this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2025
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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.

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[–] AnimalsDream@slrpnk.net 11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Also a very underrated flavoring that's unjustly stigmatized because of racism is MSG. You can get really big bags of them for super cheap, and it's an easy way to make any meal taste savory.

[–] faythofdragons@slrpnk.net 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

MSG is my secret weapon for making my cooking better than his mother's.

[–] redraven@midwest.social 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

MSG has been a godsend in the kitchen for us. It just makes everything taste better!

[–] faythofdragons@slrpnk.net 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

It stands for Magical Savory Goodness

[–] redraven@midwest.social 2 points 1 day ago

You get it! My wife and I use the term "the sacred MeSsaGe"

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Rice, oil, little tomato paste or *sauce, pinch of sugar, whatever spices you have -> mexican rice

Large skillet of cooked rice, 1 scrambled egg, salt. Stir egg in to rice over heat and mix until cooked. Eggs and rice. Decent flavor, super filling, reheats well.

Rice, soaked black or soaked red beans, Filé powder, chilli powder, salt. cook like it's just rice. red/black beans and rice, heartly flavor, super filling.

1 single sausage patty cooked and chopped super fine, file powder, skillet of cooked rice, salt - > dirty rice.

1 serving of cheap uncooked spaghetti broken into 1/2 inch pieces, 3C uncooked rice, 2 tlbs of high heat oil, stir until pasta browns a bit, water barely to cover, stir in salt, dry italian herbs, butter if you have it, tight lid. stir occasionally, DIY Rice-A-Roni.

Throw a single uncooked chicken wing in a large pot of uncooked rice and water, cook normally. it will flavor the rice and you can still eat the wing or tear the meat off into the pot.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 2 points 6 days ago

lentils in particular can be mixed with rice and cooked up right in a rice cooker. easiest meal to make.

[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago
[–] Tm12@lemmy.ca 117 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Lentils are another good legume. Look up a daal recipe for any lentil you find, and basmati rice

[–] RaoulDuke85@piefed.social 41 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I’ve been making a Lebanese dish. It’s lentils mixed with rice and sautéed onions. Top it off with a dollop of sour cream.

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago

That sounds pretty good

[–] BurntWits@sh.itjust.works 19 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I’m anaphylactic to lentils and peanuts, and less allergic to other legumes too. If I ever became vegetarian or vegan I think I’d starve to death.

I’m not currently requiring budget protein (I’m still poor-ish but not as bad as some) but my bills are about to skyrocket soon (need to upsize apartment, looking at around ~$600 increase per month) so I might need to look at budget options soon.

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[–] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 57 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Fortified short grain white rice... hit up Costco or Sam's, or your local Asian market, and you can score a 20 lb bag for like $15 which comes out to literally a few cents per meal. (well... pre-tariffs at least... nowadays idk)

From there, add beans, or eggs, or chicken broth, or literally almost anything else: shit off the clearance wrack, from the food pantry, w/e. If it's a meat or veggie, it'll go with rice. In the case of the pantry, if you're not actually sure what it is, it'll still probably go with rice. Got a bag of spicy cheetos you forgot to close and now it's all stale? Don't throw that shit away, smash it up and throw it in with your next batch of rice - now it's spicy! (I've done it - texture's a little weird, but otherwise came out better than expected). Rice is ridiculously versatile.

Disregard the hate for white rice being nutritionless junkfood - it is, but when money's that tight, you don't give a fuck. The fortified rice mitigates that a bit, and in my experience is usually cheaper. It's a starting point: add what you can to make it less shit; and even if it's a meal of just straight rice, that's still better than an empty stomach.

[–] rbos@lemmy.ca 17 points 1 week ago

Your basic rice jazzes up well, too. Scoop of soup stock, scoop of turmeric, scoop of cumin, can of peas, cook it all together in the instant pot or rice cooker. Soy sauce and a raw egg, whip it together.

[–] e0qdk@reddthat.com 16 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Cooked plain rice freezes well too. I cook a big batch and use a small bowl to split it into individual portions. I wrap those in a little plastic wrap, and freeze it. ~2 mins in the microwave (reusing the wrap as a cover for the bowl) and I've got almost-as-good-as-fresh rice.

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[–] ExtremeUnicorn@feddit.org 52 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (10 children)

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?

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[–] xyro@lemmy.ca 44 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 27 points 1 week ago

Rice is way cheaper.

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[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 30 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (10 children)

Bean stew is one of the most delicious things you can cook whether you can afford more or not. Here's my recipe. Everything but the beans, onions, carrots, paprika, oil and salt is optional and mainly improves the taste profile. Works with almost any kind of bean. Can be done with dried beans too but you gotta handle softening them up first.

Bean stew/soup v4.1

  • 3x beans cans - 540ml
  • 2x onion heads
  • 2x carrots
  • 2tbsp paprika, 1tbsp smoked paprika
  • cooking oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or less) and 1/2tsp of MSG
  • 2x chicken or beef cubes
  • marinara/tomato puree/diced tomatoes/vinegar/some other acid

  • Add beans with some water in a pot. Use OG bean water too.
  • Chop onions and carrots in small pieces.
  • Fry onions and carrots in a pan with oil.
  • Once fry is done, add all the paprika and stir for 10-20s then pour into the pot, let it boil once.
  • Add the beef/chicken cubes.
  • Add spearmint, lots.
  • Add some more oil if needed. Olive is great.
  • Add 3-4tbsp marinara, diced tomatoes or balsamic vinegar.
  • Add 1/2 tsp salt (or less) and 1/2tsp of MSG.
  • Test for salt, it might be good enough.

