Cheap food - Help the poor students!

[LearntYoung]

I require carbs for my workouts... Proteins after Don't mess with my nutritions ilikestims!

 

[Corazon]

"dice" up a good amount of celery onion and carrots to make a "Mirepoix". It's a cheap and healthy meal stretcher.

cook it down (can use crock pot or saute), add beans/peas, add rice(or keep rice separate and top with the bean sauce, up to you...) adding a meat or meat-fat to the mix in the pot is optional. lots of variety in seasoning and choice of beans/peas. Lot's of cultural dishes fit.

same Mirepoix base works works for pasta but I do it without carrots (add diced garlic, and bell peppers instead)

and soups

 

[miscbrahh]

bananas are super cheap where I live. One banana is like 50 cents? Pretty filling too. Can get full on like 4 bananas + glass of water... something different from grains all the time.

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-banana-i9040

 

[thujone]

I require carbs for my workouts... Proteins after Don't mess with my nutritions ilikestims!

I work out regularly, a bowl of instant oatmeal for breakfast is all the dedicated carbs I need in a day. The thing to keep in mind is that vegetables and fruits also have carbs, some of them quite a lot, but they also have loads of healthy fibre and micronutrients. the issue with food like rice is that it's 90% carbs, and carbs are quickly converted to glucose. In other words, there's no point in filling yourself up on carbs UNTIL you feel that there's a definite need for energy then you can eat a bowl of rice and twenty minutes later have enough glucose coursing through your bloodstream. If you don't feel that sudden need for energy, doesn't it make more sense to consume more calories of protein and fats which get metabolized into stuff that's more useful to the body than just a constant stream of raw energy?

 

[Corazon]

store bought canned tuna is pretty bad for you as a regular part of your diet (mercury, pcbs?,...) but it tastes good.

1/4 diced onion + 1 stalk diced celery + can tuna + 8 tblspn mayo(or basically as much mayo as possible w/out completely demolishing the spread) + pepper, garlic powder(or diced garlic),paprika

(*Bonus* for dicing up some leftover chicken or something to use instead of tuna).


makes a super cheap spread for snacks.

got a loaf of french bread on sale for $1 yesterday, sliced into 1/2 inch slices , toasted and topped with just enough spread to sufficiently cover.

each several slice, snack/small-meal = something like 50cents/person.

can run a few loaves of bread/crackers/etc on just one bowl of this spread, or add the last half to boiled/drained egg-noodles w/ a tablespoon sour cream and/or a little parmesan cheese.

 

[Bearlove]

If you slowly add tuna to your diet it will not be a problem as your kidneys will adjust to remove the mercury (from what I understand). Don't simply start eating tuna as a cheap protein, as I said above beans and lentils are a great source of protein. As this is about budget meals, if you add your can of tuna to a few either boiled or baked potatoes that have been mashed and make your own fish cakes - this spreads the cost out and you can get a few meals out of one can. (add some frozen vegetables, spices to the mix and chill before frying or grilling).

I made a great spinach and prawn curry yesterday which was very nutritious and cost very little.

Frozen spinach (few cubes)
Tin of diced tomatoes (was in a rush but could have used fresh which would have been cheaper by the KG)
Frozen cooking prawns
couple of onions, garlic, ginger (which can be kept in the freezer and grated) fresh chili (again frozen)
Cumin, Coriander, Turmeric powder (I would say a tsp of decent curry powder would work)

I was in a rush so, tipped the spinach into a bowl with the tomatoes and put in microwave to both defrost the spinach and heat the tomatoes.
Heat up a bit of oil and added garlic, ginger, chili, fried for a few minutes and then added the cumin and chili powder (replace this for the curry powder if using), fried them for a minute then added onions, cooked those for a few minutes, added coriander and turmeric and then added the defrosted spinach and tomoto and the frozen prawns.

Served that with stir fried fried that I had cooked in a batch earlier and had frozen in portions.

If your looking to bulk this up further or cut the costs - skip the prawns and add some boiled potatoes to the mix (Aloo Palak).

If your have the time try making your own breads - the ingredients used are really inexpensive (so if you get it wrong a few times it doesn't matter).

I made this last week - half bag of floor, water, yeast, olive oil, salt and sugar, garlic, dried oregano and chili flakes (couple of $ for a full loaf)

A quick goto lunch (again from the freezer) Calamari salad, Half bag of frozen calamari rings - boiled and then run under cold water. (this was probably under 2$)
Salad and a dressing of fish sauce, lime, sugar, salt, chili and garlic

A lot of my meals are posted here.

I honestly think its worth spending a few bucks on getting some basic ingredients sorted out - spices etc as they can turn something bland into something very tasty for nearly no added cost.

 

[ilikestims]

Would you mind explaining that?

Read Life Without Bread and Wheat Belly.

It's kinda self-explanatory. They spike blood sugar (wheat bread spikes it more than table sugar according to Wheat Belly), their nutritional value doesn't compare to fats, protein and veggies, and they make you eat more, irrespective of caloric intake, implying they unbalance biomechanical mechanisms. Basically carbs should be used as a rare treat, far from the backbone of any diet.

Only carbs I regularly eat are steel-cut oats and bananas.

Re tuna,

The mercury myth has to stop. Selenium binds to mercury. Tuna, as does most fish, has more -- much more -- selenium than mercury. Eat all the tuna you want.

 

[llama112]

Well, I spent a couple years in college trying to eat healthy and on a budget. The two main things: rice and beans!!!! You'll need to get yourself some basic spices (may be expensive upfront but spices last forever so a great investment). Onion powder, garlic powder, basil, paprika, those are the ones I use most often besides salt & pepper. Buy big bags of rice and beans (I like chickpeas but there are other great beans, black beans, kidney beans). You can combine them in soooo many ways. Because I'm vegetarian, I use a lot of tofu, it's actually much cheaper than meat so it's a good, healthy substitute.
Personally, I love baking chickpeas when they've been mixed with lemon juice and lots of spices.

