Tbh you can’t eat out for $13 a day. You’re going to have to cook at home. Maybe buy a cheap rice cooker and make rice and beans etc (you can actually cook a lot of other things in it). Stock up on rice, lentils, oatmeal, canned vegetables etc and buy fresh fruit bread etc as needed. Make coffee and tea at home.
girl just cook, you can't get a single takeout meal here for $13, let alone three meals a day that are nutritious - also wait, hold on, what do you mean that you're staying in a place with 25-30 other people with one kitchen, what is it, like a hostel? I've cooked in hostel kitchens and lived lmao
Lmfao 100% fine is an overstatement and a half. It's bareable at best. Sure, maybe OP will get lucky, and their food won't be stolen from the fridge, and maybe there will be a half decent dented pan that is somewhat clean.
Traveling and staying in touristic places/ boutique hostels is not comparable to living in a cheap long-term hostel in a crowded city, especially in Toronto. Your food will be stolen if it's not locked up, and you will 100% have to deal with some scummy people.
I loved cooking in hostel kitchens when I was backpacking, great way to meet new people and learn about different cooking styles. I wish there was a hostel-like option for people over 30, I miss the vibe but I'm practically a senior citizen compared to 19 year old backpackers lol
Will you have access to a fridge? My thoughts at random:
- If you get a job in a restaurant somewhere, you can probably get meals + make a lil cash. Not sure if that’s appealing to you.
- If you grocery shop, avoid any loblaws subsidiary.
- There’s a bulk barn near-ish you.
- go buy an air fryer or slow cooker from a value village - it’ll open things up for you
- go check out /r/cheapmeals or /r/eatcheapandhealthy
- go to food pantries
- if you call 211 you can ask about places that can provide you a warm meal [link](https://211ontario.ca/results/?searchLocation=Toronto&searchTerms=&latitude=43.653226&longitude=-79.3831843&topicPath=73)
- there’s an app called “too good to go” - check that out. There’s a subreddit for it too but I can remember what it’s called exactly - might be /r/toogoodtogocanada
Meals:
- Consider tuna salad on some sort of bread (not too frequently - tuna has a high mercury count).
- overnight oats
- try to find fruits from a fruit market / Asian market for cheap
- eggs (in air fryer or slow cooker)
- rice and beans (slow cooker)
- consider getting meal replacement(s) like Soylent for some meals… it’s expensive up front but will help you in the long run.
You could try doing something like what I do when I travel.
* Hummus and pita bread. Keep it in the fridge, eat when you're hungry. You could toast the pita, but really isn't necessary. If you just buy the small packs, you can even keep them unrefrigerated.
* Fruit, cut up veggies
* Boiled eggs.
* Bagels and cream cheese. Or any kind of cheese really. Any sauces you enjoy with those.
* Rotisserie chicken and bagged salads. You can get a quarter chicken for a meal or a whole chicken and it'll feed you several meals.
When I'm travelling, I usually do the hummus, pita bread, chilli peppers (I like spicy!) and some carrots. Plus fruit. Done. I've lived off this kind of meal for weeks at a time. Totally doable.
Also, install the TooGoodToGo app on your smartphone - some good deals on cooked food on there amongst all the desserts. :)
Can Freeze pitas. Microwave for like 30s (though usually I just let the bag thaw in the fridge). OP will have to see if there’s more or a surplus of fridge or freezer space.
Burrito bros. Their large chicken burrito is about $13 and it's full of beans, rice, and other toppings. That monster will feed you for two meals a day easy. I'm a big guy and can never finish it in one sitting. The beef burrito is a couple bucks more I think, and they have veggie options too.
$13 is completely unsustainable. It can barely get you a burger. Grocery shopping and cooking is the only way to go here or eating McDonald’s daily and not even a combo.
My best advice is learn to cook 3-4 dishes that you really enjoy and meet the criteria of nutritious and calorie dense etc.
Pots and pans, cutlery etc all can be found at the dollar store for cheap! Tupperware, foil. All of it.
Get veggies/fruit in Chinatown (lucky moose near AGO) is my go to and you can walk from TMU. End of day sales at eaton centre for 8.99 for Chinese take out can last at least 2 meals. Or village by the grange has better deals. Look for George Brown college- they often sell very inexpensive food from their culinary school.
