How I Make 20 Healthy Meals for $30

These cheap, healthy meals were born from experience. This is exactly how Lorn and I used to eat (and still do sometimes) & I think these budget meals are so useful and delicious that I had to share. Get a free bag of fresh coffee with any Trade subscription: www.drinktrade.com/brian.
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GROCERY LIST:
4 bone-in chicken legs
2lb/1kg bag of dried black beans (sub 4 cans)
dozen eggs
2 onions
1 avocado
12oz/350g Carrots
Head of cabbage
Kale (2lb/1kg bag)
Head of garlic
Poblano pepper
Button mushrooms
cilantro
Cherry tomatoes
Frozen peas
Bag rice
Feta
8oz/220g can tomato sauce
can tomato paste
Tostada shells
PANTRY:
Cooking oil
Salt
Pepper
Hot sauce
Better than bouillon
Ground cumin
Chili powder
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Vinegar
Dried oregano
Turmeric
Pickled jalapenos
Oyster sauce
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Mayo
Sriracha
RECIPES (feeds 2):
NIGHT 1: Beans, greens, and rice
Ingredients:
1lb/.5kg dry black beans
Olive oil
1T cumin
1T chili powder
1T onion powder
1T garlic powder
1T vinegar or lime
Beans:
Soak beans overnight. pressure cook, high 45 min.
Add 2-3T oil to a saucepan over med heat. Add cumin, chilli pow, onion pow, garlic pow. Cook 30-45 sec. Add half of cooked beans & 1c of bean cooking liquid. Mash beans as they simmer for 3min. Add remaining beans into pan with pinch of salt & 1T vinegar
Sofrito Rice:
1 onion
1 poblano pepper
4 cloves garlic
Handful of cilantro
400g (2c) rice, rinsed
Olive oil
12g (2 1/2t) salt
5g (2t) cumin
30g (2T) tomato paste
650g (2 3/4c) water
8oz/220g can tomato sauce
Finely chop onion, poblano, garlic, & cilantro together
Add a 2-3T oil into a large pot (with lid) over med heat followed by rice. Stir & fry 3-4 min until toasted. Add chopped aromatics & salt. Fry until onions are softened, 5min. Add cumin, tomato paste. Cook until mix turns to a rust color. Add water, bring to simmer, cover, & cook in a 350F/175C oven for 20 min. Remove and allow to sit, covered, for 10 min.
Kale:
4 cloves garlic, minced
2lb/1kg bag chopped kale
Water
salt
Add oil to large saute pan over med heat. add garlic, saute until fragrant. add kale & splash of water. cover pan & steam 4-5min. Stir. Add large pinch salt & saute another 5min until the stems are tender.
Other ingredients:
Egg (1 per portion)
Hot Sauce
Top with soft-cooked egg and hot sauce.
NIGHT 2: Chicken Dinner
4 chicken legs
Season chicken with salt & pepper. Bake 450F/230C, 45 min on parchment lined sheet pan. Serve with reheated rice & kale from night 1.
NIGHT 3: Chicken soup
400g (2c) rice, rinsed
Water
Salt
1 onion, medium diced
2 cloves garlic
250g/8oz ½ bag of carrot sticks
350g (½ head) sliced cabbage
1g (1/2t) dried oregano
2g (1t) black pepper
1g (1/4t) turmeric
75g (4T) better than bouillon chicken (sub 2 bouillon cubes)
100g (1c) frozen peas
Chicken from 2 legs, chopped (from Night 2)
Cook rice, 550g water, & 8g salt in rice cooker (or stovetop). Reserve 2c. Store the rest in fridge for night 5.
Add olive oil to dutch oven over med heat with onion, garlic, carrot, cabbage, & lrg pinch salt. Sweat veg for 10min until softened. Add bouillon & 8c/1600g water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cook til veggies are tender. Add chicken meat & peas.
Add half cup cooked rice to bowl, a pinch of the garlic kale, & soup. Use remaining cup of rice for the next day’s lunch.
NIGHT 4: Tostadas
4 Tostada shells
Cherry tomatoes, quartered
Avocado, cubed
Refried beans (night 1)
Pickled jalapenos
Feta
Cilantro
Hot sauce
Toast tostada shells in 350F/175C oven til warm. Add reheated beans, toms, avocado, jalapenos, feta, cilantro, hot sauce
NIGHT 5: Fried rice
Oil
8oz/225g mushrooms, sliced
½ head cabbage, chopped
4oz/110g carrots, chopped
4 eggs
500g/1lb stale rice
100g (1c) frozen peas
Stir fry sauce (75g/.25c oyster sauce, 50g/3T soy sauce, 15g/1T sesame oil)
Sriracha mayo (2 part mayo/1 part sriracha)
Heat large nonstick over med-high, add oil, mushrooms, salt. Cook til browned. Transfer to bowl. Add oil, carrots, cabbage, salt to pan. Stir & cover with lid to steam, 5 min. Transfer to bowl with mushrooms. Add oil & eggs to pan, scramble. Transfer to bowl. Add oil & rice to pan. cook 3-4 min until heated. Add peas, stir fry sauce, & cooked veg/eggs. stir to combine. Cook 3 min. Serve and top with sriracha mayo.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Introducing the grocery list
2:18 Night 1 Beans, greens, and rice
7:21 Night 2: Chicken dinner
8:29 Night 3: Chicken soup
10:36 Mornings: Trade coffee (ad)
11:36 Night 3 continued
12:36 Night 4: Tostadas
13:46 Night 5: Fried rice

[@someguy4262]

Congratulations on being one of the only KZbin cooks who actually seems to understand what a budget is for real people

[@jjdiner7862]

.... You must not have looked up budget meal channels before. There's a whole army of them out there. Of course another channel covering cheap meals never hurt also.

