Inexpensive meals and eating

[Happy Camper]

Given that groceries are getting more expensive, I thought I'd start this thread.
I did a quick search but couldn't find what I was looking for.

As a resource to the community, what are some of the current cheap meals and groceries you are eating and cooking?

It could be rice and beans. It would be peanut butter and jelly. Or something more involved.

Please give some ideas, prices, and preparation ideas.

Please don't stay into cooking type costs or anything else. Just good ways to stretch a dollar or two into something decent.

 

[bullfrog !]

My neighbor has been raising chickens and selling me fresh eggs for $3.50 for 18 as long as I furnish the carton! So lots of omelets and egg sandwiches. Staying in an area where people can have chickens is a good deal. I haven’t made friends with the local bee keeper yet but will soon!

 

[user 22017]

Given that groceries are getting more expensive, I thought I'd start this thread.
I did a quick search but couldn't find what I was looking for.

As a resource to the community, what are some of the current cheap meals and groceries you are eating and cooking?

It could be rice and beans. It would be peanut butter and jelly. Or something more involved.

Please give some ideas, prices, and preparation ideas.

Please don't stay into cooking type costs or anything else. Just good ways to stretch a dollar or two into something decent.

Similar threads for further reading:

https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/whats-the-cleanest-cheapest-most-minimal-eating-i-can-do.45097/

https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/hacks-for-using-less-and-making-do.39719/

https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/two-people-on-15-a-day.17539/

https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/cheap-fast-food.4416/

https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/free-food.1345/

 

[eDJ_]

I would start out this way. Remember why we eat to begin with....to live and be healthy.

Fill half of your plate with non starchy veggies. These contain fiber and nutrients not found in other types of food. Lower in calories & energy and
can make you feel full for longer.

Fill one fourth with complex carbs (Potatoes, Corn, and Peas are starchy and could fit into the carbs section)

Fill the other quarter with lean protein. Consider using meat as the seasoning for your meal.

Use a small quantity of healthy fat. This could be a cooking oil such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil. A salad with Avocado nuts or seeds can provide this.

Finding foods to fit into this framework is what we should be shopping to find
deals on.

Non Starchy Veggies: Spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, beets, brussels sprouts,
broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, greens, onions, peppers, radishes, and turnips. These are common at grocery stores and can be found marked down.

Complex Carb's: brown rice, oats, quinoa, buckwheat, lentils, chic peas, pinto beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes, acorn squash, blueberries, apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, and strawberries are common and easily found discounted.

Proteins: lean cuts of red meat such as loin & round, white flesh fish, poultry,
dairy products, and plant proteins such as beans, nuts, seeds. etc can provide for this need. These can be found on sale frequently for half prices.

Fresh veggies can be steamed and sprinkled with flavored vinegars such as tarragon, raspberry, or apple cider, or other sprinkle on toppings such as ranch, season all, graded cheese, and so on.

Complex Carbs can be boiled, sweetened, have dairy products added, or seasoned with savory flavorings such as soy sauce, worcestershire sauce,
or other condiments. Fruits can be eaten raw or added to cooked grain products.

Proteins can be pan fried, cooked over an open campfire, baked in cast iron,
if they are meat based. If beans or grains, they can be boiled in stock with seasonings. Even some vegetables added for flavor.

22 Healthy Camping Recipes

27 Easy Camping Meals to Make Camp Cooking a Breeze

 

[Gr8ful]

43 years ago this month my wife & I met at Grandmothers funeral in Tn. We didn't actually speak but she sent me a note when I got back to Michigan. I replied & we started talking on the phone most nights which was 25 cents a minute so $500 monthly phone bills. I went down Memorial Day for a week, got engaged & we married on her Bday in July. I told her all the bad things I could think of on marriage & that I was poor to the point she thought I wan't to back out but I didn't want her to be let down. When we got back to Mi she looked at my checkbook, saw I had $14 in the bank & said "you told me you're poor but you're poor poor. A big part of our diet was Braunschweiger in 3' chubs for 39 cents a # & boxed Mac & Cheese 7 for $1. You can add many things to Mac & Cheese for Sunday dinner, we did just fine & still eat both every so often. Had 2 sons naturally born on the same day 2 years apart & once a month would hit 5 Amish discount stores from Shipshewana to Goshen, Indiana & could fill the back of the caravan for $100 back then with very high quality food, Most of the meat was top notch Deli meats just getting close to buy it by date. I really miss those trips!

