
Ask HN: Hack a healthy, yet not expensive, meal. - rokhayakebe
Hack a healthy, yet not expensive, meal. I know most entrepreneurs are money-constrained, but I believe that an entrepreneur should eat healthy meals. It affects your brain over the long term. So can you advise healthy meals that are still within the 2-guy-in-a-garage budget? Thanks.
======
iamelgringo
My wife and I have been working on this for a while. We want to eat at home,
but we really don't like the process of cooking every day.

So, we cook once every 4-8 weeks. We purchased a freezer that we put in the
garage for $3-400, and we do all of our meal prep at once. We buy all of our
ingredients in bulk at Costco or the local Farmer's market, and then we prep
30-40 meals in one day. So, all we have to do for each meal, is thaw the
package the day before, throw it in the oven or in a pan the following day,
add a salad, and you're done.

It takes a lot of planning, and it takes a while before find a set of recipes
that freeze well, but after a year or so of doing this, we pretty much have
the list. We're at the point now, that my wife pulls 8 or 10 recipes from the
database, she puts the ingredient list together, we go shopping on one day,
and asssemble and freeze meals the second day. It's about 8-10 hours work for
both of us, and it cuts down 1-1/2 hours of meal prep and planning every day
for 4-6 weeks. Along with the recipe in the database is a label with cooking
instructions that gets printed out and saran wrapped to the package.

If you Google for this, it's called "Once a month cooking".

------
sidsavara
I recommend finding someone on craig's list to cook for you, so you don't have
to worry about it. Time is at such a premium when you are trying to launch
your own business, and if they're shopping for a family, they are probably
better at bargain hunting and coupon clipping than you are.

I did just that, and I discuss it in this post. Wasn't sure if HN would
appreciate it, so I haven't submitted it here:

[http://sidsavara.com/personal-productivity/the-price-of-
my-d...](http://sidsavara.com/personal-productivity/the-price-of-my-
dreams-60-a-week)

~~~
sage_joch
Time is at such a premium no matter what your goals are. And since this is HN,
I should mention that this seems like a great idea for a startup.

~~~
corentin
Yeah, there's probably a huge market for places where people could go to eat
meals someone else cooked for them!

~~~
silentbicycle
Yeah! Maybe you could even deliver!

------
ichverstehe
I have no idea about food prices in your part of the world, but being a high
school student living on a very small budget (think $200/month for food
expenses, and this is Denmark which is relatively expensive) I have learnt a
few tricks.

One of them is baking your own bread! I have an electric mixer with some
special tools for dough, so I spend 15 minutes every two days and have pretty
good and cheap bread.

Soups are another nice one, forget about the advanced ones, go with something
simple, yet good, e.g. potato-leek-soup. Make big portions, put it in the
freezer.

Basic courses such as pasta can be pretty good if you spice it up a little.
Forget about the ketchup, mix up a simple tomato sauce.

And a little gem from The Silver Spoon: Some oil on a pan, put on a whole
garlic clove untill it's brown, get it off the pan. Add a can of tuna, and
some tomato puree that has been mixed with a bit of water. Turn down the heat,
give it some fifteen minutes and add to your pasta. Inexpensive, easy and
surprisingly good if you spice it up a bit.

Basically anything that you can make in big portions and freeze is a bargain.

~~~
iigs
+1 for your own bread. My mother gave me a recipe for "food processor" bread,
which involves about $0.25 worth of ingredients and a few minutes of work.

It's not the right season at the moment, but you could also consider growing
your own stuff in the garden. Fresh herbs from the grocers are $$$, and don't
taste/smell as good as what you pull and carry to your stove.

Commercial tomatoes breeds are optimized to have a tough skin, so that they
can be thrown into large containers while green and hauled to the grocery
store while ripening. None of this has anything to do with tasty or healthy.
Growing your own tomatoes is also easy if you have a sunny spot, and you can
pick varieties that taste better than what you'll end up with from the store.

