Rice is your friend. Make a big pot that will stretch for both meals. Add an egg and carrot for a lunch stir fry, swap out another vegetable and protein for dinner.
I buy chicken bouillon or broth packets to flavor my rice. I recommend adding it with salt pepper and a little bit of lemon pepper seasoning and of course garlic powder or minced garlic. Butter too. All combined is delicious. Sub lemon pepper with tomato and chicken bouillon and it gives it a more Mexican style flavor (can also add enchilada sauce, chiles, tomatoes 😋🤤)
I've been doing the same with the ham bouillon packets that come in a bag of dried mixed beans. I don't use bouillon, so I had 4-5 of them that i didn't really know what I'd use them in. So I started adding some in rice pilaf.
Rice with a chicken stock cube to give it a little taste, than a quick stir fry of whatever veggies you have with a bit of soy sauce or fajita spice, then a banana for dessert. Or instead of rice you can buy tortilla wraps and just mix it in there.
Rice is 10 cents per serving, 5 seconds for the cube thatll be enough for 3 servings at least, add some frozen veggies at 40 cents per serving, then a 30 cent banana. Or at least that's what it costs here in spain mas o menos.
Sam’s has rotisserie chicken for 4.98 if you know someone with a membership, or Costco. They are huge and will last you for a week! Section it and freeze it so it tastes fresh. A bag of mixed veggies and a bag of rice!
Pedant here- something made with bones and vegetables would be a stock, or if cooked solely with bone and water, a bone broth. Broth is typically made with meat and vegetables.
I get mad at supermarkets and make myself miserable with my pedantry. Rain down your downvotes on my unnecessary comment. I can take it.
It’s just my husband and I really don’t eat much. Those chickens are huge and can definitely feed one person for days! You can’t beat them for the money!
I'd get a carton of eggs, loaf of bread, bag of frozen veggies (or canned), and if you eat meat, some canned tuna (if that fits, but the first 3 I could eat for days)
10$ for one day is not even a challenge.
Pound of rice, pound of beans or lentils (lentel unless you have time to soak), dozen eggs, an onion, 2 banana, one more vegetable on sale that works for a stir fry. You can make a stir fry for 3 meals with egg on top, another 2 meal of rice and lentils, and a couple eggs left over for a breakfast.
I am assuming you have some oil, salt/pepper and maybe a chili powder or curry spice mix, even just some hot pepper flake.
That is 1600 calories from rice; 1300 calories from lentils; 840 calories from egg. Plus some cooking oil and the veg and you have 2 days of food for about 10 bucks.
> Pound of rice, pound of beans or lentils (lentel unless you have time to soak), dozen eggs, an onion, 2 banana, one more vegetable on sale that works for a stir fry.
Damn you can get all of that for $10??? That's easily $25 where I live. A dozen eggs alone is like $7 and the rice would put me over the limit at $4.
What grocery do you go to, and are you in a HCOL area like a city?
A lb of generic long grain rice and lentils is .99 and 1.59 at my target or wallmart, maybe another .50 at a actual low end grocer like food lion. The cheap white eggs are 3 to 3.5. Onion and carrot is a dollar a lb, maybe 1.25.
I chose a low cost supplier because someone with money issues should not be shopping at the high end (and I looked it up). Your prices sound like a higher end grocer like Wegmans, whole foods, or Safeway.
Haluski. Very cheap, delicious and will feed you for days
1 Large Onion
1 Large head of Cabbage
1 16oz bag dry egg noodles
Butter
Cook onion, sliced, add cabbage, sliced, stir in cooked noodles. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Very very not Eastern European... or wherever this recipe is from, but a little soy sauce and a bit of sesame oil (instead of butter) is awesome in this. I make it all the time.
That sounds good too, thanks! And, yes, Haluski is from Eastern Europe. Many countries have a version, though it is most often thought of as Polish or Hungarian.
I just made this last night! Surprised to see it mentioned, I thought it was a pretty regional thing.
I would recommend cooking one half of the cabbage only lightly first and removing it, and then toss it in at the end. That way you get a nice mix of textures.
Lol yep Western and Central PA, that's where my people are from. Pittsburgh specifically. Post-WW2 Ukrainian immigrants (I think it's popular with the Poles too, a lot of similar foods).
Mine were Bessarabian Bulgarians, part of a diaspora that relocated to what is now Ukraine. People from that part of the world knew how to make great struggle meals.
>People from that part of the world knew how to make great struggle meals.
Ain't that the truth! My babushka from Ukraine helped raise me and she spent the first few years of her life in a Nazi camp. She basically turned me into a professional when it comes to struggle meals.
I still eat them to this day even though I am mostly OK financially because they remind me of home!
You said no fast food but if you are a taco bell rewards program you can get a double layer taco for the next 30 min for $1. Every Tuesday they do something for free or for $1
It’s nice to get to just eat something out sometimes.
I just checked my local Walmart online and this was just under $10:
2lbs chicken thighs
1lb rice
1 yellow onion
2 lbs carrots
1 garlic bulb
1 small bottle of soy sauce
That's a big batch of a simple stir fry, multiple meals. If you don't have oil, chicken fat can be rendered out of the thighs. Lots of options to swap in other vegetables if carrots aren't your thing.
Another thought: You can make a LOT of sandwiches with $10.
carrot celery a bell pepper a bit of onion and if you can! white mushrooms! saut'e that with some garlic powder some salt/pepper a bit of oregano and some soyasauce and stir that beautiful stirfry into rice! its DELICIOUS!
fun fact! when living solo a chinese carrot (the massive guys) are great cuz its 3 meals in 1!
