Sample Food Stamp Budget: Low Carb High Protein Grocery List with Menu Ideas

Do not forget that you can purchase
vegetable seeds with your Food Stamps Benefit Card

Here's how to stretch $200 or less per month into the healthiest diet possible.

Are you curious about how you will be able to live on Food Stamps and still have a healthy and high protein menu? Living on Food Stamps is pretty tough, to say the least, in my experience. Over my years of disability and reliance on the Food Stamp program, I have compiled this informative list in order to help others on a limited budget to eat in a way that is healthier.

The current Federal Food Stamp program limits a single person with no income to $200 a month. This shopping list and menu ideas are based around a $200 per month budget. I focus on a high protein and low carb diet because of my disabilities. As a person that doesn't do well with a lot of processed sugar and flour, it is important that I eat a low-carb diet in order to keep my health balanced.

I am not a doctor or associated with the nutrition or any medical fields. This is just a tried and true grocery list I composed in the past that worked best for me. This article includes the list, menu ideas, and personal advice on how to save money by freezing and storing bulk items. All items included are due to the constant, year round low prices at discount groceries. They are also included if they are an important component to making many other dishes from scratch.

The first Food Stamps printed April 20, 1939.
They were also used during the rationing during
World War II and continued after.

Non Grocery Items

These are a few handy items that help to keep your kitchen in order. They are also items that you will not be able to purchase with Food Stamp dollars.

• Plastic Wrap
• Quart Sized Sandwich bags
• Whey Protein
• Fiber tablets

Sample Grocery List

There are specific items that fit a low carb and high protein diet that still clings to a Food Stamp budget. A smart shopper will learn over time exactly what needs to be included and in what quantities. I generally went on one big trip per month and then supplemented it later in the month with a second shopping trip. The list below is what I would typically buy when I would go on my biggest shopping trip.

Fresh Foods

While it is often difficult to buy fresh foods in certain parts of the country, there are a few basics that are found nationwide that can help you at least get some fresh food in your diet.

• Large bag of the smallest onions (yellow or white)
• 1-2 celery packs (Buying all of the celery is better than just buying celery hearts. Save the leafy part for Asian stir-fry and soup stocks)
• 1 large package of mushrooms
• 3 bell peppers at least
• 2 lbs carrots
• 4 heads of lettuce
• 2 cucumbers
• 1-2 cabbage/bok choy
• 1 bag bean sprouts
• 1 piece fresh ginger
• 1 bulb fresh garlic

Meat Department

• 3 whole chickens (more if on sale)
• 1 or 2 econo packs chicken thighs (10 servings)
• Turkey hot dogs (often $4 for a package of 24)
• Beef
• Pepperoni (optional)
• Fish

Sale Items to Look Out For

• Pot roast, 1 stew beef for variety, ham, turkey, fish
• Olives
• Pickles
• Banana peppers

Frozen Foods

• A few bags frozen veggies for stirfry and soups (often one dollar each)
• 1 -3 large bags frozen chopped spinach
• 3 large bags green beans French style (or 10 cans)

*Frozen corn is an option for some
Canned, Dried, or Processed Foods

• 4 cans diced tomatoes (2 16 oz or 4 8 oz)
• Chunky peanut butter (unsweetened)
• 2 bottles salad dressing (vinaigrette and one creamy style)
• Mayonnaise
• Dried beans (pinto, dark red kidney, and lima are versatile with most "American" recipes)
• Nuts (all except limit cashews)

Pantry Items/Condiments/Spices

• Lemon juice
• Oil
• Soy sauce (low sodium)
• Coffee (optional)
• Hot mustard or horseradish
• Spices (red hot pepper flakes/chiles, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, chicken and beef boullion, salt)
• Ranch dressing dry packet (for making your own dip w/ sour cream)

Did you know that you can buy
vegetable seeds with Food Stamps?

