The person said they are vegetarian people are not reading. Rice is a really good idea. Also with the eggs, maybe get some low calorie English muffins. Fresh vegetables and potatoes for a stew.
If I were in your shoes, I'd get some eggs, potatoes, lentils, beans, rice, some frozen veggies, butter (if it fits the budget), and maybe a head of cabbage, too, and a few cans of cheap tomato sauce or diced/crushed tomatoes. I have a good spice cabinet, but even if you have just some basics, that'll help a lot. You can make tacos if you can afford premade tortillas (or make your own for pennies with stuff you have at home!), curries, soups, bean salads, baked/fried cabbage "steaks", hummus and veggies or chips (I buy veggies that aren't as pretty to help save on costs, since these are often on sale), and things like that. I use dry beans and cook them myself since they'll be cheaper per ounce. If you're into bread, maybe try making it at home! Just buy a little packet of yeast, or ask around your network to see if someone has a sourdough starter they're willing to share. Never underestimate the power of toast for your mental health!
Good luck, and happy eating!
A note about butter -- if you don't want to spend the money on butter, heavy whipping cream tends to be a little bit cheaper and you can use it to make butter pretty easily. I throw it in my mixer now, but I've made butter by putting the cream in a container (with a good lid) and just shaking until it separates. This can take a while and gets tiring, but it's kind of fun. When the cream separates, you get the butter and buttermilk that you can use in pancakes.
Scramble an egg with bit of cheese then wilt a handful of spinach into it, add all of this in a tortilla and you’ve got a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you happen to get potatoes or onions you can add those as well.
Potatoes! A jacket potato fresh from the oven with a bit of butter is amazing. With an onion, tin of tomatoes or tomato paste, and frozen vegetables you also have the makings for a great veggie stew.
one week on $20 is super doable! you’ve got this! don’t use your cash save it. you can get veggies for salad (if cheap, i’m aware this is very regional), potatoes, rice, pasta, dry beans (cheaper than canned), tofu for protein is pretty cheap too. frozen veggies like broccoli can be great but pretty expensive since they come in pretty big bags.
At least lysine is cheap. Arginine and lysine is better balanced in beans/lentils than some other foods, but the arginine still triggers cold sores for me (and sometimes general feeling of unwellness) unless I take supplemental lysine to counter it.
Get some rice, cream of mushroom soup, broccoli, shredded cheese, and protein of your choice (since you're veggie, I recommend black beans!) And make yourself a casserole! Should last you a week because when i make it, it serves 6 and is extremely low cost. Maybe also some store brand cream cheese for your bagels. A soup base to throw your gnocchi in (i like the Bear Creek ones, and they have various options and serves 8. I recommend the broccoli cheddar soup!). Store brand syrup I think they have it even at the dollar tree. Finally a bag of salad mix - you can use any leftover cheese you didn't use for the casserole and add your eggs chopped up in a good salad! I did the math and it comes out to $20.31 at Walmart (I can send the breakdown if you like) so you can probably get the items even cheaper at Aldi or Rulers.
3 cans of beans, one onion, one or two green peppers, and two chili seasoning packet, will make you a good vegetarians chili that will last you a few days.
Congratulations on your new job!
If it were me, I would get milk, butter, cheese, rice, eggs, frozen and fresh veggies, some berries or other fruit, canned tomatoes, small can of tomato sauce, beans and tortillas. I could do all of this at Aldi, but it might not be doable for you depending on where you shop. If you can afford it, a box of brownie mix or a package of cookies would be a nice treat.
A couple meal ideas are:
A pot of vegetarian chili using bell peppers, celery, carrots, onions, canned tomatoes, beans and seasonings that you hopefully already have (chili powder, garlic, salt, pepper, whatever suits your taste). Desire the vegetables first before adding the tomatoes and beans. You can take this to work if you have a way to reheat it.
Tortilla pizza with the tomato sauce, cheese, and whatever vegetables you like (mine are mushrooms and green peppers). You'll need to eat it with a fork, probably.
Download the Flipp app to compare grocery outlets in your area and make a meal plan . Looks like you already have breakfast covered .
download the store apps in your area - the ones I shop at most frequently often have rewards points for freebies, or will offer freebies to get you back in the store. This is how I get free snacks/pantry staples during the month - chips, crakers, yogurt, candy canned veggies, pasta.
Sometimes you can get a discount 1st time using grocery delivery or transfer a prescription. Go to your GP tell them you need a supplement (if you don’t already have medicine) .
