In search of poor people recipes

I am currently going through a terrible financial time and I don't have the money for feed me and my gf like I want to. Ramen for breakfast lunch and dinner is wreaking havoc on my bowel movements not the mention the nutritional deficiences. I was wondering if you have any recipes I could use to keep my nutrition up and keep my overhead down. I wont go into the financial hardships at this time unless you really want me to but any help is greatly appreciated.

reply to post by SinDefiant


I've been there, so hopefully this helps.

A tasty, pretty cheap and of some nutritional value: Dorrito burrito salad. My dad and I scraped by this a time or two. It was like a treat because it made us feel creative and almost gourmet when we made it.

You need a microwavable (bean?) burrito, some dorritos (or generic substitute), some basic salad mix, some cheap generic, maybe cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream if you can spare the extra cost.

Throw burrito in microwave and chop into slices. Put doritos over salad, and shredded cheese. Melt that in microwave and then mix with chopped up burrito. Add sour cream if ya have it and enjoy. Total cost for two people is somewhere between 5 and 10 bucks and its really like 2 big meals if you shop at the right place.


Hope that helps

A cup & a half of rice
can of mixed beans, or kidney beans
half an onion
2 cloves of garlic
fresh or dry herbs
any veg you like
oil or margerine
3 cups water

Dice the onion & garlic, then sautee in margerine/oil. At the same time, chop your herbs & veggies. Add rice to water, dump veggies & herbs in on top. Boil on high, until rice maks little sink-holes. Immediately, turn the heat down to Low. Add the onion & garlic, and turn the mixture. Let the beans rest on top, while the rice steams, covered. Let sit 10 minutes.

If you have meat to eat- even better. Dice it & fry it with the onion.

Tastes great, fills you up & cleans your system. I'm on this regimen, while I have a house guest that can't get their sh1t together.

I am not kidding with this...
Go to the dumpster at the back of grocery stores ( check that you are not breaking any local laws first ) and get free vegetables. They throw out whole bags of potatoes because there is one bad on in the bag. They throw out heads of cabbage and lettuce that have wilted leaves on the outside, strip off the outer leaves and presto, a good head.

I know a poor man's bread recipe if it's any use to you.

225g (1 ½ Cups) Strong plain white flour or plain wholemeal flour
1 level teaspoon salt
1 level teaspoon sugar
15g (1 level tbspoon) soft tub margarine. (proper butter is better but more costly.
1 sachet (6g) easy blend dried yeast or fast action easy blend dried yeast.
150 ml (2/3 cup) WARM water.

Put the flour in the mixing bowl and add the sugar and the salt.
Add the margarine and rub into the flour using your finger tips.
Add the dried yeast and stir into the flour mix
Add all the water at once to the flour mix and stir together using the wooden spoon.
Use your hands as the dough gets tough and when it leaves the sides of the bowl clean (add a little more flour if it is too sticky), put the dough onto a floured surface.
The dough will feel tight and lumpy and you must 'knead' it to make it smooth and stretchy. Push your hands into the dough, gather it back into a ball, turn it slightly and then repeat. Do this for about 5 minutes until the dough feels smooth.
Shape the dough into your own design and place it on the greased baking tray.

Cover the shape with the oiled cling film to stop it drying out and then put the tray in a warm place so that the yeast can work and make the dough rise. In winter this might be the airing cupboard, or in summer the kitchen itself may be warm enough.
Now set the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8
When the loaf shape has about doubled in size (after about 30 minutes), remove the cling film and place the tray in the centre of the oven.
Bake the loaf for 20-25 minutes. It should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped underneath.
Put the loaf on a wire rack to cool.

I use this recipe because it's quick and the ingredients are simple and cheap enough.
It's not the best in flavour but it's a good filler when money is tight. Just add jam or something or if you're like me (weird) I love a bit of plain bread.

Well it would help if you let us know what kinds of stuff you like. I am a stay at home mom and our family of 4 survives off of a single salary. It is my job to make sure I save my family money while providing healthy meals. I have tons of recipes that cost around $5 a meal, many times with left overs.

Some of the quick and easy ,not so healthy would be:

Burritos
10 Large Tortillas- $1.50
Shredded cheese- $2.50
Refried beans- $1.20 = $5.20
I like to serve with fresh sliced Avocados drizzled with lemon.. add 98 cents each

Pizza
Refrigerated pizza dough - $1.50
Tomato sauce- $0.50
Shredded Pizza cheese - $2.50 = $4.50
If you wanna splurge, add some pepperonis for $1.50 more

Some more balanced meals:
Tuna Casserole
16 oz. bag wide egg noodles -$1.50
2 cans tuna -$2.00
Family size Cream of Chicken soup -$1.50
6 slices American cheese -$0.60
Can of Peas -$1.00 = $6.60
Boil noodles, drain. Add drained tuna, Cr. Chicken soup, cheese, and drained peas. Stir and eat

Red beans and Rice
2 cups white rice - $1.00
Turkey Kielbasa - $2.00
2 cans Red beans - $2.50
1 can stewed tomatoes -$ 1.25
Bell pepper, sliced -$1.00
Onion, sliced- $0.50 = $8.25
Prepare rice. Cook Kielbasa, Bell pepper, and Onion in skillet seasoning with garlic and Italian seasoning if you have it. Add Beans and Tomatoes and heat thoroughly until beans are tender. Serve over rice.