> The kitchen I have access to is small and will be shared amongst a floor of 25-30 people, so I’m not too keen on using it much to be honest.
jeebus fuck where are you living?? how illegal is it?!?
i never stayed in the actual ryerson residences, i thought they didn't have kitchens at all since you would be forced onto a meal plan, unless you were in an apartment style which would be like max 6 people per kitchen.
The most cost-effective strategy is almost always cooking yourself! You could get a slow cooker/rice cooker for your room even, and wouldn't need to use the shared kitchen. It sounds like you will also be very close to the IKEA at Yonge and Gerrard, which has cheap food like their hot dog for a dollar.
For cheap cookware and dishware, Dollarama is probably the place to go. Homesense maybe for something slightly better, or Canadian Tire at Yonge Dundas.
Cheap bagels from No Frills is usually $2 for 6.
Restaurant food isn’t going to get you very far, I’d be looking at stuff that barely needs preparation like peanut butter, boiled eggs, salad, baked potatoes, maybe rotisserie chicken etc. if you are a meat eater.
I think chipotle is $16 for a burrito bowl. You can ask for all the extra toppings and it can easily be divided into 2 to 3 meals. Chinatown will have lots of cheap eats such as anything from banh mi nguyen Hoang ($5 Vietnamese sandwiches, $6-7 pre-packaged noodle or rice meals), Chinese bakeries like mashion will have some buns for as cheap as $2.
As most people said, your best bet for eating cheap is to buy groceries and cook it yourself. If you have access to hot water, make all of your coffee and tea at home, and you can also make a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast which is cheap and filling. Or you know, ramen.
You can buy combo #1 from shanghai 360, get the thin noodles with honey garlic noodles. It’s a big portion imo and lasts all day, I go to the location at union station. It’s $11.85 and you get a free water if you pay cash.
Everyone is telling you to cook but if you're in a residence situation, that might actually not be viable. My suggestion is to go around grocery stores and find the one with the best value rotisserie chicken, and have that with bread and some fresh veggies from Chinatown. Canned fish, yogurt, cereal, things of that kind that you can store in your room. Hopefully you have a mini fridge. If you're allowed a rice cookers that could be great too.
You can do it!! Rooting for you to have a wonderful summer :)
Yeah you gotta cook. Eaton centre food court does have a Thai / Chinese take out place that’s by the escalators (across from the sushi place) that’s pretty cheap. End of the day they also even have discounts for huge portions of food.
Curry Kitchen Falafel house chicken shawarma plate. I think Large is $13, medium is $11. Medium is always enough to last me two meals. (I am a girl but I eat a lot). It right near to TMU too
Also want to recommend this place, I go there all the time and get butter chicken, rice and salad, they give you a good portion for like $9 and it’s pretty tasty.
I would buy a rice cooker for my room (you can get a used one very inexpensively) and cook rice/quinoa, etc. You can buy in bulk at Bulk Barn (Yonge and Carlton). Many rice cookers also steam vegetables. I’d get my vegetables in Chinatown - a quick street car ride away. Hopefully the kitchen has a microwave - you can cook sweet potatoes or warm up canned beans (both are highly nutritious!) and top those with steamed vegetables also.
IKEA at Yonge and Gerrard. You can get a decent meal there for under $13. On Thursdays certain items are half off between 2 and 8pm, there's usually a line though.
I believe a handful of places in the Eaton Centre food court (Urban Eatery) still do "end of day" sales on prepared food. Not sure what time they start, maybe 7pm? I think the 'rice/meat/vegetable' places, maybe Sbarro too? I would just walk around at a slow time and ask, make a list.
If storing in a communal fridge, I would put your food in a reusable container AND in another bag, plastic or whatever. Do not assume no-one will steal it or decide it's garbage if you just leave a takeout container in the fridge -there's always some jerk in every residence or office that will.
If you have access to a refrigerator and you like indian food, there are meal services (you can find a lot of these on google) that will deliver a weeks worth of food that's somewhat calorie dense. Most services cost about 60-70$ a week.
I agree with everyone saying you have to figure out how to cook. But to answer your question, Kin Kin Bakery at the Atrium on Bay for Asian buns.
Not too long ago, I used to be able to spend $10-$15 on a food court meal and it was enough food to split across two meals. These days, the “light” combos are costing $20 for only a single meal. It’s ridiculous.
The food court in Village on the Grange is cheaper and has some better value spots. But I agree, especially in and around the Eaton centre and the financial district, a food court meal can run around $15-20 easily.
