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.

  • bss03@infosec.pub
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    16 hours ago

    I have always hated soaking beans, which is why the Instant Pot has been one of the single greatest cooking inventions I have ever used.

    Exactly why I bought mine. Any pressure cooker will do. Beans (red, pinto, or black) 1 : 2 with water for 40 minutes, followed by natural release. I use roughly a pint of dried beans (1lb bag, then topped up out of a mixed-beans bag), to get 9 large servings.

    I also do quinoa in the same cooker 1 : 5/4 with water (or sub up to half the water with stock) for 0 minutes (just bring up to high pressure), followed by natural release. I use 3 cups dry to make 9 servings.

    Depending on your spice budget, you might feel like you are getting more by applying right before eating. But, if you want the spice flavors to permeate the beans, it’s best to add them to the pot and warm them just a bit with the saute setting before adding the beans (or quinoa/rice/grains) and water.

    If you eat meat, miscut ham is also a good addition to the beans before cooking – they will share lipids and flavors.

    I use nooch as a topping for mine, to try to keep it vegan, but what I really like is a Mexican shredded cheese blend.