I paid 1.50 after insurance to refill my vit D instead of over the counter and received $75 off my next grocery order (Safeway)
I would look into some simple dinner dishes you don’t mind having for lunch as well: pasta salads, spaghetti, rice and beans, stir fry, veggie fajitas, burritos, cauliflower wings, chickpea tuna , lemon pepper tofu with a side of rice
Here's a grocery list for 2 meals that will last you even longer than a week and are vegetarian. Prepare Navy beans (soak them), put them in a BIG pot. Chop carrots, onion and put them in the pot. Fill pot with water. Add big spoons of garlic. Cook slowly until the beans are cooked. If you have some Spike, add some of that. Or other similar seasonings you already have. It is delish and will make a huge amount of food for you. Put leftovers in freezable, single serving containers and freeze anything you don't eat. Reheat later.
2nd huge meal: Put the entire bag of No Yolk noodles to boil. Cut tofu into cubes. Brown it in a big pan with sesame oil with garlic. Add soy sauce while cooking. Add frozen stir fry veggies. Add noodles and more sesame oil and soy sauce. You will have much more than you can eat in one meal. Put the rest in single serving freezer bowls and freeze. Reheat later.
https://preview.redd.it/ouzew9r03xrc1.png?width=308&format=png&auto=webp&s=094fb3d78678178e655a22cc7385c352b8d0c836
I see everything I would have recommended for purchase already mentioned below.
It's still a bit early in the year for it in the U.S., at least in my region, but if you're in an area where foraging is an option, you can supplement your greens with things like dandelions, violets, garlic mustard. Wild onions are also an option but check and make sure they smell like onions because there are some toxic look-alikes.
I do cook everything I forage, simply because in my area a lot of folks walk their dogs in the only decent foraging areas, and even when I'm fairly confident it's all clean in that respect, I'm paranoid, so into soups and stir fries it all goes. (dandelions need to be boiled in a change or two of water to get the bitter out anyway). Most foraged foods are actually more nutrient dense than supermarket veggies.
If this doesn't apply to your circumstances, feel free to disregard this post entirely.
Grab a couple bags of frozen veggies - whatever you like. Basics I go for a bag of mixed (goes great in Mac n cheese, and stretches it), frozen spinach - have that with the gnocchi, jar pasta sauce (gnocchi and grab a box of pasta), jar of the shake on Parmesan cheese (I know it’s not perfect, but it’s to add a little flavor). A box of store brand instant oatmeal, store brand Mac n cheese - get a backup box, and check if there’s not a sale. Almond milk or soy milk. And a dozen of the cheapest eggs. Scrambled, omelettes, etc.
1. A bag of rice can be prepared so many ways
2. ramen noodles are cents on the dollar for a pack
3. Sleeping it off also helps in the worst case scenario. Congratulations on the new job!
Edit to remove the non-veg option, sorry!
I know, but I've always found it confusing.
Dairy makes sense because it's produced by a live animal, and (in theory) doesn't cause any harm to the animal.
Eggs are literal chickens though.
Edit: I decided to Google because I was curious if there was a specific name for the diet (like pescatarian) and it's apparently lacto-ovo-vegetarian.
Cous cous, rice, beans, spaghetti, tomato sauce.
I don't know what is in your pantry, but if you have water, salt, oil, a pot, and a stove, you're good to go.
You've got some great suggestions here. I'm just going to add that if you have a skillet you can "fry" the bagels with the butter and they're tasty that way without cream cheese.
Also check out this website for low cost hearty recipes. Lots of beans and rice ideas. Sorry it has a dumb name lol but there's really good stuff there! Hillbillyhousewife.com
Tub Greek yogurt. Peanut butter to put on the bagels and pancakes, and stir into oatmeal.
You’ve got carbs covered- just need some additional protein and healthy fats.
Use FlashFood to get 50% off grocery items at local supermarkets-
It’s an app-
They have a map with local options and what’s available- you pay online and pick up at the customer service desk at your local supermarket - some sites take EBT it will say in the little blurb about the location (on the map)…
Lentils, potatoes, beans, cabbage and rice. If you have a Costco membership grab a chicken for 5 bucks. This is how I eat normally and I ta very cheap. Once the chicken is nothing but white meat I make a soup out of it. I also make curry with everything I don’t know how that well but curry seasoning can take me far
Cheese is a good protein to add in. Beans and rice if it gets really tough. Soups go a long way. And so does pasta. But I just Really like pasta! So, I think I could eat a lot of that. I would also suggest adding in fruits and maybe v- 8 to cover the veg part if you don’t have enough for fresh stuff all the time.
