FOOD

[EMDO2018]

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How much does the average med student spend on food a month? And does anyone actually have time to cook? I think Ill follow the cook everything on one day (Sunday) plan, and then just reheat and eat. That sounds kinda gross though🙁.

Eating fast food everyday is out of the question since I don't wanna gain 50 pounds in med school, but I wont have time to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner either. Maybe ill just cook dinner for the entire week, then have a fast food budget for lunch. I'm assuming most meds students go out for lunch then comeback for class or lab. $200 a month should be enough.'



Heres a picture of food so you won't be disappointed

 

[Elevencents]

The same as you do in undergrad. You make time to cook, takes no time at all if you know what you're doing. And you can take lunch to school and heat it up.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

You'll probably spend more than 200 bucks a month on starbucks lol...

 

[EMDO2018]

You'll probably spend more than 200 bucks a month on starbucks lol...

I don't buy Starbucks, got through undergrad just fine with little or no caffeine. I'll probably buy a coffee maker for med school though

 

[chizledfrmstone]

It really depends on the individual.

My diet is very basic so it mostly consists of lean beef, fish, chicken breast, oatmeal, brown rice. I eat very clean and it probably costs me around $30 a week. That type of diet would bore the hell out of most people.

 

[EMDO2018]

It really depends on the individual.

My diet is very basic so it mostly consists of lean beef, fish, chicken breast, oatmeal, brown rice. I eat very clean and it probably costs me around $30 a week. That type of diet would bore the hell out of most people.

I cut down on grains....only meat, non starchy vegetables, fruits.

 

[Chillywilly]

Lol $200 a month for food is a joke. Especially if you're eating out. More like $100 a week. Ask your parents how much they spend on groceries per week and see how much of that you eat in a week.

It's Much cheaper to buy groceries from supermarket and meal prep on Sundays .

That OP who said they spend $30 a week on food? How the hell? I'd love to know how $30 worth of food lasts you for an entire week . You have enough veggies and meat for lunch and dinner for a week and that only costs
$30? No seriously....teach me lol

 

[EMDO2018]

$100 a week in groceries for a single guy is excessive, unless you're Ronnie Coleman.

 

[1badz]

Take into account that everyone eats different quantities. I would keel over and die at my activity level and $30 of food/week. I spend lots of money on food (I usually buy everything fresh/frozen and meal prep for the week, sometimes I will cook the morning of for the entire day. On average I spend ~100 (sometimes more) per week on food/miscellaneous.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

$100 a week in groceries for a single guy is excessive, unless you're Ronnie Coleman.

Hmm, on an average day I eat a light breakfast probably 1 buck to 2 bucks top. Lunch can be easily 1-5 if I eat something from home or 10 bucks. Dinner probably even if I splurge is like 5 bucks. Add in apples, oranges, and occasionally berries and I'm thinking 10-15 ( 20 if I buy coffee) bucks a day. So I think 100 bucks isn't too excessive.
Also I like sushi and going out so it'll be around 120-140 probably by the end of the week for me.

 

[Path hall]

I spent about $20 a day.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

Lol $200 a month for food is a joke. Especially if you're eating out. More like $100 a week. Ask your parents how much they spend on groceries per week and see how much of that you eat in a week.

It's Much cheaper to buy groceries from supermarket and meal prep on Sundays .

That OP who said they spend $30 a week on food? How the hell? I'd love to know how $30 worth of food lasts you for an entire week . You have enough veggies and meat for lunch and dinner for a week and that only costs
$30? No seriously....teach me lol

Relax.

$30 might be on the low side but avg is usually between $30-$55/week. I'm a 6'2" 220 lbs guy eating around 2,000 kcal. I should note I'm dieting down since I hit 230 while traveling around for interviews. I probably spent $30-40/day on food because I was stressed out after interviewing and ate out A LOT.

My parents OTOH spend $500/month at Costco. Their diet is very different from mine.

I don't eat frozen pizza, ice cream, doritos, cheetoes, chocolate cake, fruit loops.

Take a shopping cart and see how much $50 will buy you in oats, lean protein, veggies/fruits and nuts, fat free cottage cheese. My diet is pretty similar to Paleo.

Either groceries are expensive where you guys live or you guys eat a lot more than I do.

