Poor People Food
**draft**
I had one of those curious moments and looked up “poor people food” in the various search engines and I got nothing good. I expected to see a list and then links to recipes. I guess there’s no such thing as “poor people food” just as there’s no such thing as an “oatmeal diet” so lets make it up (the reason for doing this list is to come up with the foods/recipes and such so we can eat a little better/tastier and a little more cheaply — we’ve been getting a little too crazy with our food budget).
There is a bad connotation around “poor people food” but I also think that some of the best and most creative food around is based off of the need to eat cheaply — gumbo, collard greens, and red beans are rice are perfect examples. If all goes well I’ll turn this into a book.
breakfast
- oatmeal
- grits, polenta
- chilaquiles
lunch/dinner
- gumbo
- red beans and rice
- ramen noodles
- macaroni and cheese
- mashed potatoes
- quesadillas
- hummus w/ pita bread
- fried rice (rice w/ some meat or vegetable)
- casseroles (?)
- cheap meats and fish: skirt steak, snapper, mussels (in season), catfish
If you got other suggestions, comment or send me mail :)
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Update 11/1
There’s a Thrifty Food Plan issued by the USDA. On the low-end, a single adult male can eat on $4.84 a day, females $4.37. On the high end, $9.42/$8.50 a day. They also have a recipe book. I don’t think their plans are really good though. The way we all cook and eat is make a big meal and then have left overs for the next day or two, in other words the same meal more than once either once for dinner and again for lunch, or two or three dinners of the same thing.
I just put the very same query on google and at first came up with nothing. Then I found you. My husband and I are quite desperate - I haven’t been able to work for the last few years so we are totally broke, however, even if this weren’t the case we just absolutely refuse to pay $9.99/lb (in Floriday, near space center)for a ribeye steak. Four or five years ago we used to have ribeyes on the grill at least once a month and in those days we were able to get it on sale regularly at around $4.99/lb. We eat the same boring crap day in and day out it seems nowadays, and none of the stuff we seem to be able to afford is healthy for one either!! Anyone with any suggestions, please help!!
Comment by Bev — September 10, 2006 @ 10:22 am
no money for food for the humans and really no foord for the pets. HELP
Comment by LKO — October 12, 2006 @ 8:47 am
Hi, my name is Denise. I too looked up “poor people food” and came up with nothing. But somehow I did find this site! Anyway, I’m a 47 year old nursing assistant, with three teenaged sons. It used to be very hard because I did not know what to do to feed them as they were hungry all the time and food is SOO expensive. We truly lived check to check. but finally I devised menus that are quite similar to the ones above! Thank God the kids love carbohydrates! My repertoire includes mac& cheese, ramen, spaghetti with red sauce, linguine with white sauce, always bread and margarine with the meals, sometimes always cheap french fries or rice with these as well, canned peas, corn or beans with them too, and grilled cheesies, pot pies, and taquitos. Also generic brand pizzas (they’re like a dollar a pizza.) My boys hate casseroles and they don’t care for steak (would you belive) but they love the above mentioned stuff. thank God! Take care!!
Comment by Denise — October 27, 2006 @ 5:21 am
Wow!!! I too Googled “poor People Food” As my family is desparate because of a risky career move that has turned sour.
Needless to say we too are in the negative, the old saying something about “stealing from peter to pay paul” certainly applies here. Even though I am looking for some “new” ideas, I am finding as much as I need help, I can also help others with what I have been doing thus far.
I buy cheap meat, and slow cook it. For instance, A bag of Chicken breast approx $7.00 with some carrotts, celery, minced onion and chicken flavor soup base and pasta, home made corn bread, feeds my family for upwards of three days, with 2 big bowls of soup at diner. Peanut butter and jelly can go along way for lunch, and water, with the occassional ice-tea.
Slow cooking cabbage and kielbasa,with chicken flavored soup base, cornbread, or any homemade bread or bisquits. Again, 2-3 meals. Slow cook Corn chowder frozen corn, with chicken or kielbasa.
Slow cook pork chops(redused for quick sale) with cream of mushroom soup and side dishes of instant mashed potatoes, and any frozen veggy.( frozen foods are better for you and more for the money) I get 2 meals out it for a family of 3.
We buy all basic, flour, sugar, eggs, and make it a family nite by baking together all our treats and breads. Our family can’t be sure that this will work out for us without lossing all, but in the process, our famly stands together in this hard of times. Bless all of you that are going through desparate times and remember that the material things in life are nice to have, but life is nothing without your loved ones, and the memories you make.
