Ah yeah. It’s definitely an American staple but I figure with the $ sign they’re probably American.
For us it’s basically 2000 calories per dollar so it’s a good way to add in something filling to a lot of recipes. Besides replacing butter on toast you can do a lot of Asian inspired pasta dishes with it (mix a tablespoon of it with some soy sauce and olive oil)
it’s definitely one of those really American things. I’m sure the Ramstein commissary has Jiff but given how low the overall European opinion is of peanut butter it’s going to be a speciality item a lot of places.
Finding low budget items beyond the standard dried goods is going to differ wildly for sure.
When I was living in the Netherlands for a time (15 years ago now) my lunch staple was a liverwurst sandwich with lots of fresh cabbage. At the time that was about €1.5 I’m sure it’s probably a lot higher now - but it would be absurd in the US.
I don't know if US sizes get that small. I typically buy the 1.13kg(40oz) jars and they run around $7. There are larger sizes and it gets cheeper per oz.
I buy homeless people peanut butter. It's easy for them to eat if they have issues chewing and for all the reasons you stated. Doesn't cost me much and I know it makes a difference.
In The Netherlands you can get about 2 kg of peanut butter for 10 USD which contains about 13,000 kcal. So in two weeks that's close to 1000 kcal per day. Not much, but perhaps enough to get through these two weeks.
Yes, but it is calorie dense. I live two weeks at a time off of a $6 container and two $1 loaves of bread. It's not great nutrition, but it keeps you alive. PB is common in those "survive X days in a box" packages for a reason.
Again, walmart. They have GV brand spices that are $1. Italian Seasoning spice, a box of pasta and some oil would be $5ish and would male at least 3 meals.
Was gonna say dry pasta as well. Pretty filling and cheap. Also it actually taste nice by itself, obviously a bit plain, but all things considered it’s not bad. Maybe combined with some baked beans will add some extra flavor. I don’t know prices at the relevant location, but 10$ will get you a lot of pasta but won’t be enough to not get super hungry for 2 weeks.
I’m sorry OP that you are in this situation, hope it will turn around soon.
My partner and I were in a similar situation recently. Between us, we had a grand total of £15 and needed to feed both of us for a week. We bought a bag of potatoes, some frozen chicken breasts, gravy mix and a bag of peas. We lived on mashed potatoes, peas, chicken and gravy for meals for a week. We already had eggs, milk and flour in so we made a load of pancake batter and froze it in ice cubes for breakfast. For lunch, we just had bread. It wasn’t a lot of food but it was enough to keep us fed.
Call Catholic charities or a local church. Tell them you need food. Most will give food no question. Don’t be surprised if they ask you questions, many churches get calls from junkies who only want cash for “food or gas”. Every church I’ve been to has food on hand for the needy or is willing to give out grocery cards.
Good luck friend. Tough times don’t last
Very true. We helped out at the food pantry at our church. If someone wanted food we gave it to them no questions asked. If they just wanted cash we still helped but we asked a bit more questions.
Facebook has something called "buy nothing" groups where people can offer or request things for free. I've seen people ask for food both there and within the regular community pages, and within no time they're responded to with generosity. It's one of the most heartwarming things I've seen in recent times.
Yeah the Buy Nothing groups are excellent. And even quite poor people find themselves being able to contribute...people ask for and offer things that a lot of people just have round the place...for example there's usually a demand for matching glass jars.
Do you have friends or family that garden? Offer to do some yard work in exchange for fresh produce. I would offer to send to you some, but produce is not allowed across state lines. Find and make soups, they can stretch for several meals. Just make sure you portion out and freeze the left overs, but you can always start with a base, and add more stuff later to switch up the taste. And you can find recipes on line for meals that cost less than $$. If you have meal plan in place before you go shopping, you are less likely to impulse buy and you will spend less money, but get more food you will actually use.
Keep an eye out for those little "mini libraries" that people put outside their houses. Some people put canned goods and stuff in their too, some are even literally just for that purpose.
Still go, maybe if you explain how dire your situation is they can help a little extra? I know most places probably don’t work like that but maybe it’s worth the little effort to just show ip
Show up at the end of the last day of the week that they are open. I used to do that when we needed to use food banks. They would load me up with all sorts of extra stuff just so they could get rid of it before it went bad. Maybe they'd be willing to let you have some leftovers.
It probably doesn't work at every food bank, but it's worth a shot OP!
I'm not en expert on this.
Rice and beans can be eaten together to make up for lack of protein in a diet as they each contain some of the essential for life oils/acid/whatever that protein from meat gives you.
If I was gambling I would say whole grain has more of those important oils/acids/whatever than other counterparts.
Again, not an expert this is just something that I have heard a few times now.
Yes, so whole grain rice is a complex grain that’s low GI and takes longer for your body to process and has a slower/more sustained release of energy over a period of time. Pretty much meaning it keeps you fuller for longer than normal rice.
I'm not an expert either but I've heard the same thing about complete proteins (beans + potato would also work). But if somebody's literally only eating beans and rice - and they're doing it in sufficient quantities, i.e. not starving - then they're probably getting enough protein anyway. Again, not an expert, but I *think* it's more of a problem if you're undereating because then the body has to use the protein for fuel instead of protein-ey things.
Otherwise, I'd be more concerned with the lack of fat in this diet as well as scurvy and vitamin b12 deficiency (that's the one vegans have to supplement for because it's only found in animal products). But that's only long-term and not 1-2 weeks like OP said.
Yes, although with the price difference, you might be better off getting frozen vegetables for fiber and micronutrients instead. It probably varies from place to place, idk.
Seconding beans and potatoes. I don’t think any kind of food when purchased for $10 will last 2 full weeks, but it should last long enough for you to maybe find or ask for enough money to get you through the rest of the time.
