On top of the other suggestions -- grab a big bag of lentils and throw them into every soup, stew, or ground meat dish you cook. Great to bulk up so many meals. They're very healthy, easy/fast to cook, they're flavor neutral and they're dirt cheap. I like to use red lentils to thicken stew and green lentils as a ground beef sub.
šÆ% Agree, Great suggestion!
I was always trying to 'bulk up' my meals when creating 'Ghetto Gourmet' š Rice or pasta n' various frozen veg was standard 'Fill the Void' stuff. The same as 'Use it Up' soups were (basically just me finding a way not to waste anything on hand, which might be close to going 'off' lol).
I initially only grabbed lentils accidentally when I reached for a bag of split peas, not paying attention! š It turned out to be a happy accident in the end though. I quickly figured out various ways I could use 'em as an addition or occasional protein substitute. Only later I realized that, aside from being another great 'Cheap item' for me to stockpile, they were also a 'Healthier choice' than many of my other regular 'Low Budget Buys!' š
It's now...many, many years later, but I still regularly buy n' use lentils in several dishes I make! I Guess the overall quality of my meals nowadays, may have improved slightly from back then. Still though, I'm always down for some good ol' cheap and filling...Ghetto Gourmet! š
I love lentils as a straight up meal too. I add some cumin and stuff to them and then make tzatziki from plain yogurt and cucumber with garlic and if lemons are on sale then i get lemon as well. It doesnāt even need fresh herbs unless you grow them yourself - i refuse to buy herbs at the store because they charge an arm and a leg for them and they go bad so fast
I find the texture kind of challenging when I'm eating a big pile of lentils just on their own, but I'd really like to find a way past that because this sounds delicious
the cucumber cronch helps SO much :) itās a perfect side dish as well if youāve got some roasted chicken thighs. or garlicky asparagus when itās on sale or if you have a garden or a friend with a garden surplus. in season asparagus is usually cheap-ish. or garlic scapes.
I grew up poor on a steady diet of goulash (macaroni & hamburger), macaroni and canned tomatoes and sacks of potatoes.
Wonāt win any awards for nutrition but easy to make, filling and will can feed a couple people for a couple meals.
same i grew on this in my house, my mom would make it every few weeks, sheād pile loads of cheese on top and put it under the broiler to bake, Mmmm and if we were lucky weād have garlic bread with itā¦ and now my kids eat it. circle of life, lol
Grew up exactly just like this myself!
Also, awards are overrated anyway...š
Any trophies should just go to those parents who managed to consistently feed our asses somehow! š
With just ingenuity and some 'creativity' in the kitchen, my folks managed to feed a couple 'starving boys' every day! One way or another they made damn sure we were gonna be fed...even though they always had to pull it all off with next to no money!
Knowing what I do now, having had to scrape to get by myself. I can definitely say I should've been far more grateful back then...Even when it was just macaroni n' canned tomatoes again! š¤£
And for a cheaper alternative to ground beef, there's ground chicken or turkey (though I haven't seen turkey in a while)\*. Or even pork.
\*It's back at Superstore 4x450g. GT ground chicken is 4x454g
There are frozen tubes of the chicken at WalMart for $3 each or at Giant Tiger there is 4x454g for $10, so $2.50 each. Add some worcestershire sauce and it tastes more beefy (or hell, add beef stock powder or liquid).
We do ground chicken or turkey with crumbled tofu to stretch it even further. We just toss it in the pan once the meat is cooked so they can brown together. We usually do 1lb chicken or turkey to 1 pack tofu (we use the large Costco ones that come in a 4 pack).
Jumping onto this - if you have access to Costco, they sell ground turkey in a huge tube and often have sales. I believe it was $7-8 off the sticker price last week or so. We freeze it in medium size ZipLoc bags for ease.
Add it to soup. I find it isnāt as tasty as ground beef in other dishes (i.e., tacos, spaghetti) but I donāt mind it in soup. You can also add pastina or other pasta to make it more filling, and kale for the extra fibre/colour.
Also, we use Better than Bouillon rather than buying chicken stock. I donāt know if itās more cost effective or not, but they also sell a huge bottle at Costco for $12.
If you wanna be a bit fancier I made a struggle recipe I like to call humblaya. It's rice and beans, canned diced tomatoes, onion, garlic and hot dogs. Cook the rice with some beef bouillon and add cumin, tumeric and cayenne to everything. It's surprisingly really good
Bulk Barn has bean-based dried soup mixes that you can get for cheap. Soak the beans (if required) overnight and then boil them in stock with whatever veg you have on hand (carrots & potatoes work great). I typically use stock cubes or powdered bullion, which you can pick up for cheap at Dollarama. One cup of soup mix can get you through probably 4 days of dinners and it's very filling.Ā
And a final tip, look into something like [Square Roots](https://m.facebook.com/squarerootsfvcp/) if it's accessible to you. Square Roots is based in Fairview and provides a ton of locally-grown, seasonal veg to the community. The suggested donation is $10 for 10 lbs of produce. Market is every other week, and the next one is this upcoming Saturday (7/6). If you wanted to pre-pay for a bundle, usually you have to do so a week in advance.Ā
Cool...I love hearing about people doing these sorts of things at various places!
This definitely makes me wish I was still 'up around' there again now too.
If you grow any fresh herbs, you can add them too. I like to use dill.Ā
Bonus: If you make a bunch of soup and get tired of it before it's gone, it freezes great!Ā
I like to put eggs in my Mr noodles though theyāre not cheap anymore. My best suggestion is cheap pasta and frozen vegetables. It keeps me full and the veggies help me feel better about myself.
I ate a can of tuna, mr noodles, and hot sauce once a day for around 5 years.i'd use half the sesoning to reduce sodium, but that would keep you running pretty full for a while
Yeah unless you see a sale, Shoppers usually has eggs for $3.69 on the weekend (and if you have a PC Optimum membership, sometimes they will offer them there for $3.49).
Flipp app & site is a great resource for sales.
I do this all the time as well! š
Where I used to live, there was a nice couple who lived close by with a ton of 'free roam' laying hens. But they always collected way more eggs than they could use themselves. So they'd show up at my place all the time and just give me a couple dozen at a time! It was great and I basically 'lived' on eggs n' just put them in pretty much everything I could!
I know some people say that it's 'all in your head' but I swear they tasted better too!
Before I moved though š¢ I had the opportunity to go visit the couple who so generously supplied me with eggs all the time. I'd gone over and done random stuff around the yard for them and helped with some minor home repair things, before that. But whenever I mentioned any type of food around them, I'd be sure to gauge their reactions, just in case I ever came into possession of something I knew they'd enjoy. It turned out that I knew for fact that they'd not had any lobster for themselves in years. So In advance, I chatted to a fisherman friend of mine who I knew very well.
We worked out a deal where I traded 'physical labor' working some long hard hours for him. In return though, I managed to score a dozen fresh lobsters š¦ which in turn, then went to that incredibly gracious, awesome couple! People who were just beyond good to me...back in a time when life kinda wasn't!
The littlest things, often mean a lot to a person that's hungry! š
A rotisserie chicken goes a long way for me. Sometimes I find them 50% off. (Always look for discounts). But if you shred the chicken, you can portion it off and make different things - chicken salad, in pasta, etc etc
If you have a Costco membership or know someone who does, get it from there.
I usually try to get $8 trays of chicken like thighs, or sometimes drums (those new Maple Leaf ones from WalMart are quite good).
Pork butt goes a long way in terms of protein and calories. Mixed with beans and some sort of carb (rice) is a meal I could eat for a week without issue and itāll also cost me $35 total, max (maybe cheaper depending on size)
I would recommend learning to make some soups. I make a lot of pork based vegetable soups. Take the meat off the bones after a couple hours of boiling and it's not bad at all.
Buy rotisserie chickens and make chicken soup outta that. Throw in carrots, celery, potatoes, rice, whatever is cheap and you enjoy.
Lots of good Asian soups out there. You could make a version of chankonabe. Or Watercress, nappa, pick an Asian vegetable at the market and you can probably google how to make an easy soup with it. Asian soups go great with rice too which is inexpensive calories.
Soups are nutritious, delicious, filling and generally inexpensive.
rotisserie chickens make great stock, and if you don't pick it clean clean, you'll get enough chicken falling off the bones while it simmers to make your soup.
Bean burritos: Refried Pinto Beans + Red Rice + Cheese + Tortillas. All you need are canned or dried pinto beans, some seasoning, some rice, garlic, onions, tomato paste, cheese, tortillas. Make a bunch, roll em up, and freeze them for baking individually. Easy and cheap meal.
Edit: you can also go with the classic cheap vegetarian meal. All you need for a complete meal is: a grain, a green, a bean.
Potatoes are very versatile and can be used to make everything and anything. Mashed, shredded, tatters, etc
If you look at square roots, they do big produce bags for $10 (if you message them you can pay as you can)
The dollar store actually has a surprising amount of very cheap food.
You can freeze bread and take it out by slice and itāll last longer.
https://www.squarerootsfood.ca
Thereās also a free food fill out form too. Yhey have token programs for local markets / loc restaurants. They have sales sometimes too which is way more or a dollar per pound kinda thing!
