Limited Food Budget + Food Issue = Help?

I'm on a limited food budget (SNAPS, 195 a month) and I always seem to be out of fund by the last two weeks of the month. To complicate things I have food issues - I can't handle certain textures (mushy things especially) and colors (there like a handle full of green things I can eat without this being an issue) and smells - and sometimes my brain just declares things I've been fine with "Not a Food'. It doesn't help that some days anything more complicated that the rice cooker or microwave is right out. Any suggestions for making my food budget last and working around my brain would be appreciated - even if its just recipes for food that will make a few days worth of meals.

(sorry if this is the wrong place for this)

 

You say you have a rice cooker - is rice a Brain Okay? What about pasta?

General advice: cut down on meat and fresh produce, unfortunately, especially the former. Bulk up on whatever grains your brains allow. Cut down on prepped TV dinner style meals, if you eat them, unless you can get the Big Family Size that will make a bunch of meals.

 

Starcrossedsky: Rice is very much an okay thing, as is pasta. I'm just already really really fat, and pasta and rice are the first thing people keep telling me not to eat. How do you still get protein without meat, btw? I already don't do pre-made tv dinners because they tend to gross me out. I'm really terrible picky and weird about my food. ):

Chiomi: Oh I never thought about potatoes for some reason, I love oven roasted potatoes. I'll have to try that. Do your soup recipes help hide the taste of the metal cans? Because if so wow that will be a huge help, thank you!

I'm sorry, if I'm difficult. I grew up upper middle class and a lot of my food issues were catered to by my mom so I guess my brain just needs to wrap itself around the idea that I can't eat what I'm used to anymore and that I need to eat things even if I don't like them for whatever reason.

 

That depends on a few things. How are you with beans and legumes? Eggs? Nuts? Nuts are crazy expensive usually, so not ideal, but what things you can handle can change things.

I used to make rice and beans in the rice cooker together and eat them for pretty much every meal. Not ideal or tasty without seasonings, especially when you hit Day 4 of all-meals-are-this, but it kept me going when I had almost no money or energy.

 

Everything needs more garlic. Expect maybe ice cream. I have a huge jar of purred garlic from one of the Asian markets (which I need to shop more since stuff tends to be cheaper and I like more of it) -it's lasted me what seems like forever so far.

 

Beans are a none starter for me. I can barely stand to see other people eat them. The smell and the texture. *Shudders*

Also really on the protein? I find myself craving fish like big time if I go too long on just grains. But I guess my body might wanting something else that it associates/gets with fish. The egg thing is a good idea, I was doing pretty well on microwave mug omelets and peanut butter banana smoothies for a while. Though the smoothies can be pricey since they need greek yogurt and almond milk.

Broccoli is sadly the only thing in that list I will eat. I should start remembering to buy it. Granted I should start making lists for the store in general. Thank you :D

 

With the smoothies, have you ever just mashed banana and peanut butter together? I do that for quick-and-easy meals all the dang time. Might not be as good without the yoghurt and milk, but might be cheaper, I dunno.

 

Time for some straight up poverty kid talk: when you are looking at the options of being fat because of your diet or going hungry, be fat. Be fat every time. Diets are a luxury for people with money; healthy eating is a huge class issue. Put simply, on food stamps, you can't afford to worry about it. If people close to you start giving you shit over it? Tell them if they want you to eat better so badly, they can start supplementing your food budget. Watch how fast that shuts them up.

Secondly, the whole "grain makes you fact" is just the newest diet fad, the study that initially supported it has already been debunked. Most likely, you're like me, and just Genetically Fat, especially if you've already tried diet control and it didn't help much. In my entire life I've only ever lost weight due to depression.

Re:Meat: You don't need to eliminate it entirely. If that's how my meaning came across, oops. Vegetarian eating is ALSO expensive as hell. Just don't expect that you can regularly eat chicken breasts or burgers for dinner every night. Instead, throw little bits of meat in your pasta, or have sandwiches that are Significant Portions Bread.

 

The people who need to be careful about simple carbohydrates are those that, like me, have blood sugar issues. Even then, not too hard.

 

There are some issues there that I don't think this is the right place for me to get into make the choice 'be fat or be hungry' not so easy. But that gets into a shit ton of other issues. But thank you for your advice.

 

Thank you everyone for your advice and suggestions. I'm going to try to employ as many of them as they can. And I'm going to hope when/if I get into a new clinic they have someone that can maybe help me with food planning, because I'm starting to notice that my food issues (both autistic and other wise), make this harder than I thought. Sorry. ):

 

Fair enough. I'll be the first to admit that my view on the matter is very harsh.

 

If broccoli is OK for you, it is super easy to steam in the microwave. Cut it to your preferred size, put it in a nukeable bowl with a few tablespoons of water, some seasoning (garlic, salt, pepper, and maybe lemon juice), and a pat of butter/butter-like substance, cover with plastic wrap leaving a loose bit for steam to vent out of, and nuke it till it's as done as you like (usually about 3 minutes for me).

WARNING: be careful uncovering it, if your fingers are in the way of whatever vent you open the steam will burn the shit out of them.

 

oh, so! i was big on smoothies for a while, and greek yogurt is definitely not a necessity with them (although quite nice). you really just need something to help make them thick. there's a lot of detox-type nonsense on this website that you should feel free to ignore, but they do have a lot of nice recipes. the page that i'm linking is basically a list of suggestions for various fruits/liquids to use, but there are more recipes all over the page. the "recipes" tab brings you to a section where you can search for particular ingredients. and for the most part, greens like spinach don't really add flavour, so if the colour is an issue just leave them out.