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View Full Version : Buying "Clean" foods and budgeting



Ebyjr450
06-23-2013, 01:18 PM
Hello all, I need some advice when it comes to starting a clean foods diet. What counts as a "Clean" food? I've been told lean meats, oatmeal and nuts are, but what else is there? I help manage and cook at our family diner and its hard to eat healthy when surrounded by all the bad but delicious foods there. :) I have my workout scheduel figured out, its just the diet that's holding me back...I mean...all I hear is this back and forth of you have to be strict with your diet/you'll be fine don't worry about it, so long as your not eating fast food all the time stuff, and to be honest all its doing is confusing me.

weekend
06-23-2013, 02:15 PM
It's easier to list unclean foods: fast food, typical desserts, processed meat, things high in vegetable oil, shitty quality cheese, stuff that comes in a box, frozen dinners... Anyone else got ideas?

JM1000
06-23-2013, 02:23 PM
Buy everything you eat fresh! cook it yourself...

You'll get used to it if you're serious about getting fit ;)

Ebyjr450
06-23-2013, 03:06 PM
I'm serious...just can never diet properly...because of my weird sleep and work sched. I'm Trying to lose fat and gain strength/lean muscle mass...and I feel without the diet..I'm not going to make any progress. also...its hard for me to buy fresh...alot of it is so expensive compared to junk

h2s
06-23-2013, 04:08 PM
I'm serious...just can never diet properly...because of my weird sleep and work sched. I'm Trying to lose fat and gain strength/lean muscle mass...and I feel without the diet..I'm not going to make any progress. also...its hard for me to buy fresh...alot of it is so expensive compared to junk

Tilapia
Tuna
Brown rice
Bagels
Chicken
Lean ground beef

Buy the above in quantity and it is cheap and very clean.

weekend
06-23-2013, 04:13 PM
^ don't forget broccoli, bananas, oranges, carrots.. Those are all cheap too

Ebyjr450
06-23-2013, 04:28 PM
Sounds like a good start....would whole grain pasta and organic spaghetti sauce be alright? I love me some Spaghetti. :)

weekend
06-23-2013, 04:34 PM
Definitely. Don't go overboard on the wheat though IMO.

Buckwheat noodles are pretty good, more proteinz

I also like potatoes, they seem to never turn to fat unless fried for me.

Ebyjr450
06-23-2013, 04:42 PM
Cool, making a list and munching on Pistachios(Prefer them to almonds) appreciate the advice.

h2s
06-23-2013, 04:59 PM
^ don't forget broccoli, bananas, oranges, carrots.. Those are all cheap too

I consider veggies to be a stable, as most produce is fairly cheap, especially fresh. I was moreso trying to list out the size adding food that is cheap and overlooked. Tilapia especially, frozen can be pretty damn cheap, stock up on sale. I can't tell you how much of it I go through, easy to cook, tastes good, high protein, lower fat, what more could you ask for?

So I agree very much good call.

JM1000
06-23-2013, 05:22 PM
I get most of my carbs from Brown Rice Pasta... doesn't sound good but my girl tried it and didn't see the difference... Personally, i get bloated from wheat but that is ME..


IMO, go progressively into making better eating habits... Start cutting out the sweets, then the sodium and so on...

Try and get some meat/poultry/fish, good source of carbs and veggies every time you eat...

Don't try and jump in too quickly... I fucking hate when people say this but it`s the truth... ''it's a marathon'' not a sprint...

BoneDaddy
06-23-2013, 05:59 PM
What about eggs and sweet potatoes and oats

USN HM 350Z
06-23-2013, 06:15 PM
What about eggs and sweet potatoes and oats

add in chicken breasts coated in buffalo sauce and that is the majority of my diet lol

Ebyjr450
06-23-2013, 07:11 PM
If I'm trying to lose fat and gain in strength and muscle...do I need 6 meals a day or is 3 meals with my macros in check be okay? its hard to hit meal timings seeing how I work over the morning and lunch hours...so its hard to get breakfast and lunch in some days.

