How can I eat for cheap as a broke grad student?

[lawlifelgbt]

Decided to start my "how to eat for cheap" thread here. I mentioned in the "FRC: Hunger Creates Good Christians" thread that I was worried about how to adequately feed myself and Partner on my student loans until she's able to find work. Link here: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=19376&start=60 .

I'm no math wizard, but I think after rent and all expenses, that leaves me about $230 a month to feed two people, at least until she's working. I scrape by on my own for now because my parents will bring pasta and frozen dinners adequate for maybe three days' meals about once a month when they visit, and law schools have a lot of lunch and networking events for free. I sign up for all I can, and try to take leftovers. But I just can't see how it can work with two people without some major tricks.

Right now, I'm wondering what I can do with what I have. Staples are whole-wheat pasta, which I always keep around along with spaghetti sauce, cereal, eggs, almond milk, and wheat bread. I also usually have meatballs, and a few Lean Cusine frozen dinners in my freezer. I often end up eating the same things day in and out because of my budget; cereal, milk, and coffee, pb & j, and pasta (I swear I'm going to scream if I have to eat spaghetti again)! It's hard to have snacks on hand; they're just not in the budget, so I'll eat "junk" that I can get for free at school events/promos.

I'm especially wondering about cheap, high-quality protein sources and healthy snacks.

I know a lot of students have this problem, but budgeting and eating is harder for me to do than most because of some weird health/personal issues from an eating problem in the past (did not meet the weight criteria or have the more serious health problems associated with anorexia, since I was overweight when I first started dieting, but had most psych markers for it). This is hard on my budget because:

-I can't eat off the dollar menu or similar, or drink regular milk or eat white bread or pasta, because those kinds of foods trigger stomach problems, not to mention scaring me because I think fast food is fattening. This excludes a lot of the cheapest options.

-I also have some foods that I just HATE as a result, so ground beef, ham, boxed mac and cheese, and artificial "cheese product" are out.

-I've had to switch to soy or almond milk instead, and can't go vegetarian. If I don't eat meat at least every day or two, I start feeling really weak and crappy. I ran a serious protein and B12 deficiency when I was having problems, and with my current situation, still don't feel I'm getting enough protein.

-There are some days where no matter what I eat, I continue to be hungry, and could probably dive-tackle and eat a bear if I saw one. I'm guessing there's some sort of caloric deficit involved here, but if I just ate like I felt like doing on those days, I might run out of food really fast. I probably have increased calorie needs than the average person right now.

Then there are my time constraints. I'm often at school 10-12 hours a day, and have to pack easily-preparable, nonperishable food that I can eat quickly. I'm a really inept cook, but Partner, who's moving in soon, is good at it, so I'll actually be able to use any recipes we find.

[Thea]

Smart and Final has some really good cheap food items. I buy cheap pasta, beans and sauces to store in my back stock for emergencies. You can buy a bag of pasta for 35 cents, and a can of stewed tomatoes for 50 cents. Beans are less than a buck. for 2.5 lbs or white rice, is less than $3. At certain times of the month, certain food stuff, chicken for example, goes on sale supper cheap. You can get a packet of 5 to 6 chicken breast for under $5.

[jaynie]

I know it's not much help on the protein/snack front, but budget wise, my best advice is to try your hand at soups, stews, curries and the like. I have practically lived on them at times, and they are good budget foods in my opinion because:

-You can buy cheap cuts of meat without it tasting bad (soup stock keeps it moist and curry powder disguises it). So all those crummy beef cuts you wouldn't want to eat grilled are perfect here, for example. Dark poultry (if you normally prefer white, which a lot of people do) is also easily disguised.

-you can usually throw in whatever vegetables are on sale, rather than following a specific recipe. That makes it easier to cook, and it means you get more variety without having to think too hard about it.

- Speaking of easy to cook, it's just chopping things and throwing them in a pot on the stove. No fuss. Plus, if you make more than you need, you can freeze the leftovers -- both hold up to freezing really well. It's time saving and it means you have no waste.