 

[Chillywilly]

]
You're not the only one who eats Clean.
I do too but $30 seems low. $55-70 seems reasonable. More power to you if you only spend $30

 

[Donkk]

I eat mostly raw fruits and veggies with lean protein but it is quite cheap if I buy in bulk from costco and rarely eat out anyway.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

]
You're not the only one who eats Clean.
I do too but $30 seems low. $55-70 seems reasonable. More power to you if you only spend $30

I'll admit I'm frugal. You know those Fage Greek Yogurts? Usually they're expensive and no one buys the Fat Free kind because it tastes like ****. I'll just ask an employee friend to tell me when they are 1 week from the best buy date. On Manager's Special I'll get them at 75% off. Mix in some fruit and nuts then freeze it.

After 5pm those rotisserie chickens either need to be tossed or sold at a discount. They go from something like $7.99 to $2.99 after 5pm at my local grocery store. Probably have been sitting there for a few hours though.

 

[EMDO2018]

Hmm, on an average day I eat a light breakfast probably 1 buck to 2 bucks top. Lunch can be easily 1-5 if I eat something from home or 10 bucks. Dinner probably even if I splurge is like 5 bucks. Add in apples, oranges, and occasionally berries and I'm thinking 10-15 ( 20 if I buy coffee) bucks a day. So I think 100 bucks isn't too excessive.
Also I like sushi and going out so it'll be around 120-140 probably by the end of the week for me.

Cook at home instead of eating out.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

200 a month! This is the joke of the day for me.

Between my wife my kid and I, we spend around 800 a month. We cook at home too. Gotta admit though, we enjoy food. Today, for example, I had vegetable omelet with a muffin for breakfast, pasta with a side of Caesar salad and steamed vegetables for lunch, and now I'm looking forward to my giant bowl of cereal with banana slices for dinner.

I don't smoke or drink so I don't feel guilty spending a lot on food.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

200 a month! This is the joke of the day for me.

Between my wife my kid and I, we spend around 800 a month. We cook at home too. Gotta admit though, we enjoy food. Today, for example, I had vegetable omelet with a muffin for breakfast, pasta with a side of Caesar salad and steamed vegetables for lunch, and now I'm looking forward to my giant bowl of cereal with banana slices for dinner.

I don't smoke or drink so I don't feel guilty spending a lot on food.

800/3 = ~$265

It's not so far off.

Honestly, it's not even about the money. I have plenty of time on my hands right now before school starts.

I have a feeling my groceries will go up to $125-150 once school starts since I'll need the convenience. I'll probably won't be able to eat this plain during school since I actually want to go out after test days.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Cook at home instead of eating out.

Right, I don't know how to make Sushi at home and my attempts to copying fried rice result in a dish that costs about the same amount as from a restaurant. So I don't really see the harm in going out once every few weeks to indulge or getting a burger with a beer on friday.
Oh and humus & schawarma from a solid Arab or Israeli place.

But yah, no I legit go out less than once a month.

200 a month! This is the joke of the day for me.

Between my wife my kid and I, we spend around 800 a month. We cook at home too. Gotta admit though, we enjoy food. Today, for example, I had vegetable omelet with a muffin for breakfast, pasta with a side of Caesar salad and steamed vegetables for lunch, and now I'm looking forward to my giant bowl of cereal with banana slices for dinner.

I don't smoke or drink so I don't feel guilty spending a lot on food.

Your dinner is curious. Do you prefer a light dinner or something?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

800/3 = ~$265

It's not so far off.

Honestly, it's not even about the money. I have plenty of time on my hands right now before school starts.

I have a feeling my groceries will go up to $125-150 once school starts since I'll need the convenience. I'll probably won't be able to eat this plain during school since I actually want to go out after test days.

No reason to deprive yourself lmfao.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Right, I don't know how to make Sushi at home and my attempts to copying fried rice result in a dish that costs about the same amount as from a restaurant. So I don't really see the harm in going out once every few weeks to indulge or getting a burger with a beer on friday.
Oh and humus & schawarma from a solid Arab or Israeli place.

But yah, no I legit go out less than once a month.



Your dinner is curious. Do you prefer a light dinner or something?

