r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • Aug 20 '26

Budget Bytes here! Groceries are out of control. AMA about our budget-friendly recipes and guide to shopping around tariffs at checkout.

925 Upvotes

Hi Reddit! Jess Rice with Budget Bytes here to talk about our budget-friendly recipes and our just-released, almost tariff-proof grocery guide.

Groceries are out of control. In the last year, families have been spending $310 more at the grocery store, and it’s breaking our budgets and confidence at the checkout. Budget-friendly recipes we published just a few years ago are up to 50% more expensive. Tariffs, the war in Iran, seasonal price hikes, cattle shortages… It’s one hit after another.

To help our readers, we’ve released an almost tariff-proof grocery guide to talk about what tariffs actually do to grocery prices, what we can do about it, and how to shop around them. We’ve reviewed some of our classic recipes, re-costed them, and shared tips to bring prices down. 

AMA about Budget Bytes, our budget-friendly recipes, and our latest grocery guide. Tell us what you’re seeing at your grocery store and how you’re adjusting your grocery shopping and cooking.

Verification photo here. We'll be on at 12:00 PM ET to start answering questions.

AMA Finished 1:37 PM ET

  • Thank you all for joining - this was fun!
  • We also answered additional questions here if you'd like to take a look!
  • Follow us on Instagram and visit BudgetBytes.com for the latest budget-friendly recipes.
  • With the 2026 midterm elections right around the corner, make sure you’re informed about where your elected officials stand on tariffs and talk to your neighbors and friends about the real cost hitting them at the checkout line.

r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 19h ago

misc Advice for breaking the habit of eating out?

191 Upvotes

I uses to eat out occasionally and somehow this spiraled into twice a day which is heavily affecting my finances. Is there any way you all recommend to break this habit? I just get so overwhelmed thinking about cooking, cleaning, working out, work, parenting and also studying for a professional exam. Need advice to make this happen psychologically as I’m physically not starting to feel good.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 12h ago

Yogurt + chia seeds + pumpkin seeds

30 Upvotes

This has been the best lunch hack for me. Zero sugar Chobani Greek yogurt with chia seeds and pumpkin seeds. In the past, the price for a package of those seeds has been a turnoff, but it really doesn't take much to be filling, so the package goes a long way. Paired with toast for breakfast or a pack of crackers and some carrots or an apple for lunch, this has been great fuel to keep me going for half the day.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 23h ago

Addition to bacon and eggs

38 Upvotes

I recently started having roasted chick peas as a snack and am absolutely delighted with how incredible it is. Tasty, healthy, cheap, easy to prep/store…the list goes on!

This made me reflect that I should probably swap other carbs that I have during the day by legumes, and the first one that comes to mind is the souvlaki wrap I have in the morning with bacon and eggs.

Does anyone have a good recipe to go with bacon and eggs? The obvious one would be making an English breakfast with navy beans but surely I can make something that tastes better?

Thanks for the help!!!


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 1d ago

Ask ECAH How to cook for 2 people

43 Upvotes

Hey y'all, I just got married a week ago and we got back from our honeymoon yesterday and all of a sudden I have to actually meal plan and cook and I'm so overwhelmed!

I want to be on a whole foods diet and my husband and I are really trying to be healthy while also surviving being young and newlyweds

Also I'm so picky which is really challenging, all I ever ate growing up was processed food and a lot of pasta so I really don't have any knowledge of how to run a kitchen (or a home for that matter) while being clean and healthy and organic 😭 any tips would be great and if you want to know all the foods I don't like I can make that list, it's just very long

Update: Apparently people are going crazy that I'm a picky eater and I'm the main cook. I chose to be the main cook and I'm choosing to learn. It works better for both me and my husband and he takes on cleanup afterwards. And when he cooks I clean up so no one feels the burden of the kitchen by themselves. We also help each other often, sometimes he'll take over after I've done the prep and put something in the oven, he'll finish it and add sides. And yes I'm a picky eater and I'm actively working on it and it's gotten a lot better. I wasn't asking for advice on how to fix that. There's a lot with that including a sensory disorder that makes this really difficult.

Thank you to everyone who's been genuinely helpful in providing resources, tips, and recipes. Hopefully lll get better at cooking and our diet will get better


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 7h ago

Ask ECAH Fruits to cook into carbs other than Berries?

0 Upvotes

Bought a bag of frozen berries without planning things out. Couldn't find anything to pair them with

Tried air frying them and as it turns out: Not a fan of berries

That said, I do like carbs. Very easy to mix broccoli into rice and peppers into pasta sauce

I just don't know how to mix fruits into my diet other than mindlessly snacking on oranges and apples


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 2d ago

recipe Vegan broccoli cheese rice casserole

44 Upvotes

Just made this on a whim and thought I'd share because it tasted great:

Ingredients:

-1 cup white rice

-Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika to taste. But at least 1 tsp of each

-nutritional yeast (at least 4 tbsp, I just went nuts and didn't measure it)

-1 10 oz bag of frozen broccoli, thawed and chopped

-2 cups veggie broth

-1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce

-1 can coconut milk

-1 can white beans (drained and rinsed)

-panko crumbs(OR regular breadcrumbs, cornflakes, French fried onions, live your crunchy dreams!)