[@someguy4262]

@@jjdiner7862 The problem is that I have. And most of them are... disingenuous at best. My favourite shit one was one of the most overly-produced KZbin cooking shows I've ever seen and had a special highly-organized drawer for take out sauce packets. Talk about idea/presentation mismatch. My actual favourite will always be Hand to Mouth, though.

[@danf4447]

exactly !!! that kwoon guy is the other.

[@thehauntedtree]

@@jjdiner7862a lot of them are out of touch though. It’ll be like “eating cheap is easy. For this dish all you need is rice, a can of tuna, 14 exotic spices (we’re not counting these in the price since you definitely have them in your cupboard) and a $1500 specialized machine that is only useful for this one dish. Use the link in the bio for 3% off!”

[@noreingravity]

​@@someguy4262my favorite creator for budget meals is a lady on tiktok that always buys at dollar store or uses what you usually get with food stamps, she always counts every item in the final price (i hate when they use "10 cents of soy sauce" when you can't buy 10 cents of it), never assumes you have anything other than salt in your pantry and most of her recipes can be done with only a microwave for those without access to a stove!!

[@armuk]

PLEASE MAKE THIS A BUDGET MEAL PREP SERIES!

[@TokyoBlue587]

Yes, please!! I need this!

[@afshirinzadeh5682]

I agree.

[@cryptoqueen4520]

Yes, please! This was awesome!

[@hberrysc3517]

I don’t understand grams

[@bonnie-sylvierwemalika1401]

Yes!!!!

[@flynnpollard4049]

As a person who LOVES to cook but is getting pretty burnt out with life and choice fatigue (and also has an increasingly tight budget) I would be THRILLED to see this type of video repeated a few times over with different weekly plans Thanks Brian and Lorn!

[@faithwalker5196]

Hang in there, Flynn.

[@tiffanyswensen9490]

Right there with you, Flynn!

[@Emma-Maze]

You got this Flynn 💛

[@crystinamarie1]

Yes!!!!

[@SalernoOfficial]

Choice fatigue - great way to put it! I am also tired of coming up ideas and the food prices are killing me 😢

[@Derek2001]

Just finished the entire menu and both me and my wife agree that every meal was delicious. Other than having to purchase a few of the pantry staples, this cost me around $37-$40 total. And the great thing was that we even had enough to do a couple of breakfast items with the items left over, so no waste. Hands down, one of the best videos. Keep them coming.

[@IllyrianPrinces00]

Try purchasing from a local ethnic store. The groceries are often cheaper. For Mediterranean food, see if you can find middle eastern, turkish, greek, Bulgarian, Albanian markets. Italian markets are pricey in my opinion. Depending on what community you have around you, you can find cheaper and better quality there.

[@Derek2001]

@@mericlre it lasted a good 7 days or more. I finally had to throw the rest of the rice out cause it made a lot. And I was able to eat chicken soup for days. And the good thing was if you buy the veggies, you have plenty to make more fried rice. Plus rice is cheap.

[@thesolagratialife]

​@Derek2001 You can save money by repurposing leftovers like rice instead of throwing away 🙂 For 2-3 people you only need about a cup and a half of leftover rice to make fried rice if you also add veggies, egg and other protein to bulk it up. You can resteam it with some veggie broth then mix with lime juice, fresh cilantro and other spices then add some black beans, meat, and cheese wrap it in a tortilla for a delicious burrito. The list goes on. It's fun to make leftovers into new yummy meals and great on the budget!

[@caleb4thand10]

Yo, everyone please watch this video 20 times, like it, and post it everywhere. This is the kind of content we should be rewarding, not some dude cooking wagyu in the talo of some rare species of duck and then covering with gold. This is actionable, helpful content. I've legit been really stressed about the grocery budget lately. Was able to cut it in half this week, and I just made the first meal tonight and my wife loved it! Bri, a couple more videos in this vein and I'll be set! Thanks so much for the awesome content

[@vitaminamulti]

try integrating tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion - can make minestrone (throw in a can of white beans) for 1st night dinner/2nd lunch. then make an easy spaghetti or bolognese sauce (add ground beef) for 2nd night. then make a frittata with eggs and veggies (any leftovers will do!) for 3rd night. then top it off with some fresh kitty kat your wife can provide =)

[@TokyoBlue587]

I want a whole cookbook of these budget recipes!

[@Basomic]

"cooking wagyu in the talo of some rare species of duck and then covering with gold" lmao I know exactly what you mean

[@nomanejane5766]

Try watching frugal fit mom and julie Pacheco, all their content is about being smart with your money when ut comes to groceries. They actually take u into tge grocery store then show u how to cook it.

[@faithwalker5196]

My top low-budget survival foods: Dried beans Chickpeas Lentils Rice Potatoes Pasta Eggs Carrots Cabbage Onions Frozen broccoli Canned diced tomatoes Seasonings COFFEE 🤣 Broccoli quiche makes a great meal. Shakshuka is cheap and delicious. Curried lentils are SICK. 🤣 Pasta never seems to stick with me as long as legumes do. Potatoes are an underrated survival food.