Comment by Kim-Nov 1, 2006 — November 1, 2006 @ 6:55 am
Great ideas! Do keep in mind that local food pantries can either give food away free, or at very reduced prices, or both. You have to look hard to find them but they do exist. One food pantry near us allows us to get free food as often as once a week! Your local Human Services (located usually near court-houses or tags&title offices downtown)will further direct you. They can help 1x year with fianances, as do many churches. Again, you just have to do a little searching around. Believe me, help IS available. And try not to be embarrassed. I never knew there was so much poverty in my town until I started going to these various churches and food pantries. It’s amazing. God bless us all!
Comment by Denise — November 3, 2006 @ 10:52 pm
I also feel that my once healthy diet has diminished for something that is only temporarily convenient….I have survived through a lot of adversity though and know that I can come up with something better……My grandparents,,,,and other elders whom I have known in my life can and jar their own foods…..they get the food from markets when they are on special……and even grow some of their own…..it’s good to buy whats on special and freeze it….within a few weeks of buying this and that you will have way more to choose from…..it’s just this leap to being more self sufficient that kinda hurts…..for about a month or so you’ll have to adjust…and add to your spice rack…good spices and herbs help make cooking your own foods more fun……..POTATOEs AND EGGS …..I used to live off that and canned tuna………
but since thin I have been through a lot more than I could even start to mention here….All I can say is READ—–Diet for a new America or FOOD Revolution…..by John Robbins or Fasting and Eating for health……by Joel Fuhrman ….and if you cant afford to get these books ….check out foodrevolution.org…….I think if you have a family you should do everthing you can to make the food nutritious ….RAmen Noodles and Mac&Cheese….should not be regular main courses……I know it is difficult to do this but ….there are some ideas you can try….shop markets with friends….you buy a case of one thing ////they buy a case of another…..prepare foods in bulk that you can freeze…..it’s cheaper in the end than cheap prepared foods ….its better and nutritious……TRADE the prepared foods you make……make it fun by looking up recipes online….and take it from me dont always woory about having all the ingredients alll the time……trade prepared foods with friends…..COME ON NOW we are all internet geeeks of the modern age …..we ought be as resourceful with reality……and humble up enough to get a little old fashioned…..this world needs people who do not take advantage of what we consume from it….lets be grateful….and make the best of what we got….and not worry about how convenient or meals are to make……..
Comment by Paul -Ghetto Hip-P_ — February 21, 2007 @ 7:02 pm
Okay, I also googled “Poor people food” and came to this site. A few ideas our family has used:
Goolash (Hamburger meat, tomato sauce and corn.) Serve with bread and butter.
Cream tuna on toast - consists of canned tuna, flour, milk and bread
S.O.S. - Hamburger meat, flour, milk, salt and Pepper - serve over biscuits or toast
Potato soup - bacon ends (you can get on sale usually) potatoes, onion, water, seasonings
There are so many things you can do. We should all concoct a recipe book for us poor folks and call it just that: “POOR PEOPLE FOOD.”
Good luck to all of you ladies. Hang in there.
Comment by Natalie — May 8, 2007 @ 8:53 am
OK I googled you to…now i cannot get on to your links. The Goulash recipe is when we want fine dining experience in my house.
Comment by Vivian — May 11, 2007 @ 9:00 am
Check out http://hillbillyhousewife.com/.
Comment by Nancy — October 26, 2007 @ 9:50 am
My grandpa makes a tradition lentils and rice recipe. Even though he could afford to buy more expensive food these days, he prefers eating traditional ones that are resourcful and cheap to make. Here are a coupld of recipes.
http://www.dianaskitchen.com/page/beans/mujader.htm
http://www.jewishrecipes.org/jewish-foods/baba-ganoush.html
Comment by Jess — December 12, 2007 @ 12:58 am
Grilled Cheese and tomatoe Soup is Really Cheap. Cheese for 99Cents and At a save a lot cans of tomato soup is 49 cents. and Bread is only 1 dollar. Its a 3 dollar meal. I also came up with Beanie weanies which is a 2 dollar meal, Pancakes, Make your own pancakes out of flour, and Buy a 1 dollar syrup. Tuna Helper and tuna, Is only 2 dollars for both. Hopefully this is helpful if anyone has any other meal ideas, Please reply…Thanks!