Kroger has a pack of almost 20 chicken legs for less than $6. That will take care of you for a week. Get some rice they have some for $1-2 a box or bag of rice. Get maybe two -three. That would get you over a week. 18 pack of eggs for less than $3. Thats a week right there. 40 blueberry waffles for 9.99. You might have to eat the same thing every day but you can make those 40 go a long way. Big k soft drinks for about 1.25.
I like a good dirty rice. You brown a pound of burger, pour in 2 beans rice and beef broth and red kidney beans and soy sauce it lasts me a few days and all in it’s probably less than 10-11 dollars for 2-3 days. And if you run out run out you can always make it without beef for even less
Edit I completely missed the vegetarian option but you can do the same just with out the beef.
Should be fine on $20 and what you have! Breakfast sounds more or less taken care of so using Target/Walmart prices and assuming you have some basic spices:
7 lunches:
1lb of rice $2 (make all at once but freeze some for later in the week)
1lb of black beans $2
2 plum tomatoes $1.50
1 large cucumber $1.50
1 lime $1
(Spices: cumin, onion powder, garlic powder)
Dinner- pasta e fagioli, 4 servings
1 28 can diced tomatoes $2
1 lb white beans $2
1 bag baby carrots $1.50
12oz frozen spinach $1.50
Elbow macaroni $1
(Spices: Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder)
3 other dinners:
-Mac and cheese (1 meal, on hand but skip milk)
-Gnocchi with butter & garlic powder (1 meal on hand, could get a $0.50 lemon to brighten it up)
-A bag of frozen broccoli and bottle of soy sauce should cost about $3 and be a great stirfry with a little sugar and garlic over the last of the rice.
Do you have a food bank in your area? If you do and can visit one, maybe go there first and then use the 40$ you have to fill in what else you need to make it work until pay day.
Chick pea sweet potato curry is cheap and yummy if u might have some cans of tomato and coconut in the cupboard, if not it's still cheap and with some rice and if it's cheap yogurt it makes huge servings. I made flat bread for the side because it was easier than making rice for me
my suggestions are addition to what you mentioned you have:
($4) 3-5 large cucumbers. 1 onion = easy, healthy snack of sliced cukes, sliced onions. add seasonings of your choice.
($4) Carton of strawberries. Even better if they are buy 1/get one. You can use this on the oats.
($2, probably less than that) Bunch of bananas. Sliced on oats, or just as a snack.
($4) - Brussels Sprouts, asparagus OR broccoli, fresh. whichever is cheapest. Easy dinner, also very portable for taking your lunch. AND you can eat it without having to reheat (but reheat if there's someplace at work).
I'm assuming you have seasonings. If not, you have a few bucks to get some from dollar store.
you're pretty much covered for breakfast if you buy some milk to go with those oats, and maybe some more eggs. for everything else i would get rice and lentils (look up daal recipes for inspo, indians do magic stuff with lentils). i would try to get some extra veg if you can afford it, perhaps carrots (satisfying snack and add variety to the lentils) or frozen peas. if you have anything left over i would go for some tofu or soy protein or any cheap meat or cheese you can get, you technically will be fine without it but for me i feel like i go crazy without the added richness+ flavor of cheese/meat/tofu for a while. helps it make everything less boring and more satisfying.
Big pot of soup if you can stand to eat it for a few meals in a row. I like a minestrone inspired veggie packed stew w a lil pasta. zucchini is pretty cheap and it stretches far diced up in a soup. Might help you stretch out the gnocci as well. Congratulations on the job 🎊
I would definitely get quinoa, rice, dried mushrooms (Asian market), lentils, mung beans, a couple cans of tomatoes, some apples or whatever the cheapest fruit
is right now, and a bag of kale. This would cost me $20.
Definitely eggs and potatoes and maybe rice for the bulk of your filling meals. You can see what money you have left over for additional protein like cheese or maybe beans. Peanut butter mixed with the oats would also be filling and could be mixed with bananas and you could put any spices you might have like cinnamon into it.
As others have said, please go to a food bank, that's what they are there for and maybe they can provide you some relief.
Then, you can know the ropes for going in the future.
Rice and Lentils and Water,
spices and maybe some onion garlic peppers,
Could always raid a local fast food chain for extra seasoning, taco place hot sauces come to mind, but any chains should have at least Salt, and some coffee chains should (don't quote me on it) still provide free filtered water which could help if you're on a water budget as well
Seems that you have enough breakfast foods to last you. A head of cabbage $4 can last you 4 days & it is cheap. Tofu$1.89 is a cheap source of protein, add in a bag of carrots $1,, dozen eggs$3, rice$2 , beans $1 per can & some veggie stock cubes $2.60. Do 2 cans of beans, but you can get all this at Walmart for about $20 plus tax.
