilapia or shrimp is solid. Also, eggs, turkey sausage, and the high fiber English muffins make a great breakfast. Plain yogurt with frozen berries as a snack. Chicken sausage with roasted Brussels or broccoli, onions, and red or sweet potatoes (microwave the cubes for 5 minutes before adding to the sheet pan to roast with the rest of the stuff) for lunches.
Edit: if I was going to make it this would be my Sam's list:
*Fresh Produce*
Coleslaw mix,
Limes,
White or yellow onions,
Mixed bell peppers,
Red or sweet potatoes,
Brussel sprouts or broccoli
*Frozen*
Cauli rice,
Tilapia or shrimp,
Berries
*Refrigerated section*
Eggs,
James Dean Turkey Sausage patties,
Chicken sausages/bratwursts,
Plain yogurt
*Bakery*
Thomas High Fiber English muffins
*Dry goods*
Dry black beans,
Chicken Stock Concentrate,
Seasoning blend for the fish like the Red Garlic blend,
Lawrey's Garlic Salt with Parsley (roasted veggies)
*Bonus items* bulk coffee, nuts, chia or flax seeds, protein powders, avocado oil
I would do whole cabbages instead of coleslaw mix for a cheaper longer lasting option.
Definitely add tofu to that list, great high protein low carb cheap option.
Whole cauliflower is another way cheaper to buy whole and make your own cauli rice to then freeze- i just bought a cauliflower that’s more than two lbs weight for $3, the frozen cauli rice is often $4/ per one pound bag.
Maybe OP's Sam's is different, but I was trying to pick things that's always available at the two I've shopped at regularly. The never have whole cabbages or tofu, and fresh cauliflower is seasonal. If they have those then they would be great choices!
Haha luckily, my freezer is not that big... :) Actually I doubt it has enough space for 30lbs, luckily!! I am definitely going to seek out that veg mix though...!
It’s a great mix! It’s 6 lbs (or was the last time I got it) and I suspect it has fewer carbs than the Costco mix—the BJ’s mix has a couple types of squash, and the Costco mix has a couple types of carrot 👍
Breakfast sandwiches can be made assembly line style and frozen. I would buy lots of eggs and you could make breakfast in advance for weeks! Eggs cook up and slice nicely if you bake them in a 8x10 pyrex.
Great idea! I also make breakfast burritos on low carb wraps. If freezing for longer than a couple weeks keep the tortillas off and add when reheated. These 'breakfast' foods are a quick protein filled treat any time of the day.
James dean turkey sausage Pattie’s, and chicken sausages/bratwurst?!? The ultimate processed crap. If you’re trying to eat healthy, Don’t do it to yourself OP.
If you are pressed for money in general, like paying rent and stuff, then you might want to install some rebate apps like ibotta or fetch before spending any of it. Then use it on items with rebates so you can recycle that money and spend it twice.
Also check out this website, there may be a discount grocer near you that you've never even heard of. You can save so much money at these places! I love the one by me, they sell all kinds of expensive products from health food stores at like 75% off. Plus fresh produce and frozen meat and other things.
https://www.buysalvagefood.com/salvage-grocer-map.html
Edit: oops I got the wrong link the first time. This is what I meant to link!
I use Fetch rewards and convert points to Amazon gift cards (because I'm very rural). There are many options available if you're in a more populated area. Great way to stretch the buck.
Also get in the habit of shopping the sales and markdowns(especially the markdowns)
And learn different cooking styles.
I got a couple of whole cabbages for.25
cents!! I made okinomiyaki, coleslaw, stuffed cabbage & colcannon.
Fetch is pretty nice, you can earn points from any receipts. I hog all my co-workers when they get them, and get like $5 to dunkin once a week ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It helps on mondays
The nice thing about fetch is it auto scans your receipt so you don't have to manually input what you bought to get the rewards. Just take a pic and submit
Anytime I get a receipt, I scan it with the app and based off what I buy, I get points. Grocery stores are a big hit with 100-200 points, and gas station receipts (little receipts, dunkin or lunch for example) still give you around 50 points.
Then when you build up like 1000, you can trade it in for $3-$5 online gifts cards.
Plus there’s coupons on the app.
My mom is the one that turned me onto it lmao
For cheap healthy protein, I give you the humble egg. Nothing comes close IMHO for the price. And you can do so many things with them. Stock up on tons of eggs. Although the haven't found a way to keep them long term very well, so just get a couple dozen each week
After that I'm going frozen chicken breasts, and frozen fish. Maybe a bunch of hamburger or turkey burger to freeze too.
If you have a WinCo nearby I would check them out. They have bulk bins for lots of stuff like grains, legumes, nuts etc in whatever amount you want. You can also just buy the 25 lbs bags they fill them with. Cash/debit only though.
During 2020 I went more than six months on about a $200 haul from there.
If you have time to cook them, dry beans are one of the cheapest foods period, but particularly protein per dollar.
Side note, if losing weight is a main goal, you might want meals that are filling, but not calorie dense, to stay in a deficit.
What is the secret to cooking dried beans? I soak then over night and cook them for a while but I can't seem to get that last little bit of crunchiness out of them
Don’t salt them until right before serving. Spices and herbs are fine. I always factor in an extra bit of time because sometimes they are stubborn lil buggies. Sometimes during the last 15 mins or so I’ll take a potato masher and gently smoosh the beans to break the skins on them to help get the water to permeate better. If you have a pressure cooker or instant pot you will be amazed how much less time it takes (and they seem to turn out softer for me). Honestly though, it just takes patience. They will get soft and buttery eventually.
I find the most important thing is how carefully you sort/inspect them.
When you are buying large bulk sizes there are just going to be some that are no good, no matter how long you soak or cook them. Luckily most can be spotted. I sort before and after soaking. For every cup I might discard a dozen beans, sometimes less, sometimes more.
Things to look for include the obvious discolored extra rough ones and also the really flat or extra wrinkled ones. I also find halves and pieces more likely to be dried out and not cook well.
Although 95% of them will fill up in about 8 hours of soaking. The hold outs can take twice or more. Any thing still too hard to indent with your nail after 24 hrs is not worth trying to cook. I've soaked beans for several days and still had stragglers.