Carbs

• Low carb crackers
• High fiber breakfast cereal (eat dry and use with caution or as a condiment for yogurt)
• Nut-thins and other high fiber crackers

Refrigerated Items Can Be Put Back If You Go Over-Budget

Refrigerated items are the most expensive and least likely to benefit your diet. If you have to ration your purchases, consider leaving out milk, lunch meat, half and half, sour cream, and some of the cheeses. However, cottage cheese, a little bit of butter, a whole lot of eggs, and definitely a little bit of cottage cheese and white cheese will help to keep your budget, health, and protein in good limits.

• Lunch meat
• Milk
• Half and half
• Sour cream
• Cheese(s)
• *Eggs
• *Butter
• *Cottage cheese
• *White cheese

Food Stamp Budget Low Carb and High Protein Menu Ideas

In general, I tried to stick with no-carb meals. That means, I left out all of the pasta, rice, and dough that we tend to make all of our favorite foods with. In general, I was eating a lot of raw foods and side dishes that made it look a lot like a snack tray. For example, a few cut up carrots, a tablespoon of bleu cheese dressing, a couple of turkey hot dogs, and full serving of cottage cheese. I might even throw in about 10 nut-thins if I have been walking or exercising.

Keeping it simple and always making sure to snack on protein like hard boiled eggs or grabbing a tablespoon of un-sweetened crunchy peanut butter is what helped to keep me on track with my budget and this hard to follow diet.

• Omlettes such as KooKoo Omlette or Fritta with spinach and onions
• Flourless pizza w/extra tomato (your favorite toppings baked in the oven with cheese)
• Chinese stir-fry without rice
• Cashew chicken without rice
• Beef peppers steak with extra veggies
• Kielbasa and sauerkraut
• Salads
• Broccoli slaw
• Cream of mushroom green bean style casserole
• Baked chicken with savory spices
• Indian sauces without rice
• Baked chicken & thighs bbq
• Mexican style chicken thighs
• Taco meat with salad and tortilla chips
• Baked beef and cabbage
• Boiled eggs and crackers
• Celery and carrots with dip
• Turkey hot dogs as sausages with eggs for breakfast
• Chili with extra beans
• Free venison from hunting friends cooked into a pot roast
• Daily soup made from leftovers and scraps

Best Middle East Barbecue Recipes

The Middle East has the edge on yummy barbecue recipes.

No one wants to admit that they are picky eaters. Nevertheless, the best picnic or potluck barbecue recipes that you use every year can get monotonous. To spice things up a little bit, take some barbecue recipes advice from the Middle East.  If you have a chance, check out Amazon's best customer rated grills.

Memorial Day chicken recipe is usually best


One of the easiest and most spectacular dishes you can make for summer grilling holidays is the grilled meats. In most cases, everyone feels comfortable with eating chicken. Things like steak, pork chops, and other processed meats might be bad for people that are older or on medications. Chicken saves the day at large holiday gatherings because it is lower in sodium, low in fat, and suits most diets.

One way to make it tasty without adding a lot of salt, fat and spices is to marinade chicken Persian style. This means taking whole cuts of raw chicken and adding them to plastic bags with cut up lemons, limes, and onions. Add some water to the bag to completely immerse them, and place the bag in the fridge overnight. The next day, take the wet chicken out of the bag and place it directly on the grill sprinkled with salt and pepper. It is sure to become your best picnic grilling recipe yet.

How to turn a hamburger into a kebab

Everyone notices that kebabs are a lot like hamburgers, but what is the difference? To get a kebab burger that shocks everyone, add grated onions to your ground chuck. Other good kebab spices include dill (for those kids that love Ranch dressing). However, some friends and family can get a little freaked out with some of the exotic kebab spices like ginger, allspice, nutmeg, or mint.

To err on the side of caution, add one exotic spice to your hamburger kabob recipe. For instance, add garlic powder, grated onion, salt and red hot pepper flakes with either dill, cumin, or oregano.