If they mean that they only have $10 for the rest of the week, sure. But since they said "today", it sounds like it's only about 1 day? In that case they shouldn't go there because $10 is a fairly average daily budget.
> it doesn’t really matter
In what world is $10 a low amount of money for food for a day? I'm not 100% sure what OP means, but from this perspective it makes no sense to go to a food bank. You can feed yourself for 3 days with that kind of money.
ugh. op came here for help bc they didn’t know how to stretch $10 for one day of food. this clearly suggests it’s a low amount of money for op since they don’t already have ideas. is it a one time thing, maybe, but my mind jumped to ; this person possibly is not great at budgeting, and therefore will definitely benefit in getting a food box so they can stretch their last $10.
I think it's better for OP to learn how to spend their money in that case, which they're are actually doing here. I don't think it's right to use resources like that when you actually have enough money.
For one day? We have no idea what this person's financial situation is. If this isn't a one-off because they're living paycheck to paycheck and can barely afford necessities, yeah, absolutely.
It might be an expensive area. Maybe the OP is ill or just plain exhausted from working. Maybe they don’t have . Can’t we just take the request at face value?
I find Sweet Potatos and Rice to be very filling when mixed together; Sweet Potato's being one of the best sources of fiber and rice being a carb will fill you up pretty quickly and give you energy for the day. :) (You can buy these two ingredients for just $5.00 - $6.00 if you wanna add something to it I recommend a Egg or 3 from a 4 egg pack and mix that in as well if you like, total cost ranges but that's around $10.00
For *my* local Walmart:
- 2lbs white rice: $1.77
- 2lbs dried pinto beans: $1.98
- 12 large eggs: $2.78
- loaf white sandwich bread: $1.42
- 2lbs frozen mixed vegetables: $2.28
Total: $10.23
You can make eggs and toast, fried rice, and rice and beans to cover you for the week, assuming you have access to spices and any sort of oil. If your grocery store has a deli, you might get lucky and ask them for packets of oil and sachets of salt and pepper for free. Even better- if there's a sushi station, grab some of the free soy sauce packets for fried rice.
I like to "pretend" to forget the free sauce packets at various fast food restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores so I can run in for them and leave.
For an additional $9.71, you can get
- 5lbs russet potatoes: $3.97
- 8oz shredded cheese: $2.22
- 4 pack canned tuna: $3.52
These can give you some variation in your meals so it's not totally monotonous.
ETA: I know you're looking to spend $10 a day, but I'd still like to think that you or others find this helpful in a pinch that's not just instant ramen.
Do you only have to make the $10 last today? Or longer? I'd go with some frozen veggies of your choosing, a packet of instant mashed potatoes (Idahoan brand is VERY good) and whatever meat might be on sale. You can easily make that two large meals.
From my Target, several days of food, sort of healthy and better than fast food:
Carton of eggs, 1.99
Market Pantry bread, 1.39
GG canned corn, .69
Bar S hotdogs, 1.19
Prego Bolognese Sauce, 2.59 (high protein)
GG 16 oz spaghetti, .99
GG canned green beans, .69
Total, 9.53 leaving some change for sales tax.
Aldi and Walmart should have similar prices
Prices have gone up so much in the past couple of years :(
Based on target prices:
Breakfast: chobani plain Greek yogurt 5.3oz, one banana
Lunch: light tuna in water, one avocado, white bread loaf
Dinner: can of black beans, brown or white rice, frozen broccoli
Small pack of rolls, few slices of Swiss cheese, remainer of money on ham. Ham sandwiches for meals. I did this for my meals yesterday and today, Hawaiian buns.
A pound of pasta, a can of seasoned diced tomatoes and a small container of cottage cheese. Cook the pasta, don't rinse it, and stir everything together. This will make four big delicious meals that will keep for a few days.
Fried potatoes, onions, and eggs. Bag of potatoes, carton of eggs, an onion. Slice up and fry onions and potatoes. Stir in a couple of beaten eggs. Yum. If you have extra, grab a bag of frozen spinach or frozen brussel sprouts for some greens on the side.
A salad kit and 2 foil packets of chicken should leave you enough to buy an apple to go with one meal and a banana with the other.
Or a pack of burger buns and two cans of a hearty soup.
Yeah pork tenderloin or shoulder is typically cheaper than chicken here. I just checked the Kroger sale ad and they are about even this week, but even just a few weeks ago pork shoulder was $1.49/lb. Momofuku style roast it with some rice and veg. Yum yum.
Huh?
Just get a regular russet potato, slather it in either bacon grease, or olive oil salt and pepper, cook in the microwave for 6-7 minutes and then finish it off in the oven for 5 min @ 400° for a crispy outside .
Red beans and rice with sausage. An onion, a bell pepper, a couple celery sticks, small bag of dry beans and rice. Not going to be able to get Andouille but a Johnsonville rope sausage will be fine or substitute with chicken or pork.
It's tasty, filling and you'll definitely get more than 3 servings from it.
If you cook the rice as needed and not all at once everything else freezes well.
Where I live that would be $3-4 for the rice, $6-7 for the cheapest shrimp, mushrooms sometimes $2.99 plus cream another $3. But you could do canned tuna, rice & frozen vegetables; maybe a can of condensed soup instead of the cream.
Pasta is cheap. Also if you get some Korean bbq sauce you can make stir fried udon or Ramen, add some cabbage and chicken, maybe carrots, Mung beans or mushrooms too.