- if you go to an Asian supermarket, you can usually get huge containers of powdered stock and curry powder/paste for very little money. They tend to have enormous bags of really good rice at a low cost, too -- I actually think it's cheaper, pound for pound, than no-name minute rice, and infinitely more delicious.

- Soups especially are really filling, what with all of delicious, cheap broth. With curries, you can pile on the rice. I mean, obviously you still need to get all the other nutrients, but if you have a problem with feeling excessively hungry, it might help sate it a bit.

- They don't get repetitive as quickly as other meals, in my opinion. I can't have a weeks worth of pasta without wanting to shun all pasta products for the rest of the year -- but I once ate curry for nearly two months solid without it getting tedious. Soup, less so.

So yeah. That's my soapboxing over with. But seriously, with a little bit of bargain hunting, I managed to make a week's worth of smoked salmon chowder once (last year) for just over 10$, not including the stock I already had on hand. Granted, I live on the west coast and so got the smoked salmon cheap, but then again -- I live on the west coast, so everything else costs a small fortune. So can you blame me for being evangelical about it? :)

[tenth muse]

You can add all sorts of beans and legumes to meat and pasta dishes- they're healthy, extra protein, add bulk and are very filling as well as cheap !

[halcionne]

Delurking to second Smart & Final. I got a pineapple there for two dollars once! They usually go for four or five bucks in my neck of the woods.

lawlifelgbt, do you ever make frittatas? That's my favorite when I have extra eggs on hand. Basically you just break six eggs over a pan of leftovers, including spaghetti, hehe. And frittatas typically include potatoes, which are my own personal obsession, as I'm trying to bump up my potassium intake and I hate bananas. Plus potatoes are cheap! Of course bananas are too, but I digress. Cut the frittata into six or eight pieces and throw a slice in your bag. It's tasty even at room temperature and can be eaten with your hands! OMG can you tell I like frittatas? I think I'm done here.

[Arete]

SNACKS

For home snacks, what I do is make up a cold bean salad at the beginning of the week. Usually chick peas or black beans, but you can use whatever beans you want. Toss with olive or canola oil, vinegar or lemon juice, salt and pepper. If you are using chick peas, great about a tablespoon of fresh ginger into two cups of peas. Marinate overnight. If you use black beans, a quarter tablespoon of cumin. These are great "snack salads". If you want an extra shot of protein with your snack salad, make a few hardboiled eggs at the time you are making the salads, and store the eggs in the fridge in the shell. Crack, salt and eat as needed. Dried beans are the cheapest, but they need prep time, canned beans are a good substitute, just make sure you rinse them with PLENTY of cold water to remove the saline solution they are stored in. Oh, and the beans or the eggs can be put on toast to supplement breakfast. If you can eat cream cheese, smear a slice of bread with cream cheese, top with some grated carrot, push in a few raisins.

Peanuts are pretty much the cheapest nut in my area, so mixed with raisins you can have an on the go snack.

CHICKEN

If your partner can cook, I cannot recommend whole roast chicken enough. Whole chicken here runs about 1.20 a pound, a five pound bird with roast potatoes will not only get you guys dinner for 2 on 2 different nights, you will be about to pull a chicken salad for 2-3 out of the same bird, be able to freeze some pieces for stir fry (or chicken and rice the next week), and last but certainly not least, the stripped carcass makes incredible chicken soup, that will get you 6-7 serving bowls of soup.

BREAKFAST

Steel cut or regular whole oats (not instant) bought in bulk is a healthy, filling breakfast. I would use your almond milk for 1/2 the liquid. A bit of sugar, some sliced apple or banana, or some raisins and the cold outside can be dealt with. Also, toasted bread sandwich of peanut butter and banana or peanut butter and apple.

MEAT

Cubed chuck or chuck "steak" that you can cube yourself is also reasonably priced in the meat department. You can substitute it for ground beef and make chili. If you brown it (1 pound cubed beef) in oil or butter, take it out briefly and sauté one chopped onion, one small chopped carrot, and when onion is almost translucent, 2 cloves chopped ginger. Add the meat and juices back, add a 14 ounce can of chopped tomatoes (cheaper than tomato sauce, which you are making here anyway) and a cup of water. If you have Italian herbs, use some, if you don't, don't worry, this has great flavor even without. Simmer till the meat is tender. Add salt and pepper. You may need a pinch of sugar depending how acidic the tomatoes are. Serve over pasta or rice.