Before you add mayo to a  salad recipe

Everyone always talks about food poisoning at Memorial Day, 4th of July, or Labor Day picnics, but few ever think to do one basic thing to prevent it. While I was visiting the Middle East, I picked up a common picnic tip that is used in this area because they have a love for cold mayo salad recipes for a barbecue, but Arabian weather also gets up to 120 degrees or higher. To keep it simple, if you know you are going to eat a few hours after you pack the food into the car to go to something like a Memorial Day grilling event, do not freeze the mayo or the salad with mayo in it.

If you try to freeze something with mayo to prevent food poisoning, you will end up with a sloppy
mess. Instead, serve these types of salads over a dish of ice. To keep it simple, if you serve a chicken salad in a rectangular baking dish, set it on top of a slightly larger baking dish that has been mostly filled with water and put in the freezer overnight. Freezing a bowl or dish with water will give you three inches of solid ice or more. As it appears, sometimes the best summer picnic or grilling recipes are the ones that don't send you to the emergency room.

My Best Persian-Style Salad Chicken Recipes

Add a little bit of Persian influence to your next spring salad recipe that includes chicken.

Each spring, I look forward to getting fresh salad greens and making tasty salads with chicken based on Persian food recipes from my Iranian relatives. While I would hardly call them Persian recipes, the recipes I have come up with certainly have a flair influence from this cuisine.

Although it was next to impossible to find many of the ingredients 10 years ago, grocery stores across America have increased the number of products I identify with Iran. Listed below, I have included a few of these spring salad chicken recipes that will make your next meal sizzle.

American-style Persian Olivieh salad recipe

Chicken Salad and oysters after the matinee, circa 1901.

In Iran, there is a salad regularly served for lunch, called Salad-e Olivieh, that is allegedly based on a common Russian dish. Typically, it is served without lettuce. The basic ingredients include lots of mayonnaise (more than American potato salad), hard boiled eggs, shredded chicken, boiled potatoes, carrots, lemon juice, olive oil, green peas, olives, dill pickles, and a small amount of mustard. While I truly enjoy this salad, I found the fat, starch, and salt content to be too high.

Instead of adding a large portion of mayonnaise, I simply add all of the ingredients to a traditional bed of spring salad greens and use one teaspoon of mayo. Although it is easy to get wrapped up in measurements, the general idea is to add the healthier ingredients in larger portions and incorporate the less healthy ones in smaller portions. For picky eaters, the great thing about this salad is that the taste is totally different while still having familiar ingredients.

Simple Persian fruit chicken salad recipe over spring greens

In the Middle East, there is a big focus on adding hot spices to cooked meat stews with fruit. In particular, there is a dish in Persian food that is served over rice called Chicken Fesenjoon or Koresh-e Fesenjan. On days that I want to eat fewer carbohydrates, I take the basic ingredients that go into this dish and serve them over salad greens instead.

For example, I make the salad with cooked shredded chicken, raisins, red hot pepper flakes, fresh pomegranate kernels, walnuts, onions, and fresh tomatoes. To make a dressing, I use lime juice, a dash of olive oil, and a little bit of salt. While the traditional cooked Chicken Fesenjoon recipe has other spices, I leave them out for this recipe when I make it as a salad.

Practically American Arab-Iranian chicken spring salad recipe

In America, there are many variations on potato salad recipes. However, few of them are served over the top of spring salad greens. Over the years, when I want to make potato salad a full meal, I rely on a simple food mishmash commonly found in Persian food in Arab homes in Southwest Iran. Typically, yellow curry powder finds its way into many dishes in tantalizing combinations.

The next time you make a traditional American dieter's salad recipe with onions, chicken, vinegar, salt, olive oil, and tomatoes, add a small amount of mayonnaise mixed with 1/4 teaspoon of yellow curry powder. Mix well with salad greens, and you will be surprised at the delicious zip that curry powder adds to your typical boring spring salad.