[@cmdvalle]

As a Brazilian, I cannot help but notice how similar this approach is to our traditional way of cooking and planning our meals throughout the week, though with the implementation of different techniques and ingredients (mainly spices). It really made me appreciate our food culture and resourcefulness!

[@RodrigoMallmann1]

As soon as I saw the fried egg on top of the “prato feito” I went to the comments looking for other brazilians. Só faltou a farofa

[@gubachmann]

Brasil é riquíssimo em termos de qualidade alimentar, sobretudo quando falamos de valor nutricional! Considerando a postura de preparar a comida para a semana - que, pelo menos aqui em casa, é bem comum - esse vídeo é quase uma cara de canal BR hahaha

[@Jpiter]

I noticed a long time ago that the majority of South American cuisine is what Americans might call poverty food, South America is so ingenious with their recipes and really know hot so spice up simple but delicious dishes.

[@mrp4242]

Morei no Brasil por dois anos maravilhosos. Ainda tenho saudades da culinária e aprendi a cozinhar muitas comidas diferentes para compartilhar com meus filhos.

[@vitaminamulti]

please share some dish names! especially any recipes you have for brazilian black rice and beans (and pork i think it is). so good!

[@horationelson2153]

I'm not on a tight budget like this, but I really like the format of this video - the meal planning, leftover-using, and focus on simple recipes and basic techniques are all very useful to me as a very new cook.

[@vitaminamulti]

Yes! Use and resuse

[@kelleyleblanc5025]

They need to teach this in school!!!

[@rdmanley]

Just bought my groceries home. My total cost was $37.38. (Part of the country plays a part) And I did substitute a few ingredients such as flour tortillas vs Tostada shells, for personal preference. The most expensive thing I bought was the frozen peas at $4.79 a bag. Crazy! I can't wait to start cooking!

[@SuperIce6374]

Switch for canned or dried peas, which are a bit cheaper!

[@timo8solon]

Yes! I would LOVE this to be a series! Different ingredients different meals. It’s one thing to make a meal but trying to minimize costs and stretch your ingredients through out a week is so helpful to watch and get ideas for

[@judichristopher4604]

a SERIES... YES... Great Idea... Are you listening Brian?

[@FireyTinkerHell]

Yep, I third this!!

[@jessicakakern4571]

Whole chickens also have less salmonella

[@dylanjfrank28]

I love these types of videos! Learning how to cook practically is such a huge skill and not always emphasized with the countless videos online showing regular recipes! I love how you show how to mix and match your leftovers to stretch out your food and leave minimal waste while also keeping your meals feeling creative and tasty. I personally would love more videos like these!

[@paradiseonheaven]

this was actually a real cooking video that is extremely useful for your own cooking! lovei t!

[@jasonkerepesi]

hear hear

[@of5458]

Agree, I would love a wholes series of these!

[@heruhcanedean]

Do you throw out the paper outsides from onion and garlic? Put them in your oven as low as it can go on a cold day and keep it slightly open, dry them out and you can make your own onion and garlic powder, just need a $16 coffee grinder. You can make a lot of seasonings with a coffee grinder.

[@dylanjfrank28]

@@heruhcanedean for real!!?! And the skins alone have enough flavor?

[@mommam.6101]

I just wrote a long comment praising your good looks and appealing personality, then exited without posting. So, I will just say that I appreciate your videos because as a widow over 80 I've lost my interest in food and have just been eating junk. I watch food videos such as yours to try to jump-start my appetite. Thank you.

[@lesleylarose1898]

My husband and I just LOVED these recipes. I made everything exactly as posted and, I must say, it was a wonderful week of truly delicious meals plus most nights were just so darned easy! We loved everything - the rice, refried beans and those crispy-skinned chicken legs were the highlights of the week BUT the tostados were just so darned delicious!....we can't wait to repeat this whole meal prep but with different veggies (roasted brussels sprouts and carrots for sure!) We are still talking about those tostados - I would have never thought of feta cheese and that squiggle of sriracha was perfection! Thank you, thank you!

[@Jar4Jack]

I just did the kale as a side to hickory smoked pork shoulder (pulled pork) and must say it was simple and epic. My wife and I also pick something from Brian as like a weekend dinner date every weekend and last weekend we did his "Sheet Pan Apple Pie" and with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream I must say it to was epic!!!

[@dimilton3166]

I loved this video! Yes, people may “not” have the capability to buy these things for $30 due to their location or inflation, but y’all can’t deny that he made BOMB food from inexpensive ingredients. There are too many people who need to save money for bills and this is an incredibly helpful guide. Thanks, Bri!

[@theresaanndiaz3179]

Right now, chicken thighs are almost $3 a pound but they go on sale for between $0.98 and $1.98 so when thighs go on sale, you have this menu plan ready. Then again if times are hard, you can shred the meat and only use 2 or no meat at all. I always save bones in the freezer to make stock. I used to separate pork from chicken but these days I don't bother.

[@jamescanjuggle]

tbh whenever i watch these videos the best part is getting ideas and then working with whatever ingredients i can get for my price range like here in ireland im not getting tostadas anytime soon xD, but i could probably get a ricecake and make something delicious

[@Appaddict01]

@@jamescanjuggleYou can make your own tortillas and fry them or use tortilla chips.

[@HildaCorners]

@@theresaanndiaz3179 I'm an old lady now ... I remember when I could buy chicken legs for 59¢ a pound at the Asian supermarket. Of course, incomes were a lot lower then, too. One thing you can do when chicken (or any meat) goes on sale is buy some extra to freeze. You need to re-package it ... I would wrap individually it in plastic wrap (clingfilm), then put the wrapped pieces in a large zip bag. You can re-use the bag, as it never touches the meat, but it does protect it from freezer burn. I'm not on a tight budget these days, but I still act like I am. I'll buy a rotisserie chicken, eat the meat and freeze the carcass. Later I'll make a chicken and bean stew.