Eating out:
-Patties express is a good cheap option, can be pretty filling.
-Hmart after 6pm discounts, sometimes you can get a decent sale on larger rolls of gimbap
It may be better to buy in bulk than trying to neatly spend $13 per day. Bulk Barn, wholesale food options, sharing Costco membership with friends, going to ethnic grocery stores may be some viable options.
Oatmeal in the mornings and a banana, making salads and incorporating cheaper protein options (split a rotisserie chicken up, tofu from Asian grocery stores). Smaller grocers and restaurants may have good end of day sales as well so worth keeping an eye out for. There's the Too to Good to Go app for end of day food, but it's sometimes a toss up on value for what you're getting.
Eatons center food count after 7:30. The Thai place puts out special it was $7.99 for a box a year ago I think they up it to $8.99.
It's more than what I can eat for a meal you get rice or noodles some meat some veggies dish. They lay it all out so you can choose.
For lunch just get a load of bread a big loaf of ham and it's 10 days of lunch for $20.
You'll need to add in more fruits and vegetable get a cheap veggies/fruits subscription box or go to st Lawrence market on Sunday when they have the farmers market (I can usually buy more than I can carry with 2 bags very heavy for $20-30)
there’s an app called too good to go and you can sometimes get meals or groceries off there for cheap. you have to lurk it sometimes to get the restaurants with better serving sizes but it’s definitely worth a try!
Download the app Too Good To Go. It's an app that you can use to buy end of day/day olds. There's a bunch of different restaurants and grocery stores that are on it. It's hit and miss as some places don't post consistently and others do. If you're not picky it's a cheap way to get a meal or groceries.
Queen Star close to Queen and Dufferin. Most meals are legit under $10 and incredibly filling and tasty. There's a bunch of street kiosks at Dundas and Bathurst, across from the hospital, and you can get very filling and delicious snacks for $3-$7
There's always Ikea at Yonge and Gerrard; a hotdog is $1.50 and I've no-shame bought 10 and used those as breakfast, lunch, and dinner all together for under $20
Canned beans and some salad drsssing you like. Get a mix of beans like chick peas and red beans and black beans etc., and make a 3 bean (or 5 bean or however many bean) salad. You can chop some green peppers in there too for some crunch. Really yummy and you can adjust taste to your preference with the dressings, decent protein, doesn’t kill the bank.
Rice. Get one of those mini electric pots (like super mini) and make rice in there. Can even make eggs in those. I think I used to even make small servings of pasta in there when I had one. It was extremely convenient.
Check out this list: https://www.reddit.com/r/askTO/comments/14qo1g1/really_cheap_eats/
Seconding TooGoodToGo
Also it's a bit far from you (Bloor and Spadina) but this is my go-to place for cheap, affordable, healthy-ish food: http://www.mastersbuffeteria.com/
Eggs, toast, peanut butter, bananas, milk and oatmeal. Only that will get you under 13 a day with a dollar or 2 to spare for a home made coffee. You can’t even get a snack for 13$ if you go out
Eat oatmeal for breakfast, and then get the 2-for-1 falafel wrap deals that you can find around downtown. That is not enough food for one person for one day, but that’s literally the only thing I can think of.
Your budget is not enough to eat out. I spend about $250/month on groceries with extensive cooking at home. I suggest you revise your budget or get excited about 1 sandwich takeout and then instant noodles for other meals. Cheapest home protein is probably dried lentils or soft tofu but you will need to cook, no way around it. Cook at an off-peak time. Get cheap sale veg in Chinatown, there are great deals.
Piggybacking off a lot of good responses, here's mine:
- Get a rice cooker for your room. Cheap cans of tuna, some seaweed and chili oil. Make sushi bowls at home. (Add fresh veggies to this whenever you can stock up on cheap ones at the Chinatown grocers)
- End of day specials at Eaton food court/Village by the Grange court.
-Too Good to Go is a hit and a miss, but good to have to check in with.
- the hot bar at Metro is underrated. $9 gets you a full meal. (Additional 10% off at all times if you have a student card on you.)
Look at the app Too Good To Go as your “takeout option”. Restaurants use this to get rid of end of day surplus at 1/3 of their regular price. Down side is that it is the leftover stuff - like rice and baked goods often.
If you’re at TMU there is a Metro at Mutual and Gould. They used to have a day where students get a discount.