 

[mattvei]

In any area you are in do a Google search for food banks. Most have no residence or income requirements. And if you're a senior you are especially welcome. I regularly visit four food banks and get all the fresh veggies, fruits, meat, bread etc that I need. i eat very well and cheaply. I used to think this was living off the poor. They needed it more. But then I discovered that 30% to 40% of all the food in the United States is thrown away. That changed my mind. If I didn't take it it was going to the landfill

 

[maki2]

In any area you are in do a Google search for food banks. Most have no residence or income requirements. And if you're a senior you are especially welcome. I regularly visit four food banks and get all the fresh veggies, fruits, meat, bread etc that I need. i eat very well and cheaply. I used to think this was living off the poor. They needed it more. But then I discovered that 30% to 40% of all the food in the United States is thrown away. That changed my mind. If I didn't take it it was going to the landfill

I guess that depends on where you live. Food banks in some locations run out of food, others do end up tossing out stuff. I know from news stories the last neighborhood in Seattle I lived in often ran short on food at the end of the day. Being a nomad I do not see much in the way of local news stories and the local newspaper in Quartzsite is only published once a month. But I can see where the food bank in Quartzsite would be very well used as groceries in small towns are typically expensive.

 

[INTJohn]

The 3 P’s Diet……..
Pop tarts
Peanut butter
&
Pizza
Wha mores a person need?
Ok, I’m joking, kinda……
sorta
Intjonny boi

 

[WanderingRose]

I’m not a big consumer of ramen noodles, but many like them because they are inexpensive, and filling.

Cook your noodles, beat a couple of eggs, and stir them into the hot broth.

A little extra heat, cover for a minute or two, eggs are cooked and add nutrition to an otherwise carb-only meal.

Kids, especially, love this.

 

[vanbrat]

There is cheap and then there is cheap.

Homemade soup is really cheap depending on what you are making. Beans and left over ham bone. Chicken bones from a roasted chicken carcass after 4 other meals. Think crock pot.

I know McD's is cheap and really not food that will keep ya going, but if you are in a hurry and tummy growling it'll do. (I hate the stuff myself)

Water is usually cheaper than soda and MUCH better for you. Add instant coffee or a tea bag and a tiny bit of sugar.

A plate full of veggies of your choice and bit of meat of your choice stir-fried is very filling. A big salad and fruit and cottage cheese. I could make a meal of homemade granola and yogurt, but hubby would never touch that LOL. Lately I have been making deli plates, with lunch meat of one kind or another 1 raw veg usually carrots and at least 2 fruits and whatever left over cheese there is. If I was to buy it just for this not so cheap Since it is mostly leftovers it's pretty cheap.

Some of the cheap things I know the kidos like is peanut butter tortilla with jam or bananas or honey or grated apples rolled up and sliced. They love the Top Raman stuff with veg and ham or hot dogs in it and an egg or two. Fried rice with tons of carrots and veggies and whatever left over meats. Nachos with ground beef (shh I cook in grated carrots and or other veggies in the meat) with good cheese sauce and salsa. Also good with beans instead of meat.

To make cheap foods good you need to know the spice rack. 2 cents worth of good spices can make even the cheapest foods yummy. Most of the full sized stores around here have common spices in the bulk foods area. And though it looks like it is expensive at 15$ a pound, really to buy a pound of sage you would need a really BIG bag to hold all that sage. I rarely ever get more than a few cents worth at a time.

My always have spices and these ALWAYS go in my van kitchen.
Garlic powder onion powder sage dill parsley thyme oregano salt & pepper chili powder rosemary coriander bay leaves soy sauce cumin curry bay leaves

Sweet spices I always have
cinnamon cloves nutmeg ginger and vanilla

not really spices but lemon juice fresh ginger onion garlic and celery

I love the flavored oatmeal packets But I can make my own and add my own flavorings for pennies. Same thing with most of the flavored, easy to use packeted foods. I also know the less my food is processed the better it is for me.