[@victore8342]

Excellent video! I would just add this tip for the chicken soup: Since you're shredding the chicken, do it BEFORE starting on the soup. Keep the bones and add them into your broth to release even more flavor, and just remove and discard before serving! 🍗 🍲

[@mostHumblePersonAlive]

Good tip.

[@NealBrenard]

Up to "tostada night" and it's all going really well; looking forward to the fried rice finale tomorrow. Hope we'll get another one of these. I'd be okay going up to $50 for five dinners + really good leftovers for lunch * 2 people = still not pricey. It's the menu design and fairly simple prep that's the big win in this. More please.

[@brian7593]

I'd like this to be a weekly series too. Give me a list of groceries and a handful of ways to use them. It makes meal planning a breeze and keeps me from eating the same thing every night.

[@JimBobMcGillicuddy]

There's a ton of great food-tubers (papa Kenji, Chlebowski etc) but damn if Bri-man don't consistently put out recipes I'll actually make

[@Kevin-to2bt]

Thank you. You're the Real-MVP. Even added the grocery list. This is the content we all need right now.

[@Basomic]

Just made Night 1's dinner-sooo freaking good. Can't wait to continue eating the beans and rice but also the next recipes. And my grocery bill (exclusively from Aldi) came out under $30. Thanks so much! More videos like this every so often would be greatly appreciated Edit: All of the meals were amazing, and this will be a recipe I come back to many times. My total came to under $30 because I made a few substitutions/omissions (I already had some ingredients, instead of buying a poblano from another store, I used green peppers and jalapenos, I used a mix of kale and spinach). I'd also recommend eating the roasted leg quarters over two days; for me, there's plenty of chicken to enjoy over multiple meals though it obviously won't be as fresh and crispy the second day. The soup also holds great in the freezer and is a great way to use whatever leftover ingredients are in the fridge (green peppers, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, etc.). I also don't have chicke buillon in my pantry, so I just made sure to include all the pan drippings from the roasted chicken in with the soup to compensate for more chicken flavor.

[@Audiele]

My husband and I followed this video last week. Everything was delicious and easy! I'd love to see this become a series! Made planning and prep so much easier. Thank you!

[@tracebivens6188]

Man, I really gotta thank you for this. I’m a grad student, so cost consciousness is kinda critical for me. During the semester it makes sense for me to just get a meal plan (pretty cheap since I work for the university) but during the summer I need to rely on myself more. I’m good enough at the fundamentals, but planning more than 24 hours in advance is a struggle for me. I can’t count how many times I’ve gone to the store, bought food for the week, and then ended up wasting half of it because I didn’t have a plan for all of it, forgot to do dishes on Wednesday, and then got too discouraged by the pile of dishes on Thursday to figure out what the hell I was gonna cook. ADHD makes stuff like this way harder than it ought to be. I’m definitely gonna be coming back to this roadmap in a few months. Thank you.

[@NightWindsMusic]

Half way through your comment I thought “poor homie has ADHD” so yeah that tracks!! We out here with a fridge full of groceries on shuffle!

[@theresabu3000]

I liked that he showed how to reuse some of the leftovers - I particularly liked the chicken soup, nice idea. If you shop some staples and flexible ingredients that mix well with others - it should be fine. To get creative and find out what you like is part of being a student I think 🤗😎

[@shanicegrande8631]

Make it habit to dedicate just 30 minutes a night cleaning the kitchen

[@miaulink1152]

I struggle so much with the same thing :/ I barely ever follow my own meal plans for the week. Like 25% or less of the plan. I just don't feel like the food I planned and I also can't plan ahead well for cooking itself. I don't wanna cook (or think about cooking) til I'm hungry.

[@lucasorlandoquiiroles9743]

Hey trace, fellow with the same problem here. What helps me a lot its to make the planning of this kinda things a whole activity and to write a step by step guide for myself. This kinda videos help a lot, just take some notes and do exactly what he does. You can improve it to better meet your needs later but the idea is to go back to the notes when you are lost. Take care bro

[@arabelay8399]

The world needs more accessible cooking videos just like this. Clear, concise, and without any of the frills that a lot of other cooking channels insist on. Great stuff, keep it up!!

[@dnmurphy48]

Chef Jack Owens is pretty good with meal prep ideas. Possibly not as cheap but still affordable most;y I think

[@vitaminamulti]

we all poor out here! friggin inflation and our money being sent overseas!

[@ryangarcia3729]

My wife and I decided to do this for meals this week. It's soup night tonight, and we are sold. This has made nightly meal prep so easy, and the food is great! I'd love to see another video like this. Thanks, Brian!

[@homeschoolwinner]

This is awesome. I’d love to see this as a series! I went over our budget recently and found we spent between $700-$800 just on groceries a month for two people 😳 so this came at the right time for us! Thank you!

[@Xolition]

Same. It's ridiculous trying to eat healthy. Grass Fed Beef, happy chickens, organic veggies, etc.

