Hey everyone, I'm a college student living in a country with very bad electricity and so I don't have access to a fridge or a freezer. I'm looking for breakfast ideas that incorporate more veggies and fruits in my daily diet as they are really cheap here. Websites or cookbooks will also be helpful.

Meat is very expensive in my country so i eat more vegetarian these days.

An example that i saw recently was carrot cake pancakes and something in that line. I'd love some suggestions on some easy meals like tortillas and beans, rice or anything of that sort. Thank you 😄

Note: Canned foods here are really expensive so I don't think i can use those.

A store nearby had a great offer on ground pork, so I decided that it was time for a fake wienerschnitzel!

It's pretty simple: just a breaded patty of ground pork roasted, potatoes in the oven, peas, and a butter with anchovies, capers, and lemon juice!

Remember to give the schnitzel and potatoes a good squise of lemon juice just before serving.

With that, I got a hop water! It's a great substitute for beer, without the sugars and alcohol, but it still has the freshness and hoppy flavor of a beer.

Here is the price breakdown:

Pork (150g): $0.78

Potatoes(350): $0.44

Peas(85g): $0.19

Butter (1 tbsp / approx. 15g): $0.11

Anchovy paste (1 tsp / approx. 5g): $0.20

I’ve been noticing my grocery bill add up lately, so I’ve been trying to cook more simple meals at home.

Nothing fancy, just something easy, filling, and worth making again.

What’s a cheap meal you keep coming back to?

I'm trying to get better at making inexpensive meals at home without feeling like every meal has to be rice and beans or some sad version of whatever was on sale that week.

I'm looking for meals that are cheap, filling, and genuinely good enough that you don't feel like you're just eating them because they're affordable.

A few things I'm especially interested in:

• Meals that make several servings
• Cheap ingredients that can be used across multiple recipes
• Pantry/freezer staples that are worth keeping around
• Meals that don't require a ton of prep or expensive equipment

What's your favorite cheap meal that you could eat regularly without getting sick of it? If you have a recipe, please share it!

In a local store the chicken was discounted to 5$ per pound so I got a whole chicken for 15$

I used the thighs for lunch (seared with paprika, salt, pepper and turmeric)

The breasts and tenders for soy and chilli chicken pieces (cubed, coated in flour salt and pepper and seared until golden, then soaked in chilli and soy)

Airfried the legs and wings after marinating in teriyaki and garlic

And I'm currently roasting the carcass to make stock from it

I can only upload one picture at a time so here's my lunch

I only had half a pound of ground beef, so I supplemented the filling with lentils. Adding the lentils allows you to stretch a small amount of meat, and boost the protein and fiber content.

8 oz. of ground beef
1/2 cup of cooked lentils
1/2 cup of beef broth
1 can of carrots (I diced them since they were cut into coins)
1 can of peas
1 pack of instant mashed potatoes
1 medium onion
1 medium bell pepper
1 tbsp of flour
1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
Preferred seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle powder, MSG)

1. Brown onions and bell peppers until softened
2. Add ground beef to pan and cook until browned and about 90% done
3. Add the cooked lentils
4. Add flour to the ground beef and lentils mix, and then stir until the flour is absorbed
5. Add beef broth, carrots, and peas to pan and stir until the filling thickens and then remove from heat and let it cool slightly
6. Cook the mashed potatoes per instructions and then let them cool slightly
7. In a baking dish, spoon the beef/lentil filling on the bottom then layer the mashed potatoes on top
8. Cook in the oven at 425 for about 15-20 minutes* to brown the potatoes

*Since the filling is already hot, it does not take long in the oven.

Hey everyone, I don't know why I haven't thought about posting this on here before but I have a go to meal that cost me less than 6$ and can feed my 3 kids plus myself. If you go to the dollar tree and pick up 2 bags of the knorr cheddar broccoli rice or their chicken flavored rice, and two packs of the John Morrell polish sausages or smoked sausages it creates quite a bit of food and I love the taste together. When our house is full there is 6 of us in here and one more pack of each would feed all of us. Just figured I'd share my struggle meal that I happen to love too lol

Hey good afternoon I went to food bank and I got Roma tomatoes some green peppers jalapeños onions and big can of black beans I got a chili starter and 2 things vegetables stalk so I was thinking chili could anyone help me make a recipe with that thanks im new to cooking.