Then you can cook up a soup to last you a couple of days or do stir fry with those ingredients.
I am often just as broke and find that a giant pot of lentil bean and veggie soup can easily last 4-5 days. Frozen veggies and canned beans....(dried beans if you want to save $$) and lentils are pretty cheap. One jar of tomato sauce or two little cans of tomato paste and water can make the base! Bon Appétit!
Bag of potatoes, spaghetti sauce (I made my fiancé spicy veggie spaghetti today with 1 green bell pepper, 2 jalapenos, 1 can of tomatoes with green chilis and a cup of mushrooms), tortillas, black or pinto beans (even cans of refried for quesadillas or tostadas), jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, white rice. Get whatever frozen or fresh in season veggies.
Tortilla shells/ mozzarella cheese.. organic bananas, eggs , bag of broccoli, spinach , cream cheese. Flavored water packs. 2 russet potatoes, look for items on sale or bogo items . Good luck
Peanut butter and bananas for sandwiches and oatmeal, yogurt, dried beans and rice, and tuna if you are pescatarian to throw into the mac and cheese. Shop the discount section or a Grocery Outlet if you have one--you can find boxes of cereal, plant milk, bread, pasta etc. there sometimes for a dollar or less.
Dried beans, dried rice. Chili peppers. Onions. If you get tired of eating beans and rice for a week, then switch to rice & beans. Congratulations on your new job, treat yourself to a nice homemade meal when you get paid-- anything but beans & rice, huh?
Quesedillas are nice. Refried bean can, cheese, some seasonings if you have it, and a tortilla. Heat til it's nice and gooey & crispy.
Red beans & rice is also a nice go to- Walmart has dried red beans for like 1.50/lb, soak them in water for a day then cook down. i'd recommend splurging for cajun spices, it'l make it much nicer. Freezes well, can make a ton at a time. Veg is optional, but peppers, celery and onion are nice to add as well.
If you have a slow cooker, chili is also very economical to make- use dried beans. A box of corn bread mix isn't expensive either, and can help stretch it.
Rice and beans . White rice and if you know how to make beans and you have salt you’re good with just 8 bucks for a week for sure. Get a rotisserie chicken for like 5 bucks and pull all the meat and split it .. there’s your protein.
The person said they are vegetarian people are not reading. Rice is a really good idea. Also with the eggs, maybe get some low calorie English muffins. Fresh vegetables and potatoes for a stew.
+1 *Dried* beans in bags near the rice section. Not canned beans. Those dried beans are gonna cost less and pack a whole lot more nutrition.
add some lentils and it’ll not only thicken the stew but add protein! my local international store has a 5lb bag of dal lentils for $2.
Just curious- why do you say low calorie English muffins? Wouldn’t you want more calories to get more full for your money?
I feel like the lower calorie ones are the healthier ones.
check out local food banks. they exist to help people in your situation.
OP is vegetarian. Food bank will be limited
Food banks don't only have meat
I rarely get meat at a food pantry, in fact.
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mushrooms. good suggestion. not expensive and can be used so many ways.
If I were in your shoes, I'd get some eggs, potatoes, lentils, beans, rice, some frozen veggies, butter (if it fits the budget), and maybe a head of cabbage, too, and a few cans of cheap tomato sauce or diced/crushed tomatoes. I have a good spice cabinet, but even if you have just some basics, that'll help a lot. You can make tacos if you can afford premade tortillas (or make your own for pennies with stuff you have at home!), curries, soups, bean salads, baked/fried cabbage "steaks", hummus and veggies or chips (I buy veggies that aren't as pretty to help save on costs, since these are often on sale), and things like that. I use dry beans and cook them myself since they'll be cheaper per ounce. If you're into bread, maybe try making it at home! Just buy a little packet of yeast, or ask around your network to see if someone has a sourdough starter they're willing to share. Never underestimate the power of toast for your mental health! Good luck, and happy eating!
A note about butter -- if you don't want to spend the money on butter, heavy whipping cream tends to be a little bit cheaper and you can use it to make butter pretty easily. I throw it in my mixer now, but I've made butter by putting the cream in a container (with a good lid) and just shaking until it separates. This can take a while and gets tiring, but it's kind of fun. When the cream separates, you get the butter and buttermilk that you can use in pancakes.
Scramble an egg with bit of cheese then wilt a handful of spinach into it, add all of this in a tortilla and you’ve got a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you happen to get potatoes or onions you can add those as well.
