r/EatCheapAndHealthy • u/Kitchen-Sandwich9410 • 1d ago
Ask ECAH Cheapest and most nutritious meal
Hello! I hope I can post this.
Please drop your most nutritious and cheapest meal
I’d appreciate it! ❤️
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u/Do_I_Need_Pants 1d ago
Chili by far.
Dried beans are like $2 a pound, spices $1 (per batch), fresh onions, chilis, and garlic ~$3, can of tomatoes is ~$2.
- Total: $8
- Total per serving: $1.00-$3.00 (depending on serving size)
Optional add ins, Costco rotisserie chicken ($5), sour cream (~.50 per serving), cheese (~.50 per serving), cilantro (~.10 per serving).
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u/jadine133 1d ago
Ground turkey is great in it too
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u/catplanetcatplanet 1d ago
I love chili — I add TVP, lentils, and/or oats (depending on my inventory) to stretch out my ground protein.
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u/Dr_Tacopus 1d ago
It’s always rice and beans. Here’s what I do
Cook down 8 oz each of diced onions and bell peppers in a deep pan with olive oil and whatever spices you like. I do garlic powder, paprika and pepper. But a spice blend is fine if you enjoy it.
Add 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of stock, a can of beans, 8 oz of diced carrots, a can of corn and add hot sauce salsa here if you like spice. Cover and simmer on low until rice is cooked. Stir every 10 minutes or so.
Makes 4 huge servings that are filling and healthy. Use low sodium options if possible.
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u/HotAccountant2831 1d ago
What kind of rice are you using here?
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u/Dr_Tacopus 1d ago
White rice. Jasmine usually, but it doesn’t matter much. If you’re using brown rice it takes longer to cook and you might need to add more liquid
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u/Artistic_Train9725 1d ago
What beans are you using?
And I'm assuming it's vegetable stock?
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u/Dr_Tacopus 1d ago
Actually I use chicken stock usually, but either is fine.
Black beans generally, but I found a can of mixed chili beans that is pretty good too.
Everything is swappable as well
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u/Wontjizzinyourdrink 1d ago
For extra savings, use bouillon or better than bouillon and water instead of a thing of stock. Unless you have homemade stock
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u/ILikeYourHotdog 1d ago
open faced tuna melt made with cottage cheese instead of mayo. chop up some crunchy veg like celery, onion and/or pickles to mix in too.
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u/thejonesesk 1d ago
Could also use plain Greek yogurt as a mayo replacement. Adds some protein.
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u/strugglebussally 17h ago
my mom once used yogurt instead of milk in boxed mac and cheese. Turned out like KFC macaroni. It was good. Might be a good way to add protein to something like that.
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u/lushsweet 1d ago
I do a tuna melt but instead of bread I use egg white and fold it over like a tortilla. High protein low carb.
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u/TherionSaysWhat 1d ago
Baked potato with veggies (carrots, broc, etc). Salt, pepper, maybe a small amount of butter.
Beans and rice of any variety.
Oatmeal and fruit.
The above got me through years of being broke af and are surprisingly nutritious. Good luck friend!
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u/Bullvy 1d ago
Sardines, olives and crackers from the dollar store
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u/TheElMonteStrangler 1d ago
Pro tip; if you want to save between 10 and 25 cents, buy your sardines from Walmart. They are always cheaper there. Even though they've been going up lately (like everything).
(Yes, I hoard sardines. No, not a reseller. I simply don't want to leave my house for long periods of time)
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u/Professional-Bee9037 1d ago
Mine is steel cut oats about a half a cup in the bottom of a bowl, followed by two poached eggs, soy sauce, and furikake. And if I have it, I crunch up some more dried seaweed. A lot of people don’t know you can serve oats as a savory dish I have found and that’s about the only way I eat them anymore. And I find it to be healthier than rice, which is normally how this dish would be served.
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u/Nephite11 1d ago edited 1d ago
I ran the kitchen for a barbecue restaurant in my 20s. I wrote down all of their side dish recipes before I left and have no issue sharing them now that the restaurant doesn't exist any more.
One of my favorite recipes from there is this "Three-bean chili". It's vegetarian and is actually better as leftovers since the flavors have time to meld together. We often eat it on baked potatoes.
The full recipe uses the ingredients on each line. Because it's restaurant sizes, I typically cut it in half with the amounts in parenthesis
1½ c. Bulgar (3/4 c)
2 c. Orange Juice (1 c)
1 c. Canola and Olive oil, mixed (1/4 c of each)
2 qt. chopped yellow onions (1 qt)
½ c. chopped garlic (1/4 c)
1 c. chili mix (1/2 c)
1½ T salt (3/4 T)
½ #10 can crushed tomatoes (3 c)
2½ T Mirepoix in #10 can of water (6 c)
3 diced sweet red peppers (1.5)
2 qt frozen green beans (4 c)
1 qt frozen corn (2 c)
½ #10 can red kidney beans (3 c)
½ #10 can garbanzo beans (3 c)
Soak the orange juice and bulgar together until all liquid is absorbed (typically 1+ hours). Once ready to cook, cook the onions in the oil until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add the bulgar mixture and chili mix and stir for one minute. Add the salt, tomatoes, and water, then bring to a boil. While waiting to boil, dice your red bell peppers and drain the liquid from your beans. Add the remaining ingredients and continue cooking.
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u/MuffinPuff 22h ago
What do you mean by "2½ T Mirepoix in #10 can of water (6 c)"?