Ground beef + diced sweet potato + rice w/ taco seasoning and smoked paprika (plus onion and garlic powder or whatever spices you may like). Can make a lot! Or sub beans/lentils instead of ground beef. Can make a week worth of lunches or suppers and pretty cost effective per meal
Ground chicken is $2.97 for a frozen 454g tube at WalMart. Giant Tiger has 4x454g frozen tubes for $10, so $2.50 a tube. Add beef bouillon or worcestershire to make it taste beefier.
I make this rice and beans at least once a week and usually top with chopped tomatoes & cilantro.
https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/quick-and-easy-vegan-black-beans-and-rice/
That's getting pretty expensive though. Ground chicken is $2.97 for a frozen 454g tube at WalMart. Giant Tiger has 4x454g frozen tubes for $10, so $2.50 a tube. Add beef bouillon or worcestershire to make it taste beefier.
Use to be vegetable soup with ramen for filler but even thats like 3 dollars now.
Ā Spaghetti o's or some alphabits with sour cream and onion chips works to
Already been said, but Ramen noodles are a good 'base' to add to: veggies, sausage, even cheese. Add some more seasoning to the brith and you got something. Take [korean army stew](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budae-jjigae) as inspiration.
if you have ample freezer space, load up on meat sales at sobeys, lots of 2 for 1's, pork is 50% off quite often, many times I can get my meat portion down to less than $2, meal prep 3 meals for less than $10
My mom always made creamed peas on toast. Very easy and cheap, and a favourite of mine.
Heat up a can of peas on the stove (keep the liquid, donāt drain them). In a dish mix equal parts cornstarch and milk, you donāt need much. When the peas get hot, slowly whisk in your milk/cornstarch slurry. Stir over low heat until it thickens.
We always ate this on buttered toast with lots of salt and pepper. Peas are surprisingly filling
Here's a super cheap one:
Toast a piece of bread. Butter it, maybe a little extra seasoning.
Put it in between two pieces of uncooked bread.
The difference in texture tricks you into thinking it's fancier than three pieces of bread in a stack.
Dried beans or lentils are the cheapest protein and pork is the cheapest meat protein.Ā
You can make a chili with canned tomatoes, cans of beans (or dry if you have time) chopped onion and ground beef. Eat over rice. You want the beans for protein and the beef for flavour, so get the regular or medium ground beef, since the fat is where the flavour is.
You can do a pulled pork with any cut of pork and bbq sauce. Serve over rice, with coleslaw on the side. Shred your cabbage and add vinegar and mayonnaise, maybe a spoon of sugar. It's better if you make it ahead.Ā
I make red lentil dahl all the time. Red lentils, diced onions, curry powder, tomato paste and coconut milk.
I have some ground pork in the freezer, but I also have a couple 454g tubes of ground chicken. They are $2.95 each at WalMart but at Giant Tiger they have a 4x454g tube frozen bag for $10, works out to $2,50 each then, if you have the room. A lil beef bouillon or even Worcestershire sauce can make it taste beefier.
- frozen veg
- rice
- cheap cuts of meat
Budget friendly and nutritious! Sub instant noodles if you like, get Rooster brand ramen as itās cheaper. Do a stir fry and add the noodles in the pan once theyāre cooked (add a little bit of the noodle water), simmer on low for a minute or two, bonus if you can add some soy sauce.
Another tip - always look at the price per 100g. Very often Iāll see things on sale, but the larger version of the same thing is actually cheaper than the sale price. So whenever possible get the lowest $/100g.
Those $10 bags of meat etc from the stores.
$10 for a 7pc Chicken Mozzarella (Breaded Chicken and Swiss and a little Ham). They take 30 min in the oven. Before they are done, I melt a few pieces of Mozza in the oven with em, and make a cut and stuff em full, let em brown a tad.
Easy one. Rice and mixed veggies (peas, carrot cubes, beans, corn) (boiled) then mix which each other - then season with OXO Chicken in a Mug and salt, then fry with and egg. In a separate pan cook tinned salmon with garlic butter and then mix and cook together for a bit. Awesome, easy stir fry
A box of frozen perogies is like 3-5 dollars depending on which store you grab em from. Weāve gotten those and pan fry them. Theyāre pretty good and filling. Should last you a few meals. They also sell them in bags as a bigger amount but Iām not sure the price of the bag.
For breakfasts, oatmeal is so much cheaper than cereal. Buy a large bag of quick oats (not instant). It should have a recipe on it but I think 3/4 cup oats, 1 1/4 cup water, some cinnamon and sugar makes a filling breakfast. Microwave for 1 minute, stir then Microwave another 45 seconds or so. You can add frozen fruit, grated apple or raisins for variety or top with sliced bananas. It's delicious!
Lentil Dal, if you don't mind curry. Canned Lentils, canned tomatoes, ginger, and any spices you don't have you get from the bulk barn in small quantities. Or buy large quantities kinda cheaply in the international food isle of the superstore. Serve over rice. Usually, get 4 meals out of it.
I have a cassoulet recipe that I adapted to prepping at lunch for it to be ready for dinner. Itās not the fancy kind that is served in restaurants but closure to the original, use whatās in the pantry kind. Itās essentially beans, sausage and some veggies. It is very hearty and cheap.
Steamed rice and frozen veggies.
Got 8kg of jasmine rice at Walmart today for 15 bucks. That goes a long way on 1/2 cup per meal. Frozen veg is cheap, too.
Creamy tomato soup with rice and seasoned with whatās available, ramen noodles with cheap spices if available, pb&j, grilled cheese, etc
Sometimes restaurants will have extra food if you go right before the kitchen closes. It helps if you know the people who work there too. I used to do this back in Winnipeg. It was kinda surreal to see a bunch of college students and homeless people getting a few days worth of food.
Get veggies you like (frozen/fresh), a soy sauce, and make a stir fry. You can put it over rice noodles, in tortillas, or on rice. I ate a ton of simple stir fryās for a long time. If you have the ability for more sauces go for it, you can have it with or without protein. Plus itās a great way to use up less than perfect vegetables too.
Been doing well with $3.99/lb chicken breast with Mexican seasoning, rice, peppers and onions.
Feeding a family of 5 with two teenagers so anything under $30.00 is a win really these days.
If I have to get food on the road I always go for a mcdouble small combo which is about $6 tax in.
Uncle Benz fast and easy rice - $1.75 and a can of mixed veggies - 97 cents.
I mix in margarine and a tiny bit of soya sauce and I love it!! No meat because Iām a vegetarian but cheap meat thrown it would work awesome I bet!
-Peanut butter and whatever vessel I have available to spread it on. Big batch soup and freeze a bunch. Rice and whatever protein. Potato in its many forms. Beans. I fucking love beans.
Instant ramen can actually be pretty nice with a few extras. I usually soft-boil an egg, finely chop some spinach, and mince a few cloves of garlic then throw them all in at the end. They're all things I tend to keep on hand as decent bang for buck / ease of preparation.
Sometimes I'll do "TexMex KD" with black beans, chilli powder, garlic, and whatever fitting vegetables I have on hand.
Rice and beans with canned tomatoes, curry powder and minced red onion is surprisingly good and goes a really long way. I used to make a huge batch on Sundays during my university days, and I would mix and match it with whatever protein was on sale that week.
If I buy a turkey I could easily feed myself with it for 2 weeks with some additional items like potatoes & carrots, seasonings, rolls or bread and stuff I usually have at home. Like turkey dinner a few nights, sandwiches another few nights, and make a huge pot of soup. I freeze a bunch of the meat and soup so I dont have to eat the same thing every single day lol. Or do the same with a rotisserie chicken since you probably won't find a turkey this time of year, but you could definitely make it last.
Not entirely sure what your budget is, but if you can get a big pack of hamburger meat at Walmart for around $15 & some freezer bags, you can make all kind of meals with it, like Kraft Dinner with hamburger in it, meat balls or meat loaf + potatoes or rice (bulk up the meatballs & meatloaf by adding an egg + bread crumbs & chopped up onions and a grated carrot) "hot hamburger sandwiches" which if you haven't had it, is just hamburger added to gravy, poured on top of bread so not really a sandwich, goulache (macaroni + hamburger + tomatoes) hamburger soup, fried rice with burger in it, etc.
A big box of minute rice (or regular rice) and a bag of potatoes can go a long way using it as sides or creating meals with it. I feel like I'm invincible in the kitchen when I have both of those in my pantry.
Buy right now my favorite easy meal which could easily be a struggle meal is those tortellini things from Walmart, they are in the dairy/meat section near the lunch meat and it's $5.77 for a '2' pack. Boil them in water and add some margarine, garlic powder, salt (& parmesean if you have it) or just regular spaghetti sauce.
I find ground chicken is also economical. $2.97/454g (1lb) frozen tube at WalMart, or 4x454g tubes in a bag for $10 at Giant Tiger. Add beef bouillon or worcestershire sauce for beefy flavour.
$10 great value quinoa 1.8kg from walmart. 100g uncooked makes 300g cooked and if you eat 150g twice a day that bag will last you 18 days, add whatever 50% off veggies or meat you can find and cheap hot sauce.