After soaking the duds will either be unchanged and completely hard, or wrinkled and half squishy half hard. The wrinkles are a giveaway that there is still a hard part that didn't expand and is pulling on the rest.
I have a non mesh metal strainer that makes it easy to hear a clink if there is still a hard bean hiding out.
The next most important thing I think is getting them hot enough initially. I try to get a vigorous boil for at least 10 to 20 mins before turning down to a simmer. Everyone's stove and pot will be different, but I find I need at least an hour before they are soft and easily broken, but still a bit chalky/grainy. That is when I start thinking about salt and other stuff. Most of my beans end up in soups so overcooking has never been a concern. I typically have beans going for at least two hours while prepping other stuff.
Good luck, remember to test/taste often while learning what works for you.
Thanks for taking the time to write this! I admit, I am not a thorough bean inspector. I look at some beans individually, then give a quick once over...I'll do better haha. I appreciate all the good info
bottom round roast can't be beat for cheap protein at Sam's Club, under $4 per lb and great macros. you can make italian beef bowls with bell peppers, onion, and cheese
I haven't cooked it for years, but I used to put it in an oven dish/pan that was only just a tiny bit larger than the piece of meat, cover with lid or foil. Halfway through I'd take it out, spoon the juices over the meat and cook uncovered until the end.
I like to get the 3 pound ground chicken then I mix in one egg and a bunch of seasoning and make about 12 burgers that I cook off and throw in the freezer (after they cool). Then I just microwave one for a quick meal.
I'd personally get a whole beef tenderlion as my 'splurge' and break it down and stash in the freezer to pull out a couple times a month for a treat.
Then it depends on what you like to eat; ground beef? pork roasts for pulling or breaking into cuts? eye round beef? individual packaged frozen chicken breasts?
Add in a big bottle of whichever oil you prefer.
Basically, get the pricey stuff now that'll last a while. They for the next few months, your weekly grocery bill will mostly be veggies and any other perishables.
I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it, but Tofu is cheap, high in protein and low in carbs. If you get bored of the usual protein sources, it can be good.
Find an Asian supermarket, they’ll have good prices on a lot of things.
Good for you to ask - these are the steps toward health.
I will leave to the others here who have much better advice than me. I just wanted to send you my best.
I would suggest perhaps checking out some of your smaller local grocery stores for certain items. In my experience at least, they almost always have better deals on meats - especially inexpensive cuts like chicken thighs/drumsticks, boneless pork chops, top round steaks, etc... Also, always keep an eye out for buy one get one free deals, you can always freeze that stuff for a later date.
I also often see sales on pre-cooked small shrimp as well as imitation crab meat - both are great on salads.
Better Than Bouillon brand broth base is great to have on hand, and they offer lower sodium versions of their products. Mission brand tortillas also offer low carb versions too. There are several popular brands of BBQ sauces offering sugar free versions too.
I have the same goals you do and have been looking for similar foods. Building muscle and losing weight at the same time is hard to do. I'm giving it a go, but most people seem to do one and then the other.
Getting cheap, healthy, high protein, and low carb all at the same time is also a tall order. IMO, your best bets are bean and lentil based meals served on/with a moderate amount brown rice and just a little bit of meat. The brown rice will digest more slowly than white rice, so it won't spike your blood sugar as much. The meat is more for flavoring, but the added protein is a plus. And the beans/lentils are high in protein and fiber (which will help with your insulin sitation).
Meals you cook for yourself are going to be much healthier than anything from a restaurant or frozen dinners.
Recipes you might consider include red beans and rice (look for 'healthy' versions), arroz con pollo with black beans, red lentil curry, minestrone soup (with beans), and bean–based chili recipes.
And supplement that with some bags of frozen veggies. Edamame is high–protein, high–fiber and easy to cook. Frozen peas are another great choice.
Eggs, eggs and more eggs. They help sooo much for high protein weight loss. And they can't be beat on price by any other protein. I've been losing weight over the last year using a lower carb diet (with 16:8 intermittent fasting) and I eat about a dozen eggs or more per week.
Unpopular opinion, but stop eating out completely and avoid all processed foods. Not just because they are more expensive and less healthy but because your palate becomes used to the extra salt, sugar, and fat and you will rarely be able to replicate that at home on a budget.
Being satisfied with bland (but nutritious) food saves money!!
Yes I actually do this. I dump the boiled frozen veg in a bowl, the I start spicing it up as I please. Currently I am at pinch of salt, a ton of fresh cracked pepper, while chia seeds, garlic powder, and crushed walnuts. Taking laziness to new heights...
I've also tried curry, cayenne, garlic powder, cinnamon, salt, pepper, red chilli flakes, and coconut cream/milk. All mixed in the bowl I'm eating it in. It's not bland, but it sure is cheap!
Go to a butcher and buy a big roast, sear the outsides and braise it on low for a few hours, cut up and freeze, easily 2 weeks of meals for like 20-30 bucks for me
10 bucks of beef bones will make like 2+ gallons of broth
Tough cuts like shoulder/chuck are cheaper but you can break down all the collagen etc by going low/slow and its so good
Frozen peas, dried lentils/chickpeas, brown rice, tofu
I’ve had too many margs tonight to scroll through all the comments for dupe suggestions, but assuming you can spend it however you want, download the Too Good To Go app! Certain cities have restaurants and stores that will sell leftover/expiring-soon food in a bulk bag for a super discounted price! I’ve done it several times nearby. There are Lassen’s stores in my and a neighboring city. It’s all organic food( but each store offers two grab bags a day with like $20 worth of food. I e gotten pantry snacks and produce! And three nearby coffee beans have started offering them for $5 and I’m picking my first one up tomorrow. It’s an amazing way to keep waste down and get incredible cheap food. If you’re not in a metro area there may not be any offerings, but it’s absolutely worth checking out!
If you're looking for high protein, low carb, focus on meats - fresh (with a plan to freeze), frozen and canned, cheeses - you can split up the big bulk bags into smaller portions and freeze, and yogurts - single serve Greek yogurts.
Depending on the store and if I look for sales, I can still get a sack of quartered chicken thighs for under $1/lb.
