T Nation

Getting the Most Out of Groccery Shopping.

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

Currently I live with my parents and do very little shopping myself, but I want to start buying A LOT more food, specifically meats and veggies. Right now I am really just purchasing supps, ezekiel products, and maybe more eggs every once in a while.

I want to get bigger and leaner so I am going to need to get more protein in my diet from good sources. Right now I am about 185lbs at 10-12%bf, and eventually like to get to 195-200lbs at 8%bf.

I was wondering if I could get some advice to get the most bang for my buck and getting a lot of servings that will last a good bit. I would like to buy in bulk and limit my trips per month to the grocery store. I’m thinking my budget is between $100-150/month.

I’d like my shopping list to look a little something like this:

  • 93% lean ground beef
  • chicken breasts
  • ezekiel bread
  • steak
  • almonds
  • veggies-------Any suggestions on which ones to get? I am fine with just eating one type of veggie. (plus other veggies from parents) I was thinking green beans because I actually like them)

Also, not really related to topic, but when measuring say 6oz of chicken or beef to get ‘x’ amount of protein do you measure that before you cook or after? Never actually knew that. lol

#2

You aren’t going to get far with 100 bucks a month regardless of if you buy in bulk. Steak and chicken aren’t cheap.

#3

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
You aren’t going to get far with 100 bucks a month regardless of if you buy in bulk. Steak and chicken aren’t cheap.[/quote]

What if I can bump that up to $200? Plus, that isn’t the only food I an getting, my parents also get chicken, beef and all that, I am just adding to it.

#4

It’s hard to give you a good answer without knowing exactly what your parents buy. Cheap sources of meat are pretty much what you’ve got - lean ground beef is really cheap, and you can often get beef roasts for cheap if you look around. Deal shop and set a top limit $/lb, and how many lb of meat you want, then it’s basic math.

For more protein, powder is always cheap.

#5

I was gettin tri-tip at Winco for $2.49/lb… delicious…

#6

Veggies you should get = broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, string beans, and anything else that’s green. Learn to love 'em, and don’t ruin their benefits by dumping salt, butter, or cheese on them. Stick with whole foods in general, avoiding processed foods as much as possible, and you will be heading down a lot better path than 90% of America.

I think you can leave the meat buying up to your parents, it sounds like there getting what you need and that will save you a lot of money.

Also, make sure you add a good protein powder, search on this site and you can find tons of articles and opinions on those. That will be one of your best/most efficient sources of protein. You might want to add some brown rice, quinoa, and sweet potatoes also, some good sources of healthy carbs in whole food form.

#7

you need more beans and eggs.