None of these are cost-optimizing in a large way, but if you're going to be
cooking anyway, you might as well enjoy better taste and the satisfaction of
producing something physical and tangible.

~~~
HeyLaughingBoy
+1 for grow your own. I take that a bit farther since I have chickens
(<http://softwarefromthefarm.blogspot.com>) :-)

Although I have the acreage to grow pretty much whatever I want, you can grow
lots of stuff in a small apartment as long as you have a window that gets
enough light. Herbs don't take up much room, esp. if you use a strawberry pot
and plant multiple types in the same pot. You can also grow tomatoes, etc. in
pots

------
inklesspen
Eat food (as opposed to processed food-like substances). Not too much. Mostly
plants.

Read Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food":
<http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594201455/>

It's a whole different model from the shifting "red meat is bad" "no, carbs
are bad" "avoid fat" "eat omega-3 fat!" madness that has ruled eating for
decades.

~~~
cdr
I've been a fan of Tim Ferriss's 3-minute breakfast since he posted it awhile
back: [http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/02/28/beating-
the-...](http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/02/28/beating-the-morning-
rush-the-3-minute-slow-carb-breakfast/)

~~~
Alex3917
I'm a big fan of the Seth Godin breakfast:
[http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2006/09/compromise_h...](http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2006/09/compromise_how_.html)

------
alaskamiller
I bought a cast iron skillet for 10 bucks ([http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-
Logic-4-Inch-Pre-Seasoned-Skille...](http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Logic-4-Inch-
Pre-Seasoned-Skillet/dp/B00006JSUA/ref=pd_sim_k_4)) and it's the best thing
ever. Fast to heat up and start cooking and easy clean up. Best thing to make
for me is pan-seared yellowfin tuna steaks over veggies like asparagus or
broccoli.

Get a 5oz tuna steak of sushi-quality, marinade it with some soy sauce and
sesame oil, sprinkle on some seasoning and sesame seed and just sear it on the
pan for 2 minutes each side. Delicious, healthy, and fast.

Same goes for chicken. Blackened chicken, easy, done. The cast iron skillet
goes from stove top to oven. God I love this thing.

~~~
jonknee
Ever try making pizza on it? Flip it over, stick it in the oven as high as it
will go and then after it gets NASA hot (this is a good time to have your
dough warm up from a nice slow rise in the fridge) just slide your pie on. It
will cook up in 3-5 minutes and come out tasting surprisingly legit. Cast iron
is the deal.

~~~
alaskamiller
I love you for sharing this tip. I've got a 10 incher so it won't make big
pies but I can definitely get something fast and tasty going on.

~~~
silentbicycle
Cast-iron skillets are great for baking bread, too. Shaking in a little
cornmeal will help keep it from sticking. The big cast-iron dutch ovens are
even better, though: the lid keeps in moisture, and the resulting steam is
good for the crust. The enameled ones are easier to clean (and ideal for
soup). You can probably find a knock-off Le Crueset-style pot for $60, give or
take.

The easiest way to clean them is with a little kosher salt. It's quite
abrasive.

See also:
[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html?_r=2...](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&ei=5070&en=55fdc83a0e7b6687&ex=1165726800&oref=slogin)

------
pg
Rice and beans. There are 1000 variations.

~~~
kingkongrevenge
> Rice and beans.

I wouldn't aspire to a Hispanic diet. They're mostly short and chubby as far
as I can see.

~~~
icey
In that case, could you let us know what you eat so we can avoid being bigoted
morons?

~~~
kingkongrevenge
How exactly is it bigoted to notice that poor hispanics, who subsist largely
on starch, have poor health and builds?

~~~
icey
A) You said nothing about economic status, which makes all the difference in
the world. Poorer people universally have worse health than middle-income or
wealthy people.

B) Rice and beans isn't only eaten by Hispanics; maybe you should turn off the
Lou Dobbs and pay a little attention.

~~~
kingkongrevenge
Poorer people can't afford good food and have to eat mostly starchy staples.
That's why their health is generally worse.

And you are quite wrong about low income "universally" meaning poor health.
There are poor populations all over the world with good health from good
diets. The healthiest sub-population in the US, and possibly the healthiest
group in the industrialized world, are working class whites in the upper mid-
west, in states like Minnesota. They eat a lot of meat.