[@homeschoolwinner]

@@Xolition I agree it can be challenging. What gets me is the fact that my husband and I, for the most part, don’t buy organic, grass fed etc. because it’s too expensive. We buy store brands, or whatever is on sale. Our main proteins are chicken and shrimp, eggs and beans. Once in a while for something special we’ll get maybe a ribeye or lamb. Even with those parameters it’s still really expensive

[@marvin2678]

damm thats quite a lot

[@goatedplayer1892]

that is a lot! I’m not saying this in a judgy way at all because i completely get it, but Id suggest trying to shop at the cheapest store and eating more leftovers. Try to meal plan and it can help a lot!

[@sophiophile]

12 bucks a day isn't bad for food expenses, but you can definitely cut that in half easy.

[@DavidJensen-nm5sf]

Hey man, I'm a sous chef in a fancy steakhouse in Las Vegas. I am following your lead for 3 reasons; inflation, high blood pressure, and easy clean up, something that very few culinary KZbinrs address!

[@dumpychumpers]

This format of meal prep videos really is incredible, keep up the great work

[@petergreenwald9639]

First, I am glad to see a budget meal video from you. That cost per week is very, very affordable and healthy. Now, I prefer the Jasmine rice from Aldi, at around $5.75 a five pound bag. If you can't find Kale that you like, spinach is nice too. Save bones that have already been in the oven. Especially in winter, I have plenty of occasions to put some left over veggies and bones in a pot to make my own broth. I add a bit of tomato paste to beef broth to make it more savory and I do not put any salt in so I can salt it to taste depending on the application. For those without time but with an Instant Pot, there are lots of 45 minute recipes online. To save tomato paste for later use, I cut both ends of the can and push one side till I have portion like a small puck, then slice and repeat to make several of them and freeze them in any plastic wrap.

[@TokyoBlue587]

That’s a great idea for the tomato paste!

[@petergreenwald9639]

@@TokyoBlue587 It takes a time of two to get it right. I often snap a frozen puck in half for things like a simple, single serving, Italian pasta and bean soup.

[@An_Gold]

I freeze tomato paste as ice-cubes or in a freezer bag.

[@AquariumRandomVideo2]

@@An_Gold same and to protect them from freezer burn I wrap them in aluminium foil pieces. If you are careful, you can even reuse the foil :)

[@An_Gold]

@@AquariumRandomVideo2 That's nice, thank you.

[@nataleeleon7740]

I LOVE the fact that I can make these recipes vegan/vegetarian & it’s also healthy. Other videos show VERY UNHEALTHY cheap alternatives. You served this video it’s purpose. Thank you!

[@HeronCoyote1234]

What was your chicken replacement, if I may ask (mostly vegan here)?

[@FallingStary]

I just used tofu and added pasta. Made a nice Noodle soup and loved how the tofu became flavor bombs but the other day i got may hands on some jackfruit. I haven't tried with the jack fruit because i found it a day late but its something to consider.​@progressiveheart1234

[@BippityBoppityBre]

With student loans starting back up these kinda of videos are super helpful. I already make fried rice at least once a week but the tostadas are not something I have thought of before! As always, thanks for the quality of what you do. Enjoy your pickleballin' !

[@kimberlycooper6321]

I love (and subscribe to) this sort of cooking. It's great that you have the foresight to think of everything for a full 5 nights of dinner PLUS lunch leftovers! It's not just about frugality, but creativity! It's becoming a lost art and I'm grateful that you're introducing this style of food production to many, and keeping it alive for (plus inspiring) me and many others who try to cook this way for our families/selves.

[@skybox3550]

Also love these videos. As someone who cooks for my family every day I constantly struggle to find meals to prep that don't waste a bunch of ingredients that don't go together. Keep these up!

[@LionelWayne-je4vv]

AS A SINGLE SENIOR MALE ON AN EXTREME BUDGET I CANT THANK YOU ENOUGH I WILL BE MAKING ALL OF YOUR DELICIOUS MEALS I CAN'T WAIT I HAVE MY SHOPPING LIST READY .🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤

[@johndavis5654]

How about a video 15 pantry staples, 10 produce items and 5 types of protein and how they can be used to make different lunches and dinners for one week?

[@StefanAdes]

Please, keep these types of videos coming. With the cold weather months on the way, more ideas and different recipes are a must. Thanks Brian!!

[@finehowareyou]

that is so adorable that people really followed this plan!!!! i usually watch things just to get ideas. i love you people💕

[@darcyreadssometimes3904]

I hope these videos are performing well for you! I feel like I remember you talking in a Q&A with your wife a while ago about how this is how y’all cook, but it doesn’t get as many views. I appreciate this!

[@chasee3667]

This is excellent. I love eating good food for the cheap. I will definitely incorporate this into my weekly regimen. Thanks for the awesome video, Brian! I look forward to all of your videos. Cheers!

[@edanner93]

So much good information in this video. You have quickly become my favorite cooking channel on youtube.

[@Stinky_Rodent]

I've seen multiple videos, but this is the one that made me subscribe. I generally spend more, and love cooking, but seeing an actual cook and the way you can prepare so little to taste so good is truly what I felt I was missing. I can make expensive ingredients taste great with no issue, something like this to save some money is awesome. I'll be trying this. Thank you so much!

[@toddchaddon4249]

This is amazing! Please keep up this as a series since times are getting tougher. Thank you!

[@joannedashiell2418]

I’ve been trying to simplify my cooking so I can spend more time out of the kitchen, and this is so inspiring for me. It would be easy to swap out ingredients for this too (some skirt steak would be delicious on top of those rice and beans, easy to add chicken or ground beef to the tostada, etc), but it’s the framework of thinking of simple meals that are nourishing, quick, and TASTY that keeps me from ordering another pizza. So glad I found your channel a year ago, almost everything I cook now is from your content!