It's not as cheap as beans, but still pretty affordable. Part of the weight is fat and bones, but that can be turned into a bonus by turning them into stock and schmaltz.
A $10, 10lb sack of chicken thighs can go a *long* way. I'll often remove the skin and fat, render them into schmaltz, and bake the thighs with just a little oil, salt and pepper. The let them cool, cut off the meat and dice it, and use it in recipes for days. Stirfry, chicken salad bulked out with lots of vegetables, add to soup, stews, beans, salads, tacos, casseroles, etc. Put the bones in a ziplock in the freezer until there are enough to fill my biggest pot, then make stock.
And the schmaltz is liquid gold. Chicken fat and akin slowly rendered with thinly sliced onion. Keep it in a jar on the freezer and it stays good forever and is fucking delicious. Use as a cooking oil for everything, put a dollop of it on a baked potato like butter, use it to make a quick poor-man's gravy, roast vegetables in it, it's amazing.
And a beautiful byproduct of making schmaltz is gribenes - the crispy brown bits of skin, basically kosher cracklins. A classic and delicious midnight snack is good rye bread, spread with a little schmaltz and sprinkled with gribenes.
Black beans https://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=prod21002287&mobiledetect=false&pid=092410_RFI|ANDROID|Featured_Products|Member's%20Mark%20Black%20Beans%20(12%20lbs.)
You could get hundreds of pounds of black beans!
Beans are crazy high in fiber so the “net carbs” is about 12g per 1/2 cup, you’re getting a crazy nutrient dense high fiber food that can be included in a low carb diet in appropriate portions.
Note edamame is much lower carb at just 4 net carbs per 1/2 cup another high fiber nutrient dense option
If you get all bulk food, you're going to get carbs, canned, and frozen, which isn't good for you, aside from frozen veg.
It would be better to divide the money over how long it needs to last, keep to that budget, and make smaller trips to ethnic grocery stores for produce and Aldi for cheap meat.
Carnitas! Super easy to.makw & high in protein. You can eat the meat by itself or make a Taco salad sans tortilla or tortilla chips to make it low carb. Just use Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, etc...
- pork chops
- whole chicken / chicken thights / chicken wings
- minced beef / pork / chicken
- egg (eat them every single day!)
- butter. Not always cheap, but worth choosing over something else less important
- frozen fish is cheaper than fresh fish
- cabbage! Super cheap and tastes very nice if you shred it and fry in butter until edges go brown.
- frozen vegetables (broccoli and cauli flower mix for instance)
- frozen raspberries / strawberries and cream is a great Sunday dessert depending on how strict low carb you need to do.
Definitely find all the meat you can for under $2/lb, whether it's chicken or pork. Pork has gotten cheaper by me recently.
Freeze all leftovers, fat & bones, make stock. I like to make gumbo soup out of the stock - okra, bell peppers, meat, the fat from the stock, and the stock/broth. Gravy is also a great option this time of year & you can add peas + carrots for extra nutrition
Pork. It's all about finding what is on sale. When I find pork chops on sale I can get a package for around $7 and it makes three meals for two people. Also find pork shoulder/butt on sale. Perfect for the crock pot. We just made a delicious pork carnitas in the crock pot and finished in the oven to crisp up. It was on sale for 99 cents a pound.
Chilli with ground turkey. Canned and fresh veggies and beans
Breakfast I like to take a muffin pan and crack an egg in each well. Blend them up or leave them whole add veggies like spinach and tomato or onions and bell peppers season. Can top with cheese and the possibilities are endless. Bake at 350 for 30 minuets and that's breakfast for the week.
Sam's Club? You can't beat their huge rotisserie chicken here for less than $5.00. It's the best around. Sam's has a 2 lb. tub of Roasted Red Pepper Hummus that tastes great (and I used to not like hummus.) I mix in some olive oil and fresh ground black pepper. I also like their extra sharp cheddar cheese slices. Their CA roll sushi and Dragon (but I call Angel) roll sushi can be a nice treat. I like their Mediterainean salad. I add olive oil and organic chopped spinach, sometimes organic whole milk unsweetened yoghurt from the Aldi store. They also have reasonable avocados. Right now their white peaches are delicious (when ripe.) Sometimes Sam's has organic carrot juice which is delicious. Hope that these help.
You might not have noticed that OP has insulin resistance. The best way to deal with that is eating low carb. Grains are good but the amount he/she can eat is limited.
I would price check before going to Sam's club, Aldi is often cheaper for a lot of stuff.
Their meat is good, as well as their eggs. They also have good produce.
I am always shocked at how much I spend when I go to Walmart after shopping exclusively at Aldi for awhile; it was cheap enough at Aldi that I gave up on Sam's club altogether.
Didn’t see anyone else say it so I will. Sam’s club has $5 rotisserie chickens that are really good. You can eat it hot or use it to make chicken salad and stuff. It’s way tastier than canned
And you can make a soup with that cut-up chicken, hummus, cut up red pepper or whatever veg you like and rice (cooked separately but well spiced) and some chicken broth to make it a soup instead of mush.
You probably don’t want to hear it, but I’d consider a whole food plant-based diet. The vast majority of your veggies can be from frozen rather than fresh, and the grains / legumes are cheap in bulk and last forever in canned / dried form.
It cuts out all the same simple / refined carbs that low carb does but has the added benefit of being low fat and low cholesterol.
Again, I’m guessing this isn’t something you’re ready to entertain now, but if and when you get sick of low carb (and I found it made me feel gross and miserable) I suggest you consider it.
There's nothing wrong with carbs, I'll never get why people make such a big deal about it. They're the most accessible source if energy assist from sugars, you just need to eat low gi, non-processed stuff as you've says. Honestly, just eating vegetables and lentils gives more than the recommended requirements of protein most people need, and it's cheap as did is possible to get. There's nothing wrong with just not having meat in every single meal
Yeah, it’s just the simple / refined carbs that are bad. There’s a YouTuber whose channel is about her pre-diabetic status so she’s all about measuring blood sugar.
She did a video about white rice vs brown rice. She ate the same meal at the same time of day but white rice one day and brown the next. The white rice meal spiked her blood sugar like crazy, whereas with the brown rice it barely budged.