~~~
icey
I guess those nuts over at the MacArthur foundation have no idea what they're
talking about.

You may want to submit your theories there.

[http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.951947/k.11B4/R...](http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.951947/k.11B4/Research_Networks__Socioeconomic_Status_and_Health.htm)

~~~
kingkongrevenge
I guess this is some survey of the US which concludes the obvious: that income
and health generally correlate. The best lesson to extract is probably "Don't
eat like poor people." Which was my original point. It still ignores the plain
fact that various poor populations with good diets are quite healthy. The
exceptions invalidate the simplistic assumption about the general case and
point to diet.

------
noahlt
The things poor people eat all around the world:

\- rice \- beans \- soy \- potatoes \- fish \- veggies (anything dark but not
too expensive)

The real key to a good-tasting meal is freshness, even with simple foods.
Seasoning is like makeup for food.

~~~
hs
+1 for freshness

'real' food has 'bio-sensor' ... you can tell just by looking, that a
fruit/veggie is bad

it's much harder to 'sense' that in processed food

i find that fruit/veg is harder to fool with, maybe having to do with its low
price (not much incentive to cheat)

in my country we got rotten meats cleaned with formaldehyde and then soaked in
fresh blood to be sold along with fresh meats ... such thing is unheard of in
veg/fruit (groceries can wax to prevent, but once fruit/veg is rotten, it's
hard to 'rejuvinate')

being vegetarian leads to simpler life, no worries about mad cow, avian flu,
etc

~~~
streety
Having worked with formaldehyde I expect that is a horrific practice for all
concerned. Very shocking.

I'm not sure why, as a vegetarian, you feel you don't need to worry about
avian flu. You catch it by being in close proximity to live poultry, not by
eating it. As you've already said that your meat is dead when you buy it I
don't see how your risk is any less than mine.

~~~
hs
well, here resto and kfc seem to emphasize that they cook chicken at 350 deg C
(or some high number like that), ensuring 'avian flu free'

i don't have direct experience with avian flu (I was in Taiwan during SARS,
wearing masks, but didn't catch the flu) so i assume i can get it from eating
... well maybe it's just a marketing tactic from kfc and others

but still the peace of mind is there :D not having to worry about some stuffs
is great

~~~
jonknee
You can't get avian flu from eating an infected bird. You can't get avian flu
from an infected person. You can only get it from a live bird (and even then
it's rare). The hysteria was preliminary--on the off chance that it mutates
for person-to-person infections.

Cooking chicken to 350C will result in charcoal, but will have done nothing to
prevent avian flu as it was not a risk before. Just marketing.

------
mattmaroon
A large part of proper diet is eating a wide variety of stuff, so mix it up.
Most of the stuff that is good for you is cheap anyway. Salads, fruits,
vegetables, etc.

Resist the temptation to subsist on potatoes, pasta, and some of the other
cheap, often high carb, low nutrition stuff.

------
yummyfajitas
Saute mushrooms, with rosemary, garlic, onion, red pepper, salt and black
pepper (to taste). Serve over couscous with yogurt (I recommend full fat
stonyfield farms yogurt).

Variations: add sundried tomato to mushrooms.

Pasta with red sauce. Red sauce: saute garlic and a small onion. Add tomato
puree (2 big cans), fresh basil (1 plant, break leaves off, wash, chop),
garlic (saute first, then add tomato), oregano, parsley, salt and pepper (to
taste).

Variations: add some cream and vodka to red sauce, gets you pink sauce.

Another good pasta sauce: saute garlic and onion in butter, then add heavy
cream. When that heats up, add grated cheese (parmesan or swiss), salt and
pepper (to taste), and possibly 1-2 tablespoons of flour (to thicken). You can
also add sun dried tomato (saute it with the garlic), or cherry tomato (add it
at the very end).

This video changed my life: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU_B3QNu_Ks>

In fact, just youtube Gordon Ramsey, Alton Brown, Jamie Oliver, etc, for good
ideas.

------
shawndrost
I cook based on price, ease, health, and how long it takes the materials to go
bad. My favorites:

Lentils with onions, potatoes, and/or ham. Chop, put in saucepan with water.
Salt.

Chili with rice. Fry hamburger and onion. Add canned kidney beans, tomato
sauce, chopped habanero, and chili powder. Salt. I highly recommend a
ricemaker.

I also like Thai curry with rice, but it'd be too much hassle if it weren't
for the basil plants I grow. Fry chicken or fish with curry paste; add other
stuff, like potato and peanut with red curry or eggplant or bamboo shoots with
green curry. Add basil and habanero at the very end.

I keep some beans, tortillas, and cheese on hand for when I'm too lazy to
actually cook, and lots of fruit for snacks.