 

[beachy]

My breakfast is muesli (half cup of rolled oats soaked in sugar water overnight) along with seeds and nuts mix. I also have a swallow of kefir, which is a drinkable yogurt, around here it is $3.75 a quart, which lasts for a couple of weeks. Big improvement in my digestion. I also eat a bit of kimchi every day or so this has helped too. Now I can eat things like romaine and coconut milk that used to give me the trots. For ramen, I have been eating that for lunch every day along with egg or veg or some leftover meat. It really matters which one you get or can get, Maruchan is the least good, Nissin is better, Sapporo Ichiban is good, maybe a little bland. It is about 98 cents here. Indo Mie is about the same price but quite tasty if you like curry flavor. It has separate chili packet so you can add all or none, but even all is not that hot just pleasant heat. Nongshim is South Korean and spicy, you can’t control the heat except by using less of the packet. For all of them you can control the salt by using less water and flavor or just don’t finish the broth. I know ramen isn’t that healthy but my system likes it much better than a sandwich and chips.

 

[eDJ_]

I knew a Chinese girl who taught me a different style of Ramen Noodles which are quite good.

She would steam some veggies such as bell peppers, onions, and any other left over solid veggies that were left overs. Usually about 12 minutes.

She boiled the noodles about half the length of time specified on the package.
While they were boiling she mixed the seasoning packet with about 1/4 cup of hot water to dissolve it well.

The veggies were then tossed into her Wok with some hot peanut oil and stir fried a minute or so. Then the drained noodles were added and tossed with the veggies. A splash of Soy Sauce was added and the seasoning poured over the hot veggie noodles to be tossed and mixed well. At the last moment she poured a small drizzle of sesame oil over it all. It was then ready to serve.

She liked to put bits of bacon in hers for the meat as she wasn't much of a meat eater but the bacon bits gave some added flavor. She often fried a small piece of breakfast steak and cut it into thin strips as a topping for her American friends.

She explained that this was much like a Lo Mein dish, but the Ramen Noodles were thinner than Lo Mein noodles but otherwise similar.

You can use two packages off Ramen in this such as one Oriental flavor and the other of Beef, Pork, or Chicken. It's quite good and simple to prepare. A skillet can be used in place of a Wok.

 

[RonDean]

I more or less follow eDJ_'s plate plan. Except that 100% of my plate is plant based. In spite of what I was originally taught I have discovered that many plants have a lot of protein. It's where cows and such get it. I have also discovered that the more "convenient" a food is, the less healthy and more expensive it generally is. Dry beans soaked in water are cheaper than canned beans, for example. A large bag of rice and seasoning saves money compared to individual small, seasoned packages. Did I mention pasta? That's good too. I haven't tried the food pantries yet. But only because I am not well educated on times and locations. I certainly would not turn my nose up at them.

 

[mikeabike]

Given that groceries are getting more expensive, I thought I'd start this thread.
I did a quick search but couldn't find what I was looking for.

As a resource to the community, what are some of the current cheap meals and groceries you are eating and cooking?

It could be rice and beans. It would be peanut butter and jelly. Or something more involved.

Please give some ideas, prices, and preparation ideas.

Please don't stay into cooking type costs or anything else. Just good ways to stretch a dollar or two into something decent.

The human is, by biological classification, a frugivore (fruit eater). Whatever else you put in your body, please leave some room for fresh fruit. It may be more ex

Given that groceries are getting more expensive, I thought I'd start this thread.
I did a quick search but couldn't find what I was looking for.

As a resource to the community, what are some of the current cheap meals and groceries you are eating and cooking?

It could be rice and beans. It would be peanut butter and jelly. Or something more involved.

Please give some ideas, prices, and preparation ideas.

Please don't stay into cooking type costs or anything else. Just good ways to stretch a dollar or two into something decent.

The human is classified biologically as a frugivore (fruit eater). Whatever else you put in your body, please save some room for fresh fruit. It may be more expensive, but you'll save money in the long run because your health will be better.

 

[Tony's Dream]

I'm not a big deal person about eating. In fact one could say I'm very picky so I don't cook fancy meals. When I travel I carry mostly dry goods...pasta, canned soup, ceral, and precooked meals that you can buy in most grocery stores. I budget $30 a day for meals and always come back under budget. Two eggs and toast for breakfast, a can of soup for lunch, and helping of speghetti for dinner......all under $10.