A GREEK SNACK YOU MAY THINK IS INSANE BUT I WILL THROW IT OUT HERE ANYWAY

Tomato paste. Yep. Toast bread, slather with butter, spread tomato paste on top. Afternoon or study snack of champions. :mrgreen:

As some other things come to me, I'll post on the thread.

[lawlifelgbt]

@AreteJo: How expensive does homemade hummus end up being? Prep time? Recipe? It's just you mentioned chickpeas, and I LOVE hummus but don't know how to make it or how much ingredients might be.

Also just realized; I'm nearly as bad as the fundies we snark on, trying to "stretch" food! :pink-shock:

[Arete]

@AreteJo: How expensive does homemade hummus end up being? Prep time? Recipe? It's just you mentioned chickpeas, and I LOVE hummus but don't know how to make it or how much ingredients might be.

Also just realized; I'm nearly as bad as the fundies we snark on, trying to "stretch" food! :pink-shock:

Homeade hummus is pretty cheap. I can get a 1 pound bag of chick peas for $1.39 a pound here. The big time suck with dried beans is that they have to be soaked overnight, then boiled until tender. Usually a half pound of chick peas takes me between 1-1.5 hours. They are inconsistent little bastards. After you have the chick peas, it's really quick, run them in a blender/food processor with 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic, juice of 2 lemons, and I only use about a tablespoon of tahini, because I don't like its flavor to overwhelm the hummus. Salt and pepper, drizzle a little olive oil on top, hummus done. So 0.80 cents of chickpeas, 1.50 for the lemons if you don't buy them in 2 lb bags, and maybe 0.10 cents for the garlic. I don't know how much a jar of tahini is, because I've had the same one going on 2 years. Maybe 5.00 for a jar that will last you months, if not a year.

You can also make hummus with canned chickpeas, which essentially cuts your prep time to nothing. You would need about 3 cans that usually go for $0.80 a can in my neck of the woods. Still, both these recipes make a lot of hummus.

You can also make "hummus" with frozen soy beans. Cook till tender, follow same as for hummus.

No, you are nothing like the fundies. You care about nutrition and being able to feel full and satisfied for not just yourself, but for your partner as well. Fundies don't care about either for their own children.

If you eat mushrooms, they are an excellent source of B vitamins. You don't need the gourmet ones, the humble button mushroom is just as nutritious and works well in a tight budget. They are great sautéed with spinach (good for your iron needs) for use in frittatas, or as just a side. Mushrooms and spinach are also an excellent pasta topper for when you are having lunch at home.

[Arete]

Price and look for sales on FAMILY PACKS of meat. Even though it is only 2 of you, they make a lot of sense. If you can get 5 pounds of chicken breasts in a family pack for $10.00, grab a pack. When you bring it home, you are going to take out each individual chicken breast and wrap first in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Do this for every breast individually. Then put them all together in a large freezer bag and into the freezer. Dinner comes, you guys pull the 2 breasts you need, and prep them with you veggie and starch. Family Packs are hands down the most economical way to buy meat, but sometimes singles and couples don't think of them because they imagine having to use them up at once. Sausage-family pack and divide at home. Chicken legs or thighs-ditto. Meat for pot roast-if they are selling it in a 5 pound cut, take it home, use your knife to divide it in 2, 2 pot rots.

Your family has been willing to get you some food. Don't be shy or embarrassed. Ask them to get you a family pack of meat instead of 2 Lean Cuisines. They obviously want to help. I think they would be very happy to get you something that is just plain old more nutritionally sound for your household if they knew you actually wanted it and would be able to cook with it. You law students are all about communication, aren't you? ;)

Oh, are you guys lactose intolerant, or can you cook with milk?

Sorry if I'm being pushy. :embarrassed: Bird's got to fly, bear has to shit in the woods, Greek has got to talk about food. But I've gotten much better in my middle age about backing off when asked, so feel free. :mrgreen:

[lawlifelgbt]

I can eat cheese, but not use milk in batters or sauces. We've found soy milk works well in pancake batter- you make from scratch, eat a few, and freeze the rest.