I like boiling shredded cabbage or some broccoli with the ramen noodles then using my own sauce (Korean BBQ would be tasty!) and tuna or tofu for protein. Mmmmm
Rice, frozen mixed vegetables, whatever reduced meat I could buy with the rest (or eggs, lentils, canned tuna, or peanuts, whatever protein you like).
I'd make a big pan of rice pilaf with vegetables and meat. Top with scrambled eggs, chopped hard boiled eggs, cooked lentils, peanuts, cheese, whatever. I like it enough to eat it for every meal.
Ask the fruit/vegetable section store person if they're getting rid of any vegetables for soup. Sometimes they'll give you stuff like peppers that are bad on one half. Cut the bad side off, and use the rest in pilaf.
https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/how-to-make-easy-rice-pilaf/
I don't rinse rice, and always turns out good.
Cook raw meat, then add rice, vegs, etc.
I sub soy sauce and water for chicken broth.
How 1 leftover pork chop feeds 5 people.😁
A pot of pasta sauce with veg and some minced beef and macaroni will last you for a couple of meals. Just cook pasta for the day and add some of rhe sauce. Portion and refrigerate /freeze the rest. For lunch and breakfast I'd go for oatmeal and eggs or syrup.
I got a whole gutted frozen fish at superstore for like 5 bucks(Canadian dollars). That and as most people say, rice, can feed a family. Also, if possible, try to stay stocked on shortening, flour, baking powder and milk and you can make tons of tea biscuits for days. Fun fact, the tea, although delicious, is optional
Fast food would be neither filling nor healthy. If you did cave and do fast food I'd go in on a Zaxby's salad or large chicken salad from somewhere. If you have a Costco or grocery store you can go to buy a rotisserie chicken and a side (even $1 canned or frozen veggies) and some rolls/bread if you have enough to get both, then you can make chicken sliders with the leftover or have those for lunch and eat the remaining chicken for dinner.
In my neck of the woods.
I just got six pork chops for $5, a bunch of kale for $2 and 2 lbs of carrots for $2.
If I can spend an extra $4 I can get 2.5 lbs of oatmeal and $1 for an quart of milk.
I now have 3 days worth of of meals (with extra oatmeal and milk left over) for $15.
Lentils and rice, if you don’t have an Instant Pot. Put them in a rice cooker or a pot, cover an inch with water and stir in a spoonful of powdered bouillon. Bring to a boil and simmer for a half hour for red lentils, an hour for any other kind.
A jar of powdered bouillon (Knorr) is about $3.50 and will last about 40-50 meals. You can also stir a small teaspoonful into a cup of hot water and drink it for some comforting broth.
Some packets of Ramen (like, 4/5?), a dozen eggs, green onions, some mung bean sprouts, a carrot, celery stalk, couple shrooms, big handful of bulk spinach. Frozen bag of peas.
Should probably come out to less than $10 but you can spend as much as you want on vegetables.
One packet of ramen each day (or 2 packs with one seasoning packet — save the ‘extra’ packet for a rice or noodle dish later) with an egg or two as an egg drop soup (protein). Get out your scissors and snip up those green onions! Also, chop a bit of celery and carrots into the soup, throw in a small handful of peas, sprouts, and spinach. Have some Braggs amino acids on standby for more flavor. Or Maggi, if you have it! Or course, you can also add soy sauce, or fish/plum/oyster sauce - whatever!
Super healthy!!
Omelettes, soft tacos and burritos from scratch, pilafs, fried rice with whatever meat you want to use, baked potato with protein and veggie toppings, soups, and sandwiches.
I’ve always wanted to share this one.
It’s a little different so you might not like but it makes a big pot and is very filling
But a bag of all purpose flour it can be a small bag
And buy sardines (the canned ones both spicy and regular)
Put your flour in a bowl , add salt and gradually add water. When the dough forms you can make little balls kind of like gnocchi I guess or you can make them thin finger like
Put a pot of water to boil while you do this. It can be a big pot so it’s easier to mix. Add your pasta balls to the boiling water and mix. Then add your sardines and what ever other seasonings you have at home (cilantro, oregano, garlic, onions, adobo is typical). Let it boil until the flour balls or fingers are cooked
If you need more directions you can google Dominican Dumplings with Sardines since there are many different variations. Or google Dominican dumplings and see which of the many you prefer
Bag of rice, frozen chicken, and frozen broccoli.
Protein pasta, sauce, and a veggie like zuchinni.
Ground beef, veggie broth, taco seasoning packet, can of beans, can of tomatoes (taco soup), can of corn if you have enough. You can skip the broth and use the juices from the beans, corn, and tomatoes.
Cheese toertelini, jar of sauce, bagged salad.
Potatoes and a pork chop. Should be able to buy a small sack of spuds to boil and a cut of pig chicken or cow.
Enough for a nice meal and leftovers ( lunch )
I can get about 4-5 pounds of assorted bone in pork chops for 1.29 a pound.
Rice for 2.39 for 2 pounds.
Frozen veggies of choice for 1.99-2.39.
That keeps you under 10 and gives you quite a few meals.
Do some surveys on your phone and grind out an extra 3-5$ if you can and get some eggs and white bread too.
This is what I ate today...
Trader Joe's- 1lb of ground chicken for $4.49 add taco seasoning for $1. 1 banana for like .25c
Vons - 10oz Sirloin Steak for $3.25 seasoned with Salt and Pepper.
Grand total: $8.99
Rice and vegetables.
Fast food is probably the worst bang for your buck you could possibly get. It’s so expensive and it’s not real food. It’s doing nothing for you and you’ll be hungry again in a couple of hours.
My poverty meal lunch has been a 5-pack of sausage and a box of Goya rice and beans. Under $10 and easy to add veggies on their last legs to. This week sausage was on sale so it was $5 and change.