 

[eDJ_]

Food Distribution times and events are showing up online now in various websites. If you enter your zip code & state they will provide information
to advise you. You may want to search any of several zip codes in your area too.

Find Your Local Food Bank

Food Distribution USDA

The above are on a national level. But you can Google Search by the State you are in and possibly learn of locations and times not mentioned above.

Some food distributions are large boxes that come pre packaged. Others you may need to bring your own box. You may be asked how many people you represent and they will load foods and commodities accordingly.

Note the boxes in the photo and in this distribution the loose commodities on the tables. Some distributions are only boxes and some offer tables of commodities with a number of workers loading the goods into your rig as you drive slowly to receive goods from each table.

https://cdn.forumcomm.com/dims4/def...binary/Walker food pantry _binary_6578697.jpg

 

[eDJ_]

In observance of today's Holiday, I'm making a stock pot of

"Capitol Hill Bean Soup"

Hearty bean soup has been on the menu in the Senate's restaurant every day since at least 1903. You could say it's a rare unanimous mandate. According to one story, the tradition was started by a Congressman from Idaho who contended the soup should always include mashed potatoes, presumably Idaho potatoes. Another story attributes the soup request to a Senator from Minnesota who simply loved the stuff, despite no obvious ingredient connection to his home state.

Chef's preparing it at the Capital Hill cafeteria

Ingredients for Capital Hill Bean Soup​

A few pantry staples, a potato, and a ham hock are all that's needed to create this comforting, hearty soup. To make it, you'll need:

• Dried white navy beans: Soaked for at least 8 hours before simmering for a tender consistency. See below for a quick-soak option.
• Ham bone or uncured ham hock: Adds a meaty flavor and richness to the soup, with shredded meat added back in after cooking.
• Water: The base of the broth—becomes richly flavored with the ham and beans.
• Russet potato: Thickens the soup—can be left out if preferred.
• Celery, yellow onion, and garlic: Builds flavor in the broth.
• Kosher salt and black pepper: Seasons the soup.
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley: Adds a pop of color and freshness.

How To Make Capital Hill Bean Soup​

If you have the forethought to soak the beans ahead, this soup comes together with just 20 minutes of active time, and about two hours of simmering. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

• Step 1. Cover beans with water in a Dutch oven; soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain.
• Step 2. Add ham bone and water, then cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.
• Step 3. Rinse, pierce, and wrap potato in a paper towel. Microwave until tender, then peel and mash.
• Step 4. Stir potato, celery, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper into pot; simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
• Step 5. Remove ham bone; cool and dice meat. Add meat into pot. Top with parsley before serving.

If you don't have any left over mashed potatoes, you could use some instant mashed potato flakes for a thickener. Celery Salt can be used in place of celery for flavoring. You won't need much.

I often add smoked sausage cut into rings to add flavor to mine as it is easily kept and used. It has multiple uses for snacks too.

 

[WanderingRose]

That sounds very tasty, eDJ, tho my problem is I like the idea of making a pot of bean soup…the frugality and basic nature of it…then feel like eating only a bowl or two.

I would be inclined to find a way to leave the peel on that potato, for the nutrition, maybe dicing it small and adding with the celery, onion, etc.

 

[eDJ_]

^^^ WanderingRose

If you would like to try this smaller yield recipe, it taste about the same.
It is quick as the beans are already cooked, so only bring them to a boil before turning the heat to simmer.

1 15 oz Can of Navy or Great Northern Beans.....rinsed clean
1 15 oz Can of Chicken Stock
1 Can of water using the Chicken Stock Can
A small Ham Bone or one link of Smoked Sausage
2 Bay Leaves
1 Yellow Onion diced
3/4 Cup Celery or 1 TB Celery Flakes & 1 Tsp Celery Salt
2 Garlic Cloves mashed and then minced

Add these items to a pot and bring them to a boil. Then turn the temp to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then taste a sample of them to see if they are suitable for you.

Next add your seasonings and stir well. Allow to simmer for another 5 minutes.

1 Tb Butter or Olive Oil and to your taste: black pepper, Ginger, Kosher Salt, 1 cube Vegetable Bouillon.

You can use this as a starting point and adapt it for your own recipe.

 

[WanderingRose]

Thanks, that sounds yummy.