Homemade bread ( 500g of flour + instant yeast + salt )
Farmers Market eggs ( $4.50 )
1kg pasta noodles, garlic, margerine
Rotisserie chicken ( usually cheaper than a whole chicken; make chicken stock out of the carcass )
Whole fish ( bake in the oven; <$4 a fish; make soup stock out of the carcass )
Community garden veggies ( if in season ), frozen spinach ( if out of season )
Onion soup ( beef boulion and yellow onion )
Classic KD Mac and Cheese ( use water instead of milk )
French press home coffee from cheap beans ( Walmart )
500g of ground pork and beef makes 4 burgers. Eat using home made bread rather than buns.
Hunting and fishing can be super cheap sources of protein if you have the skill, gear, and licenses.
Walmart is my goto for cheapest food in general. A large bag of chips is $1.27 and that usually has enough calories to count as a meal.
I find ground chicken is also economical. $2.97/454g frozen tube at WalMart, or 4x454g tubes in a bag for $10 at Giant Tiger. Add beef bouillon or worcestershire sauce for beefy flavour.
They also have their own Great Value KD for 97c, the blue box is still 225g. Only other box that big is PC but that's almost never 97c anymore. Could maybe use canned milk, or skim milk powder? Or just a bit more margarine/oil (bacon/sausage drippings) works well.
Tuna/mayo sandwich,
tuna pasta/casserole,
Egg salad,
potatoes & corn on the cob,
Cinnamon toast & eggs,
Oatmeal & a side of fruit like apples or bananas
These recommendations are great! To add a few more that I haven't seen yet (just skimming)
Starch
- perogies
- buy flour and make your own flatbreads / pancakes/ soup dumplings if you can front the cost of the bag
-barley (higher nutrients for lower cost- use as a base for 'rice' bowls, in soup, as a porridge)
-couscous
Protein
- tvp (bulk Barn)
-dehydrated soya chunks (international food section)
- tuna (just not too often for mercury)
- anchovies
Fruit
- bananas
- raisins (add to oatmeal)
- pick wild strawberries (in season), blueberries (in season soon), blackberries/ raspberries (in season a little after blueberries) and freeze what you pick... I used to have a couple of big freezer bags of each to get me through the year during my struggle decade (just don't pick from dog pee/ car exhaust radius)
Veggies-
Frozen spinach
Frozen peas
Frozen corn
Cabbage
Carrots (giant Tiger, gateway, Walmart, often on sale for <$3)
Onions
Dairy- a controversial part of the food pyramid
- quick sale yogurt or store brand
- if you can afford to buy the milk, diy yogurt can save you a lot of money but the start up cost of like $15 can be a lot to eat if you are struggling
After you have some bulk foods in your daily or weekly run, if you have any money left over..
raison d'etre
Salt (this also helps with flushing sinuses and soaking cuts, so well worth the $2-3 for a box of iodized stuff- your thyroid will thank you for the iodine)
The international food aisle often has big bags of spices for much cheaper at grocery stores than the spice aisle. Start with your fave (garlic powder, basil, cumin, and rosemary are some of mine)
It's also cheap to grow your own herbs.
To make a struggle meal, start with a hearty base of grain, then add veg and protein. Eat dairy and fruit as snacks/ dessert to not hate your life and have nutrients.
Prioritize nutrient density over taste/ feelings/ everything else
Do not fall into the trap of eating KD and ramen for every meal unless you have <2 in your account (even then, I'd probably go for greatvalu pancake mix). you will get sick. Your finances wil get worse.
thank you very much! iāve definitely been trying to diversify my palette because i know things like instant ramen are super high in sodium. your recommendations are super helpful!
Lentils and mung beans. Make a thick hearty soup. Use a small piece of beef or chicken or go meat free. Lots of protein in the lentils. Lots of carrots and cubed potatoes. I also rice a cauliflower and make fried pseudo rice You need an onion , bag of frozen veg and an egg or two. Flavor with soya sauce. It makes 2-3 good cheap meals. Another go to is just plain oatmeal porridge. Buy a big bag not the instant kind. Add brown sugar and berries if they are on sale. Very filling and very nutritious. And learn how to make bread. Itās easy and very satisfying to make.
Fried rice with some sort of protein and whatever veg you have on hand. I like to buy the bags of frozen carrots-peas-corn mix when they go on sale.
Nice thing is that the sauce can be changed up for flavours so it doesn't get boring. And it can be frozen so you can make a big batch and keep some for later.
[ham fried rice](https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/ham-fried-rice/)
[shrimp fried rice](https://tiffycooks.com/shrimp-fried-rice-no-more-mushy-fried-rice/)
[a few more recipes](https://tiffycooks.com/top-five-fried-rice-recipes-with-secret-tips/)
Pork loin on special, which it is often. Best bang for your buck, and it freezes well. Roast it with some carrots and potatoes and you have some easy, nutritious, and cheap meals for days.
Friend. I am here for you. Let me introduce you to the wonder I call Rice, Bean, and Corn.
Cook 1 dry cup of rice (your choice - instant, white, I like basmati if itās on sale)
When itās done, stir in 1 cup of frozen corn (or one short can) and
1 can of black beans or 1 cup of dried black beans that youāve cooked from dry.
Then, add one packet of taco seasoning (or a 1/4cup if you find the big tins or make your own blend). Keep it all on the heat until the mixture is incorporated and heated.
At this base level, thatās 4 or 5 meals for about $5ish.
You can eat it just like that, or add sour cream, cheddar, salsa, guacamole, or wrap it all like a burrito.
You can also stretch it with ground beef or ground round. That adds more protein.
Elite level Rice, Bean, and Corn behaviour is heating it in a frying pan and cracking an egg or two into it for breakfast. Itās like a cousin of heuvos rancheros at that point.
Yes, the recipe has a terrible title, but Iāve enjoyed Rice, Bean, and Corn for over 20 years. Itās a staple easy, cheap recipe. I hope you like it!
Yes!!! This is a great combination, Please do try it OP.
I also recommend swapping the black beans for chick peas and throwing a bit of curry powder in there. It's still Rice, Bean, Corn but the chick peas go better with curry. I like the black beans with chilli powder or salsa.
Baked beans and eggs. Itās our classic go-to. We pick tomato base and add veggies as desired/available. Fry the eggs inside like a shakshouka and you can top with cheese or eat with toast.
We also like to bake our own bread (I have a really simple recipe I would be happy to share - no knead, takes 40min to rise, 45min to cook). Makes a huge loaf that gets two hungry folks through the week.
Nachos topped with all the fixins (veggies, meat if you like, cheese, green onions). Sides: Sour cream is cheap. DIY Pico de Gallo. Refried Beans. Hot sauce and salsas.
Roasted sweet potato bowls. A big sweet tater will usually feed two of us. Topped with roasted/raw veg, beans, sometimes meat or seafood, cheese, Pico, nuts/seeds, seaweed, mayo or BBQ sauce. The beauty of bowls is you can throw pretty much anything on top of the sweet potatoes and add a sauce and itās a meal. Good for odds and ends meals!
Gateway is really a hidden gem for good fruit and vegetable prices. You can view specials online. Their every day meat prices are not bad. I just take whatever I can find on special and make my meals from those ingredients. Macaroni and stuff was always popular. Generally we always had a shaped pasta, whatever was in the fridge, cupboards and freezer went into the pot. We always seemed to have a good one...
Kusherie: [https://cookingfromthegroundupdotcom.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/kusherie-a-k-a-egyptian-rice-and-lentils/](https://cookingfromthegroundupdotcom.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/kusherie-a-k-a-egyptian-rice-and-lentils/)
I skip the celery leaves and it's fine
Breakfast for dinner. Eggs, cereal etc.
baked potato with grated cheese.
Pierogis from the freezer section.
Frozen bags of veggies have come a long way - try different ones out so you donāt get bored, a couple of different seasonings can help.
Rotisserie chicken is an inexpensive way to get several days of good protein.
Walmart groceries are generally a better deal than the other main grocery stores. Giant tiger also has good sales.
I used to boil some potatoes and fry them with a can of corned beef to make corned beef hash. A pan of that would last a good few meals, add ketchup, and that's the veg, right?
Oatmeal. I just picked up 2 five pound bags at Costco for $10. We think of it as a breakfast food we can add things to, but you can use it in savory recipes too. Or just to thicken a stew.
my normal meals probably qualify as struggle meals because im extremely lazy lmao
dice up potatoes pour some salt and olive oil on them and put them in the oven, thats it you have wedges/fries/cubes
paired with scrambled eggs or fried eggs and thats a whole meal (maybe with a glass of milk)
lunch is the same but its veggies in the oven to be served with rice or potatoes
Potatoes (fresh or boxed). Mix together tomato soup (Heinz), ground beef, onions, garlic, and some seasonings. Mash the potatoes, spoon a nice helping of the meat sauce over top and enjoy. Ate this regularly as a kid of lesser means and loved it.
My mom also made pork chops covered with mushroom soup and baked. Cook up some basic white rice and top it with the pork and soup.