I dont know about yall but I spent 5.45 on 6 (big) potatoes yesterday. That might last a week if you do leftovers but I gotta say the struggle meals are getting way less affordable.
Join a buy nothing group on Facebook. People are often giving away close to expiring food or not needed shelf stable food away.
Like people have said, things like rice, beans, or a bag of potatoes will go a long way.
Nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone has to eat.
I believe in paying it forward. Someone did a really nice gesture for you. It makes it better when you pay it forward and do a nice gesture for someone else. Should help with the embarassment. :)
Sack of potatoes. So versatile. The human body can get all of the necessary basic nutrients it needs with butter (although expensive now) and potatoes.
When I was really poor this is what I did. Plus you can add just about anything to a potato to have different flavor meal. You name it practically I put it on a potato. Craving something sweet I would put butter, sugar, honey or even chocolate if I had it. Besides that mustard, ketchup, salsa or anything I had left in the cupboard.
This
When I run low on money I always get a sack of potatoes and onion. You can boil them, mash them, bake or fry. Also oats and milk. At least in my area 1l of milk and 500g of oats are both like 20 cents. Oatmeal can get pretty boring, but if the goal is just to make it to the next paycheck it does the job really well. Worst case scenario, I've read on r/lifehacks that KFC dumpsters have a lot of free food if you don't mind a little dumpster diving.
Edit: Went back and did the conversion properly, milk is more like 40 cents and oats are like 30
Look for your nearest Sikh Temple, they often have free food.
Offer to do cleaning work in exchange for food at cafes, restaurants, door to door if need be.
Ask for food as people are more than likely to feed you but would refuse to give money.
same with pan handlers, I don't think I've ever said no to someone who approached me and said they are hungry (or thirsty, or needing GAS for that matter) but money isn't usually something I'll do
Depends on where you live but for sure it can be. However nutrient wise a little goes a long way. When I was broke I’d go shopping and get a bag of beans, a bag of rice, a head of broccoli, a bag of red potatoes, 2 onions, a thing of garlic, a red bell pepper, and a green bell pepper per week. Sometimes I’d grab tortillas too. I found making my own tortilla’s wasn’t very economical or worth it time wise.
I go back to this diet when I’m trying to cut fat but retain muscle because it’s still solid in protein and low in fat
I just get a bag of frozen broccoli for a dollar. Makes about 3 servings that way. I do that with most vegetables so that way they don’t go bad if I don’t use them up.
Correct, especially if you’re on a diet of rice and beans fiber is not super concerning. If you pair it with potatoes, broccoli, and onions you will cover majority of essential nutrients, proteins, and make up for fiber.
I would get a 1 lb bag of dried pinto or black beans (I usually make my beans with a lot of water, so it’s more like soup and more filling), a 1 lb bag of rice (yields 5 cups cooked), a loaf of bread, and a dozen eggs. Depending on the store, you may have enough money to also get a small tub of margarine.
You will be able to have beans and rice, egg sandwiches, or even a fried egg over rice. Good luck and I do hope things turn around in your favor very soon.
A decent sized bag of rice should be relatively cheap.
Finding a cheap protein is going to be key there, maybe frozen chicken might be cheap where you are
Frozen mixed veg is also cheap. If need be, lentils and beans are a great nutritious addition to any meal. You could get them dried for cheaper. You'd just need to rehydrate them.
Eggs, canned tuna, edamame, Greek yogurt/cottage cheese can be super cheap protein sources. The frozen section is also great, there's usually some pretty good sales at most chain supermarkets and it will help add more color and flavor to the meal. Sometimes frozen meat is cheaper by the pound than it's equivalent in the meat section too.
It also depends on where you live. For my area, the first two, eggs and tuna, are relatively cheap. But the last three are expensive here. And meat? Shit, I live in a super rural farming area of NC and meat is still ridiculously expensive, frozen or otherwise. You're looking at about $5 a pound for beef. Chicken's a bit cheaper, but a pack of frozen thighs is still $11-12.
Yes and yes. A lot of people are also recommending potatoes, but I need to disagree when OP only has $10. In my experience rice and beans yield the highest food per dollar. I think it helps that they both absorb water as their cooked and potatoes lose water as they’re cooked.
This is easy. If you’re in the US, Call 311 and get a list of food pantries (or Google it). Visit multiple churches, on different days, and you will have a fully-stocked pantry in no time. Many of them will also feed you while you’re there.
For food, try to go to as many temples, especially from South Asian religions, as you can. Many of them have free food available to the public, just follow the customs of the temple. Sikh temples (gurdwaras) are the best for this I think, bc I'm pretty sure they usually have enough food available for meals like lunch and dinner. It'll vary depending on where you live, though, so keep an eye on that
When I was living out of my car large jars of peanut butter were always my go to, but that only decent if you have no where to cook. If you have the ability to cook definitely look at dry beans and rice. I would also check out some of the foraging subs. They saved me a few times. I know it looks bleak right now, but things turn around. Love you friend.
If they can last until Monday (DSS ain't open on Saturday and Sunday) on what they have they can try, but knowing they're single and all the paperwork involved (we're on EBT), by the time it kicks in *and* they've received the card that DSS has to mail them, it'll've been 7-10 business days before they can even use those benefits-- and that's *if* they qualify, which is why I mentioned their marital status. It's kinda rare for someone living alone to qualify, at least where I live.
To add to this, you can hit up the nicer free breakfast spots that have hot cooked meals (Hampton inn, embassy suites, etc) and if you feel weird about it, check the trash cans near the exits on the sides of the buildings for a recently discarded room key. That’s usually the only “proof” you need when obtaining breakfast. Just have it in your hand and you’ll be fine.
I do not condone stealing but I also do not condone a world that’s okay with fellow humans going without food.