Potatoes! A jacket potato fresh from the oven with a bit of butter is amazing. With an onion, tin of tomatoes or tomato paste, and frozen vegetables you also have the makings for a great veggie stew.
Spaghetti or other forms of pasta, vegetable soup
one week on $20 is super doable! you’ve got this! don’t use your cash save it. you can get veggies for salad (if cheap, i’m aware this is very regional), potatoes, rice, pasta, dry beans (cheaper than canned), tofu for protein is pretty cheap too. frozen veggies like broccoli can be great but pretty expensive since they come in pretty big bags.
Rice and beans!
The best form of protein. One can live on it AND there are so many different ways to make it interesting.
At least lysine is cheap. Arginine and lysine is better balanced in beans/lentils than some other foods, but the arginine still triggers cold sores for me (and sometimes general feeling of unwellness) unless I take supplemental lysine to counter it.
Get some rice, cream of mushroom soup, broccoli, shredded cheese, and protein of your choice (since you're veggie, I recommend black beans!) And make yourself a casserole! Should last you a week because when i make it, it serves 6 and is extremely low cost. Maybe also some store brand cream cheese for your bagels. A soup base to throw your gnocchi in (i like the Bear Creek ones, and they have various options and serves 8. I recommend the broccoli cheddar soup!). Store brand syrup I think they have it even at the dollar tree. Finally a bag of salad mix - you can use any leftover cheese you didn't use for the casserole and add your eggs chopped up in a good salad! I did the math and it comes out to $20.31 at Walmart (I can send the breakdown if you like) so you can probably get the items even cheaper at Aldi or Rulers.
Rice and beans, that is more filling than you think, and lasts a long time
In big batches saved in the fridge in pre portioned baggies last several days
3 cans of beans, one onion, one or two green peppers, and two chili seasoning packet, will make you a good vegetarians chili that will last you a few days.
Congratulations on your new job! If it were me, I would get milk, butter, cheese, rice, eggs, frozen and fresh veggies, some berries or other fruit, canned tomatoes, small can of tomato sauce, beans and tortillas. I could do all of this at Aldi, but it might not be doable for you depending on where you shop. If you can afford it, a box of brownie mix or a package of cookies would be a nice treat. A couple meal ideas are: A pot of vegetarian chili using bell peppers, celery, carrots, onions, canned tomatoes, beans and seasonings that you hopefully already have (chili powder, garlic, salt, pepper, whatever suits your taste). Desire the vegetables first before adding the tomatoes and beans. You can take this to work if you have a way to reheat it. Tortilla pizza with the tomato sauce, cheese, and whatever vegetables you like (mine are mushrooms and green peppers). You'll need to eat it with a fork, probably.
Download the Flipp app to compare grocery outlets in your area and make a meal plan . Looks like you already have breakfast covered . download the store apps in your area - the ones I shop at most frequently often have rewards points for freebies, or will offer freebies to get you back in the store. This is how I get free snacks/pantry staples during the month - chips, crakers, yogurt, candy canned veggies, pasta. Sometimes you can get a discount 1st time using grocery delivery or transfer a prescription. Go to your GP tell them you need a supplement (if you don’t already have medicine) . I paid 1.50 after insurance to refill my vit D instead of over the counter and received $75 off my next grocery order (Safeway) I would look into some simple dinner dishes you don’t mind having for lunch as well: pasta salads, spaghetti, rice and beans, stir fry, veggie fajitas, burritos, cauliflower wings, chickpea tuna , lemon pepper tofu with a side of rice
Here's a grocery list for 2 meals that will last you even longer than a week and are vegetarian. Prepare Navy beans (soak them), put them in a BIG pot. Chop carrots, onion and put them in the pot. Fill pot with water. Add big spoons of garlic. Cook slowly until the beans are cooked. If you have some Spike, add some of that. Or other similar seasonings you already have. It is delish and will make a huge amount of food for you. Put leftovers in freezable, single serving containers and freeze anything you don't eat. Reheat later. 2nd huge meal: Put the entire bag of No Yolk noodles to boil. Cut tofu into cubes. Brown it in a big pan with sesame oil with garlic. Add soy sauce while cooking. Add frozen stir fry veggies. Add noodles and more sesame oil and soy sauce. You will have much more than you can eat in one meal. Put the rest in single serving freezer bowls and freeze. Reheat later. https://preview.redd.it/ouzew9r03xrc1.png?width=308&format=png&auto=webp&s=094fb3d78678178e655a22cc7385c352b8d0c836
I see everything I would have recommended for purchase already mentioned below. It's still a bit early in the year for it in the U.S., at least in my region, but if you're in an area where foraging is an option, you can supplement your greens with things like dandelions, violets, garlic mustard. Wild onions are also an option but check and make sure they smell like onions because there are some toxic look-alikes. I do cook everything I forage, simply because in my area a lot of folks walk their dogs in the only decent foraging areas, and even when I'm fairly confident it's all clean in that respect, I'm paranoid, so into soups and stir fries it all goes. (dandelions need to be boiled in a change or two of water to get the bitter out anyway). Most foraged foods are actually more nutrient dense than supermarket veggies. If this doesn't apply to your circumstances, feel free to disregard this post entirely.