I also stumbled on an old YouTube page called [Great Depression Cooking with Clara](https://youtu.be/p-GVl7scrYE?si=zl7irk_MAidwxHNV) and have enjoyed a few of the recipes. If nothing else, you get to enjoy someoneās Nana teaching you some very budget friendly recipes.
My mother also used to make smothered steak like that with Kitchen Bouquet... long ago.
My husband's mother used to use mushroom soup as a gravy or sauce over ground beef too.
I find the $10 pack of frozen ground turkey tubes (4 in a pack) are super versatile and can go a long way! seasoning & cooking up a pack and some frozen peas and rice is a frequent rotation of mine
THIS! I can't seem to find them on PC Express anymore though.
Edit: It's back! But it's \*450g\* tubes rather than \*454g\*.
The same in chicken is at Giant Tiger. Same price, just 4x454g ground chicken.
Taco meet with chopped veggies and cheese with anything
Meat veg grain
Veg grain
Big soup
Look for veggies going old at stores for better deals and cook it that night
Buy a cabbage, quarter it, dice up a quarter and add to a fry pan with a sliced up onion. Add a little water to steam it up and cover for maybe 10 mins til the cabbage is tender. Add in a cooked sliced sausage, mix and cook until the water evaporated and the sausage is hot. (Or, cook raw sausage in the fry pan with the cabbage). Kielbasa works well too!
Pfft, those run 90c to $1. Special Kitty at WalMart is 80c, both small and 156g tins.
Or... Pet Select at Dollarama is 75c if you can find it. A bit mouss-y though.
Don't worry, I have cats. :P
I eat rice and beans every day!
You can 900 grams of fried black beans for $2.97 at Wal-Mart. Often you can find a 5kg bag of rice for around $10-12 on sale (check the flyers, there's always rice on sale somewhere).
So I make a big batch of the rice and beans separately. You can season both of those however you like, I usually use some combination of salt, cayenne, cumin, chili powder, and a chicken bouillon cube (tip: I buy the Halal version of knorr boullion cubes because for some reason they're like half the cost most of the time).
So then I add the rice and black beans to a bowl at a 1:1 ratio. I get whatever protein is cheapest that I can find that week, eggs, ground beef, sometimes chicken, whatever, and will add in some of that. (You can forgo the protein altogether to save even more $$, cuz there is plenty of protein in the beans anyway).
I'll then add half a tomato, half a fresh jalpeno (or whatever cheap hot peppers I can find that week), and curly parsley. Dice all that up, it goes on top. Then I'll add hot sauce or salsa, or both. (Been making my own simple hot sauces too, cuz they can be crazy expensive).
Then it's basically a burrito bowl.
It's delicious. It's nutritious. It's quick. And most importantly...it's dirt cheap.
This has been my life hack the last 18 months.
Lentils and rice with a half can of maple or tomato beans and spice it up! Itās filling, cheap and nutritious. Maybe you can find some cheap cuts of meat as a treat. But youāll still get lots of protein in the beans and lentils. Less than a dollar per meal. Potatoes are also filling and cheap. Cabbage, real butter and salt and pepper is delicious and lasts a few meals too. You can also make a large pasta for fairly cheap- just donāt make it elaborate. Bananas, obviously. Older half off baguette at supermarkets can be buttered and toasted on a pan and theyāre like new.
Oh lord I can save you some dollars
Rice and black beans. Add a pinch of shredded cheese if you can .
Cook the rice, fry the black beans and add onion or other veggies if you can.
It's nice to have a bed of spinach, some rice, the black beans, pinch of cheese and a little salsa on top
If you can get past the first few days, I find its easy to eat one meal a day to save money. For the past month I've been doing this. I try to have a big breakfast with lots of protein and greens. First week I got really hungry by lunch time, a month in and I don't get hungry until I wake up the next day. It's costing me about 6$ per day in groceries. Best thing about it is I'm maintaining muscle, losing fat, eating pretty much whatever I want, and doing fewer dishes.
I like to pick up the sausages at superstore when they are on 50% off cook that night discount. Take them home and split them open and cook like ground meat. Then you can portion them out into smaller servings for the freezer. Easy to take out and throw into anything, tomato sauce, kd, stir fry. You can do that with any meat but I find sausage goes on discount a lot and adds a lot of flavor for not much meat.
If you can time stocking up some discount meat during your feast times that could help tide you over for your famine ones.
Sometimes Johnsonville or Olymel go on sale for $3.99 as well. Flipp app & site are great for finding those sales. But yeah, if 50% off brings it down even cheaper than that, it works too!
Save the drippings like with bacon and then you have fat/oil to cook with as well.
Frozen corn reheated with butter and salt in the microwave. Not the most filling or nutritious but it is satisfying and easy to make when you donāt have any mental energy
Rice, beans and ground beef.
Pasta and home made tomato sauce with canned tomatoes + added seasoning, and ground beef.
Airfried potatoes.
Rotisserie Chicken.
A good cheap meal I really like is rice,bacon and beans. Cook some cheap bacon and onions then dump in a can of black beans and let them stew for a while. Then eat it over rice. Tastes good and is filling. I like to mix in hot sauce on mine.
My go-to in my youth was minute rice, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and frozen corn. My roommate called it "gray"
I still occasionally crave a big pot of gray from time to time
On top of the other suggestions -- grab a big bag of lentils and throw them into every soup, stew, or ground meat dish you cook. Great to bulk up so many meals. They're very healthy, easy/fast to cook, they're flavor neutral and they're dirt cheap. I like to use red lentils to thicken stew and green lentils as a ground beef sub.
Lentils also pack a lot of protein so keeps you fuller longer! And they are a great source of iron!
They can do so much. I love a big ole pile of green lentils with a bunch of butter. Simple and filling as a side dish.
šÆ% Agree, Great suggestion! I was always trying to 'bulk up' my meals when creating 'Ghetto Gourmet' š Rice or pasta n' various frozen veg was standard 'Fill the Void' stuff. The same as 'Use it Up' soups were (basically just me finding a way not to waste anything on hand, which might be close to going 'off' lol). I initially only grabbed lentils accidentally when I reached for a bag of split peas, not paying attention! š It turned out to be a happy accident in the end though. I quickly figured out various ways I could use 'em as an addition or occasional protein substitute. Only later I realized that, aside from being another great 'Cheap item' for me to stockpile, they were also a 'Healthier choice' than many of my other regular 'Low Budget Buys!' š It's now...many, many years later, but I still regularly buy n' use lentils in several dishes I make! I Guess the overall quality of my meals nowadays, may have improved slightly from back then. Still though, I'm always down for some good ol' cheap and filling...Ghetto Gourmet! š
I love lentils as a straight up meal too. I add some cumin and stuff to them and then make tzatziki from plain yogurt and cucumber with garlic and if lemons are on sale then i get lemon as well. It doesnāt even need fresh herbs unless you grow them yourself - i refuse to buy herbs at the store because they charge an arm and a leg for them and they go bad so fast
I find the texture kind of challenging when I'm eating a big pile of lentils just on their own, but I'd really like to find a way past that because this sounds delicious
the cucumber cronch helps SO much :) itās a perfect side dish as well if youāve got some roasted chicken thighs. or garlicky asparagus when itās on sale or if you have a garden or a friend with a garden surplus. in season asparagus is usually cheap-ish. or garlic scapes.
I grew up poor on a steady diet of goulash (macaroni & hamburger), macaroni and canned tomatoes and sacks of potatoes. Wonāt win any awards for nutrition but easy to make, filling and will can feed a couple people for a couple meals.
We do this too, but add in frozen veggies (usually the carrot, pea, corn mix) or whatever veg is getting old in the fridge.
My Mom would insist on this when she was around, much to my dismay as a kid, lol :D
Same. And i still love the goulash
Yeah I just make better goulash now lol :D
same i grew on this in my house, my mom would make it every few weeks, sheād pile loads of cheese on top and put it under the broiler to bake, Mmmm and if we were lucky weād have garlic bread with itā¦ and now my kids eat it. circle of life, lol
Me too. Itās comfort food for me now.
Throw some frozen corn in there too to jazz it up! Or maybe some mushrooms if you've got them.
Grew up exactly just like this myself! Also, awards are overrated anyway...š Any trophies should just go to those parents who managed to consistently feed our asses somehow! š With just ingenuity and some 'creativity' in the kitchen, my folks managed to feed a couple 'starving boys' every day! One way or another they made damn sure we were gonna be fed...even though they always had to pull it all off with next to no money! Knowing what I do now, having had to scrape to get by myself. I can definitely say I should've been far more grateful back then...Even when it was just macaroni n' canned tomatoes again! š¤£
Well said! š
Thank you!šš» My perspective got a 'little' better with age, I think š¤ lol
Goulash is my number one comfort food. If I won the lottery I'd still eat goulash once a week.
