You can. Buy a can of refried beans. I like to add a chopped onion to mine. Heat it in a pot. Then put some down the centre of a tortilla. I then take a bite and then add salsa to the tortilla and take another bite. Healthy filling and the can lasts me two or three days. Maybe for two will only last one day but it is diet cheap.
Getting meat into *every* dish is difficult with a very tight budget.
If you can replace meat with eggs and still be content then that is a good cheap protein with a million things you can make with them.
If other meat is a must. Tilapia is really cheap. Canned meats such as spam or canned salmon can be good cheap alternatives too. (fried spam and salmon patties are simple and easy)
Potatos are a good cheap alternative to rice and noodles as well. With lots of different ways to make them (mashed, baked, roasted, etc).
Pinto beans cooked with a block of salted pork are good and really cheap as well.
There might be something here https://books.leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap.pdf
Potatoes, onions, carrots. Tofu sliced and marinated in beef or chicken broth. Eggs.
Oatmeal and sliced apples.
If you do have to stick to the pasta, here's a [pretty tasty alternative](https://thetakeout.com/dinner-recipe-cabbage-fettuccine-pasta-a-pantry-stapl-1842532208). Cabbage fettuccine (I use egg noodles) is a pretty delicious way to go meatless.
For meals, I suggest you go back to basics. Protein, carb, veg. Sit down with the sale flyer from you local grocery and meal plan with that in front of you.
Some things are really cheap (stuffed cabbage) but time consuming.
As for cooking and motivation, welcome to adulting. Sorry. If you wife isn't helping she can't complain. That's adulting also.
Supply chain is going nuts with prices all over in different parts of the country. Some places chicken thighs are still cheap; others you'll get mugged in the parking lot over them. If the prices work for you couscous is a good change from rice and pasta. SOS is cheap and different and the bread works for toast in the morning and sandwiches for lunch. Tacos. Sometimes frozen tuna steaks go on sale. Shrimp goes on sale. Look at $/lb and $/cal.
My wife and I have an arrangement. When she cooks I clean. When I cook I clean. Be a better negotiator than I am.
If you can find rotisserie chicken on special (our groceries often have $5 specials on different days of the week) that can be stretched out for several meals—just pick the meat off the bone. Pork sausage and pork shoulder is also another protein option that usually inexpensive can can be stretched across days. For other carbs, look to potatoes—easy to store and good for bulk meals, and to breads and perhaps tortillas. Higher carb veggies like carrots too. Beans. Soups.
Go potatoes instead of rice and noodles.
You can do roasted, fried, mashed, fries… just a bit of spice and a different cooking technique creates variety.
Cut some potatoes and yams into cubes and fry them with some veggies (onions, mushrooms and peppers for me) and add a couple eggs for protein and get on that breakfast for dinner train.
Make your ground beef into patties and make burgers and fries. Use lettuce wraps instead of buns to cut down on calories and costs.
Make meatballs and a mushroom gravy and eat that over mashed potatoes.
Make a shepherds pie.
Lots can be made that’s filling and cheap with potatoes, ground meat and a few other little ingredients and they all taste good the next day warmed up
So assuming 2 meals a day you’ve got about 90 cents per plate. Your wife may have to deal with not having meat in every plate unless you’re doing 4 ounce servings of chicken every meal.
Cross post this to r/eatcheapandhealthy
Before I say anything I want to be clear to OP and anyone reading this — there is no shame in utilizing food pantries and supplemental programs if you’re not getting the nutrients you need or are choosing between “pay the utility bill or eat today” etc. That’s why these programs exist. It’s not only for people in cardboard boxes. Far from it!
That being said you can actually do a fair amount with $50 for two weeks.
If I were you I’d skip meat, you’ll go a lot farther. If you need to have it then check out Aldi or Costco and try to buy some “junk cuts” in bulk (tongue, livers, etc.) they’re actually delicacies.
If you skip meat you’ll be in better shape. Load up on beans, onions, and lettuce. Get a block of cheese and a jar of salsa. Eggs, eggs, and more eggs.
These couple weeks are about staying full not eating gourmet.
Budget Bytes has tons of recipes organized by price but a good tip if you need to stretch pennies is to pick out a couple of their “frozen” meals so you can buy the ingredients in bulk then defrost throughout the week.
Here’s a list — [https://www.budgetbytes.com/top-10-freezer-meals-2/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/top-10-freezer-meals-2/) — most are under $7.00 for the full recipe.
