I can't afford a meal plan during college (I'm poor). Therefore, I'm trying to find a cheap, nutritious diet to follow for my years there, but I don't know much about nutrition. I'm not worried about bodybuilding or losing weight, though cognitive function is a concern (I'd assume that any decent diet would supply the necessary nutrients, though) I'm guessing I need:

-Carbs (rice, pasta, oatmeal)
-Protein (soy beans, protein powder, ??? not too sure here)
-Vitamins (multi + b-complex, anything else?)
-Anything else? Apples and bananas, perhaps?

I'm not too worried about variety or taste - I just need cheap, nutritious food that hopefully doesn't take much prep work.

i would add fish oil..

also keep an eye out for grocery store ads and try to stock up on meat when its on sale (if you have a big freezer) if not just try to get whats on sale that week.

other things
-eggs/egg whites
-milk
and of course canned meats, though I myself tend to stray away from them due to dryness

Let me tell you what I lived on:
Protein Powder
Cottage Cheese with sunflower seeds
cheese and roast beef

Then some random cooked meat.

Cheap chicken. Fuck the breasts go the leg. $5/kg
Oats. Buy a sack of them. $1/kg (it's a really big up front cost though)
Leafs. You can buy enough leafs for like 6 meals for 2 bucks.
Berries. 2kg bag of (frozen) mixed raspberries, blueberries and black berries costs 5 bucks.
Peanuts. Free from your local bar. Or normaly pretty cheap.
Eggs. 12 for $4
Tuna. Expensive at somthing like 8$/kg but convenient.
Plain Traditional Style Yogurt: $4/kg (add garlic to make a savert dip, add berries for desert)

avocados my friend, possibly the most nutritious food nature has ever produced

Nix the nuts. Even if you manage to find them unsalted in bulk, they are still a ton of fat... I'd go with distilled water instead... carry that damn jug around with you.

Legumes!
kidney beans, lentills, garbanzo beans,green peas, they are tasty, high in minerals, have lots of fibre, decent amount of incomplete protein, and enough complex carbs to fullfil your needs, fuck rice.
About more serious sources of protein, bulk unflavored whey(it is also high in minerals like calcium) is damm cheap, I bought 20kg of it for abour 140$, if is about the same amount of protein contained in 80kg of tuna or turkey.
That would be from where I would derive the bulk of my calories if I was short on money, in fact I might find myself in that position soon.
Apart from that if money is not extremelly scarce you want veggies, the first one in my list both for nutritional benefits, cheapness and taste is brussels sprouts, I love a combination of carrots, brussels sprouts and mushrooms in 4:2:1 ratios , the nutritional profile is incredible, the taste too, and it is not too expensive, I make it in 2kg batches for arround 4.50€.
cabagge is cheap and good too, also red cabagge, although brussels sprouts surpass both in nutrition and cheapness they are good for variation .
Spinach and chard are good and cheap too, I like them in omelete quite a bit.
Tomato sauce is a good thing too, specially if you buy cans of uncooked tomato puree and make the sauce for yourself, but even ketchup stil has some usefull nutrition.
And then comes all the other fruits, veggies, meats, dairy, eggs, and everything not unhealthy under the sun.
Of course you should have a varied diet if possible, or at least as varied as possible, but in case it is unaceptable I have ordered my suggestions in what imho is a good order of importance.

Ditto on the beans. Cook them up with rice if you want a complete meal on the cheap.

Oats are your friend.

Is there any important difference between regular and instant oats?. Fibre maybe?. I read people following The Zone diet prefer regular.

I know peanuts do not have a good 3/6 ratio and make you fat, but I find they give me energy, I don´t know why (fat/protein?). the problem is you can´t stop eating.

A good advice I follow is to throw the water in canned beans.

Mackarel is cheaper than tuna (and also good in O3) but taste is bad. Sugestions for cooking?.

Thanks

I think peanuts are great, if you can keep your serving under 50g. And the price is right. I often snack of peanuts while riding my bike. I would try to avoid them while sitting at your desk. It really depends on your diet goals.
Mackarel need not taste bad, a decent marinade and slow baking should do the trick, search the internet!
Tomato puree or canned tomatos are pretty cheap.
Avacardos.

Nelix, 50g peanuts volume equivalent?. A handful of peeled peanuts?.

I should have said I buy canned mackerel (good quality) and just store it...waiting for a way to make it taste better.

So, then:

Oats (I currently buy Publix plain oatmeal in ~1lb packages for $2.50, what's cheaper)
Rice ($10 for 4lb bag, is anything cheaper?)
Protein powder (soy, whey, or another? Is it a complete source of protein and thus safe to rely on it for the vast majority of my protein?)
Multivitamin (any particular kind? I just get the cheap Publix brand...)
Fish oil (currently i take 1g flax oil daily, is there much difference? Is there much reason to take 2-3g daily?)
Fruit (bananas and apples most likely? any other cheap suggestions?)
Vegetables (still not quite sure - preferably something that can be eaten raw)

Thanks for the help so far - in particular, I need to know more about protein powder.

