by Christine Conte

Created on: January 10, 2007   Last Updated: November 27, 2011

For eating well on a tight budget, first think about cheap, non-perishable foods that can be bought in bulk, but won't go bad:

Coffee- Life is too short for bad coffee. Quitting your coffee shop habit will save you a LOT of money. Invest in a coffee grinder and a coffee maker, and buy yourself some GOOD coffee beans.

A pound of good coffee beans might cost you $8.00 or $9.00, but think of how much you spend each day on coffee from the drive-thru. One week's worth of drive-thru coffee at $2.00 a pop costs more than that bag of coffee beans, which could last you a month or more. Grind only what you need for a pot, and store the bag of beans (tightly sealed) in the freezer.

Powdered milk- Great as a non-fat coffee creamer. Also, it never goes bad. No more half-empty bottles of curdled stinky gloop hiding in the back of the fridge. You will always have milk in the house when you need it. Buy the big box of powder, not the little pre-measured packets. Generally, pre-packaged anything is overpriced!

Pasta- Quick, cheap, and so many varieties of shapes and sizes: elbows, shells, linguine, penne, rotini, lasagna, egg noodles, etc. Also, there are tons of ways to serve it: with tomato sauce, in casseroles, in soups, pasta salads, etc. Stock up on a variety of pastas, and you will always have something in the house to eat.

Canned diced tomatoes- Inexpensive and great for a light, low-fat tomato sauce for pasta. You can buy the "Italian" variety - with garlic, basil, and oregano - or you can get the plain tomatoes and add your own favorite seasonings. I add broccoli, peppers, and onion to make it more substantial. Heat it up in a saucepan, and spoon over your cooked pasta.

Rice- Great for a side dish, or as part of a main dish with beans or chicken, or in stews and soups. Stuffed peppers are good, too.

Avoid instant rice- it may be faster and convenient to cook, but its nutritional value is about zero. Simple whole grain brown rice is great, as are more exotic types such as basmati (perfect for Indian dishes).

Beans- Dried beans, such as lentils and kidney beans are a great source of protein. Rice and beans are so simple and delicious and nutritious.

Couscous- Super easy to make, and a nice change of pace, instead of rice, as a side dish. Toss some steamed veggies over couscous, and I am in heaven.

Oatmeal- Buy the plain "Quick Oats" type that comes in the big round container. It can be quickly microwaved for a great low-fat breakfast that will fill you up. Prepare it by the directions on the can, and flavor it with brown sugar and cinnamon. Yummy. (Avoid the pre-packaged instant oatmeal- it is ridiculously expensive!)

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