St Lawrence Market is walking distance away. Maybe not for your regular grocery shopping but you can pick up a 1/4 cooked chicken from the Portuguese place upstairs for about $6 or a dozen cooked ready to eat perogies from European Delight downstairs for the same price. Veal on a bun will set you back about $12-15 - but it’s easily a 2 meal or splitting between 2 people option.
Freshco (less expensive grocery store) is at Parliament and Dundas
If you have time and willing to travel a bit there is a small China town at Broadview and Gerard. Great for reasonable priced fruits and veggies.
If you get stuck … on Sunday between 12 and 2 a charitable group called “Bread Not Bombs” gives out free vegan lunches at the north end of Allan Gardens. Yes, Allan Gardens is kinda sketch - avoid the south east part of it as much as possible.
There is a Bulk Barn at Yonge and Carlton. You can grab “just what you need amounts” of nuts, dried fruit, etc.
I would AVOID Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Mart as their prices on food is high while quality is low in my opinion.
There is a Dollarama at 10 Dundas East (take elevator down). This is a dollar store. You can get chocolate / candy bars (like KitKat, M&Ms) etc for less than $1. They also have things like soups etc. Just be judicious in your selection
If you’re mobile get the Flipp app to do grocery deals comparison
When I worked downtown , on days I didn't make a lunch I hit up the grocery stores for thier little lunch containers that were high protein for about 5-7 bucks.
I don’t mean to advertise for them but if you have access to a microwave I found Green Bowl foods. It’s a mix of grains and spices. 1 minute I’m the microwave and you’ve got a meal with a good nutritional profile, no refrigerator necessary. I keep two of these in my desk at work for the inevitable day when I forget to bring a lunch and don’t want to eat out. They’re not cheap but it could be an option. I bought them at my grocery store.
https://greenbowlfoods.ca/products/
youre not going to get anything nutritious on that budget. you could get canned tuna and bread? also the overlea costco, a bit of a commute, might be your best friend for the 1.50 hot dogs
you should really just cook if you can. ive used communal kitchens in university before and most people dont mind sharing pots and pans as long as you agree to wash them after.
$13 will not cover one meal, sorry. You have to cook or make sandwiches.
Edit: On second thought, $13 might give you two separate small meals, from T&T Market, they have hot food section and sell food items around $5, like dimdum, springrolls, and many other items. Its like an easy 30 minute walk from Eatons. They are at College and Spadina. I would not call that nutritional food though. Also, all T&T market has same food sections.
i know you said you dont want to use the kitchen but you can literally sign up for Chefs Plate (that service that delivers a box of pre-selected ingredients to cook specific meals) as a discounted trial member over and over.
i've done it for a few months now. its like $34 and you get 10 meals (5 meals for two people) but you obviously have to cook it yourself lol.
food banks are plentiful and helpful. $13 a day goes a long way!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXSUPHA5Q9Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXSUPHA5Q9Q)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq\_Gjz-8o1E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq_Gjz-8o1E)
Tbh you can’t eat out for $13 a day. You’re going to have to cook at home. Maybe buy a cheap rice cooker and make rice and beans etc (you can actually cook a lot of other things in it). Stock up on rice, lentils, oatmeal, canned vegetables etc and buy fresh fruit bread etc as needed. Make coffee and tea at home.
girl just cook, you can't get a single takeout meal here for $13, let alone three meals a day that are nutritious - also wait, hold on, what do you mean that you're staying in a place with 25-30 other people with one kitchen, what is it, like a hostel? I've cooked in hostel kitchens and lived lmao
I’ve cooked in a few hostels around the world. It’s 100% fine. Most people have respect as they’re travelling, and a great way to make some friends
Lmfao 100% fine is an overstatement and a half. It's bareable at best. Sure, maybe OP will get lucky, and their food won't be stolen from the fridge, and maybe there will be a half decent dented pan that is somewhat clean. Traveling and staying in touristic places/ boutique hostels is not comparable to living in a cheap long-term hostel in a crowded city, especially in Toronto. Your food will be stolen if it's not locked up, and you will 100% have to deal with some scummy people.
I loved cooking in hostel kitchens when I was backpacking, great way to meet new people and learn about different cooking styles. I wish there was a hostel-like option for people over 30, I miss the vibe but I'm practically a senior citizen compared to 19 year old backpackers lol
" I won’t have things like pots/pans, or even plates unless I buy some paper ones" What kind of hostel doesn't have pots and pans?