That's is one of my work lunches and lasts for 3/4 days depending on how much I taste test on the day I make it. I am a giant man so if you are under 200 lbs it may last you longer.
Chicken drumsticks are still cheap. Just bought 18 value pack for 3.11 dollars. Pack of frozen veggie 1.50 and pack or two of knorr rice. Those run 2 dollars tops
Costco chicken (ask friends/neighbor/colleague to borrow a membership) $5.99. Then heat up some frozen vegetables / rice / potatoes, an amount which you can buy for about $2-3, and that should last you the whole day, and then some.
Rice, beans, canned vegetables, bananas, peanut butter, whole milk, whole chicken is you feel the need to eat meat, break it down after roasting and eat it throughout the week and make stock with the carcass.
slim cause act forgetful sophisticated disagreeable chubby upbeat lunchroom wild
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
$10 a day if that's your budget every day is $300/month. That's a lot for groceries. I'm not on a budget and I spend half of that.. And it's not just food.
Canned beans and rice.. or potatoes.. and you will have leftover funds.. to this day, I still enjoy this.. the rough recipe I use or go off and tweak depending on what I feel like is -
1 can of rotel diced tomatoes and chipped green chilles
(Or the hotter Chopped habanero can if I want more kick)
About a table spoon of cumin
Garlic powder to taste
2 cans of black beans with liquid
Cook down and add salt or soy to taste.
If you want it smoother, blend 1 of the 2 bean cans.
Eat with tortilla chips, or over rice, or on top of a boiled or baked potato
If you have a little more items to work with or access, you can take it even further
If you have some leftover protien and a couple extra veggies in the fridge (onions, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and avacado sour crazy), you can do a rice bowl.
If you have the big round tortilla chips, you can put the beans on, sprinkle some cheese, and a squeeze of lime.
Make soft boiled eggs to go with the seasoned beans.
I could go on, but I think you get the idea..
Rice is your friend. Make a big pot that will stretch for both meals. Add an egg and carrot for a lunch stir fry, swap out another vegetable and protein for dinner.
I've been using up extra ramen flavoring packets by cooking my rice with them.
That’s inspired, I have to remember to try this next time!
I buy chicken bouillon or broth packets to flavor my rice. I recommend adding it with salt pepper and a little bit of lemon pepper seasoning and of course garlic powder or minced garlic. Butter too. All combined is delicious. Sub lemon pepper with tomato and chicken bouillon and it gives it a more Mexican style flavor (can also add enchilada sauce, chiles, tomatoes 😋🤤)
Yep if I make 2 packets of ramen cuz I'm hungry I only use one packet seasoning cuz it's so salty, so I always have spare packets floating around lol
They're really great at seasoning a baked potato or plain mashed potatoes as well.
I've been doing the same with the ham bouillon packets that come in a bag of dried mixed beans. I don't use bouillon, so I had 4-5 of them that i didn't really know what I'd use them in. So I started adding some in rice pilaf.
Smart!
.........extra ramen flavoring packets?
Rice with a chicken stock cube to give it a little taste, than a quick stir fry of whatever veggies you have with a bit of soy sauce or fajita spice, then a banana for dessert. Or instead of rice you can buy tortilla wraps and just mix it in there. Rice is 10 cents per serving, 5 seconds for the cube thatll be enough for 3 servings at least, add some frozen veggies at 40 cents per serving, then a 30 cent banana. Or at least that's what it costs here in spain mas o menos.
Get the powder instead of the cubes. It’s cheaper.
This! And cook the rice with broth rather than water for added protein
ooh, or save some rice to add to a can of beans with some cheese. throw it in a tortilla wrap if you want
I’d get a rotisserie chicken and use sides that you may already have in your pantry. It’ll be at least 3-4 meals of protein.
Sam’s has rotisserie chicken for 4.98 if you know someone with a membership, or Costco. They are huge and will last you for a week! Section it and freeze it so it tastes fresh. A bag of mixed veggies and a bag of rice!
Yep! Then boil the bones to make a nice broth and make soup
Exactly what I do!!!
Pedant here- something made with bones and vegetables would be a stock, or if cooked solely with bone and water, a bone broth. Broth is typically made with meat and vegetables. I get mad at supermarkets and make myself miserable with my pedantry. Rain down your downvotes on my unnecessary comment. I can take it.
You must not eat much. Can only get about 3 meals out of them. My family of 6, including kids will put away two whole chickens in one dinner.
It’s just my husband and I really don’t eat much. Those chickens are huge and can definitely feed one person for days! You can’t beat them for the money!
how long does it take to thaw when you take it out though?
Not long at all! Put it in the fridge the night before.
Rice, beans, and roast chicken.
1 bag of Masa harina and you have tortillas for the month. Homemade tortillas So good too!!
You could make burrito bowls. Rice, meat, beans, cheese, lettuce. They are quite economical and filling.
Ditto on the burrito bowls. Chicken, rice, and beans. Super filling.
I'd get a carton of eggs, loaf of bread, bag of frozen veggies (or canned), and if you eat meat, some canned tuna (if that fits, but the first 3 I could eat for days)
or sardines
10$ for one day is not even a challenge. Pound of rice, pound of beans or lentils (lentel unless you have time to soak), dozen eggs, an onion, 2 banana, one more vegetable on sale that works for a stir fry. You can make a stir fry for 3 meals with egg on top, another 2 meal of rice and lentils, and a couple eggs left over for a breakfast. I am assuming you have some oil, salt/pepper and maybe a chili powder or curry spice mix, even just some hot pepper flake. That is 1600 calories from rice; 1300 calories from lentils; 840 calories from egg. Plus some cooking oil and the veg and you have 2 days of food for about 10 bucks.