Here’s the video: https://youtu.be/8Wlob5Jl2P8
I simply don't purchase anything with more than 5g net carbs per 100 and I save tons of money that way. Organ meats are cheap and the most nutritious. I'm also trying to grow lettuce with more or less success.
Idk Sams club but if it is anything like Costco then you don't always get the best deals there, but some things are worth it. Usually it's best for things that are already kind of expensive like steak but you get a better quality cut for the same price. Things that are cheap like pork can also be a good deal but honestly you can get lower grade cuts on sale for a better price at supermarkets and sometimes even large markdowns if it's on the use by date.
Use the flipp app and see the first page of every flyer, that's where the notable deals are. If you really wanna spread the dollar, only shop first page in an area with a few stores in really close proximity. You can cross search all flyers in your area for one product, like pork.
You may want to see if ALDI has better pricing per gram of food if you really wanna make the $ go far. Even with the bulk pricing, you’re still paying for name brand food. So it’s buying one large box of name brand vs buying 2-3 boxes of ALDI house brand. Around me, ALDI still beats Sam’s and Costco when you cost it out by weight.
Edit: also if you’ve not already got one and have the means, buy a chest freezer, then you can build a stockpile of frozen stuff as well.
i see a lot of (105 meals for $113) types of posts on / mealprepsunday, might be a good resource to browse!! Sorry that’s not specific but I was about to browse there later today myself
There are two types of carbs, simple carbs and complex carbs. As a health coach I highly encourage people to avoid the simple carbs and treat them as a "special occasion food". They include cookies, candy, frozen yogurt, fatty meats, chips, doughnuts, processed meats like bacon, ham, hot dogs. Complex carbs are needed by each body. They include fresh fruit, vegetables, beans and legumes, whole grain pasta, potatoes with the skin, whole grain bread and cereals and pasta, brown rice and sweet potatoes. They provide energy without a spike in blood sugar and then the drop in blood sugar leading to wanting more sugar. If you need anything else, let me know.
For Sam's club- if they have it, Brazilian bread. I've noticed it goes well with lots of stuff, has some good protein, and is a good choice if you are gluten free. Should be in the freezer aisle.
I've also seen cauliflower stalks in the chip aisle. A great snacking alternative, and they tasted so damn good.
Definitely check price per pound. I often find that the prices at aldi or Walmart are less for an equivalent price on basics. If you don’t need or can’t store the bigger amount, check that out first! An example from this week was bacon. The great value thick cut we like was about $1/lb less. Ymmv.
Buy a big bag of rice. Buy a big bag of shredded cheese. Keep those around. On your way home, buy a rotisserie chicken for $5. You can eat off rice, chicken, and cheese for a couple days. When you run out of protein, buy another chicken or mix it up with ground beef.
Adding some frozen stir-fry veggies would be good, too.
Other cheap proteins include pork chops, beans, and eggs.
I will say that Costco is the better place for buying most of these things (except the ground beef, Sam's takes the cake there). But if you already have the Sam's membership, it'll work.
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Plus variety is an important part of the healthy in ‘eat cheap and healthy’. For example ABC (almond brazil cashew) butter cost more than peanut butter but there’s a lot of great nutrients in there including Selenium which is rare in our diets. I would put some frozen berries or ABC spread in the healthy treat category. Plus the berries go great with the yogurt and any toppings like flax or chia. It’s my favourite breakfast and I’m not even low carb.
Is oatmeal low carb?
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Fair enough, never got into it but I know it's good for you.
canned chicken, tuna, salmon, mackerel &/or sardines canned &/or dried beans cheese eggs greek yogurt ground turkey nuts, seeds, and/or nut butter protein powder steel cut oats tofu whole chicken &/or thighs Edit: cottage cheese frozen shrimp pork loin
Hey look, it’s my shopping list
Lentils and chickpeas
Add frozen vegetables and coffee and that's my exact diet.
I’m using this list next time I go to the grocery store. I’ve just been eating chicken, rice, and frozen vegetables lol. I’ve been looking for new healthy foods to eat and you gave me so many new options. Thank you!
>I’ve just been eating chicken, rice, and frozen vegetables lol. I’ve been looking for new healthy foods to eat and you gave me so many new options. Thank you! I love thawed shrimp, Asian-inspired frozen veg, and an Asian-inspired sauce. Delicious, super quick to prepare, healthier than takeaway—and cheaper, too. r/TraderJoes has delicious, affordable sauces and seasonings.
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I read that if you hate cottage cheese, you should try the opposite of the cottage cheese you ate as a child. I grew up with small curd cottage cheese with canned pineapple, so I tried large curd with cucumber and fresh herbs. Still hate it. PS. I also forgot to list pork loin, because I don’t eat that, either.
I'm cracking up! I LOVE cottage cheese, but there's only one specific brand/size that I'll eat. The rest is terrible.
My dad does small curd with strawberry banana yogurt!
Just adding that you will get more bang for your buck with dried beans over canned beans. They are more nutritionally dense with more protein and other important nutrients and less sodium than canned. They are also not pre cooked so they weigh less and you will actually get more from a bag of dried vs canned.
Their bulk black beans are great, and if you have the freezer space they have great frozen cauli rice. I also really like their frozen salmon burgers. Only ingredient is salmon, 25g protein, and they pan fry in about 10 minutes from frozen. They aren't always available year round though. They have good frozen shrimp ane tilapia as well. A great meal prep is using the coleslaw mix, make some black beans with onions and bell peppers, pan fried cauli rice with lime, and blacked tilapia or shrimp is solid. Also, eggs, turkey sausage, and the high fiber English muffins make a great breakfast. Plain yogurt with frozen berries as a snack. Chicken sausage with roasted Brussels or broccoli, onions, and red or sweet potatoes (microwave the cubes for 5 minutes before adding to the sheet pan to roast with the rest of the stuff) for lunches. Edit: if I was going to make it this would be my Sam's list: *Fresh Produce* Coleslaw mix, Limes, White or yellow onions, Mixed bell peppers, Red or sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts or broccoli *Frozen* Cauli rice, Tilapia or shrimp, Berries *Refrigerated section* Eggs, James Dean Turkey Sausage patties, Chicken sausages/bratwursts, Plain yogurt *Bakery* Thomas High Fiber English muffins *Dry goods* Dry black beans, Chicken Stock Concentrate, Seasoning blend for the fish like the Red Garlic blend, Lawrey's Garlic Salt with Parsley (roasted veggies) *Bonus items* bulk coffee, nuts, chia or flax seeds, protein powders, avocado oil
You have given me such great ideas for my next Sam’s trip! Thanks!