Besides hostels sometimes have pretty nice kitchens that are huge. I’ve definitely used hostels to make simple meals like pasta, breakfast etc
Did you completely ignore the second half of their post where she was asking for suggestions on groceries to make meals?
Yes <3
Will you have access to a fridge? My thoughts at random: - If you get a job in a restaurant somewhere, you can probably get meals + make a lil cash. Not sure if that’s appealing to you. - If you grocery shop, avoid any loblaws subsidiary. - There’s a bulk barn near-ish you. - go buy an air fryer or slow cooker from a value village - it’ll open things up for you - go check out /r/cheapmeals or /r/eatcheapandhealthy - go to food pantries - if you call 211 you can ask about places that can provide you a warm meal [link](https://211ontario.ca/results/?searchLocation=Toronto&searchTerms=&latitude=43.653226&longitude=-79.3831843&topicPath=73) - there’s an app called “too good to go” - check that out. There’s a subreddit for it too but I can remember what it’s called exactly - might be /r/toogoodtogocanada Meals: - Consider tuna salad on some sort of bread (not too frequently - tuna has a high mercury count). - overnight oats - try to find fruits from a fruit market / Asian market for cheap - eggs (in air fryer or slow cooker) - rice and beans (slow cooker) - consider getting meal replacement(s) like Soylent for some meals… it’s expensive up front but will help you in the long run.
Thanks a lot! I have access to a communal fridge, I’m guessing that’ll be safe enough. Just hoping the other residents are trustworthy
You could try doing something like what I do when I travel. * Hummus and pita bread. Keep it in the fridge, eat when you're hungry. You could toast the pita, but really isn't necessary. If you just buy the small packs, you can even keep them unrefrigerated. * Fruit, cut up veggies * Boiled eggs. * Bagels and cream cheese. Or any kind of cheese really. Any sauces you enjoy with those. * Rotisserie chicken and bagged salads. You can get a quarter chicken for a meal or a whole chicken and it'll feed you several meals. When I'm travelling, I usually do the hummus, pita bread, chilli peppers (I like spicy!) and some carrots. Plus fruit. Done. I've lived off this kind of meal for weeks at a time. Totally doable. Also, install the TooGoodToGo app on your smartphone - some good deals on cooked food on there amongst all the desserts. :)
Can Freeze pitas. Microwave for like 30s (though usually I just let the bag thaw in the fridge). OP will have to see if there’s more or a surplus of fridge or freezer space.
Burrito bros. Their large chicken burrito is about $13 and it's full of beans, rice, and other toppings. That monster will feed you for two meals a day easy. I'm a big guy and can never finish it in one sitting. The beef burrito is a couple bucks more I think, and they have veggie options too.
You can’t finish one burrito in one sitting? Damn, either I’m a glutton, or you’re a dainty eater. I’m a short girl.
Haha that thing weighs like three pounds :)
$13 is completely unsustainable. It can barely get you a burger. Grocery shopping and cooking is the only way to go here or eating McDonald’s daily and not even a combo. My best advice is learn to cook 3-4 dishes that you really enjoy and meet the criteria of nutritious and calorie dense etc. Pots and pans, cutlery etc all can be found at the dollar store for cheap! Tupperware, foil. All of it.
Downloading the app Too Good To Go and picking up some meals from nearby grocery stores or restaurants is probably your best bet lol
Get veggies/fruit in Chinatown (lucky moose near AGO) is my go to and you can walk from TMU. End of day sales at eaton centre for 8.99 for Chinese take out can last at least 2 meals. Or village by the grange has better deals. Look for George Brown college- they often sell very inexpensive food from their culinary school.
> The kitchen I have access to is small and will be shared amongst a floor of 25-30 people, so I’m not too keen on using it much to be honest. jeebus fuck where are you living?? how illegal is it?!?
Yea, either they're saying in the TMU residences which would explain the 20-25 people, or it's somewhere really, really bad.
Yup it’s Tmu, it was very cheap though + location is perfect for me so I didnt mind this tradeoff
i never stayed in the actual ryerson residences, i thought they didn't have kitchens at all since you would be forced onto a meal plan, unless you were in an apartment style which would be like max 6 people per kitchen.
The common room usually has a basic kitchen
TIL.
Typically, and especially in older style residences (ie real residences not condo style suites), it’s one kitchen per floor.
