CheapHealthyFood

1,231 readers

0 active

0 users here now

This is a place to share ways to eat inexpensively - whether that's with recipes, finding coupons, or preservation techniques like freezing or pickling.

PLEASE NOTE: What is considered "healthy" or "cheap"? This will differ for every person. Please take this into consideration when reading and commenting.

All nutrition suggestions/advice should be taken with a grain of salt, as it's best to consult with a medical professional and/or reflect on your own personal eating habits and budget prior to taking advice from friendly strangers on the internet.

Diet- or budget-shaming will not be tolerated. Some people may prefer organic food, others may have food intolerances, some may be vegan, vegetarian, or keto.

Bottom line: be kind, considerate, and aware of advice from strangers on the internet.

Thank you!

founded 3 years ago

moderation log

moderators

Raindrop@lemmy.world

Easy meal prep ideas (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 6 months ago by Sciaphobia@sh.itjust.works to c/cheaphealthyfood@lemmy.world

5 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Hello! Hopefully this isn't a done to death topic, or if it is it isn't annoyingly so. If it is please tell me and I'll remove it!

So I am starting a masters program soon with a very aggressive course load. I have been thinking about a relatively keep-me-aliveable, easily makeable for a week, at least somewhat inexpensive food I can make in one evening that'll last a week.

What I currently have as an idea is:

3 cups uncooked brown Botan calrose rice.
5 pounds uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast.
10 cups spinach or kale.
2 cups uncooked dried garbonzo beans
6 tbsps olive oil

Which would produce 7 servings at about 800 calories each. The downside is this would be about half the calorie intake I should have daily at a minimum, and mostly because of the chicken and rice choice isn't particularly cheap. It would not be crazy expensive, but not what I'd call "cheap".

It would however be fairly filling, and would be pretty reasonably nutrient dense for the calorie cost. It is also something that could be made nearly entirely untended with a rice cooker and crock pot.

Any thoughts, or suggestions to improve the idea without transforming it into something that would be cumbersome to make?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Honey, what you're looking for is chicken or lentil curry. It's a bit more labor intensive than what you have here, but it's nutritious, cheap, easy to make en mass and will keep for a week or two in the fridge. Best of all, it has flavor.

Most any curry has the same method.

Temper whole spices in oil
Add chopped onion and saute until translucent (about 3 to 5 minutes)
Add ginger and garlic and saute until the raw scent disappears (about 30 seconds)
Add in chopped tomatoes and cook until completely soft.
Add in ground spices and stir well. Deglaze bottom with a splash of water.
Add in lentils, meat, vegetables or whatever you're making and cover with water.
Pressure cook for 8-15 minutes depending on meat or veg.

Add in chopped fenugreek, cilantro or parsley. Add lemon juice, tamarind paste or vinegar to balance it.

If you're making a meat curry, you should brown the meat first in the oil before adding the whole spices, remove it when it's browned, then add it back in before pressure cooking.

permalink

fedilink

source