How to eat cheap and healthy without cooking?

Question

I am currently living in a small, I wouldn't call it an apartment, almost like Harry Potter under the stairs room (I literally live under the stairs). Probably 8 feet long x 3 feet wide and 5 to 8 feet high. Ventilation is really poor and I mostly keep myself cool with air conditioning. I have access to a bathroom and toilet and a small wash area which is shared by other tenants. Due to the summer here where I live (Philippines), it is very hot and humid. I keep myself out of the sun and the heat by staying at places where there is good cooling.

The only problem is what I eat, usually racks up my spending due to me getting hungry going out all the time. I can't cook at my place due to it being too small. I tried a couple of times but it made my room smell of cooking oil and other cooking odors that I needed to use air freshener or cleaning to remove. I also don't want bugs in my room so I don't eat there that much.

On weekdays I go to the office so food is usually not on my mind as much, and I can eat at the cafeteria nearby that sells cheap food. What are some good cheap and healthy food that are filling that will stop me craving eating and spending too much on food on weekends?

I don't like eating in my room to keep bugs and the smell away from my room. I eat outside not in the same place where I live, since I can't cook and eat in my room. I can't store anything in my room due to the humidity and weather here in the Philippines. I don't have a fridge. I can eat bread, vegetables and any meat but I am allergic to shellfish.

Answer 1

Muesli could be something to consider. Athough it is somewhat expensive to buy a pack of it, buying the ingredients separately is a pretty good deal.

Things to put in muesli: oats; nuts and dried fruits (these are somewhat expensive but sunflower seeds, flax, peanuts, soya, sessam, raisins and others are affordable, nutritious and last for a along time); soya protein (I don't think that is generally put in muesli, but I like adding it to mine); some honey, syrup or the like (you can do without that), as well as spices to your taste and a pinch of salt.

Just soak it in water for a few minutes. It is quite nutritious. The ingredients don't require any special storage and as long as you seal the packages properly (getting bag sealer clips may be a good idea, they aren't expensive either) you can store them for quite a while.

Also, there are fruits (apples, bananas, etc.) and vegetables (root vegetables like carrots, radish, beetroot) that don't need to be stored in a fridge. You can eat them as they are or make a salad (for example, apples+carrots+beetroot+cinnamon) - you don't need extra space for that, just a knife and a bowl.

You have make sure you are getting all necessary vitamins and minerals, though. If you are going for a vegan diet (animal products need to be stored in a fridge) you will need to get vitamin suppliments (B12 in particular).

(My first thought to your question was canned food, but along with poor nutrition value in comparison to fresh/frozen food, it may contain a potentially harmful chemical from the inner coating of the can, so relying on canned food does not seem to be a good idea. Jarred food is better but the poor nutrition problem remains.)

Answer 2

You can make salads. Salads don't need cooking to be made. Take some lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, olive oil, vinegar (balsamic gives a lot of taste). You can get different ingredients every time in order not to get bored of the same stuff. The good thing about salads is that you buy ingredients once but you can eat for many days.

If you need snacks you could also get many fruits. I personally like buying carrots that require a lot of time to chew and keep me busy while I watch TV and they are an extremely healthy option.