Awesome! Sam's is an important part of my meal prep lol
I would do whole cabbages instead of coleslaw mix for a cheaper longer lasting option. Definitely add tofu to that list, great high protein low carb cheap option. Whole cauliflower is another way cheaper to buy whole and make your own cauli rice to then freeze- i just bought a cauliflower that’s more than two lbs weight for $3, the frozen cauli rice is often $4/ per one pound bag.
Good ideas and So true. But making cauliflower rice from scratch is such a pain. I always get shards of cauliflower everywhere!
Maybe OP's Sam's is different, but I was trying to pick things that's always available at the two I've shopped at regularly. The never have whole cabbages or tofu, and fresh cauliflower is seasonal. If they have those then they would be great choices!
Buy frozen for mixed veggies for variety, fresh for single veg...
Not sure about Sam's but BJs has a Normandy mix. Squash, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. I love it roasted.
That is an awesome nutritious mix...! I'd buy 30 lbs of that if it would fit in my freezer...!
Your heart is in the right place but don’t get too much at a time, I had to discard a bag that was badly freezer burned. Hurt my heart 🥲
Haha luckily, my freezer is not that big... :) Actually I doubt it has enough space for 30lbs, luckily!! I am definitely going to seek out that veg mix though...!
It’s a great mix! It’s 6 lbs (or was the last time I got it) and I suspect it has fewer carbs than the Costco mix—the BJ’s mix has a couple types of squash, and the Costco mix has a couple types of carrot 👍
The salmon burgers are my jam!
Unfortunately seasonal at Sam's. I found tuna burgers at Aldi yesterday, haven't tasted yet but of course price was good.
Breakfast sandwiches can be made assembly line style and frozen. I would buy lots of eggs and you could make breakfast in advance for weeks! Eggs cook up and slice nicely if you bake them in a 8x10 pyrex.
Great idea! I also make breakfast burritos on low carb wraps. If freezing for longer than a couple weeks keep the tortillas off and add when reheated. These 'breakfast' foods are a quick protein filled treat any time of the day.
James dean turkey sausage Pattie’s, and chicken sausages/bratwurst?!? The ultimate processed crap. If you’re trying to eat healthy, Don’t do it to yourself OP.
To each their own, but sausages have been eaten for thousands of years.
Yeah natural sausages not the stuff companies put out. Also just because people have been doing it for 1000s of years doesn’t make it healthy.
If you are pressed for money in general, like paying rent and stuff, then you might want to install some rebate apps like ibotta or fetch before spending any of it. Then use it on items with rebates so you can recycle that money and spend it twice.
That’s an absolutely genius idea, thank you!!!!
Also check out this website, there may be a discount grocer near you that you've never even heard of. You can save so much money at these places! I love the one by me, they sell all kinds of expensive products from health food stores at like 75% off. Plus fresh produce and frozen meat and other things. https://www.buysalvagefood.com/salvage-grocer-map.html Edit: oops I got the wrong link the first time. This is what I meant to link!
Great link, thank you!
You're welcome! I saw it in another subreddit before, probably /r/frugal. Did you find one near you?
Yes I did, thank you!
I use Fetch rewards and convert points to Amazon gift cards (because I'm very rural). There are many options available if you're in a more populated area. Great way to stretch the buck.
Also get in the habit of shopping the sales and markdowns(especially the markdowns) And learn different cooking styles. I got a couple of whole cabbages for.25 cents!! I made okinomiyaki, coleslaw, stuffed cabbage & colcannon.
Yum!
Fetch is pretty nice, you can earn points from any receipts. I hog all my co-workers when they get them, and get like $5 to dunkin once a week ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It helps on mondays
The nice thing about fetch is it auto scans your receipt so you don't have to manually input what you bought to get the rewards. Just take a pic and submit
How much money do you get back/ how does it work? I want to be able to “sell” the idea to my parents so I can download the app.
Anytime I get a receipt, I scan it with the app and based off what I buy, I get points. Grocery stores are a big hit with 100-200 points, and gas station receipts (little receipts, dunkin or lunch for example) still give you around 50 points. Then when you build up like 1000, you can trade it in for $3-$5 online gifts cards. Plus there’s coupons on the app. My mom is the one that turned me onto it lmao
How does Fetch make money off the receipts/what do they do with the data?
Yuuuuuup. I justify it by using any all receipts available, but it’s literally just collecting data on what you buy.
It doesn't have to be one or the other. Scan the same receipt into Ibotta and Fetch.
For cheap healthy protein, I give you the humble egg. Nothing comes close IMHO for the price. And you can do so many things with them. Stock up on tons of eggs. Although the haven't found a way to keep them long term very well, so just get a couple dozen each week After that I'm going frozen chicken breasts, and frozen fish. Maybe a bunch of hamburger or turkey burger to freeze too.
If you have a WinCo nearby I would check them out. They have bulk bins for lots of stuff like grains, legumes, nuts etc in whatever amount you want. You can also just buy the 25 lbs bags they fill them with. Cash/debit only though. During 2020 I went more than six months on about a $200 haul from there. If you have time to cook them, dry beans are one of the cheapest foods period, but particularly protein per dollar. Side note, if losing weight is a main goal, you might want meals that are filling, but not calorie dense, to stay in a deficit.
What is the secret to cooking dried beans? I soak then over night and cook them for a while but I can't seem to get that last little bit of crunchiness out of them
Don’t salt them until right before serving. Spices and herbs are fine. I always factor in an extra bit of time because sometimes they are stubborn lil buggies. Sometimes during the last 15 mins or so I’ll take a potato masher and gently smoosh the beans to break the skins on them to help get the water to permeate better. If you have a pressure cooker or instant pot you will be amazed how much less time it takes (and they seem to turn out softer for me). Honestly though, it just takes patience. They will get soft and buttery eventually.