Grape Ape
06-23-2013, 07:22 PM
Clean food is pretty cheap when feeding one person. Majority of food looks like this:

Eggs
85/15 ground beef
Chicken breast
Oats
Sweet patatoes
Cottage cheese
Apples, bananas, pears
Huge variety of fresh vegis

Don't be afraid to let loose and enjoy yourself on occasion though.

In the fall/winter when I'm trying to put on the most muscle, I eat at what I call 70/30. 70% clean, and 30% whatever I want to help get the calories in. Still try to eat low sugar.

longBallLima
06-23-2013, 09:15 PM
my 20 cents: if it's processed, comes in a box/package and has more than 5 ingredients, be suspicious, it's more likely than not, not "clean"

as you learn more about dieting, you'll expand on this, but i think it's a good beginners tip.

- - - Updated - - -

if you have a hard time eating clean, make sure you keep a cheat meal about once a week, so the plan is easier to follow. if you're prepping for anything specific you may have to revisit this strategy

Ebyjr450
06-23-2013, 09:35 PM
well I've over come my first major hurdle a year ago...cut Soda completely out of my diet...drink mostly water and the occasional iced tea w lemon...but that's about it.

Fat Bill Dwyer
06-24-2013, 05:01 AM
add in chicken breasts coated in buffalo sauce and that is the majority of my diet lol

boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.89/lb where I live, hard to beat that.

BoneDaddy
06-24-2013, 05:22 AM
If I'm trying to lose fat and gain in strength and muscle...do I need 6 meals a day or is 3 meals with my macros in check be okay? its hard to hit meal timings seeing how I work over the morning and lunch hours...so its hard to get breakfast and lunch in some days.

I would do 6 if you can. Keep that metabolism going.

weakling
06-24-2013, 10:41 AM
I didn't see anyone mention liquids. Avoid drinking sugars like soda(DIET SODA IS JUST AS BAD) and liquor. Drink at least 1 gallon of water a day which is very important in the digestion of food. Alcohol is also not great for the body but I still love a couple beers once and a while(dark beer only). While some fruit juices can be healthy I would not drink if I was trying to loose weigh because of the sugar content.

Oops I missed OP already mentioned it. Just make sure that tea isn't sweetened

Grape Ape
06-24-2013, 11:11 AM
As for more expensive than junk food, I don't agree.

I get away with around $30 a week, not including milk and extra eggs.

That covers a week worth of hamburger meet, sweet potatoes, oats, cottage cheese, my fruit, and a snack.or two.

I'm blessed that I still live at home though, and that my mother is a phenomenal cook, making home cooked dinners 6 days week. Lean meat, starch, fresh vegis.

Still, that would be an extra $10 or so. Compare all that to friends who eat out nightly, drink pricey energy drinks and bags of junk food. I def come out with a lower expense.

And if your family owns a dinner where you cook, you easily have access to eggs, grilled chicken and ground beef.

Cobalt
06-24-2013, 02:33 PM
I dunno where you live or who you know, but ground beef here is $5/lb. So $30 would get only 6 lbs of beef alone. I typically slam back a full pound a day on top of other foods when I'm looking to get big.

xxiv
06-24-2013, 02:48 PM
why eat clean when you can eat clen?

Diets are for pussies. I mix craze and nitro tech with redbull and eat chicken mcnuggets all day and I'm totally ripped..... BEEFCAKE!!

sorry boys, I just had to let that out.