Also, breakfast foods tend to be cheaper. Make a Brinner night and cook pancakes and sausage, biscuits and sausage gravy, or French toast with bacon. You can get a fresh French loaf from the bakery for about $3.00. Slice it and coat them in a mixture of egg, milk, and cinnamon then pan fry. If you want to get fancy, add some fresh chopped fruit to top them off and some syrup and you're good to go.

Hope some of these give you some ideas! And if you have a preference, let me know and I will see what I can dig up for you.

~OkieDokie

Originally posted by butcherguy
I am not kidding with this...
Go to the dumpster at the back of grocery stores ( check that you are not breaking any local laws first ) and get free vegetables. They throw out whole bags of potatoes because there is one bad on in the bag. They throw out heads of cabbage and lettuce that have wilted leaves on the outside, strip off the outer leaves and presto, a good head.

This is great advice and thanks for reminding me!

I used to be a quality controller at a fruit packing company (all the fudge packing jobs were taken) and the amount of 'dud' fruit we had to chuck was insane. I would take some home just so it didn't go to waste.
So butcherguy is bang on the money here.

Making homemade soup is a great way to eat cheap and eat healthy. You can use chicken broth, beef broth, veggie broth or plain water. Use what ever leftover meat you have (if you have it leftover) from another meal. Chop it up into bite size pieces and throw it in the stock or water. You can add noodles or macaroni or rice (I precook them before adding to the soup). You can add any number of veggies: tomatoes, onions, beans, corn, celery, carrots, etc, depending on what you have and what you like. Bring the pot up to a low boil (simmering, just barely boiling.) Add salt & pepper and other spices that you like. Let simmer for twenty minutes. Wha La! Soup! Depending on how much stock or water you started off with and how many other ingredients you added, you can have soup for a couple of days. If you get tired of it, you can freeze it and have it another day.

reply to post by mistressofspice

The soup idea is a good one.
The cheapest cuts of meats are often the best to make soup with.

Take a bunch of chicken legs and cook them up, eat the meat for a meal, saving some to put in the soup that you make with the vegetables and broth.

Variety meats are sometimes offered at a lower price too, depending on the locality. I know that I saw a big package of pig ovaries on sale at the grocery store once.... I draw the line at pig ovaries.

I don't know how structured you are at the grocery, but I also wanted to add that it is incredibly helpful to make out a weekly menu before you go to the store. Write out only what you need for what you are going to make. Allot yourself about $10 for snacks and pop. It's not much, and it isn't meant to be. That way the snacks are only treats and are not taking up the money for meals. I am not saying that's what you are doing, but it's something that I have found extremely helpful and thought I would mention it.

~OkieDokie

I look for "Manager's specials" in the grocery store all the time. Watch for sales items too. Sometimes they'll sell a couple of items at ridiculously cheap prices to get you in the store and buy other stuff (there's a marketing term for it but I can't think of it off hand). I'll go in and just buy the stuff that's ridiculously cheap on sale

For cheaper, better quality eats go to you local farmer's market (I can't wait for ours to start back up again. Winter in the NE US) Especially if you wait towards the end of the day, you can get some great deals because the farmers won't want to tote their produce back home.

Here is a simple pea soup recipe
1 lb dried peas, 1 ham bone, 3 potatoes cubed, 3 carrots sliced, 1 onion chopped, salt and pepper to taste.
Wash peas, put in large kettle, cover with water and simmer for a few hours.
In another large pot, simmer ham bone covered with water, separately from the peas.
When peas are soft, strain them, put back into kettle, add ham picked from bone, ham juice and remaining ingredients. Peas will mush up when the soup is finished cooking. Simmer gently until potatoes are done.
You can also blend the ingredients to obtain a smoother texture.

I also shop in the bulk section of our store. I am able to pick up grain cereals such as 7 grain and farina ( cream of wheat without the box) for around a dollar a lb. They stretch quite a ways and provide a better nutrition than your ramen. You may even be able to find them and other great bulk items for even cheaper than that. I live in AK and cost of living is higher here.

Often times the meat department will have ham bones and other soup bones available for super cheap, you usually have to ask though. With the bones and a few basic veggies you can make soup stock and add to it whatever you have on hand at the moment. A good soup combined with the bread recipe already posted would be an excellent meal.

you might want to take a look at this from Food Network:

Healthy Eating on a Budget

I also found this one:

65 Cheap, Healthy, One-Dish Meals with Good Leftover Potential

I didn't really look through either one, but figured it might be a place to start.

Ramin Noodles.....Lived in Korea for a year, and I always thought they were skinny people but really alot of them are fat and this is what I have learned.