My mother is sort of obsessed with my weight, so she gets that sort of diet food because OH MY GOD I GAINED 10 POUNDS while recovering, so I obviously need help to lose it. *rolls eyes*. Also, I don't know how much they'll be willing to help us both, now. They disagree with Partner taking leave from school and moving in, and have threatened to stop visiting when I haven't toed the line before. Still, I'll try it. Can also ask my grandparents- going to see them in a few weeks, and they have an entire pantry room with a deep freezer. And last time I visited, she sent me home with four dozen cookies, so we can probably get some real food too.

I really like roasts! When Partner does them, we cut to size, boil some potatoes and an onion, and just toss the whole mess into a serving bowl. So many leftovers! She does a lot of stirfrys, and makes and freezes massive veggie soups- maybe we can find a way to bulk those up. They're good for her, since she's trying to lose weight, but soup doesn't feel substantial to me without beans/potatoes or meat.

I think I would feel a lot more secure if we had leftovers around, and cooked in larger quantities than just for us. Last month, I was staying with her. August is the worst time for students, so we were using the last of everything and portions weren't big. So I'd try to say I wasn't hungry or give her my part of things (not really altruistic, just that food insecurity makes me more neurotic about my weight and food).

I dislike the texture of mushrooms, so I don't eat them by themselves or as a topper, but will put them in eggs or stirfry. I also (this is going to sound insane and a bit gross), chop/crumble boiled egg in spaghetti if there's no meat, just for bulk and protein.

Thinking about seeing if I can help serve or fix event lunches, meeting food etc. with church- might get me access to leftovers, since they buy in bulk- without me having to tell (too many) people things are tight, and letting me feel like I'm earning it. I guess either of us could try to proofread papers or tutor on the side, too. I used to proof in undergrad- charged I think .75 or $1/page to spell and grammar check what Word misses, and $1.50/page if you wanted help with wording/title/needed to figure out how to add length.

[Arete]

If you guys like quinoa, it is an excellent way to bulk up a soup, both for the extra protein and the extra fullness. So you would take your leftover roast pieces, chop then up. Chop an onion and slice a carrot or more and sauté. Add your broth, your chopped roast left over, and about a cup of quinoa, well rinsed. simmer until quinoa is tender. I have also added quinoa to homemade cream of tomato or broccoli soup. It adds a very nice texture and ups the protein. If you make soup with rice, you can add a finely diced potato to the soup. It will give the broth a nice body.

You are absolutely correct bulk cooking is your friend. For another dip, take a can of cannellini beans, run then through the food processor with a small clove of garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil. Once pureed salt and pepper. Great dip that keeps in an airtight container in the fridge. If you want to thin it out at all, use a little water, or lemon juice, or vinegar. Great with bread, crackers, or even carrot sticks.

I don't think that egg idea is gross, as a matter of fact I do the same thing, except I use a fried egg on top. You can also make a type of "hash", sauté onion, garlic, cubed potato or sweet potato or both in a pan. Be carful not to let the onions burn. To speed up the potatoes in the end, add a little water and cover to get them tender. Last part add frozen broccoli, or spinach, or peas, or whatever frozen or fresh veggie you want. If using fresh you may need to add them a little earlier. Salt and pepper. Top the hash either with hard boiled eggs or friend eggs. Makes a good lunch or dinner. You can also fry bacon for some drippings and flavor to get the sauté going. You don't need a lot, you want the flavor and you can make up the fat for the veggies with oil.

Do you have access to a Trader Joe's? They have some of the best prices on canned and dried beans in my area.

[Arete]

Put the websites of all the supermarkets you have access to into your "Favorites" bar. You only have to check them once a week, you don't have to go on a coupon treasure hunt. Look at the meat and bulk meat and what fresh fruit and veggie is on sale. Store carrots and celery in the crisper in Ziploc bags and they can last at least 2 months. Store potatoes in a cool, dark, place. If you don't have one and live in a hot climate, they may need to go in the fridge. Frozen veggies are an excellent option for broccoli, spinach, peas, and corn. You can often find sales on those.

