I’m sad that this is worth mentioning. But if you are dealing with hunger amid threats to SNAP benefits, rice and beans are very cheap per meal and can be bought in bulk. Here’s some tricks I’ve learned:
If you get dried beans, make sure you follow the directions to pre-soak them. Canned beans are easier to prepare, just dump in near the end of cooking to heat them up. Dried lentils don’t need to be pre-soaked, but I prefer to cook them separately and drain the water they boil in.
Brown rice, barley, or other whole grains have much more protein than white rice and I find them more filling. Whole grains take longer to cook than white grains.
Frying diced onions in the pot before adding the grains and water is an easy way to kick the flavor up a notch. Use a generous amount of cooking oil (light olive oil is healthiest) for cost effective calories and help making the meal more filling.
Big carrots or celery in bulk are pretty cheap too. I like to dice carrots by partially cutting length wise into quarters, but leave the small end intact to keep the carrot together to make it easier to dice down the side. Add them to the same pot as the grains after the grains start to soften. Beets are also great; skin and cube then boil separately until soft. Change up your veggie to get a mix of vitamins
Get some bulk garlic powder, hot sauce, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, black pepper, etc. Season and salt the pot to taste.
You’ll only need 1-2 pots and a cutting knife/board for veggies.
I recommend Harvard’s Nutrition Source for science-based nutrition information and they have some recipes too
Edit: discussing big changes in diet with a primary care doctor or registered dietician is generally a good idea.
Probiotic supplements may help with gas.
As a bonus this sort of meal has a very small environmental footprint.
To reduce gas with beans:
- soak with baking soda (1tsp per cup of beans)
- before cooking boil some water and in a bowl cover the beans with the boiled water, after 5 minutes drain and wash them and throw them in to whatever you are cooking
- ferment the beans, best results but more work
Also remember that as your body gets used to it, the gas is reduced.
And NGL everyone farts, you’re fine. Just use common etiquette.
It’s the return of depression meals, 1930s style
Don’t “skin” beets with a vegetable peeler. Blanch them and slide them out of their skins. It sounds like more work, but it’s so much less work.
a relatively cheap NON-VEGE way to add protein to this base is pork butt/shoulder (same thing) cooked slow all day, either slow cooker or oven at 250F. Its a cheaper cut of meat and one of them is enough to add protein to like 6 servings or rice+beans. Also, bone-in skin-on chicken thighs are great and less expensive- if you render some of the chicken fat out in your cooking vessel before cooking the rice and beans it is a big flavor boost.
Imagine living in a country with 900+ billionaires, with growing tendency, where regular people are discussing about the best ways not to starve.
Not that it’s much better where I live, but damn, what the hell is wrong with this world?
The problem is less that people can’t afford to eat, it’s that they’ve been alienated from their food and don’t know what to do to feed themselves without being exploited by gouging opportunists.
part of it is that the working class, poor to people who incorrectly think they’re middle class included, basically everyone who is not ownership class (where owning things is the primary means of making them money), utterly fail to organize, and sometimes actively work against their own interests (like the “lets make a third party!” morons, the “I am morally superior for not voting” morons, and or course the actively malicious “I let the billionaires tell me that them fucking me was actually brown people’s fault” morons.
As the saying goes, “most of the working class are just temporarily embarrassed millionaires”
I don’t even think they think this. I think its small potatoes compared to the ones who are convinced that skin colour is like shirt colour in middle school sports, and that means they’re all on one team and the ones who don’t think that are traitors.
The elite have always been vampires living on the blood of us peons… it feels new to us because we are living it now, but history shows its been this way a long time, and it was probably the same in prerecorded history too… we, as humans tend to suck…
leave it to lemmy users to disparage the primary staple of 3.5 billion people. “Pre-diabetic junk food” lmao sure ok
It truly is the way too many enthusiasts on any topic think.
Like they can’t fathom the idea that other people are focused on other things despite this being 100% the reason humans were able to create what we have.
If humans all focused on the exact same things, we’d have a very narrow scope and much less innovation.
It’s why its so hard to find good advice.
You go to a cooking subreddit, and they’d have you thinking that unless you knew every artisinal craftsman shop in your area (your local butcher, your local baker etc etc), you must not know food, and that you need 400 dollar pans to get utility out of your cookware when literally just a common stainless steel set would do you just fine, and even if you had to replace it 20 times, it still wouldnt be the cost of the more expensive one.
People live in their own bubbles and expect that everyone else not only could but should meet them where they are in their bubble, rather than realizing that guess what, food is just to eat for most people, not some passion they want to dedicate multiple hours a day to.
Just get a full La Cruiset set for a wedding gift and you are golden. /S
I understand your point because often in a lot of hobbies, when you are a newbie, people can be very condescending to you. But I still think that it’s abnormal the number of people that know nothing about cooking, since, contrary to most hobbies, it is essential for us to eat.
However I think that the real problem is that most people are so overworked and we have so much responsabilities, that it is almost a luxury to take the time to cook in our society. I am pretty sure there would be wayyy more people enjoying cooking if they could take their time doing it.