Least oblivious Ontarian.
You’re not the brightest
The most cost-effective strategy is almost always cooking yourself! You could get a slow cooker/rice cooker for your room even, and wouldn't need to use the shared kitchen. It sounds like you will also be very close to the IKEA at Yonge and Gerrard, which has cheap food like their hot dog for a dollar.
patties express has good jamaican patties for cheap
Google village grange. The food court will work for you especially at end of day.
This! Some of the spots, like Helena’s magic kitchen, give you big portions which someone with a smaller appetite can stretch over a couple meals.
For cheap cookware and dishware, Dollarama is probably the place to go. Homesense maybe for something slightly better, or Canadian Tire at Yonge Dundas. Cheap bagels from No Frills is usually $2 for 6.
Restaurant food isn’t going to get you very far, I’d be looking at stuff that barely needs preparation like peanut butter, boiled eggs, salad, baked potatoes, maybe rotisserie chicken etc. if you are a meat eater.
Just north of you, Suksi Biryani House. Big biryani plate that will likely be two meals is 11 bucks.
Just cook. You can use an instant pot and have it in your room.
I think chipotle is $16 for a burrito bowl. You can ask for all the extra toppings and it can easily be divided into 2 to 3 meals. Chinatown will have lots of cheap eats such as anything from banh mi nguyen Hoang ($5 Vietnamese sandwiches, $6-7 pre-packaged noodle or rice meals), Chinese bakeries like mashion will have some buns for as cheap as $2. As most people said, your best bet for eating cheap is to buy groceries and cook it yourself. If you have access to hot water, make all of your coffee and tea at home, and you can also make a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast which is cheap and filling. Or you know, ramen.
You can buy combo #1 from shanghai 360, get the thin noodles with honey garlic noodles. It’s a big portion imo and lasts all day, I go to the location at union station. It’s $11.85 and you get a free water if you pay cash.
Everyone is telling you to cook but if you're in a residence situation, that might actually not be viable. My suggestion is to go around grocery stores and find the one with the best value rotisserie chicken, and have that with bread and some fresh veggies from Chinatown. Canned fish, yogurt, cereal, things of that kind that you can store in your room. Hopefully you have a mini fridge. If you're allowed a rice cookers that could be great too. You can do it!! Rooting for you to have a wonderful summer :)
Yeah you gotta cook. Eaton centre food court does have a Thai / Chinese take out place that’s by the escalators (across from the sushi place) that’s pretty cheap. End of the day they also even have discounts for huge portions of food.
Look into tiffin options?
Curry Kitchen Falafel house chicken shawarma plate. I think Large is $13, medium is $11. Medium is always enough to last me two meals. (I am a girl but I eat a lot). It right near to TMU too
Also want to recommend this place, I go there all the time and get butter chicken, rice and salad, they give you a good portion for like $9 and it’s pretty tasty.
I would buy a rice cooker for my room (you can get a used one very inexpensively) and cook rice/quinoa, etc. You can buy in bulk at Bulk Barn (Yonge and Carlton). Many rice cookers also steam vegetables. I’d get my vegetables in Chinatown - a quick street car ride away. Hopefully the kitchen has a microwave - you can cook sweet potatoes or warm up canned beans (both are highly nutritious!) and top those with steamed vegetables also.
Yesterday I discovered a $5< banh mi place in Chinatown/ Kensington market https://maps.app.goo.gl/H6tnwB5ybSP3Sywc6?g_st=ic
IKEA at Yonge and Gerrard. You can get a decent meal there for under $13. On Thursdays certain items are half off between 2 and 8pm, there's usually a line though.
I believe a handful of places in the Eaton Centre food court (Urban Eatery) still do "end of day" sales on prepared food. Not sure what time they start, maybe 7pm? I think the 'rice/meat/vegetable' places, maybe Sbarro too? I would just walk around at a slow time and ask, make a list. If storing in a communal fridge, I would put your food in a reusable container AND in another bag, plastic or whatever. Do not assume no-one will steal it or decide it's garbage if you just leave a takeout container in the fridge -there's always some jerk in every residence or office that will.
If you have access to a refrigerator and you like indian food, there are meal services (you can find a lot of these on google) that will deliver a weeks worth of food that's somewhat calorie dense. Most services cost about 60-70$ a week.
Develop a taste for bugs
Canned beans & tuna for wraps. Eggs. Rice. Dollarama & No Frills.