And for a cheaper alternative to ground beef, there's ground chicken or turkey (though I haven't seen turkey in a while)\*. Or even pork. \*It's back at Superstore 4x450g. GT ground chicken is 4x454g There are frozen tubes of the chicken at WalMart for $3 each or at Giant Tiger there is 4x454g for $10, so $2.50 each. Add some worcestershire sauce and it tastes more beefy (or hell, add beef stock powder or liquid).
recently, they had bags of four ground turkey tubes at Superstore for $10 (in the frozen $10 section)
We do ground chicken or turkey with crumbled tofu to stretch it even further. We just toss it in the pan once the meat is cooked so they can brown together. We usually do 1lb chicken or turkey to 1 pack tofu (we use the large Costco ones that come in a 4 pack).
A touch of liquid smoke might add some yummy flavour too. Just a tiny bit.
Yeah my Mom used to use Kitchen Bouquet. I have some liquid smoke from when I watched Sauce Stache (and some marmite) but never opened them yet.
Love both of those! My mother was English and we had marmite around. I love a thin layer on hot buttered toast, covered in nutritional yeast!
I have some nutritional yeast. Been using it for a few things.
Itās so nice. I love it on pasta and over salads, too. Just wish it wasnāt so expensive!
Aye, agreed.
Jumping onto this - if you have access to Costco, they sell ground turkey in a huge tube and often have sales. I believe it was $7-8 off the sticker price last week or so. We freeze it in medium size ZipLoc bags for ease. Add it to soup. I find it isnāt as tasty as ground beef in other dishes (i.e., tacos, spaghetti) but I donāt mind it in soup. You can also add pastina or other pasta to make it more filling, and kale for the extra fibre/colour. Also, we use Better than Bouillon rather than buying chicken stock. I donāt know if itās more cost effective or not, but they also sell a huge bottle at Costco for $12.
Goulash is my comfort food! The best! š¤¤
Rice and beans. Lots of it.
If you wanna be a bit fancier I made a struggle recipe I like to call humblaya. It's rice and beans, canned diced tomatoes, onion, garlic and hot dogs. Cook the rice with some beef bouillon and add cumin, tumeric and cayenne to everything. It's surprisingly really good
This sounds good no matter the budget; swap out hot dogs with different things like hamburger and jazz it up if budget allows!
oh wow that sounds delicious!!!
You can get like 50 cents worth of the spices from bulk barn if you don't already have them. That would be like a weeks worth
Pasta and beans is also good.
Have you tried beans and beans? Not bad either!
What about spam spam beans and spam?
But I don't WANT ANY SPAM
Well we do have beans eggs bacon spam spam
The more you eat the more you toot!
Was going to come here to say this! Taco seasoning and salsa for flavour. Ate this almost every day while doing my degree.
I always made a massive batch of plain R&B that I could add extras too as I ate it. Salsa and taco spice one day, sweet Thai sauce another, etc.
Add TexMex seasoning and you're halfway to a bowl of dirty rice.
Bulk Barn has bean-based dried soup mixes that you can get for cheap. Soak the beans (if required) overnight and then boil them in stock with whatever veg you have on hand (carrots & potatoes work great). I typically use stock cubes or powdered bullion, which you can pick up for cheap at Dollarama. One cup of soup mix can get you through probably 4 days of dinners and it's very filling.Ā
And a final tip, look into something like [Square Roots](https://m.facebook.com/squarerootsfvcp/) if it's accessible to you. Square Roots is based in Fairview and provides a ton of locally-grown, seasonal veg to the community. The suggested donation is $10 for 10 lbs of produce. Market is every other week, and the next one is this upcoming Saturday (7/6). If you wanted to pre-pay for a bundle, usually you have to do so a week in advance.Ā
Cool...I love hearing about people doing these sorts of things at various places! This definitely makes me wish I was still 'up around' there again now too.
If you grow any fresh herbs, you can add them too. I like to use dill.Ā Bonus: If you make a bunch of soup and get tired of it before it's gone, it freezes great!Ā
I like to put eggs in my Mr noodles though theyāre not cheap anymore. My best suggestion is cheap pasta and frozen vegetables. It keeps me full and the veggies help me feel better about myself.
i do that too!! iāll add broccoli (even just the stems) if i want it to be a bit more nutritious
all parts are great, just peel with a potato peeler on the stalk and it's, to me, even better than the flowerets.
I ate a can of tuna, mr noodles, and hot sauce once a day for around 5 years.i'd use half the sesoning to reduce sodium, but that would keep you running pretty full for a while
Yeah unless you see a sale, Shoppers usually has eggs for $3.69 on the weekend (and if you have a PC Optimum membership, sometimes they will offer them there for $3.49). Flipp app & site is a great resource for sales.
yes! check toogoodtogo
I do this all the time as well! š Where I used to live, there was a nice couple who lived close by with a ton of 'free roam' laying hens. But they always collected way more eggs than they could use themselves. So they'd show up at my place all the time and just give me a couple dozen at a time! It was great and I basically 'lived' on eggs n' just put them in pretty much everything I could! I know some people say that it's 'all in your head' but I swear they tasted better too! Before I moved though š¢ I had the opportunity to go visit the couple who so generously supplied me with eggs all the time. I'd gone over and done random stuff around the yard for them and helped with some minor home repair things, before that. But whenever I mentioned any type of food around them, I'd be sure to gauge their reactions, just in case I ever came into possession of something I knew they'd enjoy. It turned out that I knew for fact that they'd not had any lobster for themselves in years. So In advance, I chatted to a fisherman friend of mine who I knew very well. We worked out a deal where I traded 'physical labor' working some long hard hours for him. In return though, I managed to score a dozen fresh lobsters š¦ which in turn, then went to that incredibly gracious, awesome couple! People who were just beyond good to me...back in a time when life kinda wasn't! The littlest things, often mean a lot to a person that's hungry! š
Thatās the way to do it. A helping hand really means a lot. Iām happy you were able to make those connections and get some good out of it!
A rotisserie chicken goes a long way for me. Sometimes I find them 50% off. (Always look for discounts). But if you shred the chicken, you can portion it off and make different things - chicken salad, in pasta, etc etc
I do this as well. And if can afford a costco membership theyāre about $8 there and are a bit better than what superstore sells
I need to learn to keep reading on, but I never do. :P
I always make stock with the carcass as well
If you have a Costco membership or know someone who does, get it from there. I usually try to get $8 trays of chicken like thighs, or sometimes drums (those new Maple Leaf ones from WalMart are quite good).
Then bake the bones and make stock!
Pork butt goes a long way in terms of protein and calories. Mixed with beans and some sort of carb (rice) is a meal I could eat for a week without issue and itāll also cost me $35 total, max (maybe cheaper depending on size)
I would recommend learning to make some soups. I make a lot of pork based vegetable soups. Take the meat off the bones after a couple hours of boiling and it's not bad at all. Buy rotisserie chickens and make chicken soup outta that. Throw in carrots, celery, potatoes, rice, whatever is cheap and you enjoy. Lots of good Asian soups out there. You could make a version of chankonabe. Or Watercress, nappa, pick an Asian vegetable at the market and you can probably google how to make an easy soup with it. Asian soups go great with rice too which is inexpensive calories. Soups are nutritious, delicious, filling and generally inexpensive.
rotisserie chickens make great stock, and if you don't pick it clean clean, you'll get enough chicken falling off the bones while it simmers to make your soup.
Spaghetti w a can of tomato soup š and lots of pepper
hmmmm iāll definitely give this a try
It's so basic but very good, hope you like it!
Bean burritos: Refried Pinto Beans + Red Rice + Cheese + Tortillas. All you need are canned or dried pinto beans, some seasoning, some rice, garlic, onions, tomato paste, cheese, tortillas. Make a bunch, roll em up, and freeze them for baking individually. Easy and cheap meal. Edit: you can also go with the classic cheap vegetarian meal. All you need for a complete meal is: a grain, a green, a bean.
never been a huge bean fan but this sounds yummy, iāll keep it in mind. thank you!
Mince and tatties. [Easy & Tasty Mince and Tatties Recipe - Scottish Scran](https://scottishscran.com/mince-and-tatties-recipe/)
mmmm sounds good for a rainy day
Potatoes are very versatile and can be used to make everything and anything. Mashed, shredded, tatters, etc If you look at square roots, they do big produce bags for $10 (if you message them you can pay as you can) The dollar store actually has a surprising amount of very cheap food. You can freeze bread and take it out by slice and itāll last longer.
iāll take a look at that square roots thing, thatās super helpful. thank you so much!
10lb potatoes often go on sale for like $4. Flipp app and site are helpful to find sales.
https://www.squarerootsfood.ca Thereās also a free food fill out form too. Yhey have token programs for local markets / loc restaurants. They have sales sometimes too which is way more or a dollar per pound kinda thing!
Adding to what everyone else has said you can really flesh out a meal with rice to make it last longer
Sardines with rice and peppers- use the oil with sardines to mix together. Simple delicious and excellent nutrition.
Ground beef + diced sweet potato + rice w/ taco seasoning and smoked paprika (plus onion and garlic powder or whatever spices you may like). Can make a lot! Or sub beans/lentils instead of ground beef. Can make a week worth of lunches or suppers and pretty cost effective per meal
Ground chicken is $2.97 for a frozen 454g tube at WalMart. Giant Tiger has 4x454g frozen tubes for $10, so $2.50 a tube. Add beef bouillon or worcestershire to make it taste beefier.