Eat it with some bread or by itself. It goes well with any type of hot pepper too.

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[–] termaxima@slrpnk.net 27 points 1 week ago (4 children)

As a vegan, this has been my main meal because I'm pretty lazy (usually wrapped in a tortilla with guacamole, but I also eat it plain)

The gas issues are only a problem for a few days / weeks until your gut biome adjusts !

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[–] wyrmroot@programming.dev 27 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

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.

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[–] JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social 21 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (5 children)

Brown rice, barley, or other whole grains have much more protein than white rice

White rice is pretty much pre-diabetic junk food that's been stripped of most of its fibre and nutrients. I'd recommend always replacing with something like the above, or my favorite, steel-cut oats.

If you get dried beans, make sure you follow the directions to pre-soak them.

When cooking from dried, some baking soda in the heating process can greatly speed things up. The use of a potato masher here and there can also speed up the softening of the beans, and makes it easier to tell how far along they are.

Get some bulk garlic powder, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, black pepper, etc. Season and salt the pot to taste.

Don't forget MSG, which boosts up the savory / umami taste. It's cheap, you don't need a lot, and there is no such thing as an MSG allergy. (altho very occasionally people can have sensitivity)

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago (2 children)

or my favorite, steel-cut oats.

If we're talking about cheap meals steel-cut oats have almost excluded themselves these days. I used to be able to buy organic SCO in bulk for about $1.45/lbs. These days I can't find any SCO for less than $3.50/lbs and that conventional, not organic.

Where are you getting cheap SCO these days?

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[–] Sergio@piefed.social 20 points 1 week ago

Frozen peas are great for that too. Goes with a lot of different dishes. just throw in a handful, or make a side-dish.

[–] RBWells@lemmy.world 20 points 1 week ago

My kids call me "bean lady" for my love of beans. They are a perfect food.

Red beans and rice (red beans cooked with small chopped veg, long grain white rice)

Pinto beans on brown rice, with tahini.

Pinto beans on brown rice, with chili paste.

Pinto beans refried with breakfast.

Lentil dal with coconut milk and spinach (or lately with Hong Tsoi because it grows here, spinach is too fussy. )

Garbanzo bean soup with potatoes and chorizo.

Ful mudamas with pita and feta cheese and scallions

Channa masala so spicy, with chopped onion and mixed pickle, on white basmati

Red lentils and greens on sourdough toast. East with knife and fork.

Brothy enormous white beans cooked in veg broth but with a Parmesan rind or a bone.

I really truly love beans.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Rice and beans together make a full protein, so eat them together.

Rice takes up arsenic when it grows, if you eat a lot it can add up. It's mostly in the bran which is in brown rice and is removed for white rice. Rinse many times before cooking and you can either boil in lots of excess water and drain (like you do with pasta) or parboil it. https://health.osu.edu/wellness/exercise-and-nutrition/how-to-reduce-arsenic-in-rice

https://sheffield.ac.uk/sustainable-food/news/new-way-cooking-rice-removes-arsenic-and-retains-mineral-nutrients-study-shows

[–] blaggle42@lemmy.today 17 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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.

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[–] baldingpudenda@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

My go to rice recipe: spanish rice

Add some refried beans and a protein or cheese, kids will clean their plate.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 14 points 1 week ago

Beans are protien

[–] ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (2 children)

It's the return of depression meals, 1930s style

[–] Ohmmy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Unlike my dumbass family back then I'm not afraid of spicing my rice and beans like people with melanin

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I can’t imagine spices were exactly cheap. When you’re at the point of making water pie I’m gunna guess that spices are an easy enough thing to let go of.

[–] Ohmmy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I'm not talking spices from around the globe or some shit. I'm talking jalapenos, serranos, chipotles...

Ya know, cheap staple crops from my region of the world that grow like weeds and add flavor for cheap.

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Ok, with as little intended rudeness as possible: Spicing is a weird word, and usualy for clarity anything to do with heat would be “spicing” or “making spicy”.

And yea those are definitely not too expensive at all. I really enjoy using spiciness as a way to add a a lot of depth basically for free. Everything is better with some red pepper flakes.

[–] Ohmmy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Frankly I disagree, chili powder and paprika are spices commonly sold as spices and are just dried then crushed chilies. It's just a preservation method and in Asia chilies are preserved in chili oils so not technically a spice but is used for flavor like a spice.

Really the only problem here is that the language we are using is so fucking bad at describing flavor and cooking.

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I mean, a little yes but if you’re specifically talking hot peppers, and you said that you were, then the bulk of what they bring to the table is heat. Flavour for sure a little, but I wouldn’t consider them spices.

I can agree that the language is a little vague. Like at what point does ginger become a spice and not a normal ingredient? Only when it’s dried and powdered?

[–] Ohmmy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 days ago

I'm sorry but if you think chilies only add a little flavor there's no point continuing this. Have a good one.

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[–] chunes@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (6 children)

leave it to lemmy users to disparage the primary staple of 3.5 billion people. "Pre-diabetic junk food" lmao sure ok

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[–] YoSoySnekBoi@kbin.earth 13 points 1 week ago

If you can get a hold of some chipotle chili pepper, adding a little bit to the beans is a great way to get some smokiness and depth of flavor too. It's really strong so one container lasts basically forever

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