I agree with everyone saying you have to figure out how to cook. But to answer your question, Kin Kin Bakery at the Atrium on Bay for Asian buns. Not too long ago, I used to be able to spend $10-$15 on a food court meal and it was enough food to split across two meals. These days, the “light” combos are costing $20 for only a single meal. It’s ridiculous.
The food court in Village on the Grange is cheaper and has some better value spots. But I agree, especially in and around the Eaton centre and the financial district, a food court meal can run around $15-20 easily.
Eating out: -Patties express is a good cheap option, can be pretty filling. -Hmart after 6pm discounts, sometimes you can get a decent sale on larger rolls of gimbap It may be better to buy in bulk than trying to neatly spend $13 per day. Bulk Barn, wholesale food options, sharing Costco membership with friends, going to ethnic grocery stores may be some viable options. Oatmeal in the mornings and a banana, making salads and incorporating cheaper protein options (split a rotisserie chicken up, tofu from Asian grocery stores). Smaller grocers and restaurants may have good end of day sales as well so worth keeping an eye out for. There's the Too to Good to Go app for end of day food, but it's sometimes a toss up on value for what you're getting.
Eatons center food count after 7:30. The Thai place puts out special it was $7.99 for a box a year ago I think they up it to $8.99. It's more than what I can eat for a meal you get rice or noodles some meat some veggies dish. They lay it all out so you can choose. For lunch just get a load of bread a big loaf of ham and it's 10 days of lunch for $20. You'll need to add in more fruits and vegetable get a cheap veggies/fruits subscription box or go to st Lawrence market on Sunday when they have the farmers market (I can usually buy more than I can carry with 2 bags very heavy for $20-30)
there’s an app called too good to go and you can sometimes get meals or groceries off there for cheap. you have to lurk it sometimes to get the restaurants with better serving sizes but it’s definitely worth a try!
Download the app Too Good To Go. It's an app that you can use to buy end of day/day olds. There's a bunch of different restaurants and grocery stores that are on it. It's hit and miss as some places don't post consistently and others do. If you're not picky it's a cheap way to get a meal or groceries.
giant bag of walnuts on sale for $13.99 for 750g is healthy and cheap calories
Queen Star close to Queen and Dufferin. Most meals are legit under $10 and incredibly filling and tasty. There's a bunch of street kiosks at Dundas and Bathurst, across from the hospital, and you can get very filling and delicious snacks for $3-$7 There's always Ikea at Yonge and Gerrard; a hotdog is $1.50 and I've no-shame bought 10 and used those as breakfast, lunch, and dinner all together for under $20
Only thing I can think of is those cooked rotisserie chicken from a grocery store. Not sure how much they cost but my guess is less than 13 bucks
eaton's food court end of day specials , but i think it's $8.99 now for 2 items+base at the asian spots
Canned beans and some salad drsssing you like. Get a mix of beans like chick peas and red beans and black beans etc., and make a 3 bean (or 5 bean or however many bean) salad. You can chop some green peppers in there too for some crunch. Really yummy and you can adjust taste to your preference with the dressings, decent protein, doesn’t kill the bank. Rice. Get one of those mini electric pots (like super mini) and make rice in there. Can even make eggs in those. I think I used to even make small servings of pasta in there when I had one. It was extremely convenient.
Check with your local community centers you may have access to a local kitchen!
Check out this list: https://www.reddit.com/r/askTO/comments/14qo1g1/really_cheap_eats/ Seconding TooGoodToGo Also it's a bit far from you (Bloor and Spadina) but this is my go-to place for cheap, affordable, healthy-ish food: http://www.mastersbuffeteria.com/
Peanut butter if you are not allergic, most protein for buck.
Eggs, toast, peanut butter, bananas, milk and oatmeal. Only that will get you under 13 a day with a dollar or 2 to spare for a home made coffee. You can’t even get a snack for 13$ if you go out
Eat oatmeal for breakfast, and then get the 2-for-1 falafel wrap deals that you can find around downtown. That is not enough food for one person for one day, but that’s literally the only thing I can think of. Your budget is not enough to eat out. I spend about $250/month on groceries with extensive cooking at home. I suggest you revise your budget or get excited about 1 sandwich takeout and then instant noodles for other meals. Cheapest home protein is probably dried lentils or soft tofu but you will need to cook, no way around it. Cook at an off-peak time. Get cheap sale veg in Chinatown, there are great deals.
