Life isn’t easy, is it? You can be up or you can be down. All dependent on what happens in your life. Going from a great paying job to living below the poverty line on less than half of minimum wage can be rough. But TRUST ME. It can be done. I have done it for many years off anon. All you need is a bit of time, some patience (which can be considered the same thing) and creativity. Which is why it’s becoming so common to see easy meals for $1.50 -$5 MAX.
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So what do you need to know?
Veganism isn’t expensive. It doesn’t have to be time consuming either. I will say this though. It does come with a learning curve. We have been programmed for so long to include things in our diet that aren’t beneficial to us, the environment or the animals.
The goal of tight budget plant-based (ie. vegan) meals is to fill up on protein and low-cost solutions to the nutrients you need. For example, you can bulk up every meal with beans and lentils. This will give you plenty of iron and protein as well as many other vitamins and minerals you need as well.
5 Meal Ideas Around $1.50
I have and always will love simplicity. I think that why crock pots and rice cookers are such staples in my kitchen. So let us start off with one of my absolute favorite recipes I have done for The Discount Vegan. Which is Mexi-Style Rice Cooker Rice.
This is a one pot rice that takes very little effort or ingredients. It has as much flavour as you can pack into it with whatever your choice of salsa is. With a complete flavorful and satisfying profile this is a definite dish I had to share with you, and one that you have to try for yourself!
Don’t think We are quite done yet! I love seeing classics like sloppy joe’s not only
So if you are craving a kid classic, I highly recommend the vegan and gluten-free Lentil Sloppy Joes from Modern Little Victories. Packed full of flavor, but still quite easy to make, and the ingredients are fairly minimal and common to.
Now I know what you are thinking! Where are all the noods…they’re cheap, and quick. How come no pasta? Because that’s to obvious. I am not an obvious person, I am a straightforward, but in a roundabout way type person. So how bout we get some noods, but not quite the standard pasta. So whats still cheap, a little better for you and way more filling than pasta? How about Ramen? Let’s show up and show out with 3 Different Ways to make Ramen
So you are probably noticing a common denominator by now. A large part of many good meals are obviously beans, but the carbs that fuel your energy, and get you through the day are their too. So that’s rice, noodles and of course potatoes.
Don’t Stop Now! Still a Couple More Recipes
Which leads into my next favorite yet classic meal under $1.50. A classic in its own right. The delicious Sheppard’s pie. It has all of the staples of a classic meal. Veggies, potatoes, and ….in this case NOT MEAT. Instead, we will go with lentils, yet again. Showing how easy they are to cook, and how delicious they are to eat! This is my absolute favorite Shephards Pie done by Minimalist Baker.
Now I tend to leave some of my absolute favorite dishes to the end, but honestly..their is a reason why I keep saying all of these are my favorites. They are all so packed with flavor and are so easy to make that it’s always hard to choose which dish I want next.
So to cap off this list of 5 Meals Around $1.50 a serving, I will quite possibly introduce you to a possible new dish I absolutely love and have been making for quite some time ( you can see it in my Instagram here) now it seems. Sweet & Sour Cabbage (over rice, or whatever you want) from my Instagram is a definite go-to every fall, and even when I have a little/big craving throughout the rest of the year.
It’s got the perfect mix of sweet and sour that I have been able to find. Not to mention it catches peoples attention because most people don’t seem to know about this dish.
If you are hard pressed to find your beans, lentils, rice or noodles in bulk. Check below for my easy ships from Amazon