But I still think that it’s not normal the number of people that now nothing about cooking, since, contrary to most hobbies, it is essential for us to eat.
It is not essential to become a cooking enthusiast to eat.
You can be perfectly healthy eating nothing be pre prepared meals and frozen vegetables.
You can be perfectly healthy with a few family staples in a 3 set cookware set.
You can be perfectly ok drinking soylent your whole life.
People on these forums are often enthusiasts as described. They go overboard assuming everyone else must be like them, and this is often an excuse they use for their condescension as if there aren’t vastly different levels between eating because you need to for continued living and whatever the fuck they’re at.
However I think that the real problem is that most people are so overworked and we have so much responsabilities, that it is almost a luxury to take the time to cook in our society.
Nah. I think plenty of people simply do not enjoy cooking and thats perfectly fine. If I had less obligations and more time, I wouldn’t waste it learning to cook to the level they have. I have very little interest in cooking. Maybe occasionally Ill try a fancier recipe but I’m never going to season a pan, learn how to make Croquembouche or add beef wellington as a staple in the things that I eat.
If I had more time, Id be putting that into my hobbies. Id be making more things, going more places, not wasting my time slaving over a kitchen counter.
I fully respect that this is a completely subjective perspective. Obviously for some, they might read “waste” and feel incensed and that language, but that language is simply accurate for me. I don’t expect it to be accurate for everyone.
I have lazily been buying the same bag of high fiber mixed vegetables for monthes because it has the mixture of things I need dietarily and I mix that with frozen meals that have reasonable mixes, and through in some simple cooked meals as well (I mean simple too, like scrambled eggs on toast or vegetable soup or meat with gravy on rice).
To me the time would absolutely be a luxury, but cooking is not what I’d like to spend it on. To me, given we still have limited life spans, it would still be a waste of that span.
You’re right, and I’ve learned to ignore most advice I read from enthusiasts. I bought a cast iron pan 20 years ago for $15 and I still use it to cook almost everything, including eggs.
I did splurge and buy a nice dutch oven to make baking bread easier, but it’s not necessary.
Multiple times now I’ve been mocked relentlessly for PC building advice or opinions on software development I had that became commonplace within 3 years, like when I said noSQL databases were overrated as hell but they had their uses. Made enemies on both sides lol… And now that’s the common opinion.
This will cost an extra few dollars but still totally worth it…add curry sauce! Aldi has butter chicken, korma, and tikka masala sauce for abt 5 bucks a jar and it is really good with rice and beans.
Core memory triggered.
I just want to add:
If you are in NYC - check out the Chinese and Mexican grocery stores!!! Usually a ton of foot traffic keeps the vegetables fresh. I do most of my vegetable shopping at one particular Chinese store which I find to be the best - [except for the onions (why are the onions so bad - do chinese people not eat yellow onions?)] - and it’s fun to try new vegetables!
Also, strange, and I’m not sure what to make of it - fish in the Chinese grocery stores costs 1/2 of what it at white-people ones.
Not American myself, but my father lived in NYC and his friend (also from our country) said that in NYC if you want fresh food, the Mexicans got your back. I’m not even sure if he meant grocery stores or restaurants, but it seems to corroborate your story.
I eat this almost daily and I’m not ashamed to say it.
Some notes about gas: It’s primarily caused by a combination of fiber, and in the case of beans, by the oligosaccharides. The fiber can be handled by gradually increasing intake of high fiber foods. The more you get used to eating them, the less bloated you should feel, and it generally goes down to a normal level of gas that most people experience.
For the oligosaccharides, soaking and rinsing the dry beans does help remove a lot of it. Rinsing canned beans also helps. Taking Beano (or an equivalent) can help too. There are also claims of various spices being able to help as well.
It’s also important to note that different types of legumes can cause more bloating, or less. Experiment with different kinds to find what works for you.
If you’re willing/able to make the effort, sprouting and even fermenting will significantly help with bloating as well.
As a last resort or easy reprieve, opting for low fiber plant foods like white rice and tofu won’t hurt in the short term, though whole foods should generally be preferred because natural sources of fiber of hugely beneficial.
On an unrelated note, I have always hated soaking beans, which is why the Instant Pot has been one of the single greatest cooking inventions I have ever used. Supposedly the pressure cooking also breaks down the oligosaccharides and reduces bloating. I just love it because I can toss in a bunch of beans and oat groats, and have enough of that stuff cooked to easily and quickly prepare meals every day for a week with each batch.
I have always hated soaking beans, which is why the Instant Pot has been one of the single greatest cooking inventions I have ever used.
Exactly why I bought mine. Any pressure cooker will do. Beans (red, pinto, or black) 1 : 2 with water for 40 minutes, followed by natural release. I use roughly a pint of dried beans (1lb bag, then topped up out of a mixed-beans bag), to get 9 large servings.
I also do quinoa in the same cooker 1 : 5/4 with water (or sub up to half the water with stock) for 0 minutes (just bring up to high pressure), followed by natural release. I use 3 cups dry to make 9 servings.