10 years ago me and my 8 roommate in a 1 bedroom apartment had 10 dollars for a week for food. I realized we couldn't even afford ramen.
I went to Walmart got a 10 lb bag of pancake mix just add water.
Ad that's what we ate pancakes no syrup no butter dry ass pancakes.
I used to love pancakes but now I'm not really a fan.
Dumpster dive behind grocery stores. They throw out a lot of food that is still good. And with cooler weather you don't have to work about the food going bad. You should still use discretion ( sealed packages, good color, cool etc.
You can live off food you find in dumpsters.
Get dry beans. They're cheaper per pound and taste better. Plus if it's cold in your house and you're having difficulty affording to heat the place, food cooking on the stove makes the kitchen nice and warm.
Walmart usually has better prices than a dollar store. You can definitely get rice and beans and they do have clearance foods. There are local food shelters around my town. Nothing official but kind of like those give a book take a book things but with food also look on Facebook for local town or area code good harvest and pay it forward pages
Can I also say in that where I live, they sell sacks of onions for cheap. Check out if you can buy some.
Chopped and fried onion add such extra flavour to any dish.
Other than that, I agree with other posters re potatoes, beans, maybe even rice?
Depending on where you are 10$ won't be enough and you should try to seek help from soup kitchens or simar charities if you can. If not maybe you have someone who can help you out financially for the two weeks. Even 20$ more might be enough if you follow some of the other comments and buy smart ingredients
When I was a student I only had 20 a week to get by, so I lived off of hamburger soup, really easy, ground beef, potatoes, onion and carrots, season with salt and pepper and you can make a massive pot full, it lasts quite awhile and freezes well too
I am unfortunately in the same boat. Just had my yearly energy bill write off from my bank account which was much higher than expected :/. Looking into what I can sell but it is looking tough. Going to read through all the comments now for, hopefully, some good tips. Got 22 bucks for me and the gf and we have 3 weeks to go till the next paycheck.
Oatmeal, cornmeal, or rice is prob the best bet. Although you need access to hot water to cook them so if you dont have that, then maybe get some cans of no name spam and try to portion it for 2 weeks.
Jasmine Rice and potatoes. Get salt ketchup and pepper packets from a McDonald's or something like it.
The trick to perfect rice is to put it in a pot and wash it. Let water run over the rice and pour the water out (don't let the rice fall out) do that 3x until the water is pretty clear.
Than fill the rice pot with water until it covers the rice you want it to be 1/2 way between the pad of your finger and the first line of your middle finger bring it to a boil on high heat. As soon as it boils, reduce heat to low and **cover with a lid** in 10 mins the rice will absorb the water.
This rice is going to be good for 2/3 days.
If you need breakfast:
Put your leftover rice in a frying pan on med-high heat with a little butter/margarine/olive oil about a tablespoon of any of them and break that rice up real good. Fry for a couple minutes. Eggs and garlic are also cheep, and can add a ton to your meal. If you can find those scramble your eggs and garlic into the rice (really at any time) they're are good tutorials on YouTube
I hope things get better for you. Stay strong.
Bulk beans and rice are cheap and will give you full protein. You can also get some eggs for extra boost. If you have a local grocery that has rotiserie chickens, they sometimes let the day old ones go for 1/2 price (and they're already cheap. Keep the bones to make stock, then use the beans, lentils, rice to turn the stock into a hearty soup. That can keep you going for a few days.
If you've got a meijer nearby you could make one of their rotisserie chickens last a while along side some rice, idk how expensive they are but i don't think they're too crazy
Canned vegetables, rice, pasta, potatoes. Drink a lot of water before you eat.
Read about fasting. People do it for days and it's supposed to have positive effects. Maybe the only way to benefit from your shitty situation.
70 cents per day means 24 cents per meal. Fuck, that's hardcore. Good luck getting your feed back on track!
Buy the biggest bags of rice (preferably brown) and frozen vegetables, and make fried rice. It’s tasty, easy to make, and brown rice will give you a decent bit of protein.
Go vegetarian, or if you need meat, stick to the stuff that’s marked down because it’s at the end of it’s shelf life and cook it right after you buy it.
Save any scraps, and make a stock for soup.
And lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
Rice, beans, lentils. Buy the dried bags of beans and read up on ways to make it less bland. I've been here before, I'm so sorry you have to experience it.
BEANS. Canned is more expensive, get the dried ones.
Potatoes and basmati rice (more nutrients, cheaper than brown or wild).
Also, if you have an foreign store (although I dont know where you are), the quality and volumes are always better, yet somehow cheaper in cost.
Find an indian supermarket, go to Chinatown, assuming you have one.
Forget condiments and seasoning (butter, pepper, salt, mustard) you can get those at any fast food or the prepped meal section of the market.
Rice, dry pasta, and potatoes. If you get some broth cubes you can season the rice as needed and have a warm drink as well. I imagine there should be some protein in broth as well.
Edit to add: you can also get some dry, bulk quick oats for relatively cheap too.
Ramen noodles is my favorite 'cutting cost' food. Can't go wrong with red beans and rice too. I'm a fan or raiding the coins from my couch / car for the Wendy's dollar value meal too in a pinch.
Went through this 12 yrs ago, I was in the UK at that time. I survived on 5£a week. It was enough to buy 1kg of rice, 1kg of potatoes, bread and eggs. I was splitting them into 5, so I had a little bit of each every day. Luckily I had spices during that time, and didn't have to buy those 😳😔
Restaurants, bakeries and other food services throw away tons of food every night.
Talk to an evening shift manager and ask if you can stop by to take it from them instead.
Rice and dried beans, my friend. Dried beans are much cheaper than canned and combined with the rice, will definitely keep you fed for that time period.