~~~
sidsavara
Really? First basketball, now a thread about eating, that's where I find you?

~~~
shawndrost
this is so weird. if I randomly see you in a coffee shop in an hour, I'm going
to freak out.

------
comatose_kid
Hire someone - I have a lady come in and make a weeks worth (7 meals for 2
children + 2 adults) of great tasting, healthy Indian vegetarian meals (4
dishes) for $40. The cost of the food is ~$20 if you shop smart, meaning
avoiding grocery stores and getting your veggies from an Indian grocery store
(India Cash and Carry in Sunnyvale is great).

Instead of making rotis (which mess up the kitchen and take a while to make,
and really only taste good fresh), we just get low carb whole wheat tortillas.

------
iuguy
This is an awesome recipe that costs <£1 - I've managed to make it for 35
pence (not sure what that is in dollars these days) using product near their
expiry date.

Buy some cheap soup in a tin. I recommend Cream of Chicken because it's quite
nice and usually available. Go to the bakers or supermarket shortly before
they close and buy a cheap crusty round bread loaf on discount. You could use
a square loaf but that's just stupid. Warm up the soup. Whilst the soup is
warming up, butter the underside of the bread and put it in the oven, medium
heat for no more than 10 minutes. You ideally want it crusty and solid on the
outside but not burnt. When the bread is done, slice off the top of the bread.
Scoop out the insides, tearing them up into little pieces.

Here comes the science bit, watch carefully now:

Pour the soup into the empty bread, use the torn up bits of the inside to bulk
it up a little or leave them to dip into it. Add salt and pepper to suit and
enjoy not having to wash a bowl afterwards. I defy anyone to eat a whole one
including the bread.

It won't leak because you baked the bread hard. The butter stops it from
getting stuck to the bottom of the tray in the oven.

There, soup hacked :)

------
rjett
Cook huge meals once or twice a week and save the leftovers...Spaghetti lasts
me 4 meals, chicken pot pie lasts me about the same. +1 for PG's beans and
rice...I cook it with kielbasa and sautee peppers and onions and that lasts me
for 4 or 5 meals. Since I'm doing all my cooking, the average cost per meal
comes in right around $3...not bad for a 2-guy-in-a-garage budget.

------
menloparkbum
\- eggs are cheap. egg white omelets and frittatas are reasonably healthy.

\- chili and soup. you can make a ton at once and then keep it in the freezer
for meals the rest of the week.

~~~
Shamiq
Eggs.

Used as a replacement for meats in most dishes. Ideal cooking temperature is
145 F.

Warning: Be wary of dirty looking eggs; cook throughly; each egg contains
around 75% Daily Value of cholesterol, so you may want to remove yellows post
boiling or pre-scrambling.

