yes. you can succeed on your budget,.. just plan and write a grocery list and buy a bunch of high fiber foods like vegs and fruits to take up half your plate at each meal... don't buy so much at once so it doesn't spoil. try it for one week and for the rest of the month you'll learn how to tweak your shopping trip here and there... i'm in the same boat you are and it can be done plus it helps when you can't buy a bunch of junk... which costs more than vegs, chkn, cans of tuna fish. . .

ok here is another dumb question, how do i prepare all of this stuff? i have never really cooked a meal in 40 years, yup i am a tv dinner guy

it can be hard but I also shop the ads and buy things on sale keep things in the house that are fresh like apples and oranges and things like that to snack on and clear out the cabinets of the cookies candies and junk food. If you don't have them around it's a lot less tempting. Also soda pop as many calories as well.

That's a tight budget. Just for U? I'm sure U can do something with it..I would google monthly cooking. U can buy all at once..and freeze meals into portions. Cutting back on junk food and dairy will save in the budget as well. I shop at Aldi..and Walmart..and Sam's..we buy what we can in bulk and I try and save buying canned beans and such for my salads..for cheap and easy protein and fiber.

yea the 150 is just for me only, i just need a starting point on what good foods to buy/prepare

Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh--and generally cheaper.

While it's true that nutritious food is expensive, SO IS THE JUNK FOOD these days! I'm amazed at how much pies and cakes cost. You'll be saving some money NOT buying the fattening food. I'm feeling your pain, as I also have limited food money and our building's food bank has been cancelled the last five weeks. Best wishes to you!

The more time it takes to prepare the cheaper it usually is. So start of by buying things like uncooked beans, rice, potatoes. You then have a carbohydrate base. When you focus on meat chicken is a great option, or canned tuna (both lean protein protein). In the beginning it is very important to get some good spices, a flavorful healthy meal is the best! A bag of dry tandoori mix, goes a long way. Especially if you are just one person. Mix with some cream fraiche, or marinate your chicken with it. I also sometimes mix it into the water for the rice, and then just add beans and chopped veggies for indian twist to stirfry (minus the frying).

I really do recommend using recipes in the start. If you dont cook very often usually and then expect to make tasty healthy meals form scratch you will be very disappointed. Build up your skill with the help of recipes. And always feel free to use more veggies, and less fat.

Also remember that just because something says it is low fat, doesn't mean it is low calories. Avoid processed foods as much as you can. General rule if you cant find it in nature, why would you want it inside you. And all the artificial sweeteners and fake flavors, tick your body and actually make you crave real sugar more. Moderation and portion control should allow you to enjoy pretty much everything in life, without worrying about your weight. It is all about calories in are either used or gain as weight. So keep track of your intake, and eat everything in moderation.

ok so i rode the exercise bike for 30 minutes today and then after i got cleaned up i rushed to a fast food place and binged. now i feel like shit for doing it and i totally wasted that 30 minutes because i most likely after eating 4 double cheeseburgers and 4 chicken sandwiches. why am i like this?

Binging is often linked to emotions and hunger.
The Hunger bit is easier to tackle. Next time after exercise plan in a snack, a milk and banana smoothie, or something. If you crave savory, maybe some tuna salad on some crisp bread. You actually lose most of the benefits of exercise if you don't eat within 30 minutes. You should try to eat ONE handful of food afterwards.

The other part of binging is the emotional side, where you need to figure out what your trigger was. Did you feel like you Deserved to be given a treat afterwards, and then went to the fast food place? Or was it that you felt slighted by something and then wanted to assert some control? Know the emotional triggers that lead to your binges is very important. Everytime you binge is actually a chance to figure out why you binge. So take a moment and really go through the motivation, the emotions and what you really wanted from the binge.
I am a binge eater so i can tell you, the reasons can surprise you. I found that when i am alone and bored in the evenings, part of the reason for my binges is because i want silent and quick sleep. Figuring that out, has helped me a lot, so that now when i am alone and i feel that urge to stuff my face, i take a shower first. Which seems to calm me, and relax me, and then i can go to bed without binging.

So keep up the good work with the exercise, and start to take a critical look at your habits and responses to situations. Those are the changes that will really help you in the long run, for while a diet and exercise regime might last a month or two, our emotional responses will be with us for the rest of your life. If you can become aware of even one of your binge triggers and learn to avoid them, you are already creating a better life for yourself.

The fast food has got to go from your life. Even if you are overweight, you are malnourished if you are eating that stuff. No matter how much you eat, you will want more. Try eating as much whole, unprocessed food as possible. After exercise have some peanut butter on banana or a turkey breast sand which on whole grain bread. A large salad with your favorite veggies and protein such as tuna, chicken or turkey.
Always keep apples in your fridge. They are filling with a couple of chunks of cheddar or other cheese. Eggs. Beans. Broccoli. Brussels sprouts. Hummus with raw carrots. Any fruit you love.
And yes, it will help to figure out why you binge.
I used to binge like you and sometimes I still do but when I'm all filled up with wholesome whole foods, I am much less likely to binge and eating this way HAS enabled me to lose lots and maintain. Also 1 and 1/2 hours of some kind of exercise per day.
I say when hungry-eat!!! But eat nutrient dense food so your body doesn't go into starvation mode. And you'll be healthier and feel great about yourself.

You have gotten some great responses here. It is totally possible to eat well on a limited budget. But you are going to have to invest some time and energy into learning about food and learning how to cook meals that are both healthy and economical. There are many, many websites devoted to this topic. Use google and start researching. You can also research the topic at the public library - they have cookbooks - look through them and find some that focus on simple recipes for healthy, economical meals.

Buying and then roasting a whole chicken is one of the most economical ways to stretch a food budget. Roast chicken is delicious and it is practically bomb-proof if you use some common sense and basic seasonings. Roast the chicken and have roast chicken for one meal. Pull all of the meat off the chicken and use it as the base for other meals. You can also make stock from the bones, skin, and other bits you don't want to eat. You can use that stock to make soup or instead of water when you cook rice.