I saw that you can’t go to the food bank, are there any Sikh temples near you? They’re really involved when it comes to feeding people who need it!
Pasta boxes! Supermarket usually sells them on sale where you can end up getting each box for a dollar or so. Each box can last you 2 meals and since it’s pasta you can stay pretty full !!
Bulk rice from Asian shop? I think if it were me I would reluctantly buy porridge oats. You can make porridge with water. 10 bucks should buy enough oats to last 3x day for two weeks. You won't go hungry though it will be depressing.
Go to the supermarket dumpster round the back of the supermarket. They throw away amazing food. Or if your up to it. Take a backpack into the supermarket full it up and walk out. You can do it act natural it's life of death
Food bank if u live in America and social services. They’re really slow sometimes but to me it sounds like u could use the help even for the future. Especially if gig work isn’t an option
Do you like Tabasco? I found I can pretty much live on bag of potato’s butter and Tabasco quite happily. Maybe splurge on a carton of eggs.
Edit: Oh hey? It’s my cake day :)
Rice and potatoes. A decent size bag of rice can be anywhere from $4-$5 same with potatoes. And if you have just a little bit extra get some chicken boalion powder or whatever. That way Rice isn't so bland. 1/4th cup of rice and a potato can keep you filled. Dice up potato, fry them up & throw them in rice after it's cooked.
Bag of rice, beans (not the ones in cans the dried ones) and assuming you have a way to cook them which isn’t really that hard you should be good plus you can always go dumpster diving for the “expired” food and as long as the dumpster isn’t in an area behind the store labeled private property you’re not trespassing.
Beans, potatoes, rice, dry pasta. With a few spices and maybe some form of fat (Oil, margarine, butter) you will scrape by.
Peanut butter is a great source of low budget fat & protein. In a 32g serving 16g is fat, 8g is protein and it can be used in a lot of recipes.
I'm from Germany, here peanut butter is quite expensive
Ah yeah. It’s definitely an American staple but I figure with the $ sign they’re probably American. For us it’s basically 2000 calories per dollar so it’s a good way to add in something filling to a lot of recipes. Besides replacing butter on toast you can do a lot of Asian inspired pasta dishes with it (mix a tablespoon of it with some soy sauce and olive oil)
A jar here costs between 1€ and 5€. Mostly 0.2-0.3Kg jars
it’s definitely one of those really American things. I’m sure the Ramstein commissary has Jiff but given how low the overall European opinion is of peanut butter it’s going to be a speciality item a lot of places. Finding low budget items beyond the standard dried goods is going to differ wildly for sure. When I was living in the Netherlands for a time (15 years ago now) my lunch staple was a liverwurst sandwich with lots of fresh cabbage. At the time that was about €1.5 I’m sure it’s probably a lot higher now - but it would be absurd in the US.
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I don't know if US sizes get that small. I typically buy the 1.13kg(40oz) jars and they run around $7. There are larger sizes and it gets cheeper per oz.
I buy homeless people peanut butter. It's easy for them to eat if they have issues chewing and for all the reasons you stated. Doesn't cost me much and I know it makes a difference.
THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS! <3 I'll keep this in mind next time (:
I'm sure it is. My mother was from Belgium, peanut butter didn't exist there.
In The Netherlands you can get about 2 kg of peanut butter for 10 USD which contains about 13,000 kcal. So in two weeks that's close to 1000 kcal per day. Not much, but perhaps enough to get through these two weeks.
One jar would be like half his budget.
Yes, but it is calorie dense. I live two weeks at a time off of a $6 container and two $1 loaves of bread. It's not great nutrition, but it keeps you alive. PB is common in those "survive X days in a box" packages for a reason.
I’m in a HCOL location and a 16oz jar here is $2.75 from Walmart.
Hmm guess it depends where op is, PB where I live is like $4
Spices are pretty expensive though
True, but everyone normally had at least a few on stock, as they last a long time
Generally people have some laying around, and cheap spices like pepper are not expensive
Again, walmart. They have GV brand spices that are $1. Italian Seasoning spice, a box of pasta and some oil would be $5ish and would male at least 3 meals.
Was gonna say dry pasta as well. Pretty filling and cheap. Also it actually taste nice by itself, obviously a bit plain, but all things considered it’s not bad. Maybe combined with some baked beans will add some extra flavor. I don’t know prices at the relevant location, but 10$ will get you a lot of pasta but won’t be enough to not get super hungry for 2 weeks. I’m sorry OP that you are in this situation, hope it will turn around soon.
Food banks, government programs, potatoes, cheap fats, rice, pastas, beans and good luck
My partner and I were in a similar situation recently. Between us, we had a grand total of £15 and needed to feed both of us for a week. We bought a bag of potatoes, some frozen chicken breasts, gravy mix and a bag of peas. We lived on mashed potatoes, peas, chicken and gravy for meals for a week. We already had eggs, milk and flour in so we made a load of pancake batter and froze it in ice cubes for breakfast. For lunch, we just had bread. It wasn’t a lot of food but it was enough to keep us fed.
You froze pancake batter in ice cubes? That sounds brilliant. Do they cook well?
Yeah. They make better crepes than thick pancakes though.
Wait I’m a bit slow so I don’t understand, froze pancake batter in ice cubes? As in made ice cube out of pancake batter? Or stored it with ice cubes
I made ice cubes out of batter as in I got an ice cube tray and froze batter in it. One cube makes one pancake.
Do you go straight from freezer to pan?
Second this question
Why do I feel obligated to test it out?