If family or friends are open to you suggesting gifts for holidays or birthdays, ask for bottles of olive oil or certain spices you like to cook with (I developed this method of gift directing when I was starting out. Hey, they asked what I wanted. ;) )

[Verin Sedai]

Honestly, a lot of my knowledge of bean cooking comes from fundie(ish) sites about cooking or homemaking. My favorite is http://www.kitchenstewardship.com - she does not ring the religion bell too loudly (and honestly, most of it is in its own, easily avoided posts) and she's got great bean recipes and great snack recipes (homemade Larabars).

Do you eat eggs? Eggs are awesome, awesome, awesome for protein, filling you up, and relatively cheap. You can make them so many ways! One of our favorite easy cheap dinners is spaghetti carbonara (bacon & egg spaghetti). Eat eggs for breakfast a few times a week and save on your milks. Hard boiled eggs for snacks.

I also recommend roasted chicken, and if you've got freezer space, save the carcasses in a big freezer bag. Also save onion tops, carrot ends, celery leaves and ends, whatever you would otherwise throw in the trash (not slimy or dirty, just bits you normally cut off). When you have 3 or 4 carcasses, make chicken stock with them! I use my biggest soup pot or my 6 quart crockpot, and cook the chicken carcasses in water and some spices (bayleaf, peppercorns, a bit of white vinegar) for several hours, then add the vegetable ends for another hour. Strain out the stuff, let it cool in your fridge, and you can skim the fat off the top and you've got "free" chicken broth. The first link I posted has more detailed instructions.

Here's a few recipes that I use that are cheap, tasty, and filling:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spinach-an ... =1&evt19=1

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spaghetti- ... &e7=Recipe

[halcionne]

Homeade hummus is pretty cheap. I can get a 1 pound bag of chick peas for $1.39 a pound here. The big time suck with dried beans is that they have to be soaked overnight, then boiled until tender. Usually a half pound of chick peas takes me between 1-1.5 hours. They are inconsistent little bastards. After you have the chick peas, it's really quick, run them in a blender/food processor with 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic, juice of 2 lemons, and I only use about a tablespoon of tahini, because I don't like its flavor to overwhelm the hummus. Salt and pepper, drizzle a little olive oil on top, hummus done. So 0.80 cents of chickpeas, 1.50 for the lemons if you don't buy them in 2 lb bags, and maybe 0.10 cents for the garlic. I don't know how much a jar of tahini is, because I've had the same one going on 2 years. Maybe 5.00 for a jar that will last you months, if not a year.

You can also make hummus with canned chickpeas, which essentially cuts your prep time to nothing. You would need about 3 cans that usually go for $0.80 a can in my neck of the woods. Still, both these recipes make a lot of hummus.

You can also make "hummus" with frozen soy beans. Cook till tender, follow same as for hummus.

No, you are nothing like the fundies. You care about nutrition and being able to feel full and satisfied for not just yourself, but for your partner as well. Fundies don't care about either for their own children.

If you eat mushrooms, they are an excellent source of B vitamins. You don't need the gourmet ones, the humble button mushroom is just as nutritious and works well in a tight budget. They are great sautéed with spinach (good for your iron needs) for use in frittatas, or as just a side. Mushrooms and spinach are also an excellent pasta topper for when you are having lunch at home.

Tahini costs a bundle where I am (SF Bay Area -- ten bucks a jar!), but if you're making hummus from scratch you can make tahini too. Sesame seeds at the health food store are around $3 or $4 a pound, which is A LOT of sesame seeds.

[Maggie Mae]

Make a friend who has a Costco card, and go to Costco with that person. Stock up on your eggs & meat - eggs last forever (ignore whatever date is listed on the package, it's a "quality is best" date, not a hard and fast rule) and you can freeze the meat you don't eat right away.

I don't know where AreteJo lives, but in my area, carrots and celery DO NOT last 2 months in the crisper. So I wouldn't recommend buying that in bulk. However, carrots are super cheap (at least in my area) so I can pick some up daily.