Adding PG's comment: Beans and rice can get boring, but do serve well as a
backup when nothing else is working.

~~~
DabAsteroid
_each egg contains around 75% Daily Value of cholesterol, so you may want to
remove yellows_

Is there something wrong with eating cholesterol?

------
mixmax
Risotto - all that's required is rice, stock, and parmesan. Add mushrooms,
shrimp or whatever if it's saturday.

Spaghetti bolognese - make a big serving and freeze it in portions.

------
truebosko
Some of the cheapest meals you can make will be pasta, stew, or chili type
dishes.

For example, a great tasting pasta dish I made last night contained the
following: (prices are approximate and based from a Canadian's standpoint)

\- 1lb of Bacon: $4.50 (Yes, it's not GREAT for you but in moderation it's ok
and it's easily substituted with another meat) \- One onion, one head of
Garlic: $1.50 \- 1lb of Pasta: $2.50 \- Parmesian, Some Butter, Parsley: $2.00
(plus you most likely already have this)

That creates 4 servings of a fabulous restaurant quality pasta (This is the
actual recipe: [http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/09/cooking-with-
ryan...](http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/09/cooking-with-ryan-pasta-
carbonara/))

I made it last night, girlfriend and I have left overs for today. Super cheap,
delicious, and healthy enough considering most of the stuff we eat is pretty
healthy ( see : moderation!)

You will save a ton of money making food yourself but there's the whole issue
of it being time consuming which makes sense in a time = money world. In my
scenario, cooking is a hobby and I want to improve it so it's a bit different,
maybe you are the same!

------
SarahToton
CHEAP TRICK: Buy staple foods that'll keep. Pasta, canned tuna, canned
veggies, tomatoes, beans and rice rarely go bad. For good cheap protein, try
preparing eggs (not only scrambled or hard-boiled, but use them in egg salads,
green salads or in pasta recipes.) Also, check out:
[http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2007/07/30/16-ways-to-
eat-...](http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2007/07/30/16-ways-to-eat-healthy-
while-keeping-it-cheap/).

CHEAP DINNER: Because I have no patience and often forget to eat, I've figured
out a cheap, filling lasagna-type

1) Prepare favorite pasta (penne works well) 2)Heat some marinara sauce, can
or jar is fine. 3)Once the sauce starts to boil, reduce heat and add 1/2 C to
3/4 C cottage cheese to sauce (works like ricotta). 4)If you prefer, spoon
cottage cheese over hot pasta and cover with heated marinara, then microwave
or bake briefly to warm cheese. This adds a nice layer of melty cheese.

(Cover plate of pasta, cheese and marinara with shredded mozzarella and bake
at 425 for 9-12 min. if you want to be fancy and cheap.)

------
tdavis
Wait until you get to the point where you want it healthy, cheap, and made for
the super lazy. It gets even harder. Pans, ingredients, seasonings
_NNOOOoooo_. If it's more complicated than PB&J I just can't bring myself to
make it.

This leads to lots of frozen steam-able veggies, fruit whenever we get around
to going to the store, lots of yogurt, bagged salad... but also a ton of
noodles.

~~~
paulgb
It might be different where you shop, but I generally found bagged and pre-
made salads to be expensive and bland, and not last long. Salad is among the
easier foods to make.

I have to agree with you on yogurt and frozen veggies.

~~~
tdavis
Does your average head of lettuce last longer than the bagged variety? I
hadn't really looked into it. If that's the case, though, it may be worth the
extra effort.

------
rkowalick
Buy whole meat instead of individual cuts. Honestly, it takes maybe 45 seconds
to cut up a whole chicken. Use the breast meat for dishes with tasty sauces
and cook the thighs, legs, and wings whole. Keep all of the bones and giblets
to make stock. Boil the stock down A LOT. It takes a while, but you honestly
don't have to do anything while it's reducing. Take the stock and pour it into
ice cube trays and place the tray in the freezer. Any time you want to make a
dish and give your sauce an extra heartyness, just throw an ice cube of stock
in there.

Great easy sauces include:

-Chicken stock, soy sauce, and a little cornstarch

-Heated oil mixed with minced scallions, ginger and a little salt

-Chicken stock, pan drippings, savory and a little flour for thickening.

If you want to get more sauce ideas, I highly recommend the cookbook "Sauces."
Filled with tons of awesome sauces and a great basis for learning about sauce
making to create your own!

Cheap cooking and healthy cooking go hand-in-hand if you know what to do!

------
ph0rque
Not exactly on topic, but... one of my future startup ideas is a robotic
garden: basically, some kind of a transparent container with a controlled
atmosphere and temprature, watering system, and nutrient supply that would
produce a supply of fruits/vegetables year-round in any location.