Comment by Jerri — January 18, 2008 @ 12:00 pm
become vegetarian. my grocery bill was literally cut in half when i made the switch. that was over a year ago, and im healthy as a horse, and havent been sick a day since. you also have the option of growing your own garden, which will pay for its self instantly. and you can also go the farmers markets for cheaper and better quality produce.
Comment by michael — January 23, 2008 @ 8:28 pm
In response to the FIRST COMMENT.
DON’T EAT MEAT! There. Done.
Now you don’t need to worry about the price of RIB–EYE.
Comment by Sally — February 5, 2008 @ 4:57 pm
This is hilarious. As all the other people on here I looked poor people food just out of curiousity. Wow! A site hahahahah…. well I am the queen of poor people food. Being that Im puerto rican it just comes with the territory. We even call some dishes comida pobre (poor food). Funny thing is that they are my favorite meals and would eat it over expensive meals anyday. #1 Puerto rican style yellow rice and fried eggs. I personally like the yolk soft so I can mix it all together. Really cheap and can feed a whole family in less than 30 min.! #2 mongoo ( boiled plantains smashed with butter)#3 Yuca and fried cheese (queso de freir) #4 Of course rice and beans #5 Pita bread stuffed with salad. ( im a vegetarian mind you) #6 Yuca and boiled plantains with kraft cheese melted on top mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Comment by Keyla — February 8, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.
— Michael Pollan
Comment by ge — February 10, 2008 @ 9:03 pm
- Definitely go veg. Our food bill dropped by 60% when we went vegetarian (I turned up moderately lactose intolerant so we also gave up fresh milk and cheeses). We eat much better now that I have to use creativity and use up fresh stuff before it spoils.
- Meat spoils extremely readily and causes waste. Same with milk. Minimize your use of these and other fast-spoiling foods like fresh berries.
- Don’t buy fresh stuff in bulk if you do not have unshakeable plans for using it up.
- Get to know freecycle.com for kitchen equipment.
- Get a 10-cup rice cooker… they are cheap or even free (ask around, someone probably has one they are not using). You can make lots of rice dishes, soups, and stews in it, and your food will never burn and be wasted. And you’ll use a lot less expensive energy. Plus you can use your stove-watching time for other productive activities, like mending, managing your job search, doing your taxes, or recharging your batteries with a nap.
- Buy locally raised produce when it is in season… not only cheaper but better quality.
- Many things are way, way cheaper at ethnic grocery stores–spices, produce, imported foods.
- Do not waste money on things that have no nutrition, that you don’t like, that you don’t know how to cook, or that you won’t eat. Even if they look like a good bargain at the time. Even if they are rice, beans, or ramen.
- Do you really like ramen THAT MUCH?? The same amount by weight of regular pasta is about the same price!!
- It is OK to buy convenience foods if you would have made the same thing more expensively from scratch.
- Cook only enough for the people eating the meal. I grew up in a family of 5, and now that there are only 2 of us, I tend to still cook for 5. I should cut it out and so should you.
- If you are not physically active on a given day, plan to eat much less than usual. Try to eat mostly grains and less sweet vegetables and fruits so you feel fuller longer.
Recipes we find useful in next post….
Comment by speedwell — March 14, 2008 @ 9:59 pm
Inexpensive fresh recipes (veg and non-veg… sometimes that 39-cents-a-pound bag of chicken leg quarters begs to go home, I know):
– Onigiri (Japanese rice balls): Make rice, with or without seasonings. While hot, stir in your choice of the following: chopped lightly steamed or cooked veggies (leftover cooked veggies will work), grated carrots, chopped cooked meat (again leftover is great), more seasoning to taste (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, soy sauce, sesame seeds, curry powder, herbs, whatever you like), chopped nuts, grated unsweetened coconut. Moisten your hands with lightly salted water to prevent sticking, and make into balls like you would meatballs. Wrap with a strip of nori seaweed if you happen to have some around, and serve a few per person. They are filling.
– Our favorite quick soup: Put a quart of water, one can of diced or chopped tomatoes, a small chopped onion or a spoonful of dried chopped onion, and a few shakes of your choice of dried herbs and spices into a pot and bring it to a boil. Then add one teaspoon of oil, a few handfuls of small pasta that cooks in at most 8 minutes, and a half pound or so of frozen veggies. Bring to a boil, cook until pasta and veggies are cooked, correct salt and pepper, and serve.