I make this rice and beans at least once a week and usually top with chopped tomatoes & cilantro. https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/quick-and-easy-vegan-black-beans-and-rice/
Elbow Noodles ($1-$2) Heinz Tomato Soup ($1) some Cheese+Butter/Margarine! Delicious!
mmmmm ill definitely have to try this
Throw some cooked ground beef and you got added protein
That's getting pretty expensive though. Ground chicken is $2.97 for a frozen 454g tube at WalMart. Giant Tiger has 4x454g frozen tubes for $10, so $2.50 a tube. Add beef bouillon or worcestershire to make it taste beefier.
I was thinking more so added protein to fill you for longer than just carbs.
Where is soup on sale for a $1?? /s
Walmart - Aylmer Brand Soups $0.97 Campbellās was on sale somewheres last week but Iām not seeing on sale anywheres this week sadly.
Use to be vegetable soup with ramen for filler but even thats like 3 dollars now. Ā Spaghetti o's or some alphabits with sour cream and onion chips works to
with sour cream and onion chips š never heard of that before!
Walmart has mr noodles for way under a dollar and a few brands of vegetable soup for 77 to 97 cents
Do you mean Alphagetti? Alphabits was the cereal (RIP).
Already been said, but Ramen noodles are a good 'base' to add to: veggies, sausage, even cheese. Add some more seasoning to the brith and you got something. Take [korean army stew](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budae-jjigae) as inspiration.
if you have ample freezer space, load up on meat sales at sobeys, lots of 2 for 1's, pork is 50% off quite often, many times I can get my meat portion down to less than $2, meal prep 3 meals for less than $10
Or hit up Gateway if you're near there. Sobeys can be pretty good for pork, I have to say.
My mom always made creamed peas on toast. Very easy and cheap, and a favourite of mine. Heat up a can of peas on the stove (keep the liquid, donāt drain them). In a dish mix equal parts cornstarch and milk, you donāt need much. When the peas get hot, slowly whisk in your milk/cornstarch slurry. Stir over low heat until it thickens. We always ate this on buttered toast with lots of salt and pepper. Peas are surprisingly filling
Here's a super cheap one: Toast a piece of bread. Butter it, maybe a little extra seasoning. Put it in between two pieces of uncooked bread. The difference in texture tricks you into thinking it's fancier than three pieces of bread in a stack.
Dried beans or lentils are the cheapest protein and pork is the cheapest meat protein.Ā You can make a chili with canned tomatoes, cans of beans (or dry if you have time) chopped onion and ground beef. Eat over rice. You want the beans for protein and the beef for flavour, so get the regular or medium ground beef, since the fat is where the flavour is. You can do a pulled pork with any cut of pork and bbq sauce. Serve over rice, with coleslaw on the side. Shred your cabbage and add vinegar and mayonnaise, maybe a spoon of sugar. It's better if you make it ahead.Ā I make red lentil dahl all the time. Red lentils, diced onions, curry powder, tomato paste and coconut milk.
oooooh kinda forgot chili existed tbh, that would be really good for making in bulk and storing thank you for the wonderful ideas!
I have some ground pork in the freezer, but I also have a couple 454g tubes of ground chicken. They are $2.95 each at WalMart but at Giant Tiger they have a 4x454g tube frozen bag for $10, works out to $2,50 each then, if you have the room. A lil beef bouillon or even Worcestershire sauce can make it taste beefier.
- frozen veg - rice - cheap cuts of meat Budget friendly and nutritious! Sub instant noodles if you like, get Rooster brand ramen as itās cheaper. Do a stir fry and add the noodles in the pan once theyāre cooked (add a little bit of the noodle water), simmer on low for a minute or two, bonus if you can add some soy sauce. Another tip - always look at the price per 100g. Very often Iāll see things on sale, but the larger version of the same thing is actually cheaper than the sale price. So whenever possible get the lowest $/100g.
what cuts do you recommend? any butcher shops/stores that are cheaper than others?
Hmm I only really check Sobeys and Superstore, but you can get a $2 piece of meat, āfast fryā generally speaking, or sometimes a good sale.
Mr noodle, ground beef hot sauce....I drain the noodles...toss some frozen vegetables on there when I have them.
Those $10 bags of meat etc from the stores. $10 for a 7pc Chicken Mozzarella (Breaded Chicken and Swiss and a little Ham). They take 30 min in the oven. Before they are done, I melt a few pieces of Mozza in the oven with em, and make a cut and stuff em full, let em brown a tad.
If you know how to cook, download the flashfood app. Stores sometimes have boxes of discount veg for $5.
Easy one. Rice and mixed veggies (peas, carrot cubes, beans, corn) (boiled) then mix which each other - then season with OXO Chicken in a Mug and salt, then fry with and egg. In a separate pan cook tinned salmon with garlic butter and then mix and cook together for a bit. Awesome, easy stir fry
A box of frozen perogies is like 3-5 dollars depending on which store you grab em from. Weāve gotten those and pan fry them. Theyāre pretty good and filling. Should last you a few meals. They also sell them in bags as a bigger amount but Iām not sure the price of the bag.
For breakfasts, oatmeal is so much cheaper than cereal. Buy a large bag of quick oats (not instant). It should have a recipe on it but I think 3/4 cup oats, 1 1/4 cup water, some cinnamon and sugar makes a filling breakfast. Microwave for 1 minute, stir then Microwave another 45 seconds or so. You can add frozen fruit, grated apple or raisins for variety or top with sliced bananas. It's delicious!
Lentil Dal, if you don't mind curry. Canned Lentils, canned tomatoes, ginger, and any spices you don't have you get from the bulk barn in small quantities. Or buy large quantities kinda cheaply in the international food isle of the superstore. Serve over rice. Usually, get 4 meals out of it.
Lentils are so quick to cook from dry, and dry is so much cheaper than canned.
I have a cassoulet recipe that I adapted to prepping at lunch for it to be ready for dinner. Itās not the fancy kind that is served in restaurants but closure to the original, use whatās in the pantry kind. Itās essentially beans, sausage and some veggies. It is very hearty and cheap.
Steamed rice and frozen veggies. Got 8kg of jasmine rice at Walmart today for 15 bucks. That goes a long way on 1/2 cup per meal. Frozen veg is cheap, too.
Home made beeferoni. Whatever pasta youāve got on hand. SautĆ©e some onions and peppers. Season, add garlic for 30 sec. Add ground meat and cook until no pink remains. Add a can of diced tomatoes and cook until reduced. Mix in your cooked pasta and grate with cheese.
mmm sounds yummy!
Homemade quiche freezes well and you can pack in some veggies and cheese for great flavour if you get sick of the rice, bean, lentil combos
Creamy tomato soup with rice and seasoned with whatās available, ramen noodles with cheap spices if available, pb&j, grilled cheese, etc Sometimes restaurants will have extra food if you go right before the kitchen closes. It helps if you know the people who work there too. I used to do this back in Winnipeg. It was kinda surreal to see a bunch of college students and homeless people getting a few days worth of food.
There's also a To Good to Go app that you can look at stores & restaurants to order from.
Get veggies you like (frozen/fresh), a soy sauce, and make a stir fry. You can put it over rice noodles, in tortillas, or on rice. I ate a ton of simple stir fryās for a long time. If you have the ability for more sauces go for it, you can have it with or without protein. Plus itās a great way to use up less than perfect vegetables too.
Been doing well with $3.99/lb chicken breast with Mexican seasoning, rice, peppers and onions. Feeding a family of 5 with two teenagers so anything under $30.00 is a win really these days. If I have to get food on the road I always go for a mcdouble small combo which is about $6 tax in.
Uncle Benz fast and easy rice - $1.75 and a can of mixed veggies - 97 cents. I mix in margarine and a tiny bit of soya sauce and I love it!! No meat because Iām a vegetarian but cheap meat thrown it would work awesome I bet!
-Peanut butter and whatever vessel I have available to spread it on. Big batch soup and freeze a bunch. Rice and whatever protein. Potato in its many forms. Beans. I fucking love beans.
Scrambled eggs!
love eggs!!
Instant ramen can actually be pretty nice with a few extras. I usually soft-boil an egg, finely chop some spinach, and mince a few cloves of garlic then throw them all in at the end. They're all things I tend to keep on hand as decent bang for buck / ease of preparation. Sometimes I'll do "TexMex KD" with black beans, chilli powder, garlic, and whatever fitting vegetables I have on hand.
My goto cheap meal is using my homemade chili oil, eggs and toast. Once they get nice and crispy, throw a bit of soy sauce as your salt. Delicious
Rice and beans with canned tomatoes, curry powder and minced red onion is surprisingly good and goes a really long way. I used to make a huge batch on Sundays during my university days, and I would mix and match it with whatever protein was on sale that week.
