To ask how to be healthy / lose weight on a budget?

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I work full time, am a single parent and have an underactive thyroid meaning I'm often busy and shattered.

Getting healthy would certainly help me to feel healthier and feel better about myself.

Can I ask if anyone has achieved this on a budget please?

I am not good at knowing what is healthy and what isn't, apart from the obvious of fruit and veg being healthy, chocolate and cookies being unhealthy.

I desperately want to lose weight and just be healthier overall.

I am an emotional eater, so struggle to keep away from bad things. And because I'm so often tired I struggle to cook from scratch.

But I could really do with your ideas and tips please. I don't want to carry on feeling so crappy.

Thank you and sorry for posting in AIBU. I deserve any flaming I get for that, but figured more people read this section.

Planning! Planning a weeks meals in advance keeps me to a budget and stops me buying rubbish / extras I don't need.

In terms of healthy meals I do have a ton of cookbooks but often use bbc good food website - there are many categories eg recipes grouped by calorie count, healthy, quick, on a budget etc. I've saved lots I use regularly so I always have something stored in my favourites if I run out of ideas.

Meant to say - batch cooking also helps me out massively. I make one giant chilli / bolognese whatever, and freeze dinner sized portions.

Meal prep will help a lot. Making at least half the week of lunches and dinners. Goes hand in hand with meal planning

Cutting out the crap. Don't even buy it. Ha e lots of fruits/veggies/nuts to hand for when your tired but need a snack. You will be surprised how much crap food costs in comparison.

Taking your kids for long walks at the weekend. Find a nearby forest pack some drinks and sandwiches. Kids can have fun exploring making dens and the long walks will help you lose weight

I started on a health kick in August. I wasn't really overweight but I was exhausted all the time. Also have an under active thyroid.
I got the Happy Pear cook book. I am a very fussy eater but surprise I love their food. It's all vegan and the best part, it's cheap. At first it was a little expensive getting all the spices and all but now it's cheap. I don't follow a vegan diet. I still have meat when I feel like it and can afford it.
I do a boot camp twice a week and the park run on a Saturday morning.
If I am not working I go for a 6k walk.
I also eat emotionally. This week has been terrible for me as my DS couldn't get home for Christmas. I just up my excersise and try to replace sweets with fruit.
I find that while I am still tired some days I am no where near as exhausted as I was.
Hope this helps you.

Thank you all. I will go have a look for the cook book.

Unfortunately my eldest child is seen as very overweight by the NHS. My children eat half the time at their fathers and most of my time in childcare. But any changes I can make to the whole household with only be a good thing.

I have tried slimming world in the past but found it quite expensive.

Hairy bikers diet cookbooks (some recipes are free online). No expensive ingredients. No fancy cooking, very quick prep times and can be batch cooked and then heated up when tired. Gives the calories of each meal. 'Normal' dishes made healthier. Lots of snack foods, as carrot sticks etc with dips are your snacking friends. There are lunch recipes to take to work with you. All very filling and didn't make me feel deprived or hungry.

Decent breakfast, cereals are no ones friend, full of sugar and don't fill you up. Old saying: breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.

More veg, less carbs, no processed foods, minimum sugar and fat! No bad snacks keep in house. If you feel like you're depriving your kids then you all walk to the shop and get them a daily, single treat rather then bulk buy and lie to yourself you won't eat them all in one sitting!

New research has suggested that fast walking for 10 minutes 3 times a day works well. So bundle up kids and walk fast to shops, to park etc. Get off bus 2 stops earlier. Little changes rather than a dramatic unsustainable diet.

My fitness Pal. It's a free app that helps you track your calories and gives an idea of what amount you should be eating in order to lose weight.

Essentially it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you burn more than you consume but it quickly makes you want to eat more veg than chocolate to stay fuller for longer.

Planning, as other have said.

Moving towards a vege / vegan diet. I'm neither and love meat but spend noticeably less since making a conscious effort to reduce my meat intake.

Exercise more. It doesn't need expensive gym membership. Get a cheap pedometer or Fitbit type tracker. Seeing your actual exercise is amazing. Giving yourself achievable targets and knowing when you've met them or are close can be really motivating.

If you're on a budget, keep a careful note of your emotional eating bill. It'll frighten you! Junk food is expensive.

Slow cooker is great and you can let it do the work whilst you are at work. Cheaper meats can be used and they taste great and it's really simple.

I have as big bowl of frozen fruit ( thawed in fridge over night) and plain yoghurt for breakfast . At work the soup is lovely and fresh (and cheap at less than £2). Then normal meal ( minus pudding) in the evening with savoury snacks ( meat/ cheese/olives/oatcakes/honours) when required. All not to expensive.

Oops hummous not "honours".

Fruit isn't really healthy. It's sugar with added benefits. Not to be eaten in huge amounts.

I recommend drinking water, eating lots of veg and stay away from processed food as much as possible.

Cooking from scratch doesn't have to be a big deal. I don't normally spend longer than 15 mins making my dinner.

Do you already shop in Lidl/Aldi OP?
My budget healthy foods are:
Large tub of greek style yoghurt from Lidl - very good value at around £1.50.

Chicken thighs with veg/tomatoes in the slow cooker

Middle eastern style eggs - sweat chopped onions in a pan, add beaten eggs, tinned chopped tomatoes and red pepper. Add slices of Lidl Mediterranean style sausage/salami if you have some. Salt&pepoer. Very filling.

Cauliflower rice from Iceland. 4 individual servings for £1. Add butter/cream. Same for their frozen green rice (mix of broccoli etc).

Iceland Frozen berries - less waste than buying fresh