Also, fresh fruits and veggies. Always buy the ones in season!!! Only get the amount that you need because you don't want to waste food. You can obviously eat them fresh but steaming them with spices. You can also add that to rice!

Oatmeal is GREAT for breakfasts. You can get a bag for a couple bucks. Put in some water and mix it with sweetener and cocoa (my favourite) or brown sugar, microwave it, yum! You can add in various things depending on what you have at your place - fruits, peanut butter. It's a really filling breakfast.

Cornmeal is a quick easy meal, plus you can put almost anything in it. I like making it like a pizza cornmeal. So I add in Daiya cheese (I don't eat real cheese lol), pizza sauce (you can get a can for like a buck and that will be good for a few meals), and then any toppings you like, I prefer putting in olives and tomatoes.

Same with stir fry. Use any veggies you have on hand, I'd recommend adding bean sprouts. Also soy sauce. I put tofu in mine

Popcorn is a cheap snack too!! Get the kernals and pop it using a popcorn maker (easiest, but you'd probably have to buy it) or just in a normal pot.

If I can think of more, I'll add to this thread.

 

[LearntYoung]

You guys are making this a full-time job for me

I will update the main post soon! But first... I'll take a shower.

 

[Greenstar420]

Call the 1-800 question or complaint line on the side of the box. comeup with a random compaint. Boom, free coupons

 

[LearntYoung]

Added a new post, because for some reason it says there's not enough text (I should use at least 3 characters!) when I edit the main post...
I just added half the posts now, because it's actually quite much work to make it look clean and organized, now it's time for beer.
I'll be back!

 

[thujone]

getting tired without constant carb intake is a symptom of insulin resistance, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. the literature is out there and people choosing to ignore cold, hard data and believe they're healthy because things is why instances of diabetes have risen in europe to the same level as in the u.s. considering how common 32oz sodas are in the u.s., it must have taken a fuckload of "healthy eating" on the euros part to reach that level. at the very least i hope you get your RDI of fibre with your carbs, as it counteracts insulin resistance.

 

[Bearlove]

If your using beans for your protein, mix something like chickpeas and kidney beans (or black beans) add some spices (I would use cumin, coriander, chili salt n pepper) wiz in a blender (or mash with a potato masher) make a thick paste and make Falafel. Really cheap, filling and once you get your spices down to what you like there great in a bread bun or flat bread.

Baked chickpeas as LLama112 suggested are a great cheap snack (I use chili and curry powder).

 

[LearntYoung]

I get a lot of fibres and I can eat whatever I want without getting fat.
I always drink water and mainly consume non-sugar carbs.
I work out often and just try to stay in the best shape possible.

I may have gotten to the precursor stage in my younger years though...
I drank 1.5L of non-diet coke a day back then.
Didn't get fat back then either btw.

 

[thujone]

thin people get diabetes too, but yeah fibre is the best way to fight against high blood sugar. keeps you regular too :D

 

[Corazon]

good stuff bearlove
i will have to try some of those

 

[onetwocatpoo]

Cheap student recipes that are actually healthy and nutritional would be awesome (preferably vegetarian) Fed up of not knowing what to cook ahha!! Suggestions?

 

[Bearlove]

Cheap student recipes that are actually healthy and nutritional would be awesome (preferably vegetarian) Fed up of not knowing what to cook ahha!! Suggestions?

read this thread from the start - loads of suggestions on healthy cheap meals.

For a basic Daal
I use Chana Dal or Moong Bean Dal the most but works with most (Moong beans are what bean sprouts grow from so you can soak them, put in a jar or container leave for a day or two and you have fresh beansprouts)

Cheapest is to soak overnight or you will spend longer boiling them.

Easy method
In a pan put
1 cup of the Daal of choice (if not presoaked give them a good wash and make sure you have no stones in them)
3 cups of water (does't have to be precise - you can add more, take some out as you go)
.5 tsp tumeric powder (careful as this will stain anything it touches)
either chicken or vegetable stock cube
Garlic (as much as you like but start on one or two cloves to get you started)
and bring to a simmer, you will see some foam on the top of the pan, simply scoop that off. After say 10 minutes you will start to get a feel if you have too much or too little water (make it a bit more watery as you would like to eat)

To the pan add
.5tsp cumin powder (or more if you like really strong flavor)
.5tsp chili powder or more/less depending on how spicy you like your food
Salt and pepper

Leave simmering until the Daal becomes soft and either mash it with a potato masher or give it a quick wiz with a stick blender (your not looking for a smooth puree, just to break down some of the lentils [potato masher gives the best results]). To this you can add anything you want - fresh tomato, fresh coriander (or a .5tsp of powdered), cauliflower added to this is really tasty.

Now you will see that it has probably thickened up so adjust the liquid to your desired thickness.

Eat

If you want to take this further, in another pan fry some cumin seeds, mustard seeds until they pop and then add some garlic and onions until crispy and pour this over the daal. If you don't have all the spices then simply replace the turmeric, cumin etc with a good curry powder.

 

[LearntYoung]

Okay, so basically I think my post became too big.
It tells me it's too small, but whatever...
The point is that adding more doesn't work.

 

[Bearlove]

Okay, so basically I think my post became too big.
It tells me it's too small, but whatever...
The point is that adding more doesn't work.

Is there a limit on size of posts ? I have never came across that and I often upload photos etc. You can try again and try the

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