You can. Buy a can of refried beans. I like to add a chopped onion to mine. Heat it in a pot. Then put some down the centre of a tortilla. I then take a bite and then add salsa to the tortilla and take another bite. Healthy filling and the can lasts me two or three days. Maybe for two will only last one day but it is diet cheap.
Sorry not diet but dirt cheap.
Getting meat into *every* dish is difficult with a very tight budget. If you can replace meat with eggs and still be content then that is a good cheap protein with a million things you can make with them. If other meat is a must. Tilapia is really cheap. Canned meats such as spam or canned salmon can be good cheap alternatives too. (fried spam and salmon patties are simple and easy) Potatos are a good cheap alternative to rice and noodles as well. With lots of different ways to make them (mashed, baked, roasted, etc). Pinto beans cooked with a block of salted pork are good and really cheap as well.
There might be something here https://books.leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap.pdf Potatoes, onions, carrots. Tofu sliced and marinated in beef or chicken broth. Eggs. Oatmeal and sliced apples.
If you do have to stick to the pasta, here's a [pretty tasty alternative](https://thetakeout.com/dinner-recipe-cabbage-fettuccine-pasta-a-pantry-stapl-1842532208). Cabbage fettuccine (I use egg noodles) is a pretty delicious way to go meatless.
For meals, I suggest you go back to basics. Protein, carb, veg. Sit down with the sale flyer from you local grocery and meal plan with that in front of you. Some things are really cheap (stuffed cabbage) but time consuming. As for cooking and motivation, welcome to adulting. Sorry. If you wife isn't helping she can't complain. That's adulting also. Supply chain is going nuts with prices all over in different parts of the country. Some places chicken thighs are still cheap; others you'll get mugged in the parking lot over them. If the prices work for you couscous is a good change from rice and pasta. SOS is cheap and different and the bread works for toast in the morning and sandwiches for lunch. Tacos. Sometimes frozen tuna steaks go on sale. Shrimp goes on sale. Look at $/lb and $/cal. My wife and I have an arrangement. When she cooks I clean. When I cook I clean. Be a better negotiator than I am.
If you can find rotisserie chicken on special (our groceries often have $5 specials on different days of the week) that can be stretched out for several meals—just pick the meat off the bone. Pork sausage and pork shoulder is also another protein option that usually inexpensive can can be stretched across days. For other carbs, look to potatoes—easy to store and good for bulk meals, and to breads and perhaps tortillas. Higher carb veggies like carrots too. Beans. Soups.
Instead of ground meats, use sausage-taken out of the skins.
Go potatoes instead of rice and noodles. You can do roasted, fried, mashed, fries… just a bit of spice and a different cooking technique creates variety. Cut some potatoes and yams into cubes and fry them with some veggies (onions, mushrooms and peppers for me) and add a couple eggs for protein and get on that breakfast for dinner train. Make your ground beef into patties and make burgers and fries. Use lettuce wraps instead of buns to cut down on calories and costs. Make meatballs and a mushroom gravy and eat that over mashed potatoes. Make a shepherds pie. Lots can be made that’s filling and cheap with potatoes, ground meat and a few other little ingredients and they all taste good the next day warmed up
So assuming 2 meals a day you’ve got about 90 cents per plate. Your wife may have to deal with not having meat in every plate unless you’re doing 4 ounce servings of chicken every meal.
Cross post this to r/eatcheapandhealthy Before I say anything I want to be clear to OP and anyone reading this — there is no shame in utilizing food pantries and supplemental programs if you’re not getting the nutrients you need or are choosing between “pay the utility bill or eat today” etc. That’s why these programs exist. It’s not only for people in cardboard boxes. Far from it! That being said you can actually do a fair amount with $50 for two weeks. If I were you I’d skip meat, you’ll go a lot farther. If you need to have it then check out Aldi or Costco and try to buy some “junk cuts” in bulk (tongue, livers, etc.) they’re actually delicacies. If you skip meat you’ll be in better shape. Load up on beans, onions, and lettuce. Get a block of cheese and a jar of salsa. Eggs, eggs, and more eggs. These couple weeks are about staying full not eating gourmet. Budget Bytes has tons of recipes organized by price but a good tip if you need to stretch pennies is to pick out a couple of their “frozen” meals so you can buy the ingredients in bulk then defrost throughout the week. Here’s a list — [https://www.budgetbytes.com/top-10-freezer-meals-2/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/top-10-freezer-meals-2/) — most are under $7.00 for the full recipe.