Depending on your spice budget, you might feel like you are getting more by applying right before eating. But, if you want the spice flavors to permeate the beans, it’s best to add them to the pot and warm them just a bit with the saute setting before adding the beans (or quinoa/rice/grains) and water.
If you eat meat, miscut ham is also a good addition to the beans before cooking – they will share lipids and flavors.
I use nooch as a topping for mine, to try to keep it vegan, but what I really like is a Mexican shredded cheese blend.
Also, if this sounds too boring to anyone - do not underestimate the power of keeping a bunch of fun hot sauces around. They don’t have to be too spicy, but something similarly vinegar based will have a decent shelf life and be pretty cheap per serving.
I’m not just eating pantry staples again, I’m enjoying a smoky chipotle bean stew on top of some fragrant mango-lime-habanero rice.
Been on lemmy like two years, and this is the first post I’m gonna actually save for later cuz damn this is just useful and nice information to have, thank you so much for sharing!
You inspired me to do the same!
You’re welcome!
Any suggestions for relatively inexpensive breakfasts, or do people also eat beans/rice? Right now I’ve been eating overnight oats, but they aren’t filling at all and taste terrible (and a lot of recipes have ingredients that oxidize weirdly overnight that I’ve tried eliminating). Tofu scramble takes a long time to prep, there’s not enough freezer space between my roommates and I for meal prep, and my apartment has tons of shitty restrictions they’ve gone after me for, so can’t use a second freezer or instant pot. I’ve been eating beans/vegetables + rice + salsa for dinner though and that works well and is always filling (maybe I should switch to brown rice from what I’m reading in this thread).
Here’s some ideas:
- peanut butter or eggs with cheese on whole grain toast
- Soft boiled or fried eggs over rice with soy sauce and kimchi/hot sauce. The goey yolk makes the rice creamy. Can make the rice and boiled eggs the night before to save time in the morning. You can also marinade peeled boiled eggs in soy sauce and spices overnight in the fridge
- Add some fresh fruit, whatever is on sale/in season
Bananas and English muffins with peanut butter are my breakfast go-to. Depending on where you are bananas may not be cheap, but I try to buy in-season fruit at my farmers market that can be made into smoothies if I don’t eat it before it gets a littler older, same with leafy greens. All goes into the smoothie. I also occasionally get 5% milk fat “Fage” yogurt to mix it up. Leftover yogurt can replace milk a lot of the time, and can be added to smoothies. If you can get your hands on baguettes, they can be cheap made into French toast if they get stale.
For your oats, do you not add a bit of salt, some sugar and or some condensed sweetened milk?
But also, toast and some spread of any kind is pretty efficient. Like peanut butter with the amounts you can get can be pretty cheap.
I’m trying 1/8 tsp salt, 1 tsp maple syrup, and 1/2 tsp vanilla, and it doesn’t really help. Although oat milk instead of soy milk improves the taste a little (especially after Costco got rid of the sweetened soy milk version). Using frozen bananas/blueberries turns it into brown gunk when it’s ready to eat. Toast + toppings is probably a good idea.
I do basically the same as you but probably more maple syrup 😂 Or I make it with chocolate milk…
Sometimes I add freeze dried berries. They don’t turn into brown gunk overnight.
What really helps it feel filling is 1 tablespoon of chia seeds.
Wish I could but I can’t stand neither beans nor rice. Gotta have meat and green veggies in my meal.
That means that I only like chili without beans. At Asian restaurants I always ask for no rice and substitute noodles. The only beans I can tolerate are refried. So at Mexican restaurants I ask for no rice and double beans.
While we’re at it, I don’t like potatoes, either. I’ll eat them, but I won’t go out my way to order them, unless the alternative side dish selection is no better.
Edit: FWIW I’ll eat it all if I’m hungry, but none of these things would be my first choice.
It might taste better if you cook it from scratch yourself and add a ton of spices/flavors or something. I used to think rice/potatoes sucked also, but adding a lot more flavors (like salsa) improved it a lot.
My parents would say you just haven’t been hungry enough. Their parents lived through the great depression. I wouldn’t know, but I hear people are having to make food/medicine trade offs, which seems more dire than flavor/texture preference tradeoffs.
That said, I don’t know a protein source that’s as available and cheap as beans, but you might try insects if cheap is the priority or poultry if availability is your priority.
You can buy a large bag of frozen vegetable blend and steam it fairly simply. You can either steam single serving and keep the rest frozen OR steam the whole bag in bulk, and refrigerate for up to a week, reheating single servings as you need them.
Best of luck.
Is it a textural thing? I wish very much that I liked mushrooms, as they seem like such a good alternative to meat, but I cant stand the texture of them. Makes me gag.
Mostly I just don’t like the taste, but I guess I don’t like the texture of beans and many potato preparations either, now that I think about it.
Okay. I was going to suggest making louisiana style red beans and rice from scratch. you can throw in chicken, or sausage, or whatever meat you want really and it will still taste amazing but it is definitely gonna have the soft rice/bean texture. you could add more broth and make it into more of a soup too.