[@littlecookingtips]

Definitely one of your best videos, super useful in these times. Plus if you can get cheap parboiled brown rice then you also get a lot more fiber. Congrats, you hit the nail in the head!

[@crystaldziadosz-brown9882]

I love how easy this all looks. I am a full-time working mom of 4 year old twins and I have been at such a meal idea burn out, so it was really nice to come across this video. Just hope my picky kids and husband will have an open mind to try new flavors. I hope you make more videos like this, having easy budget meal ideas is great for anyone.

[@minorcadence1]

Love this! So nice to see a budget cooking video by someone who knows how to cook! We are keen home cooks, and often blow the grocery budget out each week. Would love to see more of these (a $50 one would be so great)

[@gennyjon913]

Being from an immigrant family, we bought most groceries on sale and we creatively cooked with what we bought. I still mostly shop this way because I love saving $. Shopping for deals does not deprive me - I have a varied diet because sale items rotate. Great video - I will consider finding ways to adapt previously cooked food. I generally cook extra for a varied selection of leftovers so I don't repeat the same meal for a couple days.

[@cristinamuntiu2171]

Ht😮 5 sa

[@armuk]

More BUDGET meal prep videos like this please!

[@ItsPBUH]

So glad Brian took off, the quality has been this good from the start and he deserves every success. Love these videos!

[@amyhall3168]

Thank you so much, many of these are already staples for us but I really enjoyed your method and putting it all together. I wholeheartedly agree with the comments that I would love for this to be a series. I am always looking for cheap and healthy ways to feed the whole family, of picky eaters with special dietary needs. So all videos like this are greatly appreciated. You are awesome!

[@marcmeyers4156]

Not being sufficiently motivated to go through all the comments to see if it has been brought up, I'll just drop this here. The bean recipe and pressure cooking time is specific to an Instant Pot, not a dedicated pressure cooker. I'm not trying to be nit picky, but I thought it should be mentioned. I have not used my pressure cooker enough to be versed in bean cookery (but will probably start using it more). Concern about the timing led me to look into it, and instant pots cook at a lower pressure and therefore take longer than a dedicated pressure cooker would. Just for comparison, my pressure cooker instructions indicates 8-10 min for black beans and I probably cooked them closer to 12 - 14, so they were pretty well done by the time I was finished. But that bean recipe is pretty sick, as is the sofrito rice.

[@jeaninefurniss7288]

LOVE IT!!! I'd do a $5 chicken from the deli and have probably the same amount of meat, but can customize to preference AND have a carcass to boil for stock/broth! Also, quite a few of these items can be found at Dollar Tree or the .99 store. I'm doing this next week!!!

[@armuk]

besides costco (whose membership fee is not affordable/cost-effective for everything), where else can you get a decent deli chicken for $5?

[@faithmarieb4362]

Following your video this week for meals for my husband, toddler, and I. It’s been working great with flavorful meals and lots of leftovers! Thanks! I appreciate you breaking things down in your video description. It’s made it easier to reference while cooking.

[@maxinewilliams9898]

this is SO HELPFUL please make more into a series!!!💗

[@zoeyann424]

I like trying new recipes, but it usually involves purchasing a bunch of new ingredients or specialty items when I should probably be spending less. Videos like this make me want to take on the challenge of cooking on a budget. Love it

[@naomimccowen2720]

I love these recipes. They look super chill and gluten and dairy free for the most part. Also, anyone who has issues with digesting beans sprouting them and then cooking them works well. And hard water mixed with baking soda cooks beans without an instant pot. Still takes a while, but they actually soften, and bay leaves even the taste out. And vinegar after cooked.

[@lilt9604]

this is perfect. A lot of your videos are more fancy, and as a student this helps a lot!

[@fionamackie3357]

I would have loved this as a student. But I'm thinking Brian was not around 30 years ago😂

[@jujujustme]

Thank you! This is wonderful and appreciated during these times of expensive groceries! It's really hard for me to figure out how to make meals/leftovers for the week while trying to save money for my family. I try to find recipe plans online using a simple grocery list to use on other recipes throughout the week that makes weeknights not too heaving on the cooking as I am usually not in the mood to cook an entire new meal after work. My intentions are always good, but end up spending too much and unfortunately, ingredients go to waste. :( ~ Being able to watch you do this is a huge plus! I would love it if you could do some more of these types of videos. :) Again, thank you so much!

[@JacobSedlacek30]

Been watching you for a bit, but this vid finally made me hit that subscribe button. Incredibly valuable and useful stuff, especially for those of us ballin on a tight budget. Keep these comin, Brian!!!

[@armuk]

Fantastic. Please make more of these budget meal plan/prep videos (emphasis on the budget).. a real help given the tough cost-of-living climate currently

[@andreacarreiro5436]

Hey, Bri! Excellent vídeo! Thank you for showing that with some planning is possible to eat cheap AND healthy. By the way, that black beans, rice, kale and fried egg dish ressemble a lot a typical brazilian everyday meal. I suggest it could be a series of vídeos in your channel. Greetings from Rio, Brazil!

[@Potts1966]

That's an amazing selection of meals, respect for the amount of work it must have taken to compile all that.

[@Dylan-vk5uv]

This is actually legitimately the most useful video I have ever seen to just make healthy meals for cheap, and keep yourself from worrying about what you're gonna cook, I've been looking for this exact video for years it feels like and this is perfect. Thanks!

