33 People Share The 'Poverty Food' Of 2024

Chickpeas with any dressing.

Pork Loin is still pretty cheap. I got one that I'm sure I can make at least 4-5 meals for three people for $14.

Gardening is the new cheap food. Sorry if you don’t have space. You’d be surprised what you can get from a balcony or window though!
Also chicken feet for bone broth. Organ meats are pretty cheap too.

Marcella Hazan’s red sauce is relatively inexpensive…. Can of tomatoes, butter, salt, onion cut in half simmered on low 45 minutes or so. Noodles are cheap.

It’s not new, but Cajun rice and gravy has been always a pretty cheap food in South Louisiana. Get a cheap fatty cut of beef and seasoning it with salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Sear the beef on all sides. Pull the beef out the pot and add your Trinity. Once the veggies are lightly browned, around 5 to 10 minutes, add beef back along with a Bayleaf, Cajun seasoning, and whatever other herbs you want to add, add enough water to cover everything. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer, simmer for 4 to 6 hours, adding water as needed to keep things covered. It’s done whenever the beef is falling apart. Put it over rice, add hot sauce.

Pork is the best value meat out there right now after chicken. People overlook pork chops in particular. I got 5 lbs of amazing pork chops for $10 the other day at Costco. Made 3 dinner meals for my fam of 6 with them.

Lentils are great too.

That has generally been the case of “poverty foods.” Meat in the west only became the main focus of a dish because of factory farming. Everywhere else it’s almost treated like a condiment to veggies. Your cow was almost priceless so you wouldn’t butcher it until it stopped producing milk. Which you valued so much you’d try to preserve it by fermenting.

So the poverty food is the poverty food. Trying to extend the shelf life/ or package of meats. Eating more veggies forward.

Ramen?
Yogurt is usually on sale.

I don’t understand why people can’t learn to share. I have one person (me) to feed on a six figure income. I love Costco but I tend to get bored of the food before it goes bad. If a friend wants to share, I would happily go to Costco split a bulk pack of whatever.

Popcorn. Like a bag of kernels, popped in your microwave in a paper bag, with nothing else. Popcorn kernels are cheap and 3 Tbsp of popcorn kernels makes you feel like you at a big meal, all for about 120 calories if you’re counting.

For me it's just buying everything that's marked down b/c it's about to bad. I've gotten 2 lbs of chicken for $2 at Target & Mariano's. Jewel does a lot of BOGO free on fresh pre-sliced veggies, meat, prepared dinners, & random deli items like hummus or salsa.

I also keep an eye on food apps - you pretty much have to use the app to get decent prices. Frozen breakfast sandwiches are insanely expensive now, so I either make breakfast tacos for the week or I use the Dunkin app for discounts. Fast food places often have great deals but only if you use the app.

My fave cheap meal is just whole wheat pasta with a protein and frozen veggies on the side. I add butter and Parmesan cheese & whatever spices I'm feeling. Grilled cheese is still cheap, eggs aren't bad although I miss buying higher quality ones, and I love chickpea salad sandwiches for lunch.

15 minute potatoes- 8 minutes in the microwave, cover in oil, butter, or margarine and seasoning, and then cook in the air fryer for 7 minutes. Cut open and add anything, chili, sour cream, butter, bacon, up to you!

1 minute noodles. 
2 minute noodles are for the bourgeoisie.