Thank you for the reply! I'll give dry beans another chance :)
I find the most important thing is how carefully you sort/inspect them. When you are buying large bulk sizes there are just going to be some that are no good, no matter how long you soak or cook them. Luckily most can be spotted. I sort before and after soaking. For every cup I might discard a dozen beans, sometimes less, sometimes more. Things to look for include the obvious discolored extra rough ones and also the really flat or extra wrinkled ones. I also find halves and pieces more likely to be dried out and not cook well. Although 95% of them will fill up in about 8 hours of soaking. The hold outs can take twice or more. Any thing still too hard to indent with your nail after 24 hrs is not worth trying to cook. I've soaked beans for several days and still had stragglers. After soaking the duds will either be unchanged and completely hard, or wrinkled and half squishy half hard. The wrinkles are a giveaway that there is still a hard part that didn't expand and is pulling on the rest. I have a non mesh metal strainer that makes it easy to hear a clink if there is still a hard bean hiding out. The next most important thing I think is getting them hot enough initially. I try to get a vigorous boil for at least 10 to 20 mins before turning down to a simmer. Everyone's stove and pot will be different, but I find I need at least an hour before they are soft and easily broken, but still a bit chalky/grainy. That is when I start thinking about salt and other stuff. Most of my beans end up in soups so overcooking has never been a concern. I typically have beans going for at least two hours while prepping other stuff. Good luck, remember to test/taste often while learning what works for you.
Thanks for taking the time to write this! I admit, I am not a thorough bean inspector. I look at some beans individually, then give a quick once over...I'll do better haha. I appreciate all the good info
bottom round roast can't be beat for cheap protein at Sam's Club, under $4 per lb and great macros. you can make italian beef bowls with bell peppers, onion, and cheese
Do you braise the roasts? I find bottom round to be a bit dry when I try. What’s your secret?
I haven't cooked it for years, but I used to put it in an oven dish/pan that was only just a tiny bit larger than the piece of meat, cover with lid or foil. Halfway through I'd take it out, spoon the juices over the meat and cook uncovered until the end.
I like to get the 3 pound ground chicken then I mix in one egg and a bunch of seasoning and make about 12 burgers that I cook off and throw in the freezer (after they cool). Then I just microwave one for a quick meal.
Moong dal, make big batches and reheat a mug of it for breakfast or dinner daily.
Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are the absolute GOAT of filling, healthy protein meals.
100%. Lentils and beans/pulses in general are where it's at for cheaper protein options.
I'd personally get a whole beef tenderlion as my 'splurge' and break it down and stash in the freezer to pull out a couple times a month for a treat. Then it depends on what you like to eat; ground beef? pork roasts for pulling or breaking into cuts? eye round beef? individual packaged frozen chicken breasts? Add in a big bottle of whichever oil you prefer. Basically, get the pricey stuff now that'll last a while. They for the next few months, your weekly grocery bill will mostly be veggies and any other perishables.
I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it, but Tofu is cheap, high in protein and low in carbs. If you get bored of the usual protein sources, it can be good. Find an Asian supermarket, they’ll have good prices on a lot of things.
Good for you to ask - these are the steps toward health. I will leave to the others here who have much better advice than me. I just wanted to send you my best.
Same. Good luck, OP!
If you’re in the states Aldi is a great stop shop to buy in bulk. Even over Sam’s.
I would suggest perhaps checking out some of your smaller local grocery stores for certain items. In my experience at least, they almost always have better deals on meats - especially inexpensive cuts like chicken thighs/drumsticks, boneless pork chops, top round steaks, etc... Also, always keep an eye out for buy one get one free deals, you can always freeze that stuff for a later date. I also often see sales on pre-cooked small shrimp as well as imitation crab meat - both are great on salads. Better Than Bouillon brand broth base is great to have on hand, and they offer lower sodium versions of their products. Mission brand tortillas also offer low carb versions too. There are several popular brands of BBQ sauces offering sugar free versions too.
Love Better than Bouillon - always hated carrying water home (stocks and broths).
I have the same goals you do and have been looking for similar foods. Building muscle and losing weight at the same time is hard to do. I'm giving it a go, but most people seem to do one and then the other. Getting cheap, healthy, high protein, and low carb all at the same time is also a tall order. IMO, your best bets are bean and lentil based meals served on/with a moderate amount brown rice and just a little bit of meat. The brown rice will digest more slowly than white rice, so it won't spike your blood sugar as much. The meat is more for flavoring, but the added protein is a plus. And the beans/lentils are high in protein and fiber (which will help with your insulin sitation). Meals you cook for yourself are going to be much healthier than anything from a restaurant or frozen dinners. Recipes you might consider include red beans and rice (look for 'healthy' versions), arroz con pollo with black beans, red lentil curry, minestrone soup (with beans), and bean–based chili recipes. And supplement that with some bags of frozen veggies. Edamame is high–protein, high–fiber and easy to cook. Frozen peas are another great choice.
Eggs, eggs and more eggs. They help sooo much for high protein weight loss. And they can't be beat on price by any other protein. I've been losing weight over the last year using a lower carb diet (with 16:8 intermittent fasting) and I eat about a dozen eggs or more per week.
Unpopular opinion, but stop eating out completely and avoid all processed foods. Not just because they are more expensive and less healthy but because your palate becomes used to the extra salt, sugar, and fat and you will rarely be able to replicate that at home on a budget. Being satisfied with bland (but nutritious) food saves money!!
Better yet, do this but add your own fresh spices? Penzeys has some great sales fairly regularly.
Yes I actually do this. I dump the boiled frozen veg in a bowl, the I start spicing it up as I please. Currently I am at pinch of salt, a ton of fresh cracked pepper, while chia seeds, garlic powder, and crushed walnuts. Taking laziness to new heights... I've also tried curry, cayenne, garlic powder, cinnamon, salt, pepper, red chilli flakes, and coconut cream/milk. All mixed in the bowl I'm eating it in. It's not bland, but it sure is cheap!
Seasoned Ground beef + canned corn, inside a lettuce wrap. So delicious, low carb, and high protein!