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F and find a 13x9 pan.

  2. Thaw broccoli in microwave and chop up into smaller bits

  3. Blend the coconut milk and white beans

  4. Layer rice and dry seasonings in pan

  5. Layer chopped broccoli on top of the rice

  6. Pour veggie broth, coconut milk, and Worcestershire sauce on top of the broccoli and give it a lil swirl, but don't over mix it

  7. Top with panko crumbs or other crunchy bits until the top is completely covered. Sprinkle with a little more garlic, paprika, and pepper

  8. Foil the pan, pop it in the oven for 20-30 minutes and broil without the foil for 5 minutes at the end.

Let me know if you try it and what you think!!!


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 3d ago

Ask ECAH How to find produce on sale?

42 Upvotes

Hi, r/ECAH! I’m just a little overwhelmed and hoping this sub has resources to guide me. I’m currently a whole-foods vegetarian on a budget (so no direct animal products but I’m willing to eat the occasional egg and some cheese, as well as dairy milk.) I am also unable to work full time due to a personal situation and so being located in the rural SE US, I try to budget and save as much as possible while making my food as flavorful as I can. What resources do you use to locate what produce is on sale in your area at different times of the year? I tried Flipp but it didn’t seem to be what I was looking for. My two closest stores are Food City (yes I have the card) and Aldi, followed by United Grocery Outlet. Bonus points for bulk processing methods and recipes! Thank you for any help you can provide!


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 4d ago

Food Look im just trying to survive this economy and maximize my time. Tell me your fav crockpot meals

472 Upvotes

Im not talking about a random meat and a sauce. Unless it is unique. Meaning no pulled pork or bbq chicken. It is great , but guys i cant do no more bbq. Literally anything else.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 5d ago

Food Quick high calorie snacks?

133 Upvotes

I’m a really skinny guy who loses weight too fast, gaining weight is a chore and it’s even more of a chore to eat as much as I should, one of the problems with this is because all high calorie snacks or meals (I usually never have energy to make/cook meals unless its for dinner) include peanut butter, oats, yogurt, etc. I love greek yogurt, but a man can only eat so much of the same three high calorie things. I’m not a fan of peanut butter anymore; makes me nauseous now. So if anyone can please recommend me a variety of some easy high calorie snacks i’d really appreciate it. I would like to mention for it to be somewhat healthy, but at this point i’d do anything to gain some pounds lol. So i’m okay with pre-made meal/snack recommendations as long as it’s not complete junk food.

Edit: Thanks for the recommendations!! I found a lot of good things to make and made so much food yesterday. This was a huge help!


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 6d ago

Food Sprouting is amazing.

367 Upvotes

I started sprouting a few months ago and I think it's an outrageously good hack for eating cheap and healthy.

I got a big assortment of seeds and beans for around $10/lb. That's 3 cups, or 12 harvests. One harvest yields about 4 LARGE servings, like big enough for a side salad with a meal. That equals around $0.20 to add highly nutritious greens to a meal.

I bought a sprouting kit online, but you can easily do it with a sieve, paper towel, and glass jar.

You soak the seeds, drain them, spread them around the jar, and rinse/drain twice a day in most cases. Very low effort, then when you're ready to harvest, you rinse them again to remove the husks, put them in a salad spinner, and they're ready to eat.

My diet has gotten so much better since I started doing this. The sprouted greens are expensive at grocery stores, so they're also an awesome gift.

Highly recommended!


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 6d ago

Ask ECAH How bad is ham for you?

403 Upvotes

I've been trying to eat healthier since I was diagnosed with IBS earlier this year and borderline colesterol last year. Mostly tried reducing dairy, switched to almond milk, low fat cheese and creams and even then on occasion.

But my lunch is almost always a ham sandwich with veggies depending on what I feel like eating that day. But iirc ham could potentially increase colesterol being processed meat(?) what other quick (and cheap) alternatives are there?


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 6d ago

Ask ECAH Meal Plan Recs

26 Upvotes

I am 27M and in college full time. I also work 32 hours a week so unfortunately I am limited on time. I’m not a very big eater, I’m 6’2” 160-170 lbs. My appetite and being able to finish meals are my biggest struggles, I’m kinda a picky eater although I’ve made big improvements over the last decade. What are some good nutritional, calorie dense foods that I can incorporate into meal plans so that I can maximize my calorie and nutritional intake without eating a ton of volume?


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 6d ago

Toasted buckwheat based meals

39 Upvotes

I need to be on a FOMAD style diet. I recently discovered Griķi or toasted buckwheat, known by other names in Eastern Europe, as a filling base for meals. I eat some eggs and fish, cheese, but need to cut down on dairy.

I tried a version with fried red onions, eggs and a dollop of sour cream at the end. What are similar meals that can also be prepared the night before and brought into the office.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 7d ago

Ask ECAH What are you guys making for Thanksgiving dessert?

