In the past few years, food prices have been steadily rising. But rising prices also means rising creativity for some people, and we gathred those creative ideas from some budget-savvy foodies who know exactly what to buy to make the most cost-efficient meals. From pantry staples to versatile ingredients, these thrifty options will make your taste buds tingle without emptying your wallet.
Eggs
Eggs are mentioned quite a lot when it comes to budget food. As one person pointed out, they’re “rich in protein so they are filling, they're cheap, and easy to cook.” They’re versatile too, you can have them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all cooked in different ways. Eggcellent!!
Potatoes
One savvy shopper swears by baked potatoes, explaining: “You can get a huge bag for super cheap. The most expensive thing will be your toppings, which you can cut back on and still make a decent meal.”
The best thing about potatoes is that they can be cooked in so many different ways: baked, boiled, mashed, and everything in between. So you can have them every day - and never grow tired of them!
Get the recipe for Baked Potatoes
Rice
Buying rice in bulk will always be cheaper in the long run. And just as with potatoes, the possibilities are endless! As one foodie pointed out: “Homemade fried rice is super easy and cheap to make. Get some butter and soy sauce in there while cooking, and you’re golden.” As our parents used to say, ‘There’s rice at home!’
Beans
Even if you want to eat cheap, protein is very important for your diet. One shopper suggests beans: “No joke, dude. Beans are hella cheap. Can season it in so many ways. Can't ask for too much more.” Another user implied that lentils may even be superior to beans. To all the gym bros out there, you’re welcome!
For lots of bean recipes, check out the bean queen Hey Nutrition Lady!
Oatmeal
One person suggested this basic grain: “Oatmeal. You can laugh, but as a base, it's unbeatable: add sweet (sugar, fruit) or savoy (eggs & cheese), and it's a filling, cheap and nutritious meal.” You lost us at eggs and cheese, but we wouldn't say no to a nice bowl of chocolate oatmeal for breakfast!
Spaghetti
Another person pushes pasta: “I'd argue it's spaghetti. I can make a pot big enough to last a work week, and if I buy the ingredients on sale, it's like $6-$10, which comes out to like 50 cents a meal.” Now as my favorite nutritionist Katie Trant always tells me, there is actually quite a lot of protein in pasta! Which makes it a great part of your diet, but you probably should at least add some veggies to it.
Cabbages
Speaking of veggies, one veggie lover pointed out the following: “Cabbages are freaking nutritive, and generally VERY cheap.” They're right! You can boil it, steam it, create a broth, bake it and put in a salad, or even eat it raw by putting it in coleslaw. The world is your cabbage!
Ramen
Originating in Japan, ramen is a cost-effective dish that involves noodles, broth, oil, and soy sauce. And as this clever foodie points out: “Crack an egg or two into some ramen and you add that necessary protein.”
Bananas
For the fruit lovers out there, one foodie suggested bananas: “Bananas = the cheapest health food. 4 bananas = 1$. It's a great snack to hold off hunger. I eat 2-4 bananas a day.” They’re bananas for… Well, bananas!
Beans on Toast
For those familiar with British cuisine, it won't come as a surprise that beans on toast is quite the budget savvy option. As one foodie pointed out, it's been “the staple of many skint British students in the 1990s and beyond.” And for good reason!
Source: Reddit
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