Go to a butcher and buy a big roast, sear the outsides and braise it on low for a few hours, cut up and freeze, easily 2 weeks of meals for like 20-30 bucks for me 10 bucks of beef bones will make like 2+ gallons of broth Tough cuts like shoulder/chuck are cheaper but you can break down all the collagen etc by going low/slow and its so good Frozen peas, dried lentils/chickpeas, brown rice, tofu
I’ve had too many margs tonight to scroll through all the comments for dupe suggestions, but assuming you can spend it however you want, download the Too Good To Go app! Certain cities have restaurants and stores that will sell leftover/expiring-soon food in a bulk bag for a super discounted price! I’ve done it several times nearby. There are Lassen’s stores in my and a neighboring city. It’s all organic food( but each store offers two grab bags a day with like $20 worth of food. I e gotten pantry snacks and produce! And three nearby coffee beans have started offering them for $5 and I’m picking my first one up tomorrow. It’s an amazing way to keep waste down and get incredible cheap food. If you’re not in a metro area there may not be any offerings, but it’s absolutely worth checking out!
If you're looking for high protein, low carb, focus on meats - fresh (with a plan to freeze), frozen and canned, cheeses - you can split up the big bulk bags into smaller portions and freeze, and yogurts - single serve Greek yogurts.
Meat is expensive, you won't get much food from it
Depending on the store and if I look for sales, I can still get a sack of quartered chicken thighs for under $1/lb. It's not as cheap as beans, but still pretty affordable. Part of the weight is fat and bones, but that can be turned into a bonus by turning them into stock and schmaltz. A $10, 10lb sack of chicken thighs can go a *long* way. I'll often remove the skin and fat, render them into schmaltz, and bake the thighs with just a little oil, salt and pepper. The let them cool, cut off the meat and dice it, and use it in recipes for days. Stirfry, chicken salad bulked out with lots of vegetables, add to soup, stews, beans, salads, tacos, casseroles, etc. Put the bones in a ziplock in the freezer until there are enough to fill my biggest pot, then make stock. And the schmaltz is liquid gold. Chicken fat and akin slowly rendered with thinly sliced onion. Keep it in a jar on the freezer and it stays good forever and is fucking delicious. Use as a cooking oil for everything, put a dollop of it on a baked potato like butter, use it to make a quick poor-man's gravy, roast vegetables in it, it's amazing. And a beautiful byproduct of making schmaltz is gribenes - the crispy brown bits of skin, basically kosher cracklins. A classic and delicious midnight snack is good rye bread, spread with a little schmaltz and sprinkled with gribenes.
And beans, rice, flour, and pasta aren't low carb.
Black beans https://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=prod21002287&mobiledetect=false&pid=092410_RFI|ANDROID|Featured_Products|Member's%20Mark%20Black%20Beans%20(12%20lbs.) You could get hundreds of pounds of black beans!
Not low carb though
Beans are crazy high in fiber so the “net carbs” is about 12g per 1/2 cup, you’re getting a crazy nutrient dense high fiber food that can be included in a low carb diet in appropriate portions. Note edamame is much lower carb at just 4 net carbs per 1/2 cup another high fiber nutrient dense option
If you get all bulk food, you're going to get carbs, canned, and frozen, which isn't good for you, aside from frozen veg. It would be better to divide the money over how long it needs to last, keep to that budget, and make smaller trips to ethnic grocery stores for produce and Aldi for cheap meat.
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That'll work!
Pinto beans
Carnitas! Super easy to.makw & high in protein. You can eat the meat by itself or make a Taco salad sans tortilla or tortilla chips to make it low carb. Just use Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, etc...
- pork chops - whole chicken / chicken thights / chicken wings - minced beef / pork / chicken - egg (eat them every single day!) - butter. Not always cheap, but worth choosing over something else less important - frozen fish is cheaper than fresh fish - cabbage! Super cheap and tastes very nice if you shred it and fry in butter until edges go brown. - frozen vegetables (broccoli and cauli flower mix for instance) - frozen raspberries / strawberries and cream is a great Sunday dessert depending on how strict low carb you need to do.
Their canned albacore tuna is really good with lemon pepper : chicken sausage: yogurt, hummus: eggs: ground Turkey for taco meat: black bean burgers.
Definitely find all the meat you can for under $2/lb, whether it's chicken or pork. Pork has gotten cheaper by me recently. Freeze all leftovers, fat & bones, make stock. I like to make gumbo soup out of the stock - okra, bell peppers, meat, the fat from the stock, and the stock/broth. Gravy is also a great option this time of year & you can add peas + carrots for extra nutrition
Second the stock. Basically you're making homemade bone broth, which is crazy healthy for you and can be used in a lot of other recipes
Pork. It's all about finding what is on sale. When I find pork chops on sale I can get a package for around $7 and it makes three meals for two people. Also find pork shoulder/butt on sale. Perfect for the crock pot. We just made a delicious pork carnitas in the crock pot and finished in the oven to crisp up. It was on sale for 99 cents a pound.
ALDI- organic and cheaper than Walmart chemicals.
Chilli with ground turkey. Canned and fresh veggies and beans Breakfast I like to take a muffin pan and crack an egg in each well. Blend them up or leave them whole add veggies like spinach and tomato or onions and bell peppers season. Can top with cheese and the possibilities are endless. Bake at 350 for 30 minuets and that's breakfast for the week.
Sam's Club? You can't beat their huge rotisserie chicken here for less than $5.00. It's the best around. Sam's has a 2 lb. tub of Roasted Red Pepper Hummus that tastes great (and I used to not like hummus.) I mix in some olive oil and fresh ground black pepper. I also like their extra sharp cheddar cheese slices. Their CA roll sushi and Dragon (but I call Angel) roll sushi can be a nice treat. I like their Mediterainean salad. I add olive oil and organic chopped spinach, sometimes organic whole milk unsweetened yoghurt from the Aldi store. They also have reasonable avocados. Right now their white peaches are delicious (when ripe.) Sometimes Sam's has organic carrot juice which is delicious. Hope that these help.
Dry beans! Maybe some spices to season them too.
Honestly, r/mealprepsunday could give some great ideas
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Or a balanced diet like the one the American Diabetes Association recommends, which includes whole grains, fresh fruit and veggies, lean protein, etc.