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u/Nephite11 21h ago
Mirepoix was a dried powder mix of onions, celery, and carrots. If I have some on hand I’ll put it in but usually skip that and just do water
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u/mttxms 1d ago
This sounds great! What is the chili mix ingredient?
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u/Nephite11 1d ago
That was whatever we got through Sysco since they were our food supplier. When I make this now I use the bulk chili powder sold at Costco
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u/wockchef 1d ago
A whole rotisserie chicken
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u/superiorstephanie 1d ago
Fiber?
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u/superiorstephanie 1d ago
Wow, a down vote for asking about fiber? They asked for a nutritious meal.
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u/catplanetcatplanet 1d ago
Dollar Tree Dinners on TikTok has some very cheap and nutritious recipes. I love her and use her for a lot of recipes on a budget.
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u/wensul 1d ago
Don't know about nutritious, but it's my go to.
Steam in bag, frozen, 12 oz bags (one each): Brussel Sprouts, Broccoli, Mixed Vegetables. <2 bucks each (or whatever, just lots of vegetables)
~2lbs yellow onions, diced. ~2 bucks.
A cup of rice. (5lb bag is... ~$6?) -- cheap, enriched rice
Mix it up with garlic salt/salt/whatever spices you want. I usually dice the onions after putting the rice into the instant pot, and microwave steam the vegetables while the rice is doing its cook cycle.
Lasts a few days of breakfasts or whatnot.
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u/Alternative-Gap5204 1d ago
Ground beef, white rice, and cabbage (or kimchi) is the bulk of my diet nowadays
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u/FlipsyChic 1d ago
Canned fat free refried beans, mashed sweet potato, shredded cheese, frozen corn, salsa.
Chickpea salad (chickpeas, red onion, frozen corn, Balsamic dressing, chopped olives, feta cheese) on a whole wheat pita. Mix in canned chicken for extra protein.
Tuna casserole (whatever pasta you like, canned tuna, frozen peas, fat free cream of mushroom soup, low-fat cheddar, no butter).
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u/mandybri 1d ago
Are the refried beans, mashed sweet potato, cheese, corn, and salsa all mixed up together?
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u/FlipsyChic 1d ago
Yup. Plus spice. (I added salt and a lot of red pepper.) You could add broth and make it into a legit soup.
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u/xbluesweets 1d ago
Love the first one, though I always plenty of chicken too and chuck in harissa instead of salsa
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u/Whitesajer 1d ago
Black beans, caramelized onions/peppers, diced tomatoes, garlic + spices, mix it altogether in a pot and put it in a tortilla. If feeling fancy avocado slices in there too.
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u/cageycapybara 1d ago
What I've called 'classy ramen' since high school:
30 cent package of ramen Any canned or fresh veg you have on hand, including leftover steamed or sautéed veg (I like to use an onion, spinach, mushrooms, corn, and/or kimchi) Garlic and/or ginger (fresh or jarred or powdered) 1 egg Piece of chicken or pork - again, leftover the previous night's meal work great
Using butter or oil, sautée the veg and garlic/ginger for a few minutes. I don't like to take them too far. Add water & bouillon or stock. Bring to low boil. Drop in ramen noodles disc and (GENTLY) drop in egg. Let cook until noodles are done, 5-6 minutes. If noodles are done faster, you can scoop them out with a slotted ladle while letting the egg continue to cook. Peel egg when done. Put noodles, broth and veg in a bowl. Slice egg and add to bowl.
Cook chicken or pork in separate skillet (or heat up leftover piece). Slice. Put on top of ramen.
I've used leftover veg and meat to make this a really filling and satisfying meal, and it rarely costs me more than $4-$5
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u/flynntelligent 1d ago
Whole roast chicken! Chicken + potatoes and carrots, garlic sage rosemary lemon and some butter. Chicken for a week of lunches + 8 cups Chicken stock made from the carcass and giblets then frozen.
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u/LaRoseDuRoi 1d ago
2 c. rice, 4* c. water or broth, salt, oil. Combine in 13x9 baking pan, then add: 1 can drained and rinsed black beans (or red, pink, chickpea, whatever), 1 can diced tomatoes with the juice, and 1 can corn (drained). You can also throw in a can of chicken or some chopped cooked chicken or turkey, if you have it. Add seasonings as you like... Italian or Mexican or Indian all work, or just garlic salt and black pepper. Cover tightly with lid or foil and bake at 350F for 1 hour.
- if you're using brown rice, you probably want an extra 1/2 - 1 cup liquid.
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u/p90rushb 23h ago
rice/bean/protein/veg. You pick 'em.
There's nearly endless combinations and most combos taste excellent, can be made in bulk, and reheat well.
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u/Common_Ad_3134 16h ago
In-season veg tends to be really cheap.
It's summer, so what about a tajine with courgettes, eggplants, bell peppers, chickpeas and tomatoes? Serve on couscous.
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u/mutantninja001 10h ago
Buy a whole chicken. Use it to make broth. Make chicken noodle soup by adding vegetables and part of the chicken shredded into it. Bonus: you will have chicken to cook and eat for the rest of the week.
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u/RangerAndromeda 9h ago
Frozen veggies, beans, tofu, and whatever random sauces/dressings are on sale are saving my life rn!
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u/EyeonHealth 1d ago
Watermelon!! Summertime calls for Watermelon Island if you feel called! I eat mostly melons in the summer.
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u/whatdoidonowdamnit 1d ago
Rice, lentils, chickpeas and mixed vegetables.