I started to eat a light dinner few months ago when I decided to shed 35 lbs.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I started to eat a light dinner few months ago when I decided to shed 35 lbs.

Interesting.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

No reason to deprive yourself lmfao.

Not depriving myself. Went from a lean 185 to 235lbs. I've had to be really strict with my diet.

Gained a few pounds while studying for the MCAT, then getting everything ready for Apps and interviewing.

Carbs are limited to 50g unless I have a carb refeed planned or it's a cheat day (2x a week).

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Not depriving myself. Went from a lean 185 to 235lbs. I've had to be really strict with my diet.

Gained a few pounds while studying for the MCAT, then getting everything ready for Apps and interviewing.

Carbs are limited to 50g unless I have a carb refeed planned or it's a cheat day (2x a week).

Mcat eh? You will see what happens when get married.

 

[1badz]

Carbs are limited to 50g unless I have a carb refeed planned or it's a cheat day (2x a week).

Yikes!! My performance while training in the gym is very poor when carbs drop too far below ~250. Below 200 I get real cranky, too. I don't know how you do it at 50g, props to you!

 

[chizledfrmstone]

Yikes!! My performance while training in the gym is very poor when carbs drop too far below ~250. Below 200 I get real cranky, too. I don't know how you do it at 50g, props to you!

That's the thing, I had to stop cardio under 100g which really sucks but I would "bonk" around 45 mins. I can lose more fat and preserve muscle if I up my protein to 1.25*LBM and get my carbs down to 50g. If I keep my carbs above 200g and exercise the extra kcal off I tend to lose LBM real quick for some reason. My carb refeed is ~500g over a 5 hour period (every 4 days) for now and I haven't noticed my metabolism slowing down.

Before the MCAT my highest weight ever was 205lbs (after a 3 month bulk) so as you can imagine getting it back down is a priority for me right now.

I'll probably get to 178 to account for the extra 5 lbs I'll gain when in school.

 

[1badz]

That's the thing, I had to stop cardio under 100g which really sucks but I would "bonk" around 45 mins. I can lose more fat and preserve muscle if I up my protein to 1.25*LBM and get my carbs down to 50g. If I keep my carbs above 200g and exercise the extra kcal off I tend to lose LBM real quick for some reason. My carb refeed is ~500g over a 5 hour period (every 4 days) for now and I haven't noticed my metabolism slowing down.

Before the MCAT my highest weight ever was 205lbs (after a 3 month bulk) so as you can imagine getting it back down is a priority for me right now.

I'll probably get to 178 to account for the extra 5 lbs I'll gain when in school.

Ah, I see! Only way I have been able to make gains are high carbs + high fats - granted I become a bit softer like I am now (~210 @ 5'11, roughly 15%bf). When I am closer to beach season I will usually cut carbs back to lose some of the water weight I put on. It's real interesting and cool to see how our bodies can change through changing diet/training.

 

[Mad Jack]

Lol $200 a month for food is a joke. Especially if you're eating out. More like $100 a week. Ask your parents how much they spend on groceries per week and see how much of that you eat in a week.

It's Much cheaper to buy groceries from supermarket and meal prep on Sundays .

That OP who said they spend $30 a week on food? How the hell? I'd love to know how $30 worth of food lasts you for an entire week . You have enough veggies and meat for lunch and dinner for a week and that only costs
$30? No seriously....teach me lol

$100/wk? Cooking noob, stahp...

If you know how to cook and buy stuff on sale you can easily eat well for 200 a month.

Crock pots, slow roasting, a rice cooker, and a microwave are all you need for fast and easy food that tastes great. Oh yeah, and about 500 bucks worth of spices to start with.

 

[Mad Jack]

Right, I don't know how to make Sushi at home and my attempts to copying fried rice result in a dish that costs about the same amount as from a restaurant. So I don't really see the harm in going out once every few weeks to indulge or getting a burger with a beer on friday.
Oh and humus & schawarma from a solid Arab or Israeli place.

But yah, no I legit go out less than once a month.



Your dinner is curious. Do you prefer a light dinner or something?