~~~
jonmc12
I've seen those 'kitchen gardens' on infomercials.. 'just 3 payments of
$49.99'. You can grow your own lettuce.

Would be cool if you could actually create something that would sustain a
family - it will be difficult to find produce that will yield well for many
conditions without expending a ton of energy to control its environment
though.

~~~
HeyLaughingBoy
You don't _need_ a year-round supply of fresh fruits/veggies. Just need to be
able to preserve the out of season stuff.

I used to have those grand plans of automated gardens until I realized that
90% of the problem is solved by a small greenhouse you can build for $10 in
Home Depot materials.

------
robg
Salad. Cut up the lettuce (the more colors the better - spinach, red leaf,
romaine) once a week. Stick it in a big covered bowl in the fridge. Then add
different stuff for different varieties - corn, tomatoes, avocado, shrooms,
tuna, steak, chicken, ...

------
tjic
I've been cooking low-carb for a few weeks as an experiment.

For dinners I've been having a bit of meat over a large salad.

Last night:

1) half a bag of mixed lettuces 2) a diced tomato 3) 6-8 oz of frozen shrimp,
thawed, pan fried in a dab of oil and a big heap of cajun spices 4) some home
made dressing from acquaintances who run a local pizzeria and bottle their own
dressing.

Other variants: * replace cajun shrimp with chicken breasts ground and cooked
up taco-style, and throw some thin-sliced red onion and thick-cut avacado in
there * ...or a steak, marinated for a few hrs in fresh squeezed lime juice
and soy sauce, then quickly seared on a grill.

When you're eating a lot of bulk veggies, a little premium priced meat goes a
long way.

When you're eating mos

------
rcoder
A big wok full of veggie stir-fry was my "go-to" dish in college. Frozen
vegetables work well enough if money is really tight, but if you're willing to
work with whatever is in season (or on sale) at the grocery store, you can get
a lot of variety and flavor without spending much.

Fresh ginger and garlic, along with some soy and sweet chili sauce, is really
all you need for seasoning; protein can come from tofu, chicken, or really any
meat or seafood item; carbs come from rice or ramen noodles that are boiled
and then tossed in to sautee once all the veggies are done.

------
lallysingh
Everyone's got different standards for healthy, and cheap. Mine probably
aren't great, but I think it's a good starter position for going down this
road. Especially if you're not really a cook.

Here's mine: hit the grocery store and pick up some freezer ziplock bags and
some family-size packs of meat (whatever's on sale). Individually bag and
freeze them. With some veggies and sauce (A1 goes well with a lot), you've got
some good options.

Also, pasta. Mix in some chicken.

------
misterbwong
All you need are a few "all purpose" ingredients

1\. boneless, skinless chicken breast

2\. mixed frozen veggies

3\. rice or bread (rice keeps a lot longer...)

4\. Misc seasonings (salt, pepper, chili powder, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce,
etc)

You can buy these things in bulk and they will last forever. Combine to make
whatever dish you like. One of my favorites when I was working out a lot:

1\. Season chicken breast teriyaki sauce

2\. Wash rice and put in rice cooker

3\. Steam veggies along with the rice

4\. Cook chicken on foreman grill

5\. Pull out veggies, season with salt and pepper

6\. You're done!

You could do a stir fry dish just as easily.

------
makaimc
Mixing a salad with a can of low sodium tuna fish, lettuce, and spicy mustard
provides a lot of protein and no simple carbohydrates so it will keep your
blood sugar from crashing. Add baby carrots to it and the fiber will keep you
full for hours. If you create several of these and keep them refrigerated in
plastic containers you'll always have healthy meals on hand for when you get
hungry.

------
khafra
Meta-tip: Don't forget to do the math. I like making my own chili, and it's
healthier and tastier than pre-packaged fare, but after adding everything up
(15oz each red, black, and pinto beans, 28oz diced tomatoes, a few fresh
habaneros, ~1lb ground turkey, one onion, chili powder), it's slightly more
per meal than if I'd bought a small fast-food chili or can of Hormel's

------
kapitti
Take some premade pizza dough, put some ricotta cheese on it for the base -
saute some baby spinach (10oz or so) and artichoke hearts (1 can will do)
throw it on the pizza. Cook a single chicken breast in a skillet, dice it up,
throw it on the pizza - sprinkle with feta cheese, add some crushed red pepper
- throw it under the broiler until the feta is soft.

Enjoy.

------
symptic
I make a lot of meals for my roommate and myself with 2 cans of tuna ($.69-.89
a piece) and a package of 'parmesan couscous' ($2.49). The couscous part can
be broken dwn even further if you just buy a big thing of couscous without the
flavoring and make your own.

Total: $3.50 for two people. You could probably feed three with it, the
servings are huge.

------
jonmc12
I go to whole foods every 3-4 days. Pick up just enough: \- Tuna salad,
Turkey, Pre-sliced peppers, Broccoli, Yogurt, walnuts, Green / white tea,
prepped salads, walnuts, etc

Trick is to make sure its ready to eat - even if its a little more expensive,
that keeps me from eating out. Also, going every 3-4 days means that I eat
everything, no waste.

