You need to shop smarter- eliminate the crackers, bread, yogurt, jams. Learn how to make your own bread and crackers, as well as yogurt and cheese. Bread is easy to make, but you could also buy a bread machine. Get creative with meals. Lower your portion size, it will make you healthier and prepare you for lean times to come. Instead of a 10 punch steak, make it 3-6 ounces. A gradual decrease in portions will help your body adjust. Intermittent fasting helps too. No food fo 12-16 hours. Check out egg prices at your local farmer. Find a farmer who raises grass fed/grass finished beef. The beef is more expensive, but less waste, less fat, and what a difference in taste and tenderness. If you must have sweets, make your own deserts. Cut out potato chips or make your own-also very easy and healthier-no preservatives. Also, if you aren’t vegetarian and have a family, buy two whole chickens. Roast the chickens and carve the meat off for dinner #1. Take all the bones after meat is removed, break the bones up, put in a large pot and cover with water. Cook for 4 hours. Strain the bones from the broth and set aside to cool. Add chopped onion, celery, carrots, and what other vegetables you like (spinach, kale, tomatoes, squash etc.) to the broth and cook until firm tender. Pick remaking meat off the bones and add to the pot. Add pasta or rice of your choice, salt and pepper, and parsley. Add a chunk of your homemade bread and you have meal #2. Depending on the size of your family, you may have soup left over and chicken for meal #3-which could be creamed chicken over potatoes or chicken pot pie. Same goes for beef soup-bake bones for flavor and follow the above process. A couple cans of tuna-make a cream sauce and have creamed tuna over toast, rice or crunchy chow mein noodles. Learn how to stretch your meals. Buy dry beans and lentils. Soak them and add a ham hock or a little cooked bacon to the pot for flavor along with diced carrots and onions. You have a cheaper protein meal.

You need to shop smarter- eliminate the crackers, bread, yogurt, jams. Learn how to make your own bread and crackers, as well as yogurt and cheese. Bread is easy to make, but you could also buy a bread machine. Get creative with meals. Lower your portion size, it will make you healthier and prepare you for lean times to come. Instead of a 10 punch steak, make it 3-6 ounces. A gradual decrease in portions will help your body adjust. Intermittent fasting helps too. No food fo 12-16 hours. Check out egg prices at your local farmer. Find a farmer who raises grass fed/grass finished beef. The beef is more expensive, but less waste, less fat, and what a difference in taste and tenderness. If you must have sweets, make your own deserts. Cut out potato chips or make your own-also very easy and healthier-no preservatives.