You can make a better burger if you make it yourself, at a lower cost, and drink a better, cheaper beer to boot.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

My wife is in school, I am applying next cycle. We shop at aldis (cheapest grocery store on earth) and we spend 50-60 a week on food. Pretty average stuff, some healthy, some normal. Maybe one treat a week for us (like a box of lucky charms or a glass of wine or something). We both pack lunches every day and do not eat out much for dinner. We both can cook

Sent from my RM-917_nam_usa_100 using Tapatalk

 

[Chillywilly]

I'll admit I'm frugal. You know those Fage Greek Yogurts? Usually they're expensive and no one buys the Fat Free kind because it tastes like ****. I'll just ask an employee friend to tell me when they are 1 week from the best buy date. On Manager's Special I'll get them at 75% off. Mix in some fruit and nuts then freeze it.

After 5pm those rotisserie chickens either need to be tossed or sold at a discount. They go from something like $7.99 to $2.99 after 5pm at my local grocery store. Probably have been sitting there for a few hours though.

Lol I never thought about it that way. Those are good tips. It's just that I drink a lot of water. I probably drink 8-9 gallons a week and that's already $9 down the drain. I don't know how most people drink water but I buy gallons from the store. If I can spend less than $65 per week on food I'll consider myself a winner lol

 

[Chillywilly]

$100/wk? Cooking noob, stahp...

If you know how to cook and buy stuff on sale you can easily eat well for 200 a month.

Crock pots, slow roasting, a rice cooker, and a microwave are all you need for fast and easy food that tastes great. Oh yeah, and about 500 bucks worth of spices to start with.

Lol I need to learn these things. You guys gave me great ideas to save money during med school. Thanks! 🙂

 

[Elevencents]

Lol I never thought about it that way. Those are good tips. It's just that I drink a lot of water. I probably drink 8-9 gallons a week and that's already $9 down the drain. I don't know how most people drink water but I buy gallons from the store. If I can spend less than $65 per week on food I'll consider myself a winner lol

Brita.

 

[Chillywilly]

Brita.

I was actually just thinks about that today. I guess I always just learned how my parents shopped for food. Now I realize their way isn't necessarily the best way for me especially during med school. Thanks!

 

[Mad Jack]

Lol I never thought about it that way. Those are good tips. It's just that I drink a lot of water. I probably drink 8-9 gallons a week and that's already $9 down the drain. I don't know how most people drink water but I buy gallons from the store. If I can spend less than $65 per week on food I'll consider myself a winner lol

We live in a country with some of the cleanest water in the world. Utilize it. Get yourself a filtration system if you don't like the taste of your local water, but stop pissing away money on the bottled stuff.

Once you spend some time traveling out of country, it really gives you an appreciation for little things like "being able to drink tap water for free, even if it doesn't taste the greatest." Not that I didn't drink the tap water in many countries anyway (and without bad results!) but it really gave me an appreciation for how safe and clean our water really is.

 

[Chillywilly]

We live in a country with some of the cleanest water in the world. Utilize it. Get yourself a filtration system if you don't like the taste of your local water, but stop pissing away money on the bottled stuff.

Once you spend some time traveling out of country, it really gives you an appreciation for little things like "being able to drink tap water for free, even if it doesn't taste the greatest." Not that I didn't drink the tap water in many countries anyway (and without bad results!) but it really gave me an appreciation for how safe and clean our water really is.

Then I spend about $150 every month and a half on crap from GNC. Guilty...🙄

 

[Mad Jack]

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-mexican-pork-burritos/

Recipes like this are perfect. You just throw all the stuff into the crock pot, which takes about 5-10 minutes of prep time, then let it sit while you're in class. When you come home, you've got 5ish days of meat for burritos ready. Use some canned beans and whatever shredded cheese is on sale, spend a minute dicing some tomatoes, and you're all set.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/awesome-slow-cooker-pot-roast/

5 pounds of pot roast, basically zero effort.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-baby-back-ribs/

I'd marinate these first in a good marinade, but even without it, they're fall-off-the-bone good.

Pork and chicken are the cheapest meats, along with ground beef, so if you're putting meat in your diet, these are going to be your best friends (unless you've got religious reservations against pork). There's also about a million soups and chilis you can make in a slow cooker that are pretty much zero effort as well. The most time-consuming part isn't cooking, it's cleanup, so make sure you make large portions that can be refrigerated so that you are doing as few dishes as possible.