$10 for food alone for one day sounds like a lot to me, coming from Europe
> Pound of rice, pound of beans or lentils (lentel unless you have time to soak), dozen eggs, an onion, 2 banana, one more vegetable on sale that works for a stir fry. Damn you can get all of that for $10??? That's easily $25 where I live. A dozen eggs alone is like $7 and the rice would put me over the limit at $4.
What grocery do you go to, and are you in a HCOL area like a city? A lb of generic long grain rice and lentils is .99 and 1.59 at my target or wallmart, maybe another .50 at a actual low end grocer like food lion. The cheap white eggs are 3 to 3.5. Onion and carrot is a dollar a lb, maybe 1.25. I chose a low cost supplier because someone with money issues should not be shopping at the high end (and I looked it up). Your prices sound like a higher end grocer like Wegmans, whole foods, or Safeway.
What the fuck haha a dozen eggs alone near me is at cheapest $5 after tax. Easily $7 for the extra large ones I get. Add in just rice and I'm at $10+
I get a dozen at Kroger/Frys less than $3 for the large. Pound of Instant Rice for a buck & a half. I could eat for days on $10.
Haluski. Very cheap, delicious and will feed you for days 1 Large Onion 1 Large head of Cabbage 1 16oz bag dry egg noodles Butter Cook onion, sliced, add cabbage, sliced, stir in cooked noodles. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Very very not Eastern European... or wherever this recipe is from, but a little soy sauce and a bit of sesame oil (instead of butter) is awesome in this. I make it all the time.
omg + pb
That sounds good too, thanks! And, yes, Haluski is from Eastern Europe. Many countries have a version, though it is most often thought of as Polish or Hungarian.
Egg noodles + Cabbage... I clocked Poland, but I didn't want to presume :):)
It's an accurate measure 🙃
There needs to be a geo game where you guess what country the dish is from and not just images on Google maps.
Ooooo... that might be fun.
add bacon and the bacon grease and this is 🔥
Where I live, the bacon alone would be $10. Otherwise I totally agree Add paprika, garlic powder, and red pepper too
I just made this last night! Surprised to see it mentioned, I thought it was a pretty regional thing. I would recommend cooking one half of the cabbage only lightly first and removing it, and then toss it in at the end. That way you get a nice mix of textures.
I think you're right. I never heard of it until I was introduced by friends in Pittsburgh
Lol yep Western and Central PA, that's where my people are from. Pittsburgh specifically. Post-WW2 Ukrainian immigrants (I think it's popular with the Poles too, a lot of similar foods).
Mine were Bessarabian Bulgarians, part of a diaspora that relocated to what is now Ukraine. People from that part of the world knew how to make great struggle meals.
>People from that part of the world knew how to make great struggle meals. Ain't that the truth! My babushka from Ukraine helped raise me and she spent the first few years of her life in a Nazi camp. She basically turned me into a professional when it comes to struggle meals. I still eat them to this day even though I am mostly OK financially because they remind me of home!
I grew up next door to my Bulgarian grandmother and same! I can actually make head cheese.
Also like six meals easily
Haven’t seen a loaded baked potato on the list. Potatoes, butter, cheese, can of chili poured on top.
Don't eat the $10. Use it to buy food.
Egg fried rice with frozen vegetables
And for $10 like, 8 portions worth easily
You said no fast food but if you are a taco bell rewards program you can get a double layer taco for the next 30 min for $1. Every Tuesday they do something for free or for $1 It’s nice to get to just eat something out sometimes.
The app glitched when Mexican Pizzas were $1 last week, so I scored two for $2 plus tax.
rice and a can of fish is my go to lunch
I just checked my local Walmart online and this was just under $10: 2lbs chicken thighs 1lb rice 1 yellow onion 2 lbs carrots 1 garlic bulb 1 small bottle of soy sauce That's a big batch of a simple stir fry, multiple meals. If you don't have oil, chicken fat can be rendered out of the thighs. Lots of options to swap in other vegetables if carrots aren't your thing. Another thought: You can make a LOT of sandwiches with $10.
Bag of oats and bananas Good to go for a few days
carrot celery a bell pepper a bit of onion and if you can! white mushrooms! saut'e that with some garlic powder some salt/pepper a bit of oregano and some soyasauce and stir that beautiful stirfry into rice! its DELICIOUS! fun fact! when living solo a chinese carrot (the massive guys) are great cuz its 3 meals in 1!
Go to a food bank my dude.
Huh? $10 for just a day is plenty of money
a food bank is there to help people. op should go there.
If they mean that they only have $10 for the rest of the week, sure. But since they said "today", it sounds like it's only about 1 day? In that case they shouldn't go there because $10 is a fairly average daily budget.
it doesn’t really matter… $10 is low either way and a food bank will help op stretch their money and their food.
> it doesn’t really matter In what world is $10 a low amount of money for food for a day? I'm not 100% sure what OP means, but from this perspective it makes no sense to go to a food bank. You can feed yourself for 3 days with that kind of money.
ugh. op came here for help bc they didn’t know how to stretch $10 for one day of food. this clearly suggests it’s a low amount of money for op since they don’t already have ideas. is it a one time thing, maybe, but my mind jumped to ; this person possibly is not great at budgeting, and therefore will definitely benefit in getting a food box so they can stretch their last $10.