First off, where the hell is the cottage cheese??? Read: Slow digesting protein is great for night, and it has calcium and other shit. Plus you can throw protein powder in it, which brings me to...
Get some typical whey concentrate, like you'd find at GNC (don't buy it there, get it from trueprotein or nutraplanet)... Don't worry about slow release casein protein or anything, because you can throw regular concentrate whey/isolate whey into cottage cheese. Which you WILL be getting.

Cottage cheese is mostly denatured whey protein, imho using straight whey concentrate is a beter idea, the nutrients are the same, the price is cheaper, and as it is not denatured it keeps all of its inmune enhacing properties. For slow release combining it with another food should do it, specially if it has fibre and fat, ie have a whey drink while eating your beans/vegies.
Of course it is stil a quite good food, but if he is short on money imho he is better skipping the cheese and spending more money on veggies/fruit.
Also I don't think it is so imperative the slow digesting protein for a non body builder, he is not so likelly to be catabolic overnight, in fact he is not even likelly to eat body building amounts of proteins at day to keep hyperaminoacidemia all the time.
What we have not touched much is the fat sources, I am tempted to say olive oil, it tastes great and it is quite healthy, however it is not absolutelly cheap, neither is fish oil. Of course you can survive quite well without fat, or with only a litle, a 1L bottle of olive oil lasts me 1-2 months, so it is not all that expensive if you are not using a ton of it.

Add quinoa, great carb source, high fiber and protein content...really cheap

Ah, just saw the part where he doesn't give a shit what he looks like. So your sort of right on not needing the cottage cheese.
On the other hand, FISH oil IS important, especially for cognitive function.

1) Quinoa looks interesting...where would I find it in a grocery store? Just ask for "quinoa?" It's not something I'ver heard of before.
2) Is fish oil superior to flax oil, and how much do I need to take daily (the less, the better due to cost concerns).

And the questions I asked in the last post. Thanks for the help so far, though.

look for it in the dry grains in your food store, as a matter of fact, look for beans and such there too. If you can't find it there, try Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or similar health food store. And of course the best way, find it online...lots of different recipes available as well.

With fish oil, being superior, you need to look at EPA/DHA content. You'll find the highest bang for the buck in liquid form(as opposed to capsules). Generally liquid is disguised with lemon flavoring. Keep it in the fridge to avoid fish burps, nasty taste. I put in my shakes and or OJ in the morning.

I think I read a good thread about this in metafilter, maybe it is one of the listed here:
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/06/...healthy-budget/


Which I found using Google:
http://www.google.com/search?q=eat+budget

This is my current college stock

-Yogurt, cottage cheese
-Organic instant Oatmeal (bought in bulk) w/ ground flaxseed, raisins, whey protein
-Lots and lots of tea (imo this is quite important and exceedingly easy to prepare), timed coffee maker, hot cocoa
-(Real) Dark chocolate
-Nuts
-Protein bars
-Canned Tuna

AOR's Multi Basics is an excellent multi.

What else goes good in oatmeal? I'm a huge oatmeal fan and I could eat the stuff all day long, I just need some more healthy stuff to throw in for variety.

An update on this: I think the only real foods I'll need are nuts, fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein.

Nuts: Peanuts, walnuts, almonds, others?

Fruits: Apples, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes

Vegetables: Not too sure here; carrots, lettuce, what else?

Grains: Mainly oats, but also basics like whole grain bread

Protein: Some type of powder, but which? Would it be fine to eat whey protein powder as a primary protein source, since meat is comparatively expensive and far more perishable?


What I need to figure out now is whether it'd be worth all this time and effort (I could store dry foods in my dorm, but fresh foods would require weekly grocery store visits, unless I could find an online supplier), or if I should just buy a meal plan for $1500/semester.

Broccoli
http://www.mindandmuscle.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=29552

I'd also get some canned tuna fish, sweet potatoes, brown rice, and various spices and flavorings (Ms. Dash can be a real life saver).

If the meal plan allows you the option of buffet style and a la carte and doesn't lock you into, say, 18 "meals" a week, it might be worth it. Are you living on campus, in a dorm room?

It's $1485 for the unlimited meal plan. I'm guessing that I'd be better off with that, then, especially since that would eliminate the need to buy groceries weekly.

This really shouldn't be in the neuroscience forum, but I initially posted it in the health and longevity forum; perhaps it'd be best moved to the diet forum?

