Your favorite CHEAP meal!

californiansun

captbklee wrote: »

1 x bag of steamable frozen vegetables. 1 x pre-cooked (but microwaveable) frozen chicken breast. Costs like $2 a meal and it's all done with a microwave. I can't cook though. Clearly.

This made me LOL! Not all of us can be chefs.

Thanks y'all for these ideas!!

vikinglander

I stop at a McDonald's near my office every morning and get two fresh eggs (160 cal) (I ask them to cook them fresh for me, which they gladly oblige) and two sausage patties (340 cal). This fits my 500 cal meal requirement, and keeps me full almost until lunchtime. The menu price is $4.52, and they give me a 10% "regular" discount, so I pay $4.06. I can hardly make this for less at home. 23 pounds in 5 months... No prisoners!

Need2Exerc1se

vikinglander wrote: »

I stop at a McDonald's near my office every morning and get two fresh eggs (160 cal) (I ask them to cook them fresh for me, which they gladly oblige) and two sausage patties (340 cal). This fits my 500 cal meal requirement, and keeps me full almost until lunchtime. The menu price is $4.52, and they give me a 10% "regular" discount, so I pay $4.06. I can hardly make this for less at home. 23 pounds in 5 months... No prisoners!

Wow, where do you live that 2 eggs and 2 sausage patties would cost $4 to cook at home? That would cost about a dollar where I live.

47Jacqueline

Pizza

californiansun

47Jacqueline wrote: »

Pizza

Homemade or buy?

ZebraBoat

I like to throw some canned diced or stewed tomatoes, a bag of peppers and onions, a bag of okra, some chicken and lots of spices into the crock pot and serve it up over brown rice. It's delicious! I use frozen veggies for the convenience. The total cost ends up being around $6 for several meals.

psyjjlamb

I make it a goal so that all of my meals together total $5 or less. I shop the sales so tightly that I have a limit on how much I'll spend on something (I won't pay more than 69-cents for a green bell pepper bc they're 68-cents at Walmart).

Breakfast:
200 Cal Quest Bar - $1.74 ($6.94 for 4)

Lunch:
0 Cal Walden Farms Peanut Butter - $0.27 ($3.19 for 12 servings)
0 Cal Walden Farms strawberry jelly - $0.27 ($3.19 for 12-servings)
70-Cal Healthy Life bread 35-cap per slice - $0.20 ($2.00 per loaf)
88-Cal Vegetable medley* marked down, ate the whole thing but was 2.5 servings in package - $0.49.

Snack:
60-Cal Yogurt $0.40

Dinner:
50-Cal Teryaki sauce - $0.21 ($2.49 for 12 servings)
138-Cal 3-oz chicken breast - $0.37 ( $1.99/lb)
50-Calorie broccoli/cauliflower blend* marked down to 49 cents - $0.12 (0.49 for 4 servings)
24 Calorie 1/8 onion - $0.12 ($0.99/lb)
120 Calorie tbsp olive oil $0.10 ($3.29 for 32 servings)
1/4 c bell pepper -$0.06 (0.49 for 8 servings)

I wont mention my morning snack or my dessert because they weren't healthy but they were well within Caloricand Macro goals. Today I spent $4.84 on resources total. I drink a lot of water and occasionally use Mio, which is about $0.20 per squeeze.

ValerieMartini2Olives

Eggs any style.
Yogurt.
Dinner sausage links and potatoes.

nowine4me

Grilled boneless, skinless chicken thighs (super inexpensive) with a tomato, cucumber and feta salad on the side with olive oil, salt & pepper. The veggies are from my garden.

TheUwuest

Scalloped potatoes (potatoes, a little milk, salt, pepper, any kind of cheese) scrambled eggs, and steamed frozen broccoli

californiansun

Thank you all so much! Love these ideas.

CattOfTheGarage

Lentil soup. Diced onions, carrots, potato, dried red lentils, stock from a cube (or if you're unusually skint, WELL salted water). Cook in a slow cooker for about 5 hours or pressure cooker for 10min. Sorry I can't be specific about quantities, it depends how thick you like it - it should be pretty thick. Start out with about 1 cup lentils to 2 or 3 cups water, I think? Veg is to taste, feel free to switch it up.

Even better with bits of ham or fried bacon through it. Serve ideally with buttered freshly baked bread, rolls or scones (or biscuits, you crazy Americans).

My mum used to make this a lot and it's a go to for cold days or if we've been over-indulging, or if we just want comfort food. It's like a hug in a bowl.

californiansun

That sounds great, Catt! It's hotter than heck where I am right now, but I'll save that recipe for the cooler months.