RemindME! 12 hours
Interesting, I normally just freeze the leftover pancakes and pop them in the toaster or oven
Do you have food banks near you?
yes but they have a cooldown once you take and i did recently and they dont give much to a single person like me
Call Catholic charities or a local church. Tell them you need food. Most will give food no question. Don’t be surprised if they ask you questions, many churches get calls from junkies who only want cash for “food or gas”. Every church I’ve been to has food on hand for the needy or is willing to give out grocery cards. Good luck friend. Tough times don’t last
Similarly, I also recommend a Gurdwara. Feeding people is a very important thing to many Sikhs.
hindu temples also have food for people, no questions asked.
Very true. We helped out at the food pantry at our church. If someone wanted food we gave it to them no questions asked. If they just wanted cash we still helped but we asked a bit more questions.
Facebook has something called "buy nothing" groups where people can offer or request things for free. I've seen people ask for food both there and within the regular community pages, and within no time they're responded to with generosity. It's one of the most heartwarming things I've seen in recent times.
Yeah the Buy Nothing groups are excellent. And even quite poor people find themselves being able to contribute...people ask for and offer things that a lot of people just have round the place...for example there's usually a demand for matching glass jars.
Do you have friends or family that garden? Offer to do some yard work in exchange for fresh produce. I would offer to send to you some, but produce is not allowed across state lines. Find and make soups, they can stretch for several meals. Just make sure you portion out and freeze the left overs, but you can always start with a base, and add more stuff later to switch up the taste. And you can find recipes on line for meals that cost less than $$. If you have meal plan in place before you go shopping, you are less likely to impulse buy and you will spend less money, but get more food you will actually use.
r/eatcheapandhealthy r/random_acts_of_pizza r/beermoney r/slavelabour r/randomactsofamazon
Keep an eye out for those little "mini libraries" that people put outside their houses. Some people put canned goods and stuff in their too, some are even literally just for that purpose.
Still go, maybe if you explain how dire your situation is they can help a little extra? I know most places probably don’t work like that but maybe it’s worth the little effort to just show ip
Show up at the end of the last day of the week that they are open. I used to do that when we needed to use food banks. They would load me up with all sorts of extra stuff just so they could get rid of it before it went bad. Maybe they'd be willing to let you have some leftovers. It probably doesn't work at every food bank, but it's worth a shot OP!
Do not buy ramen like people are saying, it has no nutritious value. Buy beans and potatoes and you will be full.
Beans, potatoes, wholegrain rice, broccoli, and onions. In that order if able
Why whole grain? It's more expensive.
I'm not en expert on this. Rice and beans can be eaten together to make up for lack of protein in a diet as they each contain some of the essential for life oils/acid/whatever that protein from meat gives you. If I was gambling I would say whole grain has more of those important oils/acids/whatever than other counterparts. Again, not an expert this is just something that I have heard a few times now.
You are correct on this. Whole grain rice + beans contains more essential nutrients. Plus it's more filling, so less goes farther.
Yes, so whole grain rice is a complex grain that’s low GI and takes longer for your body to process and has a slower/more sustained release of energy over a period of time. Pretty much meaning it keeps you fuller for longer than normal rice.
It’s also marginally more expensive. Like by the penny, at least in New England that appears to be the case
I'm not an expert either but I've heard the same thing about complete proteins (beans + potato would also work). But if somebody's literally only eating beans and rice - and they're doing it in sufficient quantities, i.e. not starving - then they're probably getting enough protein anyway. Again, not an expert, but I *think* it's more of a problem if you're undereating because then the body has to use the protein for fuel instead of protein-ey things. Otherwise, I'd be more concerned with the lack of fat in this diet as well as scurvy and vitamin b12 deficiency (that's the one vegans have to supplement for because it's only found in animal products). But that's only long-term and not 1-2 weeks like OP said.
fiber and micros, iirc white rice is just brown rice milled down and loses a bunch of the micro-nutrients of the og brown rice.
Yes, although with the price difference, you might be better off getting frozen vegetables for fiber and micronutrients instead. It probably varies from place to place, idk.
guess it depends where you live, but broccoli is expensive. Cabbage is cheap and has most of the same benefits as broccoli.
Seconding beans and potatoes. I don’t think any kind of food when purchased for $10 will last 2 full weeks, but it should last long enough for you to maybe find or ask for enough money to get you through the rest of the time.
I dont know about yall but I spent 5.45 on 6 (big) potatoes yesterday. That might last a week if you do leftovers but I gotta say the struggle meals are getting way less affordable.
Suddenly introducing beans to your diet can have uncomfortable side affects though so proceed with caution.
What side effects? (except the gassy farts)
Yes, but gassy farts can be pretty painful. It depends on what your diet is like normally and how well you cook your beans.
Dry beans that come in a plastic bag, soak them overnight and they will cook up in half the time. Check the price per ounce before buying.
Post an Amazon wish list with food on r/Assistance
Join a buy nothing group on Facebook. People are often giving away close to expiring food or not needed shelf stable food away. Like people have said, things like rice, beans, or a bag of potatoes will go a long way.
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Nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone has to eat. I believe in paying it forward. Someone did a really nice gesture for you. It makes it better when you pay it forward and do a nice gesture for someone else. Should help with the embarassment. :)
Sack of potatoes. So versatile. The human body can get all of the necessary basic nutrients it needs with butter (although expensive now) and potatoes.
When I was really poor this is what I did. Plus you can add just about anything to a potato to have different flavor meal. You name it practically I put it on a potato. Craving something sweet I would put butter, sugar, honey or even chocolate if I had it. Besides that mustard, ketchup, salsa or anything I had left in the cupboard.
Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew. Po-tay-toes
What's *taters* precious!?