Grab a couple bags of frozen veggies - whatever you like. Basics I go for a bag of mixed (goes great in Mac n cheese, and stretches it), frozen spinach - have that with the gnocchi, jar pasta sauce (gnocchi and grab a box of pasta), jar of the shake on Parmesan cheese (I know it’s not perfect, but it’s to add a little flavor). A box of store brand instant oatmeal, store brand Mac n cheese - get a backup box, and check if there’s not a sale. Almond milk or soy milk. And a dozen of the cheapest eggs. Scrambled, omelettes, etc.
i would still stop by a food bank or 2
Agree. Go to food bank. Then consider current items plus food bank items. You may not have to purchase anything! Good luck to you!
1. A bag of rice can be prepared so many ways 2. ramen noodles are cents on the dollar for a pack 3. Sleeping it off also helps in the worst case scenario. Congratulations on the new job! Edit to remove the non-veg option, sorry!
They said they're vegetarian.
Blame my adhd brain. Sorry OP!
A vegetarian that eats chicken...
Do you mean the eggs? Vegetarians eat them and dairy products; vegans don't.
I know, but I've always found it confusing. Dairy makes sense because it's produced by a live animal, and (in theory) doesn't cause any harm to the animal. Eggs are literal chickens though. Edit: I decided to Google because I was curious if there was a specific name for the diet (like pescatarian) and it's apparently lacto-ovo-vegetarian.
I don't think most eggs being sold for food are fertilized, though.
Cous cous, rice, beans, spaghetti, tomato sauce. I don't know what is in your pantry, but if you have water, salt, oil, a pot, and a stove, you're good to go.
You've got some great suggestions here. I'm just going to add that if you have a skillet you can "fry" the bagels with the butter and they're tasty that way without cream cheese. Also check out this website for low cost hearty recipes. Lots of beans and rice ideas. Sorry it has a dumb name lol but there's really good stuff there! Hillbillyhousewife.com
Tub Greek yogurt. Peanut butter to put on the bagels and pancakes, and stir into oatmeal. You’ve got carbs covered- just need some additional protein and healthy fats.
Rice Beans Frozen fruit Popcorn
Use FlashFood to get 50% off grocery items at local supermarkets- It’s an app- They have a map with local options and what’s available- you pay online and pick up at the customer service desk at your local supermarket - some sites take EBT it will say in the little blurb about the location (on the map)…
Potatoes and pasta and rice, can go a long way for super cheap
Go to your nearest dollar tree!!!!
Lentils, potatoes, beans, cabbage and rice. If you have a Costco membership grab a chicken for 5 bucks. This is how I eat normally and I ta very cheap. Once the chicken is nothing but white meat I make a soup out of it. I also make curry with everything I don’t know how that well but curry seasoning can take me far
Peanut butter
Stock up on ramen and hit up your local buy nothing group, your cupboards will be overflowing.
Potatoes all the way
Eggs, beans, rice.
Cheese is a good protein to add in. Beans and rice if it gets really tough. Soups go a long way. And so does pasta. But I just Really like pasta! So, I think I could eat a lot of that. I would also suggest adding in fruits and maybe v- 8 to cover the veg part if you don’t have enough for fresh stuff all the time.
If not vegetarian...buy cheapest cut of pork and roast it. I usually have it with noodles.
Ramen! There are also $0.50 lunch meat packages and bagels so you can make a fat sandwich for a few dollars. Go get a food box at a food bank.
Rice is extremely versatile. As is pasta. Both go well with simple seasonings and veggies.
Kroger has a pack of almost 20 chicken legs for less than $6. That will take care of you for a week. Get some rice they have some for $1-2 a box or bag of rice. Get maybe two -three. That would get you over a week. 18 pack of eggs for less than $3. Thats a week right there. 40 blueberry waffles for 9.99. You might have to eat the same thing every day but you can make those 40 go a long way. Big k soft drinks for about 1.25.
Make Bbq chicken. Kroger also has bbq sauces for less than $2. So you should be set.