Here's what me and the bf do for our food. We aren't students, but we live a pretty active frugal lifestyle. We buy frozen chicken and defrost it as we need it. We each prepare our own food 80% of the time, because of reasons. On Sundays, I cook my lunches for the week. I eat breakfast and a large lunch at work, and sometimes a small snack in the evening. This is what works for me. For breakfast I usually scramble some eggs in the microwave at work and put some shredded cheese on them and hot sauce. I use a plastic reusable container - spray with cooking spray, crack the eggs, add spices and some heavy cream, and stir at home. When I get to work, i pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, put in for 30 more. Done. This usually keeps me full until at least noon, usually later. Theprotein + fat combination is so much more satisfying and filling, and it's around 350 calories for the eggs, cheese, cream, and hot sauce.

Lunches - I alternate - one week I'll broil 3-4 chicken breasts on sunday with seasoning and maybe make some sort of a sauce depending on what i'm in the mood for. I slice the chicken and then portion it out in reusable containers. i find 4-5 ounces is plenty for me + some broccoli or whatever other veggie I have that is okay to microwave. Other weeks I might make a chili or something in the crockpot, or a soup. I don't mind eating the same thing every day for a week though. I'd say that together we probably spend around $300 a month on food, and that is because we go out to eat twice a month and we do have our own meal plans.

If you look up keto meals - there are a LOT of really filling, satisfying meals that will go a long way. It's a diet that works for a lot of people because the combination of fat + protein is really filling. I found that for me, reducing (not eliminating) my net carbohydrates is key to not feeling hungry, saving money, and not having "cravings."

One of the things you can also do is go to hotels & conference centers during lunch hours and attend the luncheons/networking events. 99% of them don't require tickets or anything - just look like you know where you are going and like you belong. I've had countless meals and have attended lots of boring speeches/seminars. I now actually plan a few of those types of events a year for my business, and I generally have no idea who is supposed to be there and who isn't. If you are dressed in business casual and confident, you can get away with most anything. We also always order too much food, so it's not like anyone is going to care. I wouldn't ever crash a wedding or a birthday party though. But Chamber of Commerce lunches, various banks, speeches by politicians, generally no one cares at all. There are also always people who just don't show up for whatever reason.

[outrunningzombies]

Dried beans, as others have said, are super cheap and nutritious. If there is an ethnic grocery near you, they often have the best prices. Beans also freeze pretty well, so a few hours one day can last awhile. Buy a few tupperware containers to freeze the beans in so you can reuse them. A friend of mine washes and reuses ziploc bags as long as they don't hold meat.

My lazy meal is refried beans and tortillas. Refried beans= mashed black beans plus a tiny bit of oil and some garlic and some cumin, all cooked in a frying pan. This keeps awhile in the fridge.

If I'm feeling fancy, I add cheese, salsa or a fried egg on top of my tortilla. Everything is better with a fried egg.

Splurge on some tasty condiments to break up the monotony. I can eat anything if I put Siracha on it. My husband will eat anything with ketchup or salsa.

If you're having a day where you could eat the entire grocery store, eat a snack with fat, protein and fiber. An apple with peanut butter is good. Usually that combo fills me up, and apples in big bags and peanut butter in big jars is cheap.

The local organic coop offers free food in exchange for volunteering. They do this because they can't afford to pay people, not as a pity gesture. Maybe there is something similar in your area.

You can learn to cook a whole chicken. It's very economical and so much easier than you believe. Google beer can method.

Do you own a crockpot? It is awesome for big meals and meals that require long cooking times like tough cuts of meat or dried beans. If you don't have one, you can usually find a cheap one at Goodwill or maybe Freecycle. If you find one without a lid, make a lid from tin foil.

[Arete]

I don't know where AreteJo lives, but in my area, carrots and celery DO NOT last 2 months in the crisper

Put them in sealed Ziploc freezer bags and then into the crisper. Cross my heart, they last. I honestly do not remember where I originally read this, but I tried it and it has been a godsend with the celery in particular, because I just don't turn over a new head of stalks that often. Just take out the air and reseal the bag every time you take some out.

