Healthy Eating on a Budget. Save Some Green While Getting Lean!

I was recently asked "what should I eat and when should I eat it" by a self proclaimed "broke college student."

My answer:

Here are the foods I would buy in builk:

Carbs:
Quaker Quick Oats in the Canister
Brown Rice
Grits
Whole Wheat Bagels
Bananas- can sometimes be bought at gas stations for next to nothing
Any other cheap fruit.
Yogurt- buy this in big tubs too, this goes really well when mixed with cottage cheese for a protein/carb meal.

Protein:
Whey- Cheapest protein source you'll find
Tuna
Chicken- This can be found for less than $2/lb for skinless, boneless, breasts if you are a good shopper
Cottage Cheese- If bought in bulk, can be cheap, otherwise its spendy
Medium Lean Beef- Go with like 85/15 or 93/7. Either one will get you some good hormone supporting fats.
Eggs

Fats:
Peanut Butter- skip the natural and just go with the house brand. A few extra carbs aren't going to kill you.
Eggs
Nuts
Olive Oil
Avocado- wait for a sale here, otherwise they are like $1 each, and you can eat em like apples.

Vegetables:
Frozen bags of broccoli, green beans, asparagus, spinach, stuff like that, green vegetables. Frozen is much cheaper than fresh, and more convenient as well.

I would try and stick to a 30/50/20 Protein(P)/Carb(C)/Fat(F) split. I say this because protein and fats are your most expensive macronutrients. I'd normally go with a little less carbs and more fats, but this is what I'd recommend for you.

I would schedule your meals like so:

1: P + C + F

2: P + F

3: P + F

Pre Workout: P + C

Post Workout: P + C

Space your meals 3 hours apart and you'll be good to go. Just eat one, two, and three in order throughout the day, and drop the pre and post meals in when you workout. That gives you five meals per day.
Weekends you can stick to the first 3 meals and then just relax a little and eat a little looser for the other two meals, but keep them within your calorie range!

This is a nice starting layout for anyone that is breaking into the world of eating healthy, be it for the first time, or after a long break from the healthy eating scene.  Do you have any specific questions about this subject?  Sign up for free on the 2020-wellness.com forum and ask away!