Grape Ape
06-24-2013, 03:36 PM
I dunno where you live or who you know, but ground beef here is $5/lb. So $30 would get only 6 lbs of beef alone. I typically slam back a full pound a day on top of other foods when I'm looking to get big.
Shoprite beef is more around $3/lb or so. I don't eat a pound a day. Just 1 hamburger patty. Probably about 6 or 7oz.

longBallLima
06-24-2013, 03:41 PM
sams club. everything in bulk. 1.89/lb chicken breast

olddawg
06-24-2013, 03:44 PM
Kroger has eggs on for $1/doz. they will last forever in the fridge, if you eat a doz/day you could easily get 3 weeks worth if you had room to store them

h2s
06-25-2013, 01:11 PM
Wow, I like alot of the suggestions, but realize how much I overspend on food shopping in Chicago, lol.

pman42
06-28-2013, 11:52 PM
Once you get your diet figured out (and to me the definition of "clean" is the least refined version of a food that is available) I have some ideas for you on budgeting:

o Obviously use your diner connections with wholesale suppliers. maybe you can order some foods that the diner doesn't usually stock, like egg whites, cottage cheese, etc.
o Don't get "gamed" when shopping. a sale price at an expensive store may be worse than the regular price at another store. Learn the stores in your area and their prices. Keep a file in your phone or PDA of the foods you buy a lot of, the typical price at several stores, and the best price. then you can decide what to buy, where, and when rather than being fooled into "good deals". this is the best thing i've ever done for shopping (if needed calculate the price per oz or ml so you can compare different sizes)
o sign up for online sales fliers if available, get the little points key fobs but never buy something just because it gives you 300 points or whatever. redeem your points (which you earn by buying only the lowest price items) on money off your purchase, never appliances or whatever, which will be massively overpriced.
o buy dented or short-dated foods where possible
o buy in bulk, like bulk bins or order huge bags of oats, rice, etc.
o save money on supps by getting them vetted on this forum before buying overpriced, crappy BBing brands

pman42
07-17-2013, 08:07 PM
thought of something else I would add that I have always sort of known intuitively but recently read about in David Bach's book on investing. the concept is called the "latte factor". as a financial planner he worked with people who were supposedly in dire monetary straits yet still somehow had the cash for the daily grande Starbucks. so, take that money and invest it (or in this case save on unnecessary purchases so you can have extra for food). $2.50 a pop everyday is $75 a month, and that's a lot of meat and eggs

olddawg
07-17-2013, 08:23 PM
there are a lot more things you can do along those lines, cell phones or premium plans, cable or satellite tv, shit on your home phone, caller id, call waiting, etc.... coffee, smokes, eating out.... none of that is a necessity

burlyman30
07-17-2013, 08:56 PM
Great suggestions, guys.

O_RYAN_007
07-17-2013, 09:18 PM
Once you get your diet figured out (and to me the definition of "clean" is the least refined version of a food that is available) I have some ideas for you on budgeting:

o Obviously use your diner connections with wholesale suppliers. maybe you can order some foods that the diner doesn't usually stock, like egg whites, cottage cheese, etc.
o Don't get "gamed" when shopping. a sale price at an expensive store may be worse than the regular price at another store. Learn the stores in your area and their prices. Keep a file in your phone or PDA of the foods you buy a lot of, the typical price at several stores, and the best price. then you can decide what to buy, where, and when rather than being fooled into "good deals". this is the best thing i've ever done for shopping (if needed calculate the price per oz or ml so you can compare different sizes)
o sign up for online sales fliers if available, get the little points key fobs but never buy something just because it gives you 300 points or whatever. redeem your points (which you earn by buying only the lowest price items) on money off your purchase, never appliances or whatever, which will be massively overpriced.
o buy dented or short-dated foods where possible
o buy in bulk, like bulk bins or order huge bags of oats, rice, etc.
o save money on supps by getting them vetted on this forum before buying overpriced, crappy BBing brands

I can truly say the bolded has saved me quite a bit of money lately. I used to just shop at one store... But after examining prices at 2 different stores one saturday afternoon, I found it would be quite a bit cheaper if I bought certain things at certain store. And while buying approximately 90% of my food organic that means quite a bit of savings. I managed to get my bi monthly grocery bill from $500-$350 doing this.