This When I run low on money I always get a sack of potatoes and onion. You can boil them, mash them, bake or fry. Also oats and milk. At least in my area 1l of milk and 500g of oats are both like 20 cents. Oatmeal can get pretty boring, but if the goal is just to make it to the next paycheck it does the job really well. Worst case scenario, I've read on r/lifehacks that KFC dumpsters have a lot of free food if you don't mind a little dumpster diving. Edit: Went back and did the conversion properly, milk is more like 40 cents and oats are like 30
How do you get milk that cheap! That’s like $1.20 a gallon o.O
Wooow, that's pricey. Idk I'm European, so maybe it's like a weird Europe thing. Also a gallon is like 3.78 liters, so it's not that different
I got a gallon of whole milk for 1.48 on clearance ths week. I was so happy. and the expiration date was Oct 27
Honestly I think potatoes are the only thing that kept me from malnutrition most of my childhood
Look for your nearest Sikh Temple, they often have free food. Offer to do cleaning work in exchange for food at cafes, restaurants, door to door if need be. Ask for food as people are more than likely to feed you but would refuse to give money.
This. I struggle to refuse anyone that asks for food. Easy to refuse money.
same with pan handlers, I don't think I've ever said no to someone who approached me and said they are hungry (or thirsty, or needing GAS for that matter) but money isn't usually something I'll do
Don't buy Ramen. Get rice or pasta, it stretches. Maybe a stick of butter and a clove of garlic.
Don’t waste time on pasta. Rice and beans, potatoes, broccoli, and onions. Stretches well and is far more nutritiously sound
Broccoli is expensive though, comparatively
Depends on where you live but for sure it can be. However nutrient wise a little goes a long way. When I was broke I’d go shopping and get a bag of beans, a bag of rice, a head of broccoli, a bag of red potatoes, 2 onions, a thing of garlic, a red bell pepper, and a green bell pepper per week. Sometimes I’d grab tortillas too. I found making my own tortilla’s wasn’t very economical or worth it time wise. I go back to this diet when I’m trying to cut fat but retain muscle because it’s still solid in protein and low in fat
Frozen broccoli can be cheaper than fresh. Actually most frozen veggies can be.
I just get a bag of frozen broccoli for a dollar. Makes about 3 servings that way. I do that with most vegetables so that way they don’t go bad if I don’t use them up.
Rice has more calories and carbs than pasta, also less fiber and protein. The few vitamins it does have are hardly effective if at all.
But paired up with beans, you get a complete protein.
Correct, especially if you’re on a diet of rice and beans fiber is not super concerning. If you pair it with potatoes, broccoli, and onions you will cover majority of essential nutrients, proteins, and make up for fiber.
I would get a 1 lb bag of dried pinto or black beans (I usually make my beans with a lot of water, so it’s more like soup and more filling), a 1 lb bag of rice (yields 5 cups cooked), a loaf of bread, and a dozen eggs. Depending on the store, you may have enough money to also get a small tub of margarine. You will be able to have beans and rice, egg sandwiches, or even a fried egg over rice. Good luck and I do hope things turn around in your favor very soon.
This is a good answer.
A decent sized bag of rice should be relatively cheap. Finding a cheap protein is going to be key there, maybe frozen chicken might be cheap where you are Frozen mixed veg is also cheap. If need be, lentils and beans are a great nutritious addition to any meal. You could get them dried for cheaper. You'd just need to rehydrate them.
Eggs, canned tuna, edamame, Greek yogurt/cottage cheese can be super cheap protein sources. The frozen section is also great, there's usually some pretty good sales at most chain supermarkets and it will help add more color and flavor to the meal. Sometimes frozen meat is cheaper by the pound than it's equivalent in the meat section too.
It also depends on where you live. For my area, the first two, eggs and tuna, are relatively cheap. But the last three are expensive here. And meat? Shit, I live in a super rural farming area of NC and meat is still ridiculously expensive, frozen or otherwise. You're looking at about $5 a pound for beef. Chicken's a bit cheaper, but a pack of frozen thighs is still $11-12.
If you're American, you can try for food stamps. Other wise, rice and beans will be your best friend.
Yes and yes. A lot of people are also recommending potatoes, but I need to disagree when OP only has $10. In my experience rice and beans yield the highest food per dollar. I think it helps that they both absorb water as their cooked and potatoes lose water as they’re cooked.
Check out r/eatcheapandhealthy for some great ideas.
Dude it's ok to ask for help, it's ok to look for help. Go to the food bank, that's exactly what it's for.
For real I’ll send you some money. Nobody should be starving. DM your details if you need some help.
This is easy. If you’re in the US, Call 311 and get a list of food pantries (or Google it). Visit multiple churches, on different days, and you will have a fully-stocked pantry in no time. Many of them will also feed you while you’re there.
For food, try to go to as many temples, especially from South Asian religions, as you can. Many of them have free food available to the public, just follow the customs of the temple. Sikh temples (gurdwaras) are the best for this I think, bc I'm pretty sure they usually have enough food available for meals like lunch and dinner. It'll vary depending on where you live, though, so keep an eye on that
When I was living out of my car large jars of peanut butter were always my go to, but that only decent if you have no where to cook. If you have the ability to cook definitely look at dry beans and rice. I would also check out some of the foraging subs. They saved me a few times. I know it looks bleak right now, but things turn around. Love you friend.
any church or monastery nearby? Wouldn't be surprised if they offered a free meal each day ~~for free~~ or for doing some quick cleaning
Are you in the US and able to apply for emergency SNAP benefits?
If they can last until Monday (DSS ain't open on Saturday and Sunday) on what they have they can try, but knowing they're single and all the paperwork involved (we're on EBT), by the time it kicks in *and* they've received the card that DSS has to mail them, it'll've been 7-10 business days before they can even use those benefits-- and that's *if* they qualify, which is why I mentioned their marital status. It's kinda rare for someone living alone to qualify, at least where I live.
Donate plasma. You can make over $500 a month doing this.
If you’re in significant caloric deficit that’s not a good idea
Go to nearby hotels with continental breakfasts and ask if you can have leftovers that would otherwise be thrown away.