[lawlifelgbt]

Crockpots are awesome! When Partner brings hers, I'm going to try to get us a soup together. I've heard beans and rice are good too- my apartment complex had a meeting on capital improvements last night, which was tacos, so I swept in afterwards and put the rest of the beans/rice in Tupperware. Maybe beans and rice on toast, but maybe too carb-heavy? It was so great to have extra food so I could snack last night though. Also just got several Starbucks cards. So I think I'll go with one of their bistro boxes or yogurt with my coffee.

Still a little short on snacks though, since I just have carrots and granola bars (but lots of extra dry cereal). I'm having trouble finding nuts I like at a good price. Also, finally got back to working out after my sprain healed up, and now that it's been a few days, my metabolism's roared back up and I'm REALLY hungry (I run 3-6 miles a day, 6 days a week, and lift weights; keeping fit is important, but that means I get hungrier and need more than the normal small 23-year-old girl).

What do you guys recommend to eat when you're really, really hungry?

[DarkAnts]

Crockpots are awesome! When Partner brings hers, I'm going to try to get us a soup together. I've heard beans and rice are good too- my apartment complex had a meeting on capital improvements last night, which was tacos, so I swept in afterwards and put the rest of the beans/rice in Tupperware. Maybe beans and rice on toast, but maybe too carb-heavy? It was so great to have extra food so I could snack last night though. Also just got several Starbucks cards. So I think I'll go with one of their bistro boxes or yogurt with my coffee.

Still a little short on snacks though, since I just have carrots and granola bars (but lots of extra dry cereal). I'm having trouble finding nuts I like at a good price. Also, finally got back to working out after my sprain healed up, and now that it's been a few days, my metabolism's roared back up and I'm REALLY hungry (I run 3-6 miles a day, 6 days a week, and lift weights; keeping fit is important, but that means I get hungrier and need more than the normal small 23-year-old girl).

What do you guys recommend to eat when you're really, really hungry?

Pasta is my go to meal. Its cheep, easy to make, and you can find many alternatives. Its also comfort food for me.

[merrily]

What about those Italian styled dumplings (the name escapes me right now)? Those things you can toss in a pot for 5-7 mins and they'll be done. You can get ones with filling in them. Once they're done, you take them out, sprinkle on some olive oil, add some greens and you have a quick dinner.

[lawlifelgbt]

Merrily- Do you mean gnocchi? We're just making some. Also, interesting experience. We went to the closest store, which is in a heavily immigrant and blue-collar neighborhood. I pulled out my debit card, and the cashier said, "So is this food sta-, or..." I must have given her an unintentional weird look because she didn't pursue that line of questioning anymore.

Then I told Partner I was pissed that she had assumed, and Partner said that maybe we SHOULD get on SNAP until she finds a job. I'm all for being able to have more snacks and protein, but I'm worried it'll hold up my bar application process later, or stop me from being an actual lawyer. (My state doesn't allow discrimination based on public assistance, but a lot of applications still do ask, and so it's entirely possible they could deny based on that but then tell me, "You're just not a fit.") So I could miss some chances.

I'm afraid it would be humiliating, too. I have good clothes and tech toys and look professional, so people might look at me thinking I don't need it. Not to mention that other people probably pass judgment on one's purchases, and what if I ran into supervisors, professors, or classmates while shopping?

[Arete]

Tell me if I am wrong, but SNAP cards look like regular debit cards now, do they not? Or do they have a particular logo? Let's go with it and say that they do have some sort of distinctive logo on it that someone would actually bother to look at while you paid a cashier (Personally, I could not be assed to look in see if someone in front of me is paying VISA, debit, AMEX or SNAP). So what? They will judge you? You are going to be a lawyer, you need a thick skin to stay in that game. Good nutrition supersedes judgment or pride. What do we always say to the fundies? "The programs are out there, use them." Don't let other people's judgments get in the way of making the best decision you can for yourself and your partner. You are not going to be able to be the best student you can be if you are food insecure.

[samurai_sarah]

(snip)

I'm afraid it would be humiliating, too. I have good clothes and tech toys and look professional, so people might look at me thinking I don't need it. Not to mention that other people probably pass judgment on one's purchases, and what if I ran into supervisors, professors, or classmates while shopping?

