I eat a lot, to the point my parents told me that its getting hard to afford everything I eat. It wasn’t so bad before my lean bulk, likely because I was basically starving myself, trying to get below 1800 calories a day in an effort to lose fat (Some days I would only eat like 1200 calories). Then when I began my lean bulk nearly a year ago, my caloric intake jumped up to 2600, which we could also afford reasonably well. But as I kept gaining muscle, I had to eat more an more. These days I eating around 3000 calories a day. Its getting hard to afford my eating.
This leads me to my point. What do I do??? I need really cheap, high nutrient high protein calorie dense foods. Something we can buy a lot of for very little money. We buy a lot of food, and within a week its nearly all gone (because of me).
80-85% lean ground beef and rice/ potatoes in bulk tend to be affordable, simple, and dense.
I also just wouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking you have to be perfect at 15. What foods are already on your parents’ grocery list? Maybe we could start there and figure out a plan that fits.
The food I eat that they get is protein granola, nonfat Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, milk, whatever meat they buy (chicken, beef, shrimp), canned goods, pretty healthy stuff, but they also get crap like cereal, candy, baked goods (the synthetic crap mostly but sometimes they get the good quality real food), etc. That’s all I can really think of at the moment. Oh fruit and vegetables too of course, and juices.
When money has been tight, or compliance is low, i’m a fan of protein powder in milk. Is it perfect? No. But it is dirt cheap, incredibly easy, portable and macro friendly.
Cheap foods, completely unadulterated that are really good.
I do a 3 ingredient stir fry that you could conceivably live on, which I did, for a long time-
Meat- beef, pork, chicken- cheaper & fattier the better.
Two veggies- broccoli, green beans, peppers, onions, tomatoes, what ever, just choose two that you like.
Throw it in a wok or pan.
Put over rice.
Eat.
Another really cheap easy one-
Cheap Ground beef- fried & crumbled in a skillet. Salt pepper & garlic if available.
Microwave a big idaho russet potato
Smash the potato & add butter (or sour cream if you’re feelin fancy)
Dump the ground meat over the potato.
Eat.
We do buy oats and potatoes, and yeah we get peanut butter. As part of a few thing ive been eating now is drinking melted peanut butter. It probably would be good to switch to full fat. I will tell them not to get the protein granola also.
its likely due to other expenses, like their constant smoking of tobacco/other things, mom always likes doing scratch off lottery tickets (although shes been mostly using her winnings from them on that now), plus them buying/consuming weed every single day likely accounts for a portion.
How old are you?
Seems like you should be helping to pay for some of this food if your family cannot afford to feed you.
Chicken thighs, rice and potatoes/pasta are pretty cheep. Do you have a costco or sam’s club near by?
I mean, mom makes a healthy dinner most nights and they manage to get the grocery shopping done and keep the kitchen stocked.
Not saying weed and cigs is ideal, but a 15yo who mows a single lawn for income and afterward goes home to ask “what’s for dinner” isn’t living the kind of dark life you allude to.
This past week my daughter mentioned being “traumatized” by my insistence on outside and active and healthy through her childhood. She continues, as an adult, to find it excessive, though she acknowledges that I meant well. (She has allergies and inflammatory issues that were not known at the time, so to be fair it probably was tiring for her, particularly as the others were boys.)
Agree for the most part. I was looking at the habits plus the pressure to maybe not eat as much cuz self absorbed habits take precedent.
. Its not like mine was, but I guess I have a soft spot for that kind of thing.
I’m about to traumatize my kid by making him come outside and cut grass with me instead of watching youtube or playing games. Once he’s softened up from that- mushroom hike!
Nearest Costco seems to be about 20 miles away. Sam’s club 10 miles. I’m sure there’s other cheap stores near my I could ride my bike to and buy stuff. If my parents let me (I feel there’s about a 33% chance they will)
Ollie’s is within biking/walking distance, 10oz can chicken for $2.59. I would prefer not to use money, but I have to take this into consideration: Do I save up to buy land in the future, or do I use the money to buy food now to get stronger? I would really like to save up, but if it boils down to me having to spend, oh well.
Great idea, but we don’t really drive anywhere. Farthest we have driven is to shady maple, but that’s in the complete opposite direction of the Costco. We don’t drive very far. We don’t go anywhere really.
. Its not like mine was, but I guess I have a soft spot for that kind of thing.