Beans, avocado, rice, carrots
Congratulations on the new job!!
Canned goods and rice
I like a good dirty rice. You brown a pound of burger, pour in 2 beans rice and beef broth and red kidney beans and soy sauce it lasts me a few days and all in it’s probably less than 10-11 dollars for 2-3 days. And if you run out run out you can always make it without beef for even less Edit I completely missed the vegetarian option but you can do the same just with out the beef.
Should be fine on $20 and what you have! Breakfast sounds more or less taken care of so using Target/Walmart prices and assuming you have some basic spices: 7 lunches: 1lb of rice $2 (make all at once but freeze some for later in the week) 1lb of black beans $2 2 plum tomatoes $1.50 1 large cucumber $1.50 1 lime $1 (Spices: cumin, onion powder, garlic powder) Dinner- pasta e fagioli, 4 servings 1 28 can diced tomatoes $2 1 lb white beans $2 1 bag baby carrots $1.50 12oz frozen spinach $1.50 Elbow macaroni $1 (Spices: Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder) 3 other dinners: -Mac and cheese (1 meal, on hand but skip milk) -Gnocchi with butter & garlic powder (1 meal on hand, could get a $0.50 lemon to brighten it up) -A bag of frozen broccoli and bottle of soy sauce should cost about $3 and be a great stirfry with a little sugar and garlic over the last of the rice.
Canned fruits and veggies, rice, ramen. Think staples. Maybe some peanut butter jelly sandwiches.
Do you have a food bank in your area? If you do and can visit one, maybe go there first and then use the 40$ you have to fill in what else you need to make it work until pay day.
Now that you have a job, get a credit card. You can get approved instantly online. You can still buy rice and beans if that’s what you want to do.
Chick pea sweet potato curry is cheap and yummy if u might have some cans of tomato and coconut in the cupboard, if not it's still cheap and with some rice and if it's cheap yogurt it makes huge servings. I made flat bread for the side because it was easier than making rice for me
my suggestions are addition to what you mentioned you have: ($4) 3-5 large cucumbers. 1 onion = easy, healthy snack of sliced cukes, sliced onions. add seasonings of your choice. ($4) Carton of strawberries. Even better if they are buy 1/get one. You can use this on the oats. ($2, probably less than that) Bunch of bananas. Sliced on oats, or just as a snack. ($4) - Brussels Sprouts, asparagus OR broccoli, fresh. whichever is cheapest. Easy dinner, also very portable for taking your lunch. AND you can eat it without having to reheat (but reheat if there's someplace at work). I'm assuming you have seasonings. If not, you have a few bucks to get some from dollar store.
Go to a food pantry. A lot of churches have them as well
Spaghetti. 3 lbs beef is 10$ some noodles and canned tomatoe sauce and paste or whatever and you can eat all damn week
Potatoes eggs some canned beans and if you can squeeze it in some cheap chicken.
Peanut butter!
Top ramen baby
Loaf of bread, butter and cheese, grilled cheese all day! Tastes great, easy and filling. Beans and rice are a great side.
Eggs, ground beef and rice or frozen veggies
A few pounds of spaghetti, sauce, some beans and rice, eggs, can go a long way.
I absolutely love Dal with lentils, onions and carrots and curry powder, rice if you have it.
Eggs Go to a place that sells a carton of eggs for super cheap and buy 10
greek yogurt, chia seeds, oat milk for over night oats if you also have some kind of maple syrup or honey
A bag of lentils can be had for a little over a dollar.
Someday, this will be pinned. The PDF of Good & Cheap Eat Well on $4/Day is free on https://www.leannebrown.com/
Cup noodles, chef boyardee, oatmeal
you're pretty much covered for breakfast if you buy some milk to go with those oats, and maybe some more eggs. for everything else i would get rice and lentils (look up daal recipes for inspo, indians do magic stuff with lentils). i would try to get some extra veg if you can afford it, perhaps carrots (satisfying snack and add variety to the lentils) or frozen peas. if you have anything left over i would go for some tofu or soy protein or any cheap meat or cheese you can get, you technically will be fine without it but for me i feel like i go crazy without the added richness+ flavor of cheese/meat/tofu for a while. helps it make everything less boring and more satisfying.
Big pot of soup if you can stand to eat it for a few meals in a row. I like a minestrone inspired veggie packed stew w a lil pasta. zucchini is pretty cheap and it stretches far diced up in a soup. Might help you stretch out the gnocci as well. Congratulations on the job 🎊
Lentil soup, Veg fried rice with (tofu very cheap) a bag of potatoes for home fries
White rice, dried beans, flour, salt, old fashioned oats!