[@mariaxcristina123]

This was so helpful!! Thank you for how well laid out and thorough this was .

[@kerryf9796]

Perfection!!!!!! I LOVE budget meals!!! ❤

[@marie-heleneg2472]

I made exactly these recipes last week for 51$ CAN. It was delicious and I had mooore than 20 meals. I hope to see more meal prep (maybe with more cooking on sunday) thank you and Bon appetit !!

[@seraphimdagger]

I would love more videos like this. Out of the food-tubers that I watch, this is always among the more practical and budget friendly ones. It’s hard to meal prep in the family of picky eaters and this definitely helps me out of the rut that my family is in

[@faurotohana8624]

Thank you! Love these types of videos! Easy to double for a family of 4. Keeping them coming!

[@mootahginger]

Thank you so much for making this video, I'm trying to find grocery lists that I can rotate every week since I get tired of eating the same foods easily, but I want to start saving money on food - this video was perfect! If you ever make another video like this, I'd love to see what a week planned out with lentils instead of rice would look like!! 😊

[@stellaxingguang]

Hmm I would consider lentils to be more of a substitute for the beans rather than for the rice. Lentil carrot soup with ginger and rosemary instead of refried beans, naan rather than tostada shells.

[@JohnHausser]

Healthy/balanced diet is the 🔑 Nice job Brian 👍

[@stephenveerasammy3074]

This was sooo good. I'm glad you're in touch with the people

[@pmcmva]

I dig the multiple dish/technique format. It's actually how I cook on Monday nights for the whole week. I appreciate the new ideas. Thanks.

[@groom_of_the_stool]

You could have bought a whole chicken. People tend to overlook them in favor of split chicken, but there's such a value there.

[@7xxx7]

yes and it makes wonderful broth too

[@blakehancock1691]

And can use for stock !

[@jepl11]

whole chickens are usually almost double the price per pound of leg quarters

[@trepidati0n533]

Whole chicken, per pound, is actually pretty terrible compared to leg quarters. At that point, might as well go to Costco and get a rotisserie chicken. Net result is usually around $2/lb of actually meet which is REALLY good.

[@joelquevillon7566]

Bone-in chicken legs have way more value per $ than a whole chicken. When it goes on sale I literally fill the freezer with it. I separate the meat and bones before freezing too, easy future meal prep and awesome stock bones.

[@AllAbouttheSaints]

This was amazing! I can’t wait to try out these meals. I’m not sure you planned this, but a lot of these foods are stuff I get from my food pantry. In fact, I have just about everything I need for this video in my home from my latest “shop”. These meals are not only cheap, I can feel confident sharing this video to some of my friends who also use our local pantry knowing that we will have most of the ingredients and options that we can substitute to make the meals. It might be nice to see more meals like this, possibly you could see what your local food bank hands out and see what other ways you could put foods together?

[@themelonx]

I love these. I get such great ideas on how to structure my meal plans to make them exciting. Thank you!

[@Dust4Vomit]

The semi-refried beans look amazing. Thanks for the great ideas and quality video as usual!

[@of5458]

I'm planning to follow this for next week, but I think I'll add a couple more chicken legs so I can have chicken fried rice and some chicken on the tostadas. I absolutely love these meal prep videos and I'm joining the chorus that's asking for a whole series!

[@colettemcwilliams1325]

I have to say the same. A series please.

[@Gigi-fv9ky]

I think your plan is more realistic. One bean tostada for dinner followed by one bean tostada for lunch, seems like very small portion sizes that might leave people hungry and more likely to break the budget by supplementing with convenience food. Adding just a few more dollars to the budget to get slightly larger meals would probably save money in the long run.

[@AZEOforreal]

Hey Viewers! These recipes follow pretty simple formulas, where you pretty much have 5 different parts: Protein element 1, protein element 2, simple filling vessel, light veggie element, and bread vessel. So, get creative! Maybe you want an east asian week, so you get mongolian beef, miso paste, steamed rice, wasabi tomato salad, and homemade fluffy bread. How about Indian food? Butter chicken, chana masala, basmati rice, indian spiced yogurt, and garlic naan may be your choices then. How about a more European approach? Curry werst sausage, chicken cutlets, roasted potatoes, baby spinach salad, and italian focaccia bread may be your choice. All these different options can make this meal plan very versatile!! And when you make 5 simple meals in bulk like this, it’s spread out to about $6 a bulk meal, which is more than enough to feed yourself. Focus on buying basics, such as milk and eggs, and use these ideas as placeholders to widen your meal options!!! I seriously have been craving beans because of this video, just as a side note. Gonna make some bean tostadas like you made, because they looked delicious!

[@beach2nd]

Love this content. This should be a regular series!

[@chadt2045]

This is exactly what I needed! I don’t want to eat the same meal prep every day for a week, and I don’t want expensive one-off ingredients and time consuming recipes to follow every night. This is PURE GOLD. Please make more! 😅

[@Webo250]

You can also use the leftover beans and rice to make "Tacu tacu", a peruvian dish. Mix both of them and heat up a pan with a bit of oil. Push the mixture onto the edge of the pan with the edge on top of the heat to brown. Then tap the handle of the pan with your wrist to turn your mixture and brown on the other side. You'll end up with a delicious mixture of beans and rice that has a nice browning and a bit of crunch on the outside, while creamy and moist on the inside.

[@eliteakm]

This is great. You could really do more of these because they're kind of in touch with day-to-day cooking.

