Gecko Steaks and Healing Powder are your friend.
QFT.
You just have to adjust your way of thinking. In FO:NV your primary healing item is not the stimpack, it's food.
In fact food in many cases has more utility, because you can use it before you take damage and let it keep you topped up the whole fight. A dozen sunset Sarsasperilla with a decent survival skill heal for more than a stimpack, are easier to find than a stimpack and not only that they also, as I mentioned, can be used any time and used to keep you from GETTING too hurt.
Think of them as an insurance policy, especially when a few good food items can not only buff you but keep you topped up on health through a nasty fight, healing for more than a deathclaw can hit you for.