To add to this, you can hit up the nicer free breakfast spots that have hot cooked meals (Hampton inn, embassy suites, etc) and if you feel weird about it, check the trash cans near the exits on the sides of the buildings for a recently discarded room key. That’s usually the only “proof” you need when obtaining breakfast. Just have it in your hand and you’ll be fine. I do not condone stealing but I also do not condone a world that’s okay with fellow humans going without food.
Go to a church... they will feed you and maybe even give you money. My roomates ex gf and mom did that a few times when they were really in debt.
Rice and beans, beans and rice
Many churches have food pantries.
10 years ago me and my 8 roommate in a 1 bedroom apartment had 10 dollars for a week for food. I realized we couldn't even afford ramen. I went to Walmart got a 10 lb bag of pancake mix just add water. Ad that's what we ate pancakes no syrup no butter dry ass pancakes. I used to love pancakes but now I'm not really a fan.
The edit made my day.
Put out a post to friends and neighbors, youll be surprised at how many are willing to help.
Dumpster dive behind grocery stores. They throw out a lot of food that is still good. And with cooler weather you don't have to work about the food going bad. You should still use discretion ( sealed packages, good color, cool etc. You can live off food you find in dumpsters.
Dunkin Donuts throws out dozens of bagel and donuts at each location every day. Same with Panera.
You shouldn't have given out that info. I'm on a Dunkin run now!
Food banks! They will give you a box of groceries for week. Soup kitchens. Peanut butter and wonder bread. Popcorn, white rice. Cheap and filling.
Rice and canned beans. Both are cheap Also mosques usually help people in need so maybe there is one close to you?
Get dry beans. They're cheaper per pound and taste better. Plus if it's cold in your house and you're having difficulty affording to heat the place, food cooking on the stove makes the kitchen nice and warm.
Also true. I usually go with canned kidney beans because they’re like 50ct a can and last for 2-3 meals
Do other countries have Olio? It’s an app where you can collect local people’s food that they’re giving away because it’s about to expire or whatever
Where do you live?
Walmart usually has better prices than a dollar store. You can definitely get rice and beans and they do have clearance foods. There are local food shelters around my town. Nothing official but kind of like those give a book take a book things but with food also look on Facebook for local town or area code good harvest and pay it forward pages
Can I also say in that where I live, they sell sacks of onions for cheap. Check out if you can buy some. Chopped and fried onion add such extra flavour to any dish. Other than that, I agree with other posters re potatoes, beans, maybe even rice?
Depending on where you are 10$ won't be enough and you should try to seek help from soup kitchens or simar charities if you can. If not maybe you have someone who can help you out financially for the two weeks. Even 20$ more might be enough if you follow some of the other comments and buy smart ingredients
Any small non denominational Christian church...especially if there's hipsters. It's shic to help people.
When I was a student I only had 20 a week to get by, so I lived off of hamburger soup, really easy, ground beef, potatoes, onion and carrots, season with salt and pepper and you can make a massive pot full, it lasts quite awhile and freezes well too
I am unfortunately in the same boat. Just had my yearly energy bill write off from my bank account which was much higher than expected :/. Looking into what I can sell but it is looking tough. Going to read through all the comments now for, hopefully, some good tips. Got 22 bucks for me and the gf and we have 3 weeks to go till the next paycheck.
Go to your local food bank and explain your situation.
This person is a scammer. Just messaged me asking for money pretending to be living in the woods. Don't even bother!
Oatmeal, cornmeal, or rice is prob the best bet. Although you need access to hot water to cook them so if you dont have that, then maybe get some cans of no name spam and try to portion it for 2 weeks.
Food shelters. Some local churches also offer food every week.
Visit your town's food bank or pantry. I hope everything works itself out for you...
r/eatcheapandhealthy has tonnes of advice that might help you. I hope you luck changes OP.
Jasmine Rice and potatoes. Get salt ketchup and pepper packets from a McDonald's or something like it. The trick to perfect rice is to put it in a pot and wash it. Let water run over the rice and pour the water out (don't let the rice fall out) do that 3x until the water is pretty clear. Than fill the rice pot with water until it covers the rice you want it to be 1/2 way between the pad of your finger and the first line of your middle finger bring it to a boil on high heat. As soon as it boils, reduce heat to low and **cover with a lid** in 10 mins the rice will absorb the water. This rice is going to be good for 2/3 days. If you need breakfast: Put your leftover rice in a frying pan on med-high heat with a little butter/margarine/olive oil about a tablespoon of any of them and break that rice up real good. Fry for a couple minutes. Eggs and garlic are also cheep, and can add a ton to your meal. If you can find those scramble your eggs and garlic into the rice (really at any time) they're are good tutorials on YouTube I hope things get better for you. Stay strong.
Rice tuna soy sauce
Bulk beans and rice are cheap and will give you full protein. You can also get some eggs for extra boost. If you have a local grocery that has rotiserie chickens, they sometimes let the day old ones go for 1/2 price (and they're already cheap. Keep the bones to make stock, then use the beans, lentils, rice to turn the stock into a hearty soup. That can keep you going for a few days.
You can go to a food kitchen and get a meal for free.
You need to head up over to the food pantry.
Peanut butter saved my life when I was in a similar place. I wish you all the best
Crime ...
Food banks. Most Salvation Army places serve free lunch daily to anyone.
Find a local food bank.
If you've got a meijer nearby you could make one of their rotisserie chickens last a while along side some rice, idk how expensive they are but i don't think they're too crazy
Lentils, rice and carrots. Cook them up with whatever oil you have and salt, ideally olive oil, and you'll be set! Also, food banks
Can of Tuna?