I am in the same boat as you and the bulk of my foods are:
Eggs
Cottage Cheese
Oats
Tuna
Whole-Grain Bread
Protein Powder
Bananas
Pineapple

I also go to grocery store early in the morning and try to find marked-down meats and/or produce.

beans, beans, beans. i can't stress this enough!!!

I think I will go with the meal plan, unless the food turns out to be so unhealthy that I can't bring myself to eat it.

What kind of beans in particular, and how does one make them palatable? I've tried black beans and red kidney beans, and they've ended up being quite difficult to ingest.

The way I usually make them is:

500g of any dry legume left overnight in 5l of water or so(dump it and add fress water before cooking).(I have done it with kidney beans, navy beans, red beans, lentils, garbanzo beans)
200g of tomato puree
50g of olive oil
60-120g of aged chorizo in 3-5mm slices http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorizo
paprika
parsley
salt

I cook them on an open pot with lots of water adding everything but salt olive oil and chorizo, slowly about 2-3 hours until most of the water is gone, then I add salt to taste, olive oil, chorizo and mix it well and let it boil slowly for another 10 minutes.
It is my own version of the traditional spanish recipe, chorizo might be hard to find in the usa and might be expensive, however it is key to the taste, if you cant find/won't pay it use the most intenselly flavoured meat you can find.

One legume that is good another way is green pea, I usually buy them canned in saltwater and fry it in olive oil, they are great as a side dish for steak, sometimes I buy them frozen, then I boil them in saltwater for 4min in the microwave and then fry them in olive oil.

Also I have been living for the most part of the last 4 months on legumes+whey+muesly, with no ill effects, quite the oposite.

Ramen noodles, tuna, hard-boiled eggs, store-brand peanut butter and whatever fresh fruit you can lay you hands on and you should be able to feed yourself with a respectable macronutriet profile. Its not going to be fancy but with the above ingredients and a loaf of bread, you should be able to produce decent meals for yourself simply and for less than $25/week

Is this good?

http://www.trueprotein.com/Product_Details...22&pid=6740

Any idea what's included in the "Vitamin & Mineral Mix?" What's the shelf-life like? How much protein would I need daily (53kg body mass) if most of the rest of my diet had little protein (fruits, nuts, vegetables, grains)?

The price is fair, wpc is imho the best protein source, as I said I have been living of whey and legumes for months, I get stronger in the gym , my joints keep improving, my brain is sharp, I don't get ill, I lose fat slowly but steadilly, ect.
Whey has at least calcium, magnessium, potassium and phosphorous, shelf life is long, enough that even if you purchase 20kg of it and take 50g/day you shouldn't worry. About how much, I wouldn't go under 50g/day, 100 would be better and it is cheap enough to justify it.
Also as I suggested If you eat beans and oats you would be getting some protein from them, legumes have arround 25g of protein each 100g dry, oats have arround 9, both of them have incomplete proteins but their aminoacid profiles are complimentary, and even then incomplete protein is still usefull for the body.

Are there any good bulk suppliers for oats, nuts, and legumes, or is a grocery store the best option?

Even though I ate like a fat fuck in college I see the meal plan as being the best option if you're going for on-campus housing. Chances are your opportunities for cooking will be limited. Plus you should be too busy somewhere on the getting pussy / getting good grades continuum to worry about hitting Safeway all the time and whipping up a good roast.

Buy protein powder, fish oil, and oats. Storage, convenience, and price all work in favor of buying these. Beyond that, hit your all-you-can-eat dining hall. In my case I could request, with high probability of success, that certain foods be placed on the buffet line (I used this to get a constant supply of belgian waffles, but you may opt for something more nutritious). Typically you should have green leafy vegetables and tuna in the "salad/sandwich" area - I've not been to a college dining hall without these. In the morning you should be able to get egg white or egg beater omelettes, we also had plain oatmeal in the mornings. Sliced sandwich meat should be plentiful. Steamed vegetables are common in my experience. It is common for college dining halls to have a stir-fry station where you pick your ingredients - just get a ton of chicken. You need to be able to play these fools.

You could try to save some scratch (and, perhaps more importantly, time) by doing IF and getting like a 7-meal-a-week plan.

Good luck.

This is about as cheap as it gets for 2000 kcal in a day. Calories are listed after amounts. My grocer sells oats in bulk for $0.39/lb, 10-lb batches of collards for $2.50, and flax for $1.29/lb. Those are hard to beat.

