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CHEAP meal ideas

kait_marie25
kait_marie25 Posts: 3 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I'm living on a very low budget right now. I really only have $50 to spend on groceries for 2+ weeks. What are some really cheap food items that I can buy that can last me that long?

Replies

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Bag of black beans
    bag of rice
    2 dozen eggs
    pack of bacon
    loaf of bread
    1 pack of chicken breasts
    as many bags of veggies as you can buy.

    that should get you through 2 weeks.
  • paj315
    paj315 Posts: 335 Member
    Add to Joroacka's list
    Rolled oats

    ALso you could Make a big batch of chili or veg soup with meat and portion it out for lunches.
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
    i have responded to a few posts like these since I became a member here (feb of last year) and I decided to take my typical post content and make a blog post of it. If you read that blog post ( I have only one post on the myfitnesspal blog) i go in depth on what I do eat very cheaply.

    Cliffnotes- dry beans cooked in the crockpot, pot of rice on the stove, cheap fruit (apples, raisins, bananas,calcium fortified OJ), cheap veggies (frozen broccoli and peas, green cabbage, potatoes, carrots)

    and a backup of healthy-ish processed foods for when life gets busy. (ie- canned vegetarian chili, Campbells tomato soup, bulk oatmeal/total cereal. )
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
    2 weeks-
    a box of black tea bags (lipton or similar)
    a large canister of oatmeal
    1 lb sugar (to flavor your oats and tea)
    2 loaves of bread
    Calcium fortified OJ or Milk
    a jar of peanut butter
    a carton of eggs
    a 3lb bag of apples
    1 bunch bananas
    1 lb of frozen peas
    1 tub margarine spread flavoring potatoes/spreading on toast/buttering rice
    a bag of rice or potatoes (as big as you can afford)

    If there is any money leftover- I'd get some hard candy from the dollar store to have on hand between meals/for dessert.

    Meals look like-
    cup of tea, 1 cup oats with sugar, 1 banana

    Peanut butter sanwhich, glass of OJ

    rice with butter,salt and peas mixed in

    baked potatoes with margarine and salt

    scrambled eggs and buttered toast

    apple w/peanut butter toast, glass of milk

  • rbfdac
    rbfdac Posts: 1,057 Member
    I second a lot of the things previously mentioned

    peanut butter
    loaves of bread
    brown rice
    potatoes
    apples
    Quaker oats
    canned beans or dry beans
    frozen vegetables

  • Walter__
    Walter__ Posts: 518 Member
    Easy.

    Chicken breast
    Potatoes
    Oats
    Rice
    Peanut Butter
    Bananas
    Pasta & Pasta Sauce
    Milk
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
    edited December 2014
    What they all said...Oh and popcorn kernels by the bag or from the bulk section of your store.
  • Kriptikk
    Kriptikk Posts: 15 Member
    Carbs:
    Oats
    Rice
    Potatos


    Protein:
    Canned Tuna
    Frozen Fish (usually cheap)
    Lentils
    Chicken Breast (if cheap)
    Unflavoured protein powdered


    Fats:
    Cheese Yellow/White
    Oils/Butter

    Micronutrients:
    Frozed mixed veg
    Frozen Spinach
    Frozen Brocolli
    Apples
    Oranges
    Bananas

  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,648 Member
    edited December 2014
    red lentil daal- a bag of lentils, onion garlic and spices. you can make two weeks worth of dinners from it for under $5...add rice for more cheap food- freeze into portions.
  • mathandcats
    mathandcats Posts: 786 Member
    Lentils, beans, frozen veggies are good choices.

    I made a post a few months back for my family's chili recipe. Depending on the price of the beans you get, it can be very cheap: about $15 or less makes about 10 dinners for me. Here's a link: Chili
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    edited December 2014
    Here's a cookbook of cheap eats. Nice variety, nice pictures.
    It's titled Eat Well on $4 / Day.

    51637601.png
This discussion has been closed.

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