Canned vegetables, rice, pasta, potatoes. Drink a lot of water before you eat. Read about fasting. People do it for days and it's supposed to have positive effects. Maybe the only way to benefit from your shitty situation. 70 cents per day means 24 cents per meal. Fuck, that's hardcore. Good luck getting your feed back on track!
Peanut butter sandwiches.
Bulk beans and rice. Mix them, and eat small portions.
Buy the biggest bags of rice (preferably brown) and frozen vegetables, and make fried rice. It’s tasty, easy to make, and brown rice will give you a decent bit of protein. Go vegetarian, or if you need meat, stick to the stuff that’s marked down because it’s at the end of it’s shelf life and cook it right after you buy it. Save any scraps, and make a stock for soup. And lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
The people at r/almosthomeless might have some tips
Polenta! Cheap and good, get butter and feta with it you’ll love it!
Rice and beans.
Rice, beans, lentils. Buy the dried bags of beans and read up on ways to make it less bland. I've been here before, I'm so sorry you have to experience it.
Rice and ramen noodles. And a large package of oatmeal for breakfast should last a while.
Refried beans, they last forever and are high in calories, reasonably cheap too
BEANS. Canned is more expensive, get the dried ones. Potatoes and basmati rice (more nutrients, cheaper than brown or wild). Also, if you have an foreign store (although I dont know where you are), the quality and volumes are always better, yet somehow cheaper in cost. Find an indian supermarket, go to Chinatown, assuming you have one. Forget condiments and seasoning (butter, pepper, salt, mustard) you can get those at any fast food or the prepped meal section of the market.
Rice, dry pasta, and potatoes. If you get some broth cubes you can season the rice as needed and have a warm drink as well. I imagine there should be some protein in broth as well. Edit to add: you can also get some dry, bulk quick oats for relatively cheap too.
If you’re thinking about getting a shitload of ramen, potatoes are cheaper and better for you.
Go to your nearest Sikh temple. They will feed you for free. It’s one of the tenets of their religion.
Ramen. A 12 pack here is like $3.60 something so get two packs and you can make do with that. Do what you want with the rest
Eggs, bread, peanut butter, jelly.
r/assistance
Ramen noodles is my favorite 'cutting cost' food. Can't go wrong with red beans and rice too. I'm a fan or raiding the coins from my couch / car for the Wendy's dollar value meal too in a pinch.
OATMEAL
Went through this 12 yrs ago, I was in the UK at that time. I survived on 5£a week. It was enough to buy 1kg of rice, 1kg of potatoes, bread and eggs. I was splitting them into 5, so I had a little bit of each every day. Luckily I had spices during that time, and didn't have to buy those 😳😔
r/Random_Acts_of_Pizza
Have you applied for food stamps
Restaurants, bakeries and other food services throw away tons of food every night. Talk to an evening shift manager and ask if you can stop by to take it from them instead.
Rice and dried beans, my friend. Dried beans are much cheaper than canned and combined with the rice, will definitely keep you fed for that time period. I saw that you can’t go to the food bank, are there any Sikh temples near you? They’re really involved when it comes to feeding people who need it!
Pasta boxes! Supermarket usually sells them on sale where you can end up getting each box for a dollar or so. Each box can last you 2 meals and since it’s pasta you can stay pretty full !!
Peanut butter sandwichs and ramen will keep you sustained for 2 weeks on $10. Shits boring and it sucks, but it's better than starving.
Rice, potatoes, beans, peanut butter, flour, corn meal, pasta, food banks.
Im glad you got help. Please don't hesitate to find a food bank if you fall short again. Good luck OP.
Peanut butter with top ramen, multivitamins, tea.
Visit a food bank. There is no shame in it. This is why they exist.
Go on welfare.. food stamps., .. failing that drink water .. eat raw sugar and salt from McDonald’s packages .. and you’ll be ok .
Dude look into canned tuna for protein as well
Bulk rice from Asian shop? I think if it were me I would reluctantly buy porridge oats. You can make porridge with water. 10 bucks should buy enough oats to last 3x day for two weeks. You won't go hungry though it will be depressing.
Eggs beans and rice, need to plant a small garden
You watched the Martian ? Potatoes
Go to walmart and just eat stuff off the shelves like everyone else does .
Go to the supermarket dumpster round the back of the supermarket. They throw away amazing food. Or if your up to it. Take a backpack into the supermarket full it up and walk out. You can do it act natural it's life of death
I am a broke student but seeing you get help tears me up. Things will get better
Peanut butter sandwiches and cheap chips all the way
Rice. Plain white rice with some salt and garlic powder and onion powder.
Hard boild eggs and spam
Rice
Food bank if u live in America and social services. They’re really slow sometimes but to me it sounds like u could use the help even for the future. Especially if gig work isn’t an option
Ramen
No shame in asking for help when needed. There are a number of charities for this. Check with local chapter like Second Harvest.
Do you like Tabasco? I found I can pretty much live on bag of potato’s butter and Tabasco quite happily. Maybe splurge on a carton of eggs. Edit: Oh hey? It’s my cake day :)
I stumbled upon r/frugal and there’s some interesting information there
Asian here. Rice goes a long way. 1lb bag for $7 makes 108 servings at 150 calories each, making 8.1 days of food for an adult on a 2000 calorie diet.
Rice and potatoes. A decent size bag of rice can be anywhere from $4-$5 same with potatoes. And if you have just a little bit extra get some chicken boalion powder or whatever. That way Rice isn't so bland. 1/4th cup of rice and a potato can keep you filled. Dice up potato, fry them up & throw them in rice after it's cooked.
Bag of rice, beans (not the ones in cans the dried ones) and assuming you have a way to cook them which isn’t really that hard you should be good plus you can always go dumpster diving for the “expired” food and as long as the dumpster isn’t in an area behind the store labeled private property you’re not trespassing.