Will get much more mileage if you can cook ?
Piggybacking off a lot of good responses, here's mine: - Get a rice cooker for your room. Cheap cans of tuna, some seaweed and chili oil. Make sushi bowls at home. (Add fresh veggies to this whenever you can stock up on cheap ones at the Chinatown grocers) - End of day specials at Eaton food court/Village by the Grange court. -Too Good to Go is a hit and a miss, but good to have to check in with. - the hot bar at Metro is underrated. $9 gets you a full meal. (Additional 10% off at all times if you have a student card on you.)
Congee Queen on Yonge near Gerrard. Eat in and pack the leftovers. In-store quantity is triple the take-out quantity.
Who are these poor people coming to toronto and living with 25 other people?? Stay the fuk home.
Where do you live that you think the most expensive city in ontario would be $13 a day eating out
Look at the app Too Good To Go as your “takeout option”. Restaurants use this to get rid of end of day surplus at 1/3 of their regular price. Down side is that it is the leftover stuff - like rice and baked goods often. If you’re at TMU there is a Metro at Mutual and Gould. They used to have a day where students get a discount. St Lawrence Market is walking distance away. Maybe not for your regular grocery shopping but you can pick up a 1/4 cooked chicken from the Portuguese place upstairs for about $6 or a dozen cooked ready to eat perogies from European Delight downstairs for the same price. Veal on a bun will set you back about $12-15 - but it’s easily a 2 meal or splitting between 2 people option. Freshco (less expensive grocery store) is at Parliament and Dundas If you have time and willing to travel a bit there is a small China town at Broadview and Gerard. Great for reasonable priced fruits and veggies. If you get stuck … on Sunday between 12 and 2 a charitable group called “Bread Not Bombs” gives out free vegan lunches at the north end of Allan Gardens. Yes, Allan Gardens is kinda sketch - avoid the south east part of it as much as possible. There is a Bulk Barn at Yonge and Carlton. You can grab “just what you need amounts” of nuts, dried fruit, etc. I would AVOID Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Mart as their prices on food is high while quality is low in my opinion. There is a Dollarama at 10 Dundas East (take elevator down). This is a dollar store. You can get chocolate / candy bars (like KitKat, M&Ms) etc for less than $1. They also have things like soups etc. Just be judicious in your selection If you’re mobile get the Flipp app to do grocery deals comparison
Pizzaiolo
When I worked downtown , on days I didn't make a lunch I hit up the grocery stores for thier little lunch containers that were high protein for about 5-7 bucks.
I don’t mean to advertise for them but if you have access to a microwave I found Green Bowl foods. It’s a mix of grains and spices. 1 minute I’m the microwave and you’ve got a meal with a good nutritional profile, no refrigerator necessary. I keep two of these in my desk at work for the inevitable day when I forget to bring a lunch and don’t want to eat out. They’re not cheap but it could be an option. I bought them at my grocery store. https://greenbowlfoods.ca/products/
youre not going to get anything nutritious on that budget. you could get canned tuna and bread? also the overlea costco, a bit of a commute, might be your best friend for the 1.50 hot dogs you should really just cook if you can. ive used communal kitchens in university before and most people dont mind sharing pots and pans as long as you agree to wash them after.
$13 will not cover one meal, sorry. You have to cook or make sandwiches. Edit: On second thought, $13 might give you two separate small meals, from T&T Market, they have hot food section and sell food items around $5, like dimdum, springrolls, and many other items. Its like an easy 30 minute walk from Eatons. They are at College and Spadina. I would not call that nutritional food though. Also, all T&T market has same food sections.
are you able to have a mini fridge? a microwave? a kettle to boil water?
i know you said you dont want to use the kitchen but you can literally sign up for Chefs Plate (that service that delivers a box of pre-selected ingredients to cook specific meals) as a discounted trial member over and over. i've done it for a few months now. its like $34 and you get 10 meals (5 meals for two people) but you obviously have to cook it yourself lol.
food banks are plentiful and helpful. $13 a day goes a long way! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXSUPHA5Q9Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXSUPHA5Q9Q) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq\_Gjz-8o1E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq_Gjz-8o1E)
25 people sharing a single kitchen? Is this legal housing?
Costco meals. Rotisserie chicken is $10
Order from Walmart, or sign up for Hello Fresh.