[@monkeygraborange]

Very few cooks address leftovers, which is of prime interest to those of us who live alone. Ever try making rice for one? Not possible.

[@eliteakm]

@@monkeygraborange just make 1 Cup :D but yes.

[@hotfrozenpasta6932]

I can only repeat what others have said, this is actually a realistic budget restricted video! And still versatile. As someone who really struggles with breakfast, I would love to see a breakfast meal prep of some sort that is maybe not too heavy on the carb side (like oatmeal etc, I need to watch out for my blood sugar). Thanks a lot!

[@thadsteel4300]

2 quick hacks on Day 1: Set the chicken legs out on the rack as Brian has in the video and add your salt & pepper generously to dry brine for roasting Day 2? Put your avocado in a sealed container full of water and put in the fridge. This will prevent the flesh from going bad before Day 3 assuming you bought a ripe avocado on Day 1

[@BlondyGoesSteph]

Please do not put avocado in a container with water in the fridge, that is a health hazard! I really dont like to comment on things but this is just not a good thing, just put the avocado in the fridge as is, no water, that will slow the process for ripening

[@nilabakery]

I'm amazed by your creativity in combining such unique ingredients. You've truly elevated this dish to the next level.👌👌🥰🥰

[@plantmade5444]

The budget-friendly meal ideas you shared are not only practical but also look incredibly delicious and nutritious. It's inspiring to see how creativity and smart shopping can result in such a variety of meals without breaking the bank. Thanks for sharing these fantastic ideas and proving that eating well doesn't have to be expensive!

[@mhkpt]

This is such a good video. Budget-conscious and time-conscious as well. Honestly, a very important but overlooked type of cooking on KZbin!

[@Stripbolt]

FYI to anyone recreating this - you DON'T have to pre-soak the black beans. Our dry beans got plenty soft after 45 minutes in the Instant Pot.

[@lisamueller7587]

I cooked an old bag of dried black beans, no soaking, for 22 minutes and they were perfect!

[@kelleyleblanc5025]

I ferment a bag of black beans for 3 days then freeze them in 2 cup portions. Put the beans in instant pot with 4 cups water or liquid and any seasoning you want. Pressure cook for 12-15 minutes. Depends if you are adding to say chili and they will cook again. Really quick and easy and doesn’t give you gas!

[@MrLcowles]

Yesterday I went to my local Safeway and spent $27. I got a 340 g bag of ground coffee, 12 hamburger buns, 3 sticks of celery and a pound of butter. Canada. Vive la difference.

[@shaneb9160]

Yea this would be about $50-$70 up here (which to be clear is still great for this much food). Although I was shocked to hear that limes are apperently the same price!

[@jaclynhaynes4131]

Please do more of these! I loved this so much and definitely doing it next week!

[@ValentinRegenfuss-ez4oj]

I have been trying to cook like this over the past few months and I have learned so much about this "realistic" style of cooking through this video. I would love to see some more content like this!

[@terribleawful]

i wish i lived in a place where you could get that amount of good food for only 30 man. shits bleak out here

[@dmgaul1966]

This is fabulous. I bought all the ingredients at Whole Foods yesterday and spent 55. I made the beans, rice and kale today. We’re set for the week. I would love more videos like this - and not necessarily focused on a super duper low budget. A modest budget would be great.

[@456lyon4]

This is so perfect and so economical for a batch cooking for a family! Thank you! Learning how to save money & still cook variety & delicious meals for the family.

[@BlueberryBoogie]

Thanks for making this. I’m on a really tight budget and cooking has been a huge stress. So glad I found you in my search for cheaper eating

[@judichristopher4604]

Brian... you know that I live in New Mexico (US) and we eat Tortillas and Tostadas every day... HINT: Get a bag of Corn Tortillas... Fry them... then make the Tostadas... put ground meat Hamburger meat on top of the Beans... here we use Pinto Beans... then top with shredded Lettuce,... (raw) onion, diced tomatoes, and Shredded Cheese... plus Avocado and sour cream a spoon full on top.

[@toxicwaltzn8175]

Obvs, you don’t necessarily HAVE to use the cheapest ingredients to enjoy these recipes: I like to have on hand these blue eggs I get from CostCo (yolks have a nice dark amber color), veggies from a local stand, and organic meats.

[@monikarohr4994]

Hi Brian. That video was amazing. I accidentally found your channel but will stick with it 😊 If it’s possible, please make more of these videos. It’s a big big help for us who cooks their own food.

[@jamiek2288]

I loved this video!!!!!! You should make it into a series!

[@skidmarks4360]

Imagine incurring $80,000 in college debt, Just to become a KZbin Chef

[@Kej1m]

Don't get me wrong, I love Brian. I appreciate the format, but so many condiments and extra ingredients materialize out of thin air... It doesn't look genuine at this point. Olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, betterthanboullion, shriracha, mayo, hot sauce, pickled halaps; Yes, you buy them once and they last, but their cost-per-use is still high enough to consider. Almost feels like false advertisement (and even the check is $33, not 30). If the title said "$40", it would still look impressive! But it would be very transparent and honest.

[@Kej1m]

Cost-per-use is a good thing to consider btw; The same better-than-boullion, it's a great example: costs a bit more, but lasts a lot longer than a carton of crappy store bought stock, with more flavour. The vinegar replaced the limes to save

[@Sarah_Grant]

Exactly!! He said one thing and then pulled out 15 other extras that were not accounted for!

[@leahb7806]

Please make this a series! Sincerely enjoyed it, thank you