It is humiliating, but does it really matter what other people think, if your health is at stake? In my early undergrad days, I still sported the nice clothes that my parents bought me, before I took off. So, I looked nice, but that didn't negate the fact that sometimes I didn't have enough money to buy a 60p loaf of cheap bread. Clothes are deceptive, and it doesn't matter what anyone thinks. You still have to eat, and it doesn't help anyone if you a) starve, or b) eat crap that's going to land you with a whole host of medical issues down the line*.

I hate to break it to you, but yes, people are going to judge you. And I won't lie, because I judge the people who are in front of me in the cashier's queue for what they buy, and I don't think that anyone behind me doesn't judge me. I judge my neighbours every day for the wall-paper they have, and I suspect that some of the people I meet every day, don't think that my purple coat is that great on me. Does it matter? Not a single bit. It'd started mattering, if I barged into my neighbours' house and tore down their wall-paper. It'd matter, if someone took my coat away from me. Silent disapproval? Not bothered.

This whole rant is just to say one thing: If you need it, take it, and the hell with what anyone thinks!

* Don't know if it's true, but "Supersize Me" still has me worried.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Take any canned chick peas or beans. Toss in a food processor (even a cheap mini chopper will do) with a clove of garlic, some lemon juice, some olive oil, a bit of water, and a bit of whatever other spices you happen to like. Instant hummus or bean dip.

Slow cooker stew is awesome. Take a package of stewing beef, a can of diced tomatoes, some veggies and/or potato, some barley, a bit of red wine, a bit of mustard, a pinch of salt and pepper and garlic and rosemary, and let it cook all day or overnight. The longer, the better, on low setting.

Canned diced tomatoes are your friend. They can form a base for many different stews or soups - just switch up the other ingredients and spices.

Frozen chopped spinach is also good. I use it in curry, in pasta sauce, and baked with a bit of pesto. If you put it in the roasting dish with chicken, it absorbs the juices and tastes quite awesome.

Frozen fruit is great in smoothies, and you can add protein powder so it's a complete breakfast. I like it because it says good for a long time and doesn't rot the way that fresh fruit does.

Canned pink or keta salmon is fairly cheap. I use it in pasta sauce.

Pancakes: Make them with whole grain flour and almond milk. Really cheap and quite delicious.

Get a bunch of Glad or Ziploc containers, and a recipe for pancakes or muffins. Put the dry ingredients in the container, then label it with a permanent market and write what wet ingredients need to be added. That way, you don't have half open bags of flour making a mess, and whipping up muffins or pancakes becomes really quick. A homemade muffin, made with whole grain flour, not too much sugar and a frozen cranberry or two, makes a great snack and you can bake it up fresh.

[fullmetalheart]

Chili! Chili is cheap, filling, and there are many different ways to make it so that you don't get too tired of it. Bonus points are that it's just as good reheated.

Stir fry is pretty good. A bottle of soy sauce will last you awhile, get the meat on sale, and some frozen veggies.

Tacos or nachos. Again, ground beef or ground turkey, depending what's on sale that week, sour cream, cheese, salsa, bag of shredded lettuce.

I love this chicken recipe!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/crispy-herb-baked-chicken/

For snacks, I like carrot sticks.

As to SNAP: I eat a specialized diet for health reasons which causes me to sometimes have to get organic foods and all my food has to be gluten free. The card does look like a regular debit card and yes, sometimes I feel like people are judging me for what I am purchasing. But you know what? It's my health that's on the line and if people want to be dickheads and say something to my face, they're going to get a piece of my mind. The point is, we need food to survive. I'm sure people are judging me for my food choices on SNAP. I'm sure people would judge me for my food choices even if I didn't have food choices and bought the cheapest stuff at Walmart. Point of the matter is, the people who are the type who cast judgement will find someone else to cast judgement on. They will be Judgy McJudgerson no matter what. So hold your head high, and if you need the assistance, accept it. If it will help you get your feet off the ground and enough food for a few months, accept it. Keep in mind it isn't forever and not a permanent solution, just something for a short while to help you make ends meet.