Despite the assertions of diet companies and books, you do not have to purchase expensive prepared foods or exotic super foods to lose weight. Eating a healthy, portion-controlled diet can be inexpensive and low-calorie. Emphasizing seasonal foods and avoiding expensive processed products helps you lose weight on a budget.
Beans and Legumes
Beans and legumes, such as black beans, lima beans and lentils, contain fiber and protein to help keep you feeling full. Dried versions cost pennies per serving and only require soaking and cooking to rehydrate them into a soup, side dish or chili. Canned beans are also inexpensive and may be used as a protein-rich topping for salads or filling for tacos. One-half cup of black beans contains 120 calories, 5 g of fiber and 7.5 g of protein.
Eggs
One large egg white contains just 71 calories, but provides 6 g of protein at a very low price. Buy a dozen eggs on sale at many supermarkets for less than $1.50. Eggs provide lutein, vitamin E and other nutrients in the yolk and may help enhance weight loss when eaten for breakfast. A study in the "International Journal of Obesity" published in October 2008 found that dieters who consumed a 2-egg breakfast containing 340 calories at least five days per week for 8 weeks lost 65 percent more weight than dieters who ate a bagel breakfast of equal calories. Eggs or egg whites, with just 16 calories each, can also be used to top a salad or as part of a low-calorie, low-cost dinner paired with rice and salsa. One egg and two whites contains 103 calories.
Dairy
Low-fat and non-fat dairy products are inexpensive sources of protein, when compared to meat, and provide you with bone-strengthening calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D. A diet rich in dairy can help you lose weight, suggests a study from Australia's Curtin University released in October 2009. Dieters who consumed five servings of low-fat milk, yogurt or cheese daily lost more weight and belly fat than those who consumed three servings daily, after 12 weeks.
Fresh Produce
Be flexible with your produce choices and use fruits and vegetables as a cheap way to lose weight. Most fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and water, so they have few calories per serving. You can load up your plate and feel very satisfied with large servings of produce without consuming a ton of calories. Instead of always sticking to the same choices, regardless of price, shop the seasonal sales. In spring, this might mean a lot of asparagus and in summer, a plethora of zucchini. In winter, go for oranges, cabbage and butternut squash. Consider frozen options as well. If fresh blueberries are prohibitively expensive, for example, purchase a bag of unsweetened, frozen berries for less.
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