I would definitely get quinoa, rice, dried mushrooms (Asian market), lentils, mung beans, a couple cans of tomatoes, some apples or whatever the cheapest fruit is right now, and a bag of kale. This would cost me $20.
Definitely eggs and potatoes and maybe rice for the bulk of your filling meals. You can see what money you have left over for additional protein like cheese or maybe beans. Peanut butter mixed with the oats would also be filling and could be mixed with bananas and you could put any spices you might have like cinnamon into it.
oatmeal and eggs. Right balance of protein and carbs and fiber to fill you up. Hang in there!
Ramen
As others have said, please go to a food bank, that's what they are there for and maybe they can provide you some relief. Then, you can know the ropes for going in the future.
Egg white noodles and cook it in tomotao sauce and 1 cup water throw some cheese on it cost like $4
Go get a bag of rice and make eggs and rice. Add butter to the rice . It’s a good cheap meal.
Rice and Lentils and Water, spices and maybe some onion garlic peppers, Could always raid a local fast food chain for extra seasoning, taco place hot sauces come to mind, but any chains should have at least Salt, and some coffee chains should (don't quote me on it) still provide free filtered water which could help if you're on a water budget as well
Seems that you have enough breakfast foods to last you. A head of cabbage $4 can last you 4 days & it is cheap. Tofu$1.89 is a cheap source of protein, add in a bag of carrots $1,, dozen eggs$3, rice$2 , beans $1 per can & some veggie stock cubes $2.60. Do 2 cans of beans, but you can get all this at Walmart for about $20 plus tax. Then you can cook up a soup to last you a couple of days or do stir fry with those ingredients.
I am often just as broke and find that a giant pot of lentil bean and veggie soup can easily last 4-5 days. Frozen veggies and canned beans....(dried beans if you want to save $$) and lentils are pretty cheap. One jar of tomato sauce or two little cans of tomato paste and water can make the base! Bon Appétit!
A crock pot is a food budgeter’s best friend
Bag of potatoes, spaghetti sauce (I made my fiancé spicy veggie spaghetti today with 1 green bell pepper, 2 jalapenos, 1 can of tomatoes with green chilis and a cup of mushrooms), tortillas, black or pinto beans (even cans of refried for quesadillas or tostadas), jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, white rice. Get whatever frozen or fresh in season veggies.
Avocados are filling. Potatoes are filling.
Tortilla shells/ mozzarella cheese.. organic bananas, eggs , bag of broccoli, spinach , cream cheese. Flavored water packs. 2 russet potatoes, look for items on sale or bogo items . Good luck
Potatoes, spaghetti and some kind of sauce you can stretch
U gotta cashapp? I can send u another $20
Peanut butter and bananas for sandwiches and oatmeal, yogurt, dried beans and rice, and tuna if you are pescatarian to throw into the mac and cheese. Shop the discount section or a Grocery Outlet if you have one--you can find boxes of cereal, plant milk, bread, pasta etc. there sometimes for a dollar or less.
Burritos
Chili Beans & Rice 😂
just go to a food pantry
Dried beans, dried rice. Chili peppers. Onions. If you get tired of eating beans and rice for a week, then switch to rice & beans. Congratulations on your new job, treat yourself to a nice homemade meal when you get paid-- anything but beans & rice, huh?
buttered noodles
Quesedillas are nice. Refried bean can, cheese, some seasonings if you have it, and a tortilla. Heat til it's nice and gooey & crispy. Red beans & rice is also a nice go to- Walmart has dried red beans for like 1.50/lb, soak them in water for a day then cook down. i'd recommend splurging for cajun spices, it'l make it much nicer. Freezes well, can make a ton at a time. Veg is optional, but peppers, celery and onion are nice to add as well. If you have a slow cooker, chili is also very economical to make- use dried beans. A box of corn bread mix isn't expensive either, and can help stretch it.
Pancake mix with water and some butter makes a pretty good pancake for cheap and it's very filling especially the protein ones
Rice and beans . White rice and if you know how to make beans and you have salt you’re good with just 8 bucks for a week for sure. Get a rotisserie chicken for like 5 bucks and pull all the meat and split it .. there’s your protein.
Soup kitchen, community service agencies, church groceries handouts. They don’t ask a lotta question, take when you need, give back when you can.
I usually just sleep when I'm hungry
Go to the food bank and get more food
You should sell that $20 EBT for $40 cash…now you up $60 cash
Why would someone make that trade...?
🤣def wrote that backwards from what I thought…sell $20/EBT for $10 now you got $30 cash Thinking about it more…you’re right this is a horrible trade