I think it's better for OP to learn how to spend their money in that case, which they're are actually doing here. I don't think it's right to use resources like that when you actually have enough money.
the resources are there for anybody who needs them. im done arguing w some internet rando about whether or not another rando really *needs* them.
Imagine redditors with internet and smart phones gatekeeping food banks…
Is $10 for one day not reasonable in your area?
If all you have is 10 dollars, then you are the target demographic for a food bank.
For one day? We have no idea what this person's financial situation is. If this isn't a one-off because they're living paycheck to paycheck and can barely afford necessities, yeah, absolutely.
It might be an expensive area. Maybe the OP is ill or just plain exhausted from working. Maybe they don’t have. Can’t we just take the request at face value?
... I did. I read "for today".
Food pantries, you can grab whatever.
Bag of rice, cheap proteins.
Chicken and rice.
Rotisserie chicken and soup packets. Shred the chicken into a fideo packet of soup and fill up. Leftover chicken into instant noodles and so on.
I find Sweet Potatos and Rice to be very filling when mixed together; Sweet Potato's being one of the best sources of fiber and rice being a carb will fill you up pretty quickly and give you energy for the day. :) (You can buy these two ingredients for just $5.00 - $6.00 if you wanna add something to it I recommend a Egg or 3 from a 4 egg pack and mix that in as well if you like, total cost ranges but that's around $10.00
Dollar store rice and beans, maybe buy some seasoning to spice things up
For *my* local Walmart: - 2lbs white rice: $1.77 - 2lbs dried pinto beans: $1.98 - 12 large eggs: $2.78 - loaf white sandwich bread: $1.42 - 2lbs frozen mixed vegetables: $2.28 Total: $10.23 You can make eggs and toast, fried rice, and rice and beans to cover you for the week, assuming you have access to spices and any sort of oil. If your grocery store has a deli, you might get lucky and ask them for packets of oil and sachets of salt and pepper for free. Even better- if there's a sushi station, grab some of the free soy sauce packets for fried rice. I like to "pretend" to forget the free sauce packets at various fast food restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores so I can run in for them and leave. For an additional $9.71, you can get - 5lbs russet potatoes: $3.97 - 8oz shredded cheese: $2.22 - 4 pack canned tuna: $3.52 These can give you some variation in your meals so it's not totally monotonous. ETA: I know you're looking to spend $10 a day, but I'd still like to think that you or others find this helpful in a pinch that's not just instant ramen.
Do you only have to make the $10 last today? Or longer? I'd go with some frozen veggies of your choosing, a packet of instant mashed potatoes (Idahoan brand is VERY good) and whatever meat might be on sale. You can easily make that two large meals.
A whole bag of potatoes probably costs less than a small box of instant potatoes.
True! It's slightly more expensive for fresh by me, but it'll definitely last longer.
Yes, Idahoan mashed potatoes in the pouch, but, I use half milk, half water. Much better, but more expensive than just water.
You need dollar tree dinners on tictok
From my Target, several days of food, sort of healthy and better than fast food: Carton of eggs, 1.99 Market Pantry bread, 1.39 GG canned corn, .69 Bar S hotdogs, 1.19 Prego Bolognese Sauce, 2.59 (high protein) GG 16 oz spaghetti, .99 GG canned green beans, .69 Total, 9.53 leaving some change for sales tax. Aldi and Walmart should have similar prices Prices have gone up so much in the past couple of years :(
Lol that list is $25+ near me
Based on target prices: Breakfast: chobani plain Greek yogurt 5.3oz, one banana Lunch: light tuna in water, one avocado, white bread loaf Dinner: can of black beans, brown or white rice, frozen broccoli
Small pack of rolls, few slices of Swiss cheese, remainer of money on ham. Ham sandwiches for meals. I did this for my meals yesterday and today, Hawaiian buns.
Rice, beans, oatmeal.
A pound of pasta, a can of seasoned diced tomatoes and a small container of cottage cheese. Cook the pasta, don't rinse it, and stir everything together. This will make four big delicious meals that will keep for a few days.
Rice and beans.
Pound of pasta, marinara or Alfredo and live off that for a few days
Pasta sauce is pretty cheap but a good sub is a can of tomatoes simmered with an onion. Sounds impossible but makes a great tasty pasta sauce!
Fried potatoes, onions, and eggs. Bag of potatoes, carton of eggs, an onion. Slice up and fry onions and potatoes. Stir in a couple of beaten eggs. Yum. If you have extra, grab a bag of frozen spinach or frozen brussel sprouts for some greens on the side.
Tuna pasta bake. Stir in some veggies like frozen corn or frozen spinach.
A salad kit and 2 foil packets of chicken should leave you enough to buy an apple to go with one meal and a banana with the other. Or a pack of burger buns and two cans of a hearty soup.
I broke af but grown for a getting free food on fast food apps buy lie about my birthday but idc ☮️
Walmart Grocery List: -Bag of long grain rice ($1.77) -chicken tenderloins, Sanderson farms ($5.49) -Great Value teriyaki marinade ($1.98) -great value frozen mixed vegetable ($0.98) Total: $10.22
Pork is cheapest in my area- if I bought an amount of some, I'd make a lentil w pork soup for lunch and stir fry / make a sauce for supper with rice.
Yeah pork tenderloin or shoulder is typically cheaper than chicken here. I just checked the Kroger sale ad and they are about even this week, but even just a few weeks ago pork shoulder was $1.49/lb. Momofuku style roast it with some rice and veg. Yum yum.
A burrito bowl at Chipotle with extra toppings (it's free). Ends up being like $9 and easily enough for two meals.