Ramin Noodles, and a Fried egg over the top on the noddles, to change it up use Cheese, or ring peppers with crackers.

OR Ramin Noodles, Drain liquid afterwards get a can of cream of chicken, use half of it and mix it together if you have the money use some fresh vegies and add to it.

I believe there is a book out there on how to live on Ramin Noodles, can't remember were I seen it but look for it.

My kid lives on the darn things even after eating a hardy meal.

Good luck and I hope things work out for you.

Do you mind if I ask what your budget for food is a week or month?

This will help with meal ideas.

Another thing that you can make that's cheap is chili. You can add meat (I use ground beef or ground chili) or not. I usually use canned or dried kidney, pinto and black beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic, hot peppers & bell pepper. You can make it as spicy as you want too (I add chili powder, cumin, cayenne, chipotle, oregano & black pepper, sometimes epizote if I have it).

Another way to eat cheaply is to go to grocery stores that offer samples. Yes, go to Whole Foods or Sam's Club or Costcos and try the free samples. There's some apple orchards around us that offer free samples as well.

reply to post by SinDefiant


I have a great one that is cheap, easy and only uses one pot.

Ingredients are potatoes, carrots, cabbage and polish sausage.

Take 4 to 6 potatoes ( I use red and leave the skins on but russets can be used as well and skins can be removed but that is where the nutrients are) and cut into slightly larger than 1 inch chunks. Put into boiling water and let simmer for about 15 min. Add carrots (I use baby carrots but for budgetary reasons whole carrots can be cut into sizes similar to baby carrots). After removing the outside layers of the cabbage remove as many leaves as you want to add (I add a lot as I love cooked cabage). Cut polish sausage into pieces about 3 inches long and then halve. I usually add 2 packs. Add Cabage first and then sausage. Add spices to taste ( I use Janes Crazy Mixed Up Salt and some pepper). Let simmer until everything is done. This is a meal in itself and can be ate the following night or taken for lunch the next day. The cabbage cooks a sweet flavor into the carrots and potatoes and I don't even add butter to them just a few more spices (sorry I love garlic and pepper). To extend the meal place about two of the polish sausages on a piece of bread and eat as a hot dog type sandwich with a little of your favorite mustard. YUM!!

I have plenty more as I am divorced and fighting to get my kids back so most of the chck goes to the lawyer. Enjoy!

reply to post by SinDefiant


Get some proper food that poop you are eating will kill you. Stock up on dried lentils and pulses, brown rice, onions, carrots that kind of thing. It is cheap to make curries and stuff like that once you have a few recipes. You do not have to have a lot of money to eat ok,

Grow vegetables. Some things will be easy to grow. Depends where you are..

anyway my curry recipe..

oil in pan - more the tastier
cumin
chilli
turmeric
salt
sugar
onions - let them soften
canned tomatoes
pulses or lentils - some you need to soften first 0 check instructions

that makes a base sauce

then add
anything you want
ie vegetables


also nice adding coconut. pineapple that kinda thing. Will keep you going days at a time and it wont kill you

I grew up poor and will share at least the descriptions of two of the staples from that period that have always stuck with me - and remained a part of my diet because I enjoy them so much. You can Google information if needed. I never have been a recipe sort of guy... I just sort of cook by eye and instinct. I don't use measuring cups or anything like that.

1) Breakfast: Sausage and flour gravy over biscuits or toast. Very cheap and very filling. Just brown some sausage in a pan, add some flour and stir it in for a few seconds, add milk, stir, and let simmer until thick. Pour over biscuits or toast. Yummy!

I do tend to add extra sage and a lot of pepper to this as a personal taste preference.

2) Hamburger Helper Strogranoff. Cheap, directions are on the box. Cook a couple of veggies to go with it ( I prefer yams and peas or yams and either mustard or collard greens as my side dishes with this ).

Both of these will probably yield enough leftovers, even with two people eating, to cover two days. They are both probably a bit high in cholesterol but if added to a weekly menu that includes salads for lunch and such? Well, I'm no doctor, but I'm currently 46 and have no issues with my cholesterol levels after having eaten these things for my entire life.

Box of beef or spanish rice cooked per directions, add hamburger and a few frozen veggies (peas or corn is what I use). Add picante sauce or tobasco for some "zing". Delicious and filling.

Buy the cheap brands. They're usuallly just as good as name brands (especially when you're broke and hungry)

Hamburger helper (with no hamburger if need be, or use only half as much as the box states). Every few months it is on sale at my local store 10 boxes for $10. Same with the flavored box potatoes, 10 for $10, on sale every few months. Sometimes pasta salad, too. Watch for these kinds of sales!

If the recipe on the box calls for milk and you have none, use water instead. I always do whether I have milk or not and it still tastes fine.

Real potatoes are relatively cheap. Cut into cubes and fry in a bit of butter with onion and bell pepper. Add some diced sausages if available.

I ate only egg sandwiches every day for 2 or 3 months so my kids could have decent food to fill their bellies. I feel your pain...