olddawg
07-18-2013, 08:05 AM
lol, my bi-monthly grocery bill is over $1500. wife of 115 lbs eats like a horse, two teen/preteen athletic boys and me. But I don't spend $ on booze, don't have a cell phone (yeah really lol) and I argue with the satellite company for discounts on the programs or i'll bail lol. $350 bi monthly is unbelieveable, we spend near that each time we shop lol

O_RYAN_007
07-18-2013, 08:28 AM
lol, my bi-monthly grocery bill is over $1500. wife of 115 lbs eats like a horse, two teen/preteen athletic boys and me. But I don't spend $ on booze, don't have a cell phone (yeah really lol) and I argue with the satellite company for discounts on the programs or i'll bail lol. $350 bi monthly is unbelieveable, we spend near that each time we shop lol

it's just me and the wife, and I eat like a horse. it used to be about $1000 a month, but since I've been smarter in my shopping we've managed to cut that down by approx $300/month!!

burlyman30
07-18-2013, 08:52 AM
I think my wife would pay someone $100 to do all the shopping for her. She hates it. I do it sometimes, but she is better at noticing how empty the fridge racks are.

For veggies and fruit, we go to a local stand that always has the freshest stuff and the prices are just as good and often better than the discount supermarkets.

We don't eat a lot of carbs in my house, so things like noodles, breads, or other grain products which are generally inexpensive to buy, almost never make it into the cart. Eggs, hamburger, ham, cheese, cottage cheese, milk are the staples... I can choke down chicken occasionally, but it's not a favorite. Too bad, because I can get frozen breasts, 8 lbs for $10 vs hamburger at $2.70/lb.

olddawg
07-18-2013, 09:22 AM
I can choke down chicken occasionally, .

idunno, I laughed at that, twisted...mmmmhmmmm

burlyman30
07-18-2013, 09:27 AM
idunno, I laughed at that, twisted...mmmmhmmmm

Hahaha.. as I wrote it, it sounded funny to me too. Figured someone would comment. lol

weekend
07-18-2013, 09:51 AM
http://www.ezellschicken.com/images/home_pic2.gif

^ my favorite chicken delivery method! chicken kinda blows lol

Grape Ape
07-19-2013, 12:18 AM
I can't stand chicken really. Beef and pork all day. I still eat it once or twice a week. I'm always geeked when I see the guys that eat it at 6 meals a day.

O_RYAN_007
07-19-2013, 07:53 AM
I can't stand chicken really. Beef and pork all day. I still eat it once or twice a week. I'm always geeked when I see the guys that eat it at 6 meals a day.

I love sauteed chicken, I eat it everyday at every meal with some beef also. I season it really good though. If I didn't do that I would hate it!

h2s
07-19-2013, 11:08 AM
Too bad, because I can get frozen breasts, 8 lbs for $10

:( :( :( :( :(

I spend too much on chicken.

h2s
07-19-2013, 11:10 AM
I can't stand chicken really. Beef and pork all day. I still eat it once or twice a week. I'm always geeked when I see the guys that eat it at 6 meals a day.

Chicken makes up a majority of my diet. Fish and Beef fill in what remains, and hardly do I have pork (no reason, just preference).

Chicken can be bland, but it is so easy to bulk cook, stays well for the week, etc... Sunday nights I grill all my chicken for lunch at work (this week was ~5.5 lbs).

O_RYAN_007
07-19-2013, 01:46 PM
:( :( :( :( :(

I spend too much on chicken.

Organic chicken breasts run about $8-9/lb! A whole organic chicken (from the farm) is about $4/lb. Grass-fed organic beef is about $5.25/lb from the farm. Organic free-range eggs are $4/dozen. A huge chunk of my grocery bill goes to meats.

pman42
07-19-2013, 11:16 PM
^^ Well this saves you from a huge chunk of your savings going to health expenses in the future. i look at some food and supplements as health insurance i pay into everyday

O_RYAN_007
07-21-2013, 08:42 PM
^^ Well this saves you from a huge chunk of your savings going to health expenses in the future. i look at some food and supplements as health insurance i pay into everyday

I completely agree!!