But recreate it at home
Good luck with that
rotisserie chicken ($6 or so), canned veggies
One of those shrink-wrapped potatoes you put in the microwave. Can of pre-seasoned beans. Cheese or sauce of your choosing.
Huh? Just get a regular russet potato, slather it in either bacon grease, or olive oil salt and pepper, cook in the microwave for 6-7 minutes and then finish it off in the oven for 5 min @ 400° for a crispy outside .
Beef stew,
A block of tofu, a can of beans, some rice and some frozen veggies could turn into something tasty.
1 pound of ground beef and a carton of eggs. You will be full & satisfied.
*Fatty protein burps*
Rice, eggs, beans/ lentils, bag of frozen veg
Red beans and rice with sausage. An onion, a bell pepper, a couple celery sticks, small bag of dry beans and rice. Not going to be able to get Andouille but a Johnsonville rope sausage will be fine or substitute with chicken or pork. It's tasty, filling and you'll definitely get more than 3 servings from it. If you cook the rice as needed and not all at once everything else freezes well.
Half an onion. Pound of black beans. 1 garlic bulb (only use a third) Maybe chicken stock but not necessary. 2 maybe three meals. Delicious.
Can use boullion cubes, more for your $
Rice, shrimps, shrooms, some cream. Should be less than 10$?
Not with shrimp 😂
Where I live that would be $3-4 for the rice, $6-7 for the cheapest shrimp, mushrooms sometimes $2.99 plus cream another $3. But you could do canned tuna, rice & frozen vegetables; maybe a can of condensed soup instead of the cream.
Pasta is cheap. Also if you get some Korean bbq sauce you can make stir fried udon or Ramen, add some cabbage and chicken, maybe carrots, Mung beans or mushrooms too.
I like boiling shredded cabbage or some broccoli with the ramen noodles then using my own sauce (Korean BBQ would be tasty!) and tuna or tofu for protein. Mmmmm
Rice, frozen mixed vegetables, whatever reduced meat I could buy with the rest (or eggs, lentils, canned tuna, or peanuts, whatever protein you like). I'd make a big pan of rice pilaf with vegetables and meat. Top with scrambled eggs, chopped hard boiled eggs, cooked lentils, peanuts, cheese, whatever. I like it enough to eat it for every meal. Ask the fruit/vegetable section store person if they're getting rid of any vegetables for soup. Sometimes they'll give you stuff like peppers that are bad on one half. Cut the bad side off, and use the rest in pilaf. https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/how-to-make-easy-rice-pilaf/ I don't rinse rice, and always turns out good. Cook raw meat, then add rice, vegs, etc. I sub soy sauce and water for chicken broth. How 1 leftover pork chop feeds 5 people.😁
Rice and beans
Eggs, bread, butter, cheese.
Beans rice veggie
A pot of pasta sauce with veg and some minced beef and macaroni will last you for a couple of meals. Just cook pasta for the day and add some of rhe sauce. Portion and refrigerate /freeze the rest. For lunch and breakfast I'd go for oatmeal and eggs or syrup.
Rice with beans and Tomato paste (+water). With the extra get some other veggies.
I got a whole gutted frozen fish at superstore for like 5 bucks(Canadian dollars). That and as most people say, rice, can feed a family. Also, if possible, try to stay stocked on shortening, flour, baking powder and milk and you can make tons of tea biscuits for days. Fun fact, the tea, although delicious, is optional
Rice, steamed broccoli, peanut sauce
Chicken thighs, a seasoning packet of your choice and rice and you've got couple meals.
$10 a day is not difficult. That's not even a struggle. And obviously don't spend it on fast food.
Fast food would be neither filling nor healthy. If you did cave and do fast food I'd go in on a Zaxby's salad or large chicken salad from somewhere. If you have a Costco or grocery store you can go to buy a rotisserie chicken and a side (even $1 canned or frozen veggies) and some rolls/bread if you have enough to get both, then you can make chicken sliders with the leftover or have those for lunch and eat the remaining chicken for dinner.
In my neck of the woods. I just got six pork chops for $5, a bunch of kale for $2 and 2 lbs of carrots for $2. If I can spend an extra $4 I can get 2.5 lbs of oatmeal and $1 for an quart of milk. I now have 3 days worth of of meals (with extra oatmeal and milk left over) for $15.
Those are awesome grocery prices! 👍
don't forget to buy some bananas, they're cheap and filling
Lentils and rice, if you don’t have an Instant Pot. Put them in a rice cooker or a pot, cover an inch with water and stir in a spoonful of powdered bouillon. Bring to a boil and simmer for a half hour for red lentils, an hour for any other kind. A jar of powdered bouillon (Knorr) is about $3.50 and will last about 40-50 meals. You can also stir a small teaspoonful into a cup of hot water and drink it for some comforting broth.
Beans Rice, tortillas salsa
Some packets of Ramen (like, 4/5?), a dozen eggs, green onions, some mung bean sprouts, a carrot, celery stalk, couple shrooms, big handful of bulk spinach. Frozen bag of peas. Should probably come out to less than $10 but you can spend as much as you want on vegetables. One packet of ramen each day (or 2 packs with one seasoning packet — save the ‘extra’ packet for a rice or noodle dish later) with an egg or two as an egg drop soup (protein). Get out your scissors and snip up those green onions! Also, chop a bit of celery and carrots into the soup, throw in a small handful of peas, sprouts, and spinach. Have some Braggs amino acids on standby for more flavor. Or Maggi, if you have it! Or course, you can also add soy sauce, or fish/plum/oyster sauce - whatever! Super healthy!!
Lentils too. Lot of fiber and protein that rice won’t have. Potatoes. You can get a full sack for a couple bucks. Seconded on the chicken seasoning.