~~~
staunch
Whole Foods is probably the least economical place to shop.

~~~
jjburka
If your whole foods has a bulk section its rather economical to shop there for
that.

But on the topic of cheap/good for you eats: Can't go wrong with burritos made
with beans,corn and rice.

~~~
DabAsteroid
_If your whole foods has a bulk section its rather economical to shop there
for that._

Indeed. However, the bulk spices are even cheaper online, if one knows at
which websites to shop.

<http://www.herbalcom.com> ($6.25 to ship any size order)

<http://www.herbco.com> (free shipping for orders over $250)

~~~
jjburka
Wow thanks man. I generally go to ethic stores for spices which is really
cheap compared to conventional grocery stores. But not as cheap as that.

------
rodrigo
Ive found excellent recipes here
<http://www.marksdailyapple.com/category/recipes/> this guy is on the money,
ive been loosing weigth just by following some of his advice.

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bootload
_"... So can you advise healthy meals that are still within the 2-guy-in-a-
garage budget? ..."_

You supply the ingredients, OpenSourceFoods for recipes (with pictures) ~
<http://www.opensourcefood.com>

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Hutzpah
A dish I like for breakfeast: \- grits (cooked) together with ham & eggs \-
fresh tomatos as "salad"

Grits are awesome to start the day with because they are not lying heavy in
your stomach but the energy lasts long.

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dejb
Canned Beans. Chick Peas are my favourite. Open the can and eat with a fork or
spoon. Best to use the cans that can be opened by hand to avoid excessive
preparation time.

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maurycy
Fish. Find the chepeast possible fish and eat with rice.

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hs
fruit - nature's fast food

as a bonus, the waste is bio-degradable

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rw
Spinach - lots of spinach. Popeye had it right.

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rcoder
Spinach is great, but if you're on a tight budget, and therefore not getting a
lot of trace minerals, the oxalic acid content can actually mess you up pretty
badly. (Oxalic acid binds to calcium, iron, etc. to form an indigestible
chelate.)

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rw
I didn't know this - thanks.

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maxklein
Here is one: Lamb cotelets with couscous. It takes 5 minutes to cook and is
quite delicious. It's in the Jamie Oliver book.

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mchristoff
indian fare from trader joe's is bomb, particularly if you're vegetarian and
broke. it's $2 a packet and all you need to do is just squeeze it out and add
starch (the nan they have in the bread section is also pretty solid).

also, living in sf, burritos are the cheapest and most filling (not to mention
tasty) takeout you can get hands down.

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gregwebs
breakfast: granola that has flax oil + protein powder + multivitamin.

I am going to switch it up and try oatmeal + a flax/fish oil

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mynameishere
Corn beef hash.

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Shooter
That's usually larded with fat...?