– Hungarian cabbage and noodles: Shred a half cabbage coarsely. Slice one or two onions thinly. Fry them together in a pan with some oil until they begin to brown, seasoned with paprika (a large spoonful), salt, and garlic. Cook a bag of egg noodles. Drain the noodles and mix with the cooked cabbage mixture. (Need to use up some ground meat? Fry it, pour off the fat, and then cook the cabbage in the same pan. Have too much red cabbage? Make this, except add a little vinegar and sugar to the cabbage as the Germans do. Need to use up the last bit of sour cream? Stir it in.)
– Chicken and dumplings. Boil the heck out of one piece of chicken per person (in a pinch, less, I’ve made this with one leg/thigh quarter for six people and it was still amazing) in the total amount of water you would use for soup. Debone the chicken, strain the broth, and add the deboned chicken back to the strained broth. Season with salt and pepper (lots), paprika, and thyme. Slice a few carrots thinly, dice a couple of potatoes fairly small, and chop an onion, and add them to the broth. Mix a little flour with a cup of the broth until smooth, and stir it back in to thicken the soup. Start bringing it to a boil while you mix up some dumplings. Add the dumplings and cook till they and the veggies are done. (I made this a lot when we were both out of work.)
– Stir fry any veggies you need to use up with an onion, some soy sauce, and hardly any sugar. Serve over rice or pasta.
– Guilty pleasure cornbread soufflé: One box of Jiffy corn muffin mix, a large can of creamed corn, five eggs (four and a bit of milk will work too), and a half stick of melted margarine. Bake until done in the middle. You can add practically anything you like to the batter before you bake it.
– Creamy oatmeal for breakfast: Mix the water and milk with non-instant oatmeal the night before, and keep it in the fridge. All you will need to do is warm it up the next morning. Fast and cheap.
– If you own a good blender, put it to work making the breakfast juice. Peel and chop an apple and/or other fruits, add to some water with a bit of sugar if you need it, and blend until liquefied. Add more water if needed. Don’t fill the blender more than 2/3 full for this. Cheaper and better for you than buying bottled juices.
– Hass avocados are 2 for a dollar here in Texas. I am going to go nuts all over them. Make heavy use of your local specials too.
Comment by speedwell — March 14, 2008 @ 10:46 pm
Where did my post go? Must be being held…
Comment by speedwell — March 14, 2008 @ 10:47 pm
I to Googled poor people food and got this website. Vegetarian lifestyle is cheap but you could make a meat lifestyle cheap to. But what i eat is mac&cheese with frozen brocoli. Hbburger helper without the hambutger. Augratin potatoes pasta and red sauce rice and beans you can even get stuff to make nachos at family dollar now. but something at the family dollar isnt all so cheap.
Comment by shawna — March 24, 2008 @ 3:24 pm
i too googled for poor people food,there are so many people now losing jobs and everything is so high people are looking for cheaper ways to live. one of the Best ways i have found to save money on food is,
ANGEL FOOD MINISTRIES. google that and you will get their site. check to see if it is in the state you live, then check the towns. they have good food and specials, i can spend 50.00[because i get a special] on them and get over a 100.00 or more in food. one can do this once a month, it really helps both the buyer and the ministries that help others. each month is different. base price is 35.00 and you still get a lot.
Comment by Ramona — March 28, 2008 @ 8:50 pm
Cheap and easy. Make it yourself…
Pizza
2 1/2 All pupose flour, add salt to tast, add 2 cups of water (add 1 talbespoon of active dry yeast before hand) Mix, add flour to counter, spread, roll out, add sauze, cheese ( we use soy cheese) add brocolli and bell peppers (we buy them frozen) and bake for 15 minutes on a preheated oven at 500 degrees.
Mangoo
Boil about 7 ripe plantains, mash them, layer with filling of choice (we use veggies and Coy protein-Morning Star Crumbles)and the top we add cheese and we bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Tuna Salad
Two cans of tuna, drain and add mayonaise and some lemon juice (not too much) mix with cooked pasta shells and mixed veggies (we use frozen). That’s it.
Comment by Guadalupe — April 28, 2008 @ 5:25 pm
You all are great! Thanks for such inspiring, colorful meal suggestions. These are bar-none, the best! How do I know? Because we tried many of them!! Thanks so much!!
Comment by Denise — April 30, 2008 @ 3:29 pm