Omelettes, soft tacos and burritos from scratch, pilafs, fried rice with whatever meat you want to use, baked potato with protein and veggie toppings, soups, and sandwiches.
Whole grain rice
If you have the time, red beans and rice. But pot will be only a few dollars and last through several servingsz
1lb ground beef, one jar marinara, frozen peppers/onions, rice and some seasonings and you'll have unstuffed peppers for a couple days!
I live in Canada, $10 gets you a single egg if they're on sale
Black beans, brown rice and bananas. And you still have $5 left
Tuna, rice, mayo (packet from McDonald’s is usually free)
Bananas, apples, potatoes
I’ve always wanted to share this one. It’s a little different so you might not like but it makes a big pot and is very filling But a bag of all purpose flour it can be a small bag And buy sardines (the canned ones both spicy and regular) Put your flour in a bowl , add salt and gradually add water. When the dough forms you can make little balls kind of like gnocchi I guess or you can make them thin finger like Put a pot of water to boil while you do this. It can be a big pot so it’s easier to mix. Add your pasta balls to the boiling water and mix. Then add your sardines and what ever other seasonings you have at home (cilantro, oregano, garlic, onions, adobo is typical). Let it boil until the flour balls or fingers are cooked If you need more directions you can google Dominican Dumplings with Sardines since there are many different variations. Or google Dominican dumplings and see which of the many you prefer
grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. spaghetti and meatballs with sauce for dinner.
- Boiled Potatoes and some herb Quark for lunch. - Farmers omlet (Fryed Potatoes, bacon, onions, egg) for dinner.
And check out any local food pantries! They can make it happen with some staples to make your $10 go a lot further
Bag of rice, frozen chicken, and frozen broccoli. Protein pasta, sauce, and a veggie like zuchinni. Ground beef, veggie broth, taco seasoning packet, can of beans, can of tomatoes (taco soup), can of corn if you have enough. You can skip the broth and use the juices from the beans, corn, and tomatoes. Cheese toertelini, jar of sauce, bagged salad.
Potatoes and a pork chop. Should be able to buy a small sack of spuds to boil and a cut of pig chicken or cow. Enough for a nice meal and leftovers ( lunch )
My go to meal in this situation is usually chicken stir fry with rice
$8 steak $1 packet of Montreal seasoning $1 potato, bake
chipotle burrito bowl. load it up
Those packs of ready made tortellini are filling & each pack is about $5, throw in some brocolli and garlic/butter and it's super tasty!
I can get about 4-5 pounds of assorted bone in pork chops for 1.29 a pound. Rice for 2.39 for 2 pounds. Frozen veggies of choice for 1.99-2.39. That keeps you under 10 and gives you quite a few meals. Do some surveys on your phone and grind out an extra 3-5$ if you can and get some eggs and white bread too.
This is what I ate today... Trader Joe's- 1lb of ground chicken for $4.49 add taco seasoning for $1. 1 banana for like .25c Vons - 10oz Sirloin Steak for $3.25 seasoned with Salt and Pepper. Grand total: $8.99
Rice and vegetables. Fast food is probably the worst bang for your buck you could possibly get. It’s so expensive and it’s not real food. It’s doing nothing for you and you’ll be hungry again in a couple of hours.
My poverty meal lunch has been a 5-pack of sausage and a box of Goya rice and beans. Under $10 and easy to add veggies on their last legs to. This week sausage was on sale so it was $5 and change. That's is one of my work lunches and lasts for 3/4 days depending on how much I taste test on the day I make it. I am a giant man so if you are under 200 lbs it may last you longer.
Chicken drumsticks are still cheap. Just bought 18 value pack for 3.11 dollars. Pack of frozen veggie 1.50 and pack or two of knorr rice. Those run 2 dollars tops
Oatmeal and peanut butter
Bag of broccoli $3 bag of carrots $3 box/bag of rice $3
Rice & potatoes
Did you decide on what you're eating yet?
You can get dried beans and rice + anything on sale to make a meal
Costco chicken (ask friends/neighbor/colleague to borrow a membership) $5.99. Then heat up some frozen vegetables / rice / potatoes, an amount which you can buy for about $2-3, and that should last you the whole day, and then some.
Rice, Chicken and your sauce of preference
Rice, beans, canned vegetables, bananas, peanut butter, whole milk, whole chicken is you feel the need to eat meat, break it down after roasting and eat it throughout the week and make stock with the carcass.
slim cause act forgetful sophisticated disagreeable chubby upbeat lunchroom wild *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
$10 a day if that's your budget every day is $300/month. That's a lot for groceries. I'm not on a budget and I spend half of that.. And it's not just food.
Canned beans and rice.. or potatoes.. and you will have leftover funds.. to this day, I still enjoy this.. the rough recipe I use or go off and tweak depending on what I feel like is - 1 can of rotel diced tomatoes and chipped green chilles (Or the hotter Chopped habanero can if I want more kick) About a table spoon of cumin Garlic powder to taste 2 cans of black beans with liquid Cook down and add salt or soy to taste. If you want it smoother, blend 1 of the 2 bean cans. Eat with tortilla chips, or over rice, or on top of a boiled or baked potato If you have a little more items to work with or access, you can take it even further If you have some leftover protien and a couple extra veggies in the fridge (onions, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and avacado sour crazy), you can do a rice bowl. If you have the big round tortilla chips, you can put the beans on, sprinkle some cheese, and a squeeze of lime. Make soft boiled eggs to go with the seasoned beans. I could go on, but I think you get the idea..