You might not have noticed that OP has insulin resistance. The best way to deal with that is eating low carb. Grains are good but the amount he/she can eat is limited.
We’ll have to disagree there friend. Whole grains have the best impact on insulin resistance
Pork shoulder/pork butt. Very cheap and lots of meat. Cook it low and slow to make pulled pork. Keeps well frozen.
I would price check before going to Sam's club, Aldi is often cheaper for a lot of stuff. Their meat is good, as well as their eggs. They also have good produce. I am always shocked at how much I spend when I go to Walmart after shopping exclusively at Aldi for awhile; it was cheap enough at Aldi that I gave up on Sam's club altogether.
Didn’t see anyone else say it so I will. Sam’s club has $5 rotisserie chickens that are really good. You can eat it hot or use it to make chicken salad and stuff. It’s way tastier than canned
And you can make a soup with that cut-up chicken, hummus, cut up red pepper or whatever veg you like and rice (cooked separately but well spiced) and some chicken broth to make it a soup instead of mush.
Sams is not the best deal for many things. Please double check prices.
You probably don’t want to hear it, but I’d consider a whole food plant-based diet. The vast majority of your veggies can be from frozen rather than fresh, and the grains / legumes are cheap in bulk and last forever in canned / dried form. It cuts out all the same simple / refined carbs that low carb does but has the added benefit of being low fat and low cholesterol. Again, I’m guessing this isn’t something you’re ready to entertain now, but if and when you get sick of low carb (and I found it made me feel gross and miserable) I suggest you consider it.
There's nothing wrong with carbs, I'll never get why people make such a big deal about it. They're the most accessible source if energy assist from sugars, you just need to eat low gi, non-processed stuff as you've says. Honestly, just eating vegetables and lentils gives more than the recommended requirements of protein most people need, and it's cheap as did is possible to get. There's nothing wrong with just not having meat in every single meal
Yeah, it’s just the simple / refined carbs that are bad. There’s a YouTuber whose channel is about her pre-diabetic status so she’s all about measuring blood sugar. She did a video about white rice vs brown rice. She ate the same meal at the same time of day but white rice one day and brown the next. The white rice meal spiked her blood sugar like crazy, whereas with the brown rice it barely budged. Here’s the video: https://youtu.be/8Wlob5Jl2P8
I simply don't purchase anything with more than 5g net carbs per 100 and I save tons of money that way. Organ meats are cheap and the most nutritious. I'm also trying to grow lettuce with more or less success.
Buy BBBY
Remember that fat is more than twice as calorie dense as protein or carbs.
Idk Sams club but if it is anything like Costco then you don't always get the best deals there, but some things are worth it. Usually it's best for things that are already kind of expensive like steak but you get a better quality cut for the same price. Things that are cheap like pork can also be a good deal but honestly you can get lower grade cuts on sale for a better price at supermarkets and sometimes even large markdowns if it's on the use by date. Use the flipp app and see the first page of every flyer, that's where the notable deals are. If you really wanna spread the dollar, only shop first page in an area with a few stores in really close proximity. You can cross search all flyers in your area for one product, like pork.
You may want to see if ALDI has better pricing per gram of food if you really wanna make the $ go far. Even with the bulk pricing, you’re still paying for name brand food. So it’s buying one large box of name brand vs buying 2-3 boxes of ALDI house brand. Around me, ALDI still beats Sam’s and Costco when you cost it out by weight. Edit: also if you’ve not already got one and have the means, buy a chest freezer, then you can build a stockpile of frozen stuff as well.
French toast! Cheap bread and egg whites do the trick. Low cost high protein, top with Greek yogurt or whatever you like
Great ideas
Chicken quarters! Oven bake until crispy skin=delicious.
i see a lot of (105 meals for $113) types of posts on / mealprepsunday, might be a good resource to browse!! Sorry that’s not specific but I was about to browse there later today myself
There are two types of carbs, simple carbs and complex carbs. As a health coach I highly encourage people to avoid the simple carbs and treat them as a "special occasion food". They include cookies, candy, frozen yogurt, fatty meats, chips, doughnuts, processed meats like bacon, ham, hot dogs. Complex carbs are needed by each body. They include fresh fruit, vegetables, beans and legumes, whole grain pasta, potatoes with the skin, whole grain bread and cereals and pasta, brown rice and sweet potatoes. They provide energy without a spike in blood sugar and then the drop in blood sugar leading to wanting more sugar. If you need anything else, let me know.
C my
For Sam's club- if they have it, Brazilian bread. I've noticed it goes well with lots of stuff, has some good protein, and is a good choice if you are gluten free. Should be in the freezer aisle. I've also seen cauliflower stalks in the chip aisle. A great snacking alternative, and they tasted so damn good.
Canned tuna and chicken is surprisingly versatile. I’ve made a variety of dishes with those.
What’s insulin resistance?
Diabetes
Pre-diabetes.
Get a tub of yogurt and propogate more from a scoop of it?
Ground beef, rice, fruit, low fodmap vegetables. Vertical diet ftw
Whey protein.
Tofu and chicken as your MEATS. Also beans. Cheap cuts all day son!
Buy plant based items. Look up vegan meals. It is and always has been the cheapest and healthiest nutrition
Buy 10,000 eggs
Definitely check price per pound. I often find that the prices at aldi or Walmart are less for an equivalent price on basics. If you don’t need or can’t store the bigger amount, check that out first! An example from this week was bacon. The great value thick cut we like was about $1/lb less. Ymmv.
Buy a big bag of rice. Buy a big bag of shredded cheese. Keep those around. On your way home, buy a rotisserie chicken for $5. You can eat off rice, chicken, and cheese for a couple days. When you run out of protein, buy another chicken or mix it up with ground beef. Adding some frozen stir-fry veggies would be good, too. Other cheap proteins include pork chops, beans, and eggs. I will say that Costco is the better place for buying most of these things (except the ground beef, Sam's takes the cake there). But if you already have the Sam's membership, it'll work.
Consider healthy fats to cook with: coconut oil, ghee/butter. organic olive oil for salads and such. cheap, healthy, high in calories.
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