 

[Mad Jack]

Then I spend about $150 every month and a half on crap from GNC. Guilty...🙄

You don't need all that GNC crap. Fat-free milk, oats, and chicken can get you higher quality protein for generally less money overall. And most supplements are garbage, look at the research.

 

[Chillywilly]

You don't need all that GNC crap. Fat-free milk, oats, and chicken can get you higher quality protein for generally less money overall. And most supplements are garbage, look at the research.

I have a lot to learn I admit. My parents always say I'm book smart but not smart when it comes to real life stuff.

 

[touchpause13]

Me and mr. Tp13 spend about $100 a week on food. We eat clean and very well.

To save money we don't go out to eat, we stock up on basics when they go one sale and freeze things for later. We shop at aldis for produce and buy generic stuff.

 

[touchpause13]

You don't need all that GNC crap. Fat-free milk, oats, and chicken can get you higher quality protein for generally less money overall. And most supplements are garbage, look at the research.

Absolutely. I make my own protein bars...

 

[Mad Jack]

Absolutely. I make my own protein bars...

But if I'm not using the name brand protein, where will I get my daily dose of arsenic?

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...protein-drinks/what-our-tests-found/index.htm

 

[touchpause13]

IMO these are the essential kitchen items you need:

Crockpot
Rice cooker
A good set of pots and pans
Hot pot
Kitchen aid
Baking sheets
A good blender (I have a ninja)

Spend your money on these 1 time buys and you can make anything you would possibly need

 

[touchpause13]

A deep freeze is another great purchase. When you see fruits, veggies, or meats at a very good price - buy the living crap out of it.

 

[touchpause13]

For example. Today I found asparagus for 99 cents a lb. I bought 15 lbs of it.

 

[NontradCA]

I eat mostly raw fruits and veggies with lean protein but it is quite cheap if I buy in bulk from costco and rarely eat out anyway.

This. It's cheap and for lunch you could just go sandwich with tuna salad, egg salad, chicken salad, bbq chicken, or make salads. Super easy and healthy.

 

[eimaise]

Third year DO here. My wife and I have spent $200 per month total combined since we got married in 2010. Started med school in 2011. It's really quite easy to spend only that much per month on food if you are self-controlled. We eat out once per month and that's generally only if we have a gift card. We eat a fairly healthy diet too. Lots of fruits and veggies. We eat chicken and fish as our only meat pretty much. No soda at all. About 15 bucks a year on alcohol total generally (we just don't drink that much really). We love desserts too every other day or so. The real key is eating out. I have classmates who eat out ALL the time. I packed my lunch every day for M1 and M2. Always ate a small breakfast at home before class. We're also really lean and don't have huge appetites so maybe this helps. I'm a 6'2, 155 pound male. Third year I also typically pack my lunch every day unless my hospital gives me an allowance for food (only on about 3 or 4 rotations so far out of 8). I cannot comprehend how people can spend over 500 a month on food for 2 people. I'm not even sure what we would buy to make that happen?! We just graduated ourselves up to some organic fruits, eggs, cereals, etc too which cost more and we're still getting through each month at around $200 total for the 2 of us. Been that way for 4 solid years now. It is possible.

 

[EMDO2018]

What cheap sources of fish have you found, beside can tuna and salmon fish seems to be really expensive. And yeah, eating on 200 a month is totally doable, especially for a single guy. People saying they need 400 a month, probably never experienced tough times or had to budget.

 

[eimaise]

What cheap sources of fish have you found, beside can tuna and salmon fish seems to be really expensive. And yeah, eating on 200 a month is totally doable, especially for a single guy. People saying they need 400 a month, probably never experienced tough times or had to budget.

We typically buy frozen tilapia or cod filets in bulk from our local grocery store. It's a bit pricey up front, but we spread it out and make it work throughout a few weeks. My wife prepares it really nicely too. She also eats can tuna every now and then but I am not the biggest fan of it so I usually pass 🙂

 

[DoctorKrieger]

For example. Today I found asparagus for 99 cents a lb. I bought 15 lbs of it.

Nice find, I love asparagus but it's usually $2.50-3.00/lb when I see it.

And I guess I'm in the minority that actually still likes the ol' standby--Maruchan ramen noodles.