5 Very Easy Healthy Dinner Chicken Recipes

Easy, healthy dinner chicken recipes are my speciality.  People love my cooking, but few realize how easy and cheap it is to make the food I love.  However, I have a system to my carb+veg+meat routine that will make any struggling parent excited.

Basically, there are about five rules I always follow:

1. Having the right cooking tools
2. Buying only the cheapest foods
3. Getting the right spices
4. Using the same easy cooking techniques
5. Researching the cheapest and easiest recipes that are healthy

1. The right cooking tools

I spent many years being near homeless because of disability.  This meant I was packing up and moving several times a year.  I began to realize that all you need to make almost every easy meal is a spatula, a pair of tongs, a whisk, a good chopping knife, a garlic press, a large metal mixing bowl, a slow cooker, two large boiling pots, a small pot, a couple of shallow baking dishes, and a metal colander.

2. Buy and store the cheapest foods

Learning what can be stored in a freezer is essential.  When looking at your basic food groups, each category has its own version of cheap stuff that is healthy for you.  Veggies and fruits are bought in season.  Meats can be bought on sale and frozen.  You can get more protein by eating eggs, nuts, beans, and yogurt.  When you can't afford veggies, buy them frozen.  Also avoided canned foods if possible and choose frozen or fresh instead.

3.  Spices are everything

Many of the cheese-rice, Italian pastas, and chicken cous cous side dishes you make from a box are starches plus a dash of bullion.  To make your own, cook pasta or rice until it is slightly aldente.  Rinse it off with cold water until it is completely cold and let it dry in the colander.  Then add a touch of water, butter/oil, and some bullion to a small pot.  When the water is hot, add the cold pasta or rice.  To make flavored cous cous, add the bullion to boiling water before you add the bullion.

4. Using the same cooking techniques

Most chicken dishes are very easy to make.  Each cuisine of chicken dish tastes different because of the spices.  What is not different is the cooking order of the food.  For instance, your first step is to cut up onions and garlic to add to oil in a large cooking pot.  When they are starting to fry, you add cubed chicken.  Then you add your spices.  From there, you add the most dense veggies, stir, let it cook, and then add less dense vegetables.  When everything is about finished, you taste it and add more spices if you like.  To make a sauce, you add a liquid and some cornstarch that has been made up in a separate cup with cold water.

5.  Do your homework

Now that you have a general idea of how to make easy healthy chicken dinner recipes, the next step is to put this plan in motion.  Here is a general recipe that I make 5 different ways depending on the spices I use:

Add this to a large boiling pot and fry on medium-high:

*2 lbs diced raw chicken
*3 tablespoons diced garlic
*1/2 cup cooking oil
*1 medium onion

Add spices once the chicken isn't so raw.  Your choices are:

*Italian-Inspired (rosemary, bay leaves, red hot pepper flakes, more garlic, oregano, or basil)
*Bullion (ham, beef, or chicken)
*Asian-Inspired (ginger, soy sauce, more garlic, peanuts, etc)
*Indian-Inspired (curry powder and/or red hot pepper flakes, cumin, cinnamon)
*Mexican-Inspired (chili powder, cumin, lime juice)

Adding the veggies to the healthy chicken dinner recipes:

To make this easy on yourself, go to the fresh veggies area and buy the types of cheap veg that go with your idea of Italian, Asian, Indian, or Mexican chicken recipes.  If you can't afford fresh, go buy bags of frozen.  Besides dense veggies, most can be added after the chicken is cooked.  Keep stirring.

Final steps for easiest healthy chicken dinners:

Once the veggies are cooked, taste the food to see if it is actually tasty.  If not, add some more bullion or a dash of vinegar.  Serve over a plate of pasta or rice that you have rinsed off with cold water, stored in the fridge, and reheated in the microwave.

Thank you to the Library of Congress for the photo!