Lentils, raw 227g 801.3 $0.19 or split peas, I can get them for $0.39/lb at sav-a-lot
Oatmeal, dry 100g 333 $0.09
Bananas, raw 1 medium 105 $0.33
Collards, raw 227g 68.1 $0.25
Seeds, flaxseed 30g 160.2 $0.09
Tomato products, canned, paste 1 can (6 oz) 139.4 $0.33
Oil, olive, salad or cooking 22g 194.5 $0.18
Onions, raw 30g 12 $0.10
Celery, raw 30g 4.8 $0.09
Oranges, raw, Florida 1 fruit 64.9 $0.33
Apples, raw, with skin 1 medium 71.8 $0.33
Soy milk, fluid, calcium fortified 1 cup 98 $0.31 or bovine milk
total $2.70

summary
Energy | 2052.9 kcal
Protein | 96.0 g
Carbs | 340.7 g
Fiber | 117.8 g
Starch | 6.8 g
Sugars | 71.8 g
Fat | 46.4 g


Vitamins
===========================================
Vitamin A | 19527.6 IU 837% (%RDA met)
Retinol | 0.0 µg
Alpha-carotene | 634.6 µg
Beta-carotene | 11219.6 µg
Beta-cryptoxanthin | 360.3 µg
Lycopene | 48898.8 µg
Lutein+Zeaxanthin | 20997.9 µg
Folate | 1614.7 µg 404%
B1 (Thiamine) | 3.3 mg 301%
B2 (Riboflavin) | 1.9 mg 177%
B3 (Niacin) | 19.9 mg 142%
B5 (Pantothenic Acid)| 8.9 mg 177%
B6 (Pyridoxine) | 3.1 mg 235%
B12 (Cyanocobalamin) | 3.0 µg 125%
Vitamin C | 210.7 mg 281%
Vitamin D | 0.0 IU 0% (need supplement or sun for this)
Vitamin E | 20.7 mg 138%
Gamma Tocopherol | 16.7 mg
Vitamin K | 1226.0 µg 1362%

Minerals
===========================================
Calcium | 1089.4 mg 109%
Copper | 3.1 mg 345%
Iron | 29.8 mg 165%
Magnesium | 699.7 mg 219%
Manganese | 8.3 mg 463%
Phosphorus | 2025.5 mg 289%
Potassium | 6086.0 mg 129%
Selenium | 92.3 µg 168%
Sodium | 1537.8 mg 103%
Zinc | 17.7 mg 221%

Amino Acids
===========================================
ALA | 3.8 g
ARG | 6.3 g
ASP | 10.1 g
CYS | 1.1 g
GLU | 15.9 g
GLY | 3.6 g
HIS | 2.3 g
HYP | 0.1 g
ILE | 3.6 g
LEU | 5.9 g
LYS | 5.5 g
MET | 0.8 g
PHE | 4.1 g
PRO | 3.6 g
SER | 3.9 g
THR | 3.1 g
TRP | 0.9 g
TYR | 2.2 g
VAL | 4.2 g

Lipids
===========================================
Saturated | 6.0 g
Monounsaturated | 20.2 g
Polyunsaturated | 15.9 g
Omega-3 | 7.9 g
Omega-6 | 7.8 g
Trans-Fats | 0.0 g
Phytosterol | 90.4 mg

If you are not veg, you could also have some eggs and tuna, both are very cheap. You could also add some bulk sunflower seeds, or peanuts, they are $1.39/lb.

Usually the more fats and bulk grains in your diet, the cheaper. The most expensive kcal food sources are leaves but you shouldn't do without them, they are probably among the most protective foods of all. If you can't find cheap leaves in your grocer than look for Asian or other ethnic stores or your local farmer's markets.

Where would I find deals like this? Certainly not at Publix...

Eggs are the perfect easy breakfast. I buy them in the 5 dozen packs for like $8 (not on sale, you can get 10 doz for $10 on sale) then scramble 4-7 every morning for breakfast. Gets old sometimes, but ketchup or salsa or some toast help dress them up a little. Very filling, and high PRO.

didn't read through most of this thread, just wanted to add what my diet consisted of in school:
I had a meal plan that allowed me 15 meals a week. It was all you could eat, so i really took advantage of that.
Tuna-I can almost always find a store that has it for .50 cents a can.
Rice-used a cheap rice steamer and just cooked it in my dorm room.
Ramen noodles-not the healthiest, but I'd eat those things without even cooking. Either that, or I'd cook the noodles, drain the water, add the seasoning, and throw on a can of tuna, stir and enjoy.
Beans-baked beans mixed with Tuna and some barbecue sauce was a treat
Protein powder-always convenient for the days you have a few classes all in a row. I'd toss some in a shaker bottle and just get some cold water in between classes so i could mix and drink
Eggs-hardboiled them mostly. That way I could tote them around with me or keep them in the fridge and just grab some as I wanted
Cottage cheese-can buy in bulk and save money

Find a 99 cent store, in my area they have everything you could ever need. If I wasnt blessed with a decent house and parents that still, although reluctantly, feed me, Id be living next door to one.

EDIT: Last ditch is the Soup Kitchen, I hear its cheap there

Here's damn nutritious and free: Dandelion greens.

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20dN.html