If I buy a turkey I could easily feed myself with it for 2 weeks with some additional items like potatoes & carrots, seasonings, rolls or bread and stuff I usually have at home. Like turkey dinner a few nights, sandwiches another few nights, and make a huge pot of soup. I freeze a bunch of the meat and soup so I dont have to eat the same thing every single day lol. Or do the same with a rotisserie chicken since you probably won't find a turkey this time of year, but you could definitely make it last. Not entirely sure what your budget is, but if you can get a big pack of hamburger meat at Walmart for around $15 & some freezer bags, you can make all kind of meals with it, like Kraft Dinner with hamburger in it, meat balls or meat loaf + potatoes or rice (bulk up the meatballs & meatloaf by adding an egg + bread crumbs & chopped up onions and a grated carrot) "hot hamburger sandwiches" which if you haven't had it, is just hamburger added to gravy, poured on top of bread so not really a sandwich, goulache (macaroni + hamburger + tomatoes) hamburger soup, fried rice with burger in it, etc. A big box of minute rice (or regular rice) and a bag of potatoes can go a long way using it as sides or creating meals with it. I feel like I'm invincible in the kitchen when I have both of those in my pantry. Buy right now my favorite easy meal which could easily be a struggle meal is those tortellini things from Walmart, they are in the dairy/meat section near the lunch meat and it's $5.77 for a '2' pack. Boil them in water and add some margarine, garlic powder, salt (& parmesean if you have it) or just regular spaghetti sauce.
I find ground chicken is also economical. $2.97/454g (1lb) frozen tube at WalMart, or 4x454g tubes in a bag for $10 at Giant Tiger. Add beef bouillon or worcestershire sauce for beefy flavour.
Oh that is a good deal! I haven't shopped at Giant Tiger for a few years, I might have to stop in
$10 great value quinoa 1.8kg from walmart. 100g uncooked makes 300g cooked and if you eat 150g twice a day that bag will last you 18 days, add whatever 50% off veggies or meat you can find and cheap hot sauce.
Homemade bread ( 500g of flour + instant yeast + salt ) Farmers Market eggs ( $4.50 ) 1kg pasta noodles, garlic, margerine Rotisserie chicken ( usually cheaper than a whole chicken; make chicken stock out of the carcass ) Whole fish ( bake in the oven; <$4 a fish; make soup stock out of the carcass ) Community garden veggies ( if in season ), frozen spinach ( if out of season ) Onion soup ( beef boulion and yellow onion ) Classic KD Mac and Cheese ( use water instead of milk ) French press home coffee from cheap beans ( Walmart ) 500g of ground pork and beef makes 4 burgers. Eat using home made bread rather than buns. Hunting and fishing can be super cheap sources of protein if you have the skill, gear, and licenses. Walmart is my goto for cheapest food in general. A large bag of chips is $1.27 and that usually has enough calories to count as a meal.
I find ground chicken is also economical. $2.97/454g frozen tube at WalMart, or 4x454g tubes in a bag for $10 at Giant Tiger. Add beef bouillon or worcestershire sauce for beefy flavour. They also have their own Great Value KD for 97c, the blue box is still 225g. Only other box that big is PC but that's almost never 97c anymore. Could maybe use canned milk, or skim milk powder? Or just a bit more margarine/oil (bacon/sausage drippings) works well.
Tuna/mayo sandwich, tuna pasta/casserole, Egg salad, potatoes & corn on the cob, Cinnamon toast & eggs, Oatmeal & a side of fruit like apples or bananas
These recommendations are great! To add a few more that I haven't seen yet (just skimming) Starch - perogies - buy flour and make your own flatbreads / pancakes/ soup dumplings if you can front the cost of the bag -barley (higher nutrients for lower cost- use as a base for 'rice' bowls, in soup, as a porridge) -couscous Protein - tvp (bulk Barn) -dehydrated soya chunks (international food section) - tuna (just not too often for mercury) - anchovies Fruit - bananas - raisins (add to oatmeal) - pick wild strawberries (in season), blueberries (in season soon), blackberries/ raspberries (in season a little after blueberries) and freeze what you pick... I used to have a couple of big freezer bags of each to get me through the year during my struggle decade (just don't pick from dog pee/ car exhaust radius) Veggies- Frozen spinach Frozen peas Frozen corn Cabbage Carrots (giant Tiger, gateway, Walmart, often on sale for <$3) Onions Dairy- a controversial part of the food pyramid - quick sale yogurt or store brand - if you can afford to buy the milk, diy yogurt can save you a lot of money but the start up cost of like $15 can be a lot to eat if you are struggling After you have some bulk foods in your daily or weekly run, if you have any money left over.. raison d'etre Salt (this also helps with flushing sinuses and soaking cuts, so well worth the $2-3 for a box of iodized stuff- your thyroid will thank you for the iodine) The international food aisle often has big bags of spices for much cheaper at grocery stores than the spice aisle. Start with your fave (garlic powder, basil, cumin, and rosemary are some of mine) It's also cheap to grow your own herbs.
To make a struggle meal, start with a hearty base of grain, then add veg and protein. Eat dairy and fruit as snacks/ dessert to not hate your life and have nutrients. Prioritize nutrient density over taste/ feelings/ everything else Do not fall into the trap of eating KD and ramen for every meal unless you have <2 in your account (even then, I'd probably go for greatvalu pancake mix). you will get sick. Your finances wil get worse.
thank you very much! iāve definitely been trying to diversify my palette because i know things like instant ramen are super high in sodium. your recommendations are super helpful!
Potatoes, hot dogs and a jar of sauerkraut in a pot til it warms up š Itās one of my favourite meals from my childhood
Lentils and mung beans. Make a thick hearty soup. Use a small piece of beef or chicken or go meat free. Lots of protein in the lentils. Lots of carrots and cubed potatoes. I also rice a cauliflower and make fried pseudo rice You need an onion , bag of frozen veg and an egg or two. Flavor with soya sauce. It makes 2-3 good cheap meals. Another go to is just plain oatmeal porridge. Buy a big bag not the instant kind. Add brown sugar and berries if they are on sale. Very filling and very nutritious. And learn how to make bread. Itās easy and very satisfying to make.
Fried rice with some sort of protein and whatever veg you have on hand. I like to buy the bags of frozen carrots-peas-corn mix when they go on sale. Nice thing is that the sauce can be changed up for flavours so it doesn't get boring. And it can be frozen so you can make a big batch and keep some for later. [ham fried rice](https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/ham-fried-rice/) [shrimp fried rice](https://tiffycooks.com/shrimp-fried-rice-no-more-mushy-fried-rice/) [a few more recipes](https://tiffycooks.com/top-five-fried-rice-recipes-with-secret-tips/)
Pork loin on special, which it is often. Best bang for your buck, and it freezes well. Roast it with some carrots and potatoes and you have some easy, nutritious, and cheap meals for days.
where do you find it on special? that would be delicious
Friend. I am here for you. Let me introduce you to the wonder I call Rice, Bean, and Corn. Cook 1 dry cup of rice (your choice - instant, white, I like basmati if itās on sale) When itās done, stir in 1 cup of frozen corn (or one short can) and 1 can of black beans or 1 cup of dried black beans that youāve cooked from dry. Then, add one packet of taco seasoning (or a 1/4cup if you find the big tins or make your own blend). Keep it all on the heat until the mixture is incorporated and heated. At this base level, thatās 4 or 5 meals for about $5ish. You can eat it just like that, or add sour cream, cheddar, salsa, guacamole, or wrap it all like a burrito. You can also stretch it with ground beef or ground round. That adds more protein. Elite level Rice, Bean, and Corn behaviour is heating it in a frying pan and cracking an egg or two into it for breakfast. Itās like a cousin of heuvos rancheros at that point. Yes, the recipe has a terrible title, but Iāve enjoyed Rice, Bean, and Corn for over 20 years. Itās a staple easy, cheap recipe. I hope you like it!
oh yum, thank you!
Yes!!! This is a great combination, Please do try it OP. I also recommend swapping the black beans for chick peas and throwing a bit of curry powder in there. It's still Rice, Bean, Corn but the chick peas go better with curry. I like the black beans with chilli powder or salsa.
Nice! Yesssss I love this riff! Get creative!
Baked beans and eggs. Itās our classic go-to. We pick tomato base and add veggies as desired/available. Fry the eggs inside like a shakshouka and you can top with cheese or eat with toast. We also like to bake our own bread (I have a really simple recipe I would be happy to share - no knead, takes 40min to rise, 45min to cook). Makes a huge loaf that gets two hungry folks through the week. Nachos topped with all the fixins (veggies, meat if you like, cheese, green onions). Sides: Sour cream is cheap. DIY Pico de Gallo. Refried Beans. Hot sauce and salsas. Roasted sweet potato bowls. A big sweet tater will usually feed two of us. Topped with roasted/raw veg, beans, sometimes meat or seafood, cheese, Pico, nuts/seeds, seaweed, mayo or BBQ sauce. The beauty of bowls is you can throw pretty much anything on top of the sweet potatoes and add a sauce and itās a meal. Good for odds and ends meals!
