What would you think to be the cheapest way to eat, but still eat healthy?

[fuzzybabybunny]

Say, $5 a day. $4 a day. $3 a day. What cheap food items would you choose to still get around 2000 calories a day and be nutritionally well-rounded?

Cheap, portable, won't go bad without refrigeration. Taste is not really a consideration.

Something plus a multivitamin each day?

 

[presidentender]

I live off eggs and rice, but you have to refrigerate eggs. Canned beans and ramen, maybe?

When you eat cheap, you often sacrifice nutrition. Spring for some nutrient-rich stuff, like dried fruit, along with the bulk crap food. Take multivitamins.

edit: oatmeal and peanut butter.

 

[Shortass]

Peanut butter and veggies, cans of tuna, apples, beans, cheap meats if possible. Lots and lots of tap water!

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I practically pay $5-6 a day and I eat lots of chicken, peanut butter, eggs, pork, lamb, turkey, fruit, cheese, nuts, oats, etc. You just gotta look for some deals.

 

[imported_Imp]

Eggs, whole wheat bread, milk and lettuce has been pretty good lately.

 

[TallBill]

Why no refridgeration?

 

[KlokWyze]

Oats or grits for carbs. Mega-cheap & very healthy. Simple dried pasta is cheap.

I suppose the biggest problem os the no refrigeration thing. Maybe nuts, dried meats for protein? Or you could protein supplements like whey protein, etc.?

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: TallBill
Why no refridgeration?

I'll be based in the wilderness. So basically living out of my car in the woods. If I can find a nearby stream I'll probably use that for my cold storage.

 

[herm0016]

backpacking food...

check out the lite food talk forum over at http://www.backpacking.net/bbs.html my sn there is ajherman

also check out http://www.freezerbagcooking.com for more good recipes.

I like to mix it up and get a few freeze dried meals from mountain house, a few mre's off ebay and then i take things like pouched tuna/salmon, instant mashed potatoes, raman noodles, instant rice, Lipton noodles. I always take vitamins while on trail and try to increase my vit. C intake. powdered drinks like Gatorade and tang are a good treat to break from drinking surface water (which sometimes does not taste or smell good, even after filtering) also.
one issue with backpacking food is what you have to cook it with, what kind of stove will you have?

 

[Capt Caveman]

Dude, find a job instead of living in an Echo down by the river.

 

[addinator]

If you like tuna, canned tuna is always a good bet and by god it is healthy as anything you'll eat out of a can in the woods...

 

[skace]

Is there a story to go along with the living in the woods strategy?

Anyhow, pasta and anything canned.

 

[queenrobot]

Canned soup? Probably not the best tasting cold, but edible. Trail mix and canned tuna?

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: herm0016
backpacking food...

check out the lite food talk forum over at http://www.backpacking.net/bbs.html my sn there is ajherman

also check out http://www.freezerbagcooking.com for more good recipes.

I like to mix it up and get a few freeze dried meals from mountain house, a few mre's off ebay and then i take things like pouched tuna/salmon, instant mashed potatoes, raman noodles, instant rice, Lipton noodles. I always take vitamins while on trail and try to increase my vit. C intake. powdered drinks like Gatorade and tang are a good treat to break from drinking surface water (which sometimes does not taste or smell good, even after filtering) also.
one issue with backpacking food is what you have to cook it with, what kind of stove will you have?

I've actually been a member of backpacking for a long time and have the freezer bag cooking book. Hate to say it, but I'm not going for backpacking food, just really cheap nutritious food.

Stove: Jetboil
Filter: Katadyn Hiker

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: skace
Is there a story to go along with the living in the woods strategy?

Anyhow, pasta and anything canned.

My internship ends this Thursday and I'm going to be homeless on Friday. I'm going to go live in the woods until I get a job offer, which is in the works. If I don't get a job offer from the company that I interned at, I'm just going to drive out to California, then Oregon, then Washington, then who knows?