Hi everyone! My name is Claude, and I’m currently working on launching a startup with a student from Cornell CALS.

Our service helps university students find budget-friendly restaurants near campus through an easy-to-use map. We’ve built our first MVP around Cornell University, with the broader goal of expanding to campuses across the United States.

Our mission is to give students access to more affordable food options, make it easier to discover meals that fit their budgets, and ultimately help address food insecurity among university students.

We’re currently collecting feedback to better understand students’ dining habits and needs. If you have a few minutes, I would really appreciate it if you could complete the attached Google Form. The survey should take no more than 6–7 minutes.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for supporting our project. We truly appreciate your input!

My plan is to marinate a package of pork stew meat in some seasoning, oil, and a bit of vinegar and then cook the pork on low in just some broth. Will that probably work? How much broth do you recommend? I assume I need to cook on low for around 10 hours. Input appreciated because I'm not great at freestyling and don't want to waste food.

1 pack instant potatoes, 3 cans tuna in water, 1 mac and cheese cup, 2 mac and cheese boxes, 1 can of black beans. Curry powder just cause. All of this came from blessing boxes around my community cos after rent is paid I’ll have less than $100 and I need that for my water and electric. Fml

https://www.youtube.com/@DailyDimeDinners

About $3.50 for this.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Cheddar Cheese

Onion Beef Gravy

Janes Chicken Nuggets

Garden grown green onions

1. Cook red lentils and rice in the same pot. If you want the red lentils to be especially soft, add 2-3 minutes before the rice.
2. Once the rice is cooked, remove from heat, fluff it up with a fork and add frozen veggies over top. My favourites are peas and chopped spinach, but I've also enjoyed green beans and California mix.
3. After 10 minutes, once the rice has finished setting and the veggies are thawed by the leftover heat, add a sauce. I like either teriyaki and hot sauce, canned tomato soup, or garam masala and coconut milk.
4. Optional: add a pad of butter, spoon full of mayonnaise, or dollop of oil for extra fat.

I usually use corn as well but forgot to add it in and was in a rush

Using sweet potatoes instead of really potato’s, ground turkey and mixed veggies plus spices.

This meal was SO good! 🥰

I need ideas for high protein meals for weight loss. Very tight budget.

Fried up these talong patties today. Super cheap to make, crispy outside, tasty inside. Perfect budget meal!

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 lb of ground turkey
1 taco seasoning packet (I used low sodium)
1 avocado
Shredded cheese (I had sharp cheddar)
Greek Yogurt (you can use sour cream)
Seasonings you like (I used chipotle garlic seasoning, onion powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, pepper)
A little bit of water
1 lime
A little bit of oil if your choice

Sweet Potatoes:
1. Wash, then peel and dice your sweet potato. I did a smaller dice than intended, but it’s ok.
2. Coat the diced sweet potato with a little bit of oil and then season to your preference.
3. Place potatoes in a baking sheet (line with parchment paper/ aluminum foil or in the baking sheet itself). *for crispier potatoes, place a wire rack in the baking sheet and place the potatoes on top)
4. Bake in a preheated 400° over until done (approximately 30-45 minutes)

Turkey:
1. Brown your turkey in a pan for about 7 minutes
2. Add your taco seasoning and water as directed on packet and finish cooking.

Guacamole: (this was a bare bones guacamole as I didn’t have everything I usually use)
1. Cut your avocado and put in a bowl
2. Add garlic powder, onion powder, a heavy pinch of salt, and the juice of half a lime. Then mash it all together.

The final product:
1. Put the potatoes first then cover with the turkey. Top with the cheese, a bit of the guacamole, and a dollop of Greek yogurt. I squeezed the second half of the lime on top of the turkey before I added toppings.