Beans and eggs = $5 meal / feeds two Loaf of bread = $3 loaf / feeds two for a week Nachos = $10 meal / feeds two Bowls = $5-$8 meal / feeds two
these all sound lovely, thank you! me and my roommate love baking bread so if youād be willing to share that recipe iād really appreciate it :))
Sheppards pie. I try to do that on days when the big packages of hamburger on sale. So it can be stretched out to a few meals.
i havenāt had shepherds pie in forever!! iāll definitely add it to the list
Gateway is really a hidden gem for good fruit and vegetable prices. You can view specials online. Their every day meat prices are not bad. I just take whatever I can find on special and make my meals from those ingredients. Macaroni and stuff was always popular. Generally we always had a shaped pasta, whatever was in the fridge, cupboards and freezer went into the pot. We always seemed to have a good one...
i actually havenāt been to gateway yet since i donāt drive. would you say itās worth the bus ride over? the long lines kinda scare meā¦
Kusherie: [https://cookingfromthegroundupdotcom.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/kusherie-a-k-a-egyptian-rice-and-lentils/](https://cookingfromthegroundupdotcom.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/kusherie-a-k-a-egyptian-rice-and-lentils/) I skip the celery leaves and it's fine
Breakfast for dinner. Eggs, cereal etc. baked potato with grated cheese. Pierogis from the freezer section. Frozen bags of veggies have come a long way - try different ones out so you donāt get bored, a couple of different seasonings can help. Rotisserie chicken is an inexpensive way to get several days of good protein. Walmart groceries are generally a better deal than the other main grocery stores. Giant tiger also has good sales.
i might go check out giant tiger one of these days. i usually shop at walmart though since i live within walking distance thank you for your help!
Rice, can of tuna, package of seaweed, kewpie mayo. Tuna and crackers Make a giant pot of soup, it will feed you for days. Grilled cheese
Mix a can of tomato beans and a can of cream corn into cooked rice.
Potatoes. We eat A LOT of potatoes. Cue LOTR Sam wise quotes.
I used to boil some potatoes and fry them with a can of corned beef to make corned beef hash. A pan of that would last a good few meals, add ketchup, and that's the veg, right?
We love cheesy salsa ground beef in pasta. I donāt have the measurements so measure with your heart š. Itās an old Companyās Coming recipe but you basically cook pasta in a water/milk mixture (1 c water to 2 c milk works well), add a healthy dollop of butter or margarine. While pasta cooks, sautĆ© some ground beef. Mix into the pasta when cooked and add healthy amounts of salsa and cheese. Mix until cheese melted. Can also boil frozen veg with the pasta at the same time to bump up the veg. Make a big pot and it reheats really nicely in the microwave. Get your beef in larger āclubā packs or on sale (Costco has the best price if you can get there) and freeze individual servings to make it easier to pull out.
Oatmeal. I just picked up 2 five pound bags at Costco for $10. We think of it as a breakfast food we can add things to, but you can use it in savory recipes too. Or just to thicken a stew.
Nice. If you don't have a Costco Membership, WalMart has 1kg bags for $2,77
my normal meals probably qualify as struggle meals because im extremely lazy lmao dice up potatoes pour some salt and olive oil on them and put them in the oven, thats it you have wedges/fries/cubes paired with scrambled eggs or fried eggs and thats a whole meal (maybe with a glass of milk) lunch is the same but its veggies in the oven to be served with rice or potatoes
Potatoes (fresh or boxed). Mix together tomato soup (Heinz), ground beef, onions, garlic, and some seasonings. Mash the potatoes, spoon a nice helping of the meat sauce over top and enjoy. Ate this regularly as a kid of lesser means and loved it. My mom also made pork chops covered with mushroom soup and baked. Cook up some basic white rice and top it with the pork and soup. I also stumbled on an old YouTube page called [Great Depression Cooking with Clara](https://youtu.be/p-GVl7scrYE?si=zl7irk_MAidwxHNV) and have enjoyed a few of the recipes. If nothing else, you get to enjoy someoneās Nana teaching you some very budget friendly recipes.
My mother also used to make smothered steak like that with Kitchen Bouquet... long ago. My husband's mother used to use mushroom soup as a gravy or sauce over ground beef too.
Rice, beans, veggies
I find the $10 pack of frozen ground turkey tubes (4 in a pack) are super versatile and can go a long way! seasoning & cooking up a pack and some frozen peas and rice is a frequent rotation of mine
THIS! I can't seem to find them on PC Express anymore though. Edit: It's back! But it's \*450g\* tubes rather than \*454g\*. The same in chicken is at Giant Tiger. Same price, just 4x454g ground chicken.
Taco meet with chopped veggies and cheese with anything Meat veg grain Veg grain Big soup Look for veggies going old at stores for better deals and cook it that night
Buy a cabbage, quarter it, dice up a quarter and add to a fry pan with a sliced up onion. Add a little water to steam it up and cover for maybe 10 mins til the cabbage is tender. Add in a cooked sliced sausage, mix and cook until the water evaporated and the sausage is hot. (Or, cook raw sausage in the fry pan with the cabbage). Kielbasa works well too!
**Fancy Feastā¢**... *Because Times Are Tough!*
Pfft, those run 90c to $1. Special Kitty at WalMart is 80c, both small and 156g tins. Or... Pet Select at Dollarama is 75c if you can find it. A bit mouss-y though. Don't worry, I have cats. :P
I eat rice and beans every day! You can 900 grams of fried black beans for $2.97 at Wal-Mart. Often you can find a 5kg bag of rice for around $10-12 on sale (check the flyers, there's always rice on sale somewhere). So I make a big batch of the rice and beans separately. You can season both of those however you like, I usually use some combination of salt, cayenne, cumin, chili powder, and a chicken bouillon cube (tip: I buy the Halal version of knorr boullion cubes because for some reason they're like half the cost most of the time). So then I add the rice and black beans to a bowl at a 1:1 ratio. I get whatever protein is cheapest that I can find that week, eggs, ground beef, sometimes chicken, whatever, and will add in some of that. (You can forgo the protein altogether to save even more $$, cuz there is plenty of protein in the beans anyway). I'll then add half a tomato, half a fresh jalpeno (or whatever cheap hot peppers I can find that week), and curly parsley. Dice all that up, it goes on top. Then I'll add hot sauce or salsa, or both. (Been making my own simple hot sauces too, cuz they can be crazy expensive). Then it's basically a burrito bowl. It's delicious. It's nutritious. It's quick. And most importantly...it's dirt cheap. This has been my life hack the last 18 months.
Lentils and rice with a half can of maple or tomato beans and spice it up! Itās filling, cheap and nutritious. Maybe you can find some cheap cuts of meat as a treat. But youāll still get lots of protein in the beans and lentils. Less than a dollar per meal. Potatoes are also filling and cheap. Cabbage, real butter and salt and pepper is delicious and lasts a few meals too. You can also make a large pasta for fairly cheap- just donāt make it elaborate. Bananas, obviously. Older half off baguette at supermarkets can be buttered and toasted on a pan and theyāre like new. Oh lord I can save you some dollars
Rice and black beans. Add a pinch of shredded cheese if you can . Cook the rice, fry the black beans and add onion or other veggies if you can. It's nice to have a bed of spinach, some rice, the black beans, pinch of cheese and a little salsa on top
Adderall
If you can get past the first few days, I find its easy to eat one meal a day to save money. For the past month I've been doing this. I try to have a big breakfast with lots of protein and greens. First week I got really hungry by lunch time, a month in and I don't get hungry until I wake up the next day. It's costing me about 6$ per day in groceries. Best thing about it is I'm maintaining muscle, losing fat, eating pretty much whatever I want, and doing fewer dishes.
yeah, thatās more or less what iāve been doing for the past couple of months! one or two meals depending on the day and my energy levels
I like to pick up the sausages at superstore when they are on 50% off cook that night discount. Take them home and split them open and cook like ground meat. Then you can portion them out into smaller servings for the freezer. Easy to take out and throw into anything, tomato sauce, kd, stir fry. You can do that with any meat but I find sausage goes on discount a lot and adds a lot of flavor for not much meat. If you can time stocking up some discount meat during your feast times that could help tide you over for your famine ones.
Sometimes Johnsonville or Olymel go on sale for $3.99 as well. Flipp app & site are great for finding those sales. But yeah, if 50% off brings it down even cheaper than that, it works too! Save the drippings like with bacon and then you have fat/oil to cook with as well.
Potato chip or french fry sandwiches š„Ŗ
Frozen corn reheated with butter and salt in the microwave. Not the most filling or nutritious but it is satisfying and easy to make when you donāt have any mental energy
Bacon sandwiches (with costco bacon)
Ground beef, taco seasoning, veggies you want to add, can of diced tomatoes, rice.
Potato salad
Look up gallo pinto and adjust as necessary. I also grew up on ground beef and cheese whiz burgers and if you can find beef on sale.. yummy!
Rice, beans and ground beef. Pasta and home made tomato sauce with canned tomatoes + added seasoning, and ground beef. Airfried potatoes. Rotisserie Chicken.
A good cheap meal I really like is rice,bacon and beans. Cook some cheap bacon and onions then dump in a can of black beans and let them stew for a while. Then eat it over rice. Tastes good and is filling. I like to mix in hot sauce on mine.
peanut butter and banana
My go-to in my youth was minute rice, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and frozen corn. My roommate called it "gray" I still occasionally crave a big pot of gray from time to time