76 Upvotes

I’m looking for something fun and a little different this year! Drop your most creative dessert ideas and recipes in the comments.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 6d ago

Ask ECAH Eating healthy while ordering.

0 Upvotes

Hello!

I've recently gotten a job that will take up the most of my days from Monday to Friday, and I also have a side-gig business on the weekends. This leaves me with very little time to cook for myself, and while i can push through and try to meal prep anyway, I live a comfortable enough life to where ordering food every day won't bother me.

As I'm adjusting to this, I still want the healthiest possible options that I'm able to get out of my deliveries. So If you were to make a Monday to Sunday meal plan for yourselves just by virtue of ordering out food, what would you get? I understand that this may not necessarily fit the "Cheap" option of this subreddit so sorry If I'm posting to the wrong place.

Thanks!


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 8d ago

Ask ECAH Favorite “offbeat” salads?

287 Upvotes

Been in a bit of a rut, and looking for recommendations of new salads that don’t necessarily rely on a bed of lettuce or spring mix.

A few I like:

Kale, cashew, and apple

Watermelon, feta, and mint

Would love to hear yours!


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 6d ago

Carbohydrate-to-fibre Ratio

0 Upvotes

the 5 to 1 rule for Packaged Food,

  1. Check the Nutrition Facts label on the packaged food.
  2. locate TotalCarbohydrates (in grams) DietaryFibre (in grams)
  3. Calculate the Ratio •Divide the grams of total carbohydrates by the grams of dietary fibre. •Formula Total Carbohydrates ÷ Dietary Fibre
  4. Interpret the Result •If the result is 5 or less, the product is considered a better choice. •A ratio greater than 5 suggests the product will cause greater blood sugar spikes.

ketchup has 5g carbs, but 0g fibre..

what do you get when you divide by 0?? infinit!


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 8d ago

Trying to convince myself to get an air fryer

93 Upvotes

I live with my wife, we eat a ton of vegetables and tofu and occasionally salmon, no other meat. We have an ancient but functional toaster oven, a solid instant pot, and a rice cooker. I’m told air fryers are great for vegetables and tofu (and stuff like frozen potatoes, also a staple). But would a combo air fryer / toaster oven (would love to put our toaster oven out of its misery) be worth it (and if you think so, which do you recommend)? I’m concerned it’ll be redundant, but I also do a lot of meal prep so having things cook faster would be great, and being able to fry in less oil is also a plus, I think... Help!

ETA okay wow I’m sold!!! Thanks everyone :)


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 8d ago

Recommendations for Easy Meals While Recovering

46 Upvotes

Hello. In a couple weeks I'll be recovering from surgery and unable to do much cooking or food prep, so I'm looking for convenient foods that are easy to prepare. I've been looking at things like meal replacements and emergency food; something nutritious and low-effort. Does anyone have any input on the best brands for this? Thank you.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 8d ago

Ask ECAH Weather is getting colder, what are your favorite hot drinks that is not tea or coffee?

497 Upvotes

I've been binging on decaf coffe + some low calorie hot chocolate (in Canada best I could find was hot chocolate that was 45 calories per cup, which is not bad). Looking for something like that, but low calorie and little to no caffeine.

Have any suggestions?


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 8d ago

Ask ECAH Easy soup recipes?

54 Upvotes

Please spam me with your most favorite easy soup recipes that use real ingredients! Bonus if they can be made without onions!


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 8d ago

Ask ECAH Braised meat recipes?

22 Upvotes

I recently had a friend tell me he braised some bratwursts in a hard cider recently, and it sounded good. I picked up some myself that have a hint of pineapple flavor, but I'm unsure what meat to use and what seasonings or marinade would compliment it. Any suggestions or links to recipes would be greatly appreciated.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 11d ago

Ask ECAH Banana milk recipe

51 Upvotes

How to make the taste and consistency of banana milk better? It tastes bland and doesn't taste like the artificial flavoured ones even though I add vanilla and sugar and it's so thick that can make you choke on it


r/EatCheapAndHealthy • • 12d ago

Food Give me your best "soft" food recipes!!

115 Upvotes

After weeks of toothache, the one thing I've dreaded most has happened.. I have to get a root canal 😭

Prep work started today and I've been fitted with a temporary filling which is only designed to last 1-4 weeks. My permanent filling isn't being fitted for 16 days and I'm petrified of the temp one falling out in the mean time. In efforts to preserve it as best as possible I'm on a strict no hard or chewy food diet!

Please share your favourite soft food recipes and snacks to help a girl through this anxiety-inducing time! There's only so much tomato soup one can take!

Bonus points if recipes are plantbased (Im not, but my partner is and it'll save making multiple dishes). I'm also gonna be poor post treatment so the more affordable the better!

Thank you so much in advance 😄

EDIT: Thank you soooo much to everyone for their amazing suggestions!! Can't wait to try all these ideas. And thanks to those who have been very reassuring regarding the root canal treatment itself. Just to clarify, I have not had it yet and my tooth is still sore, hence the soft foods 😂 but good to know I should be able to resume normal eating shortly therafter! My vegan boyfriend has told me he will take me out for a steak when I'm all fixed up lol!