Best food value

[crosses]

What is the best food value in your opinion?

[PieceofCake]

Beans!!!

[Ima saver]

Macaroni and cheese. I buy the cheap kind, which taste better than Kraft, for about 33 cents a box. No way can the two of us eat a whole box, so we have leftovers or give to the dogs.

[PRICEPLUS]

Lentils and Rice. Complete protein with the two if you use brown rice. Jazz it up with some blackened onions. You can add a little yogurt on the side.
Lentils do not have to be soaked overnight. I have even seen the lentils and rice cooked in the same pan.

The dish is low fat and low cholesterol as well as having a good dietary fiber content. You feel full after eating this delightfully inexpensive meal.
Go price it out and I think you'll find it cheaper than macaroni and cheese per serving as well as being better for you nutrition wise!

[locolorenzo24]

Canned veggies and whole wheat pasta....Can eat for 3/4 days on one box and two cans. Just give the veggies a cold water rinse to reduce the sodium in them. Also, Frozen veggies work well too.

[PrincessPerky]

I have never seen lentils in the gorcery store...

I am fond of rice, becaue it is more versatile than say a box dinner. I love it cooked in turkey broth. or with cheese, or with beef, or.... Anyway to me value is more than nutrition vs cost, I have to include the likely hood of having it eaten and me making it. (and rice beats potatoes in ease of making, but pasta is better for last minute)

[PRICEPLUS]

PrincessPerky,

In my local supermarket thery are located with the beans of various varieities and are in plastic bags. I am surprised that they are not available. Might it be a regional thing where there is little if any demand? Ask the store manager if they have them. They are usually with the bags of kidney beans and black eyed peas and other such items.

[JBinKC]

lentils and oats both are cheap and save on energy costs to cook.

[jodi]

Bought item: beans
Prepared at home item: soup. Great to use up leftovers that might otherwise go to waste, even freezer-burned items or limp veggies. Soup is great to stretch a little bit of meat to feed a lot of people, especially bean soups.

Priceplus - I would love to know how you prepare the lentil/rice dish. I just made some lentil soup that was out of this world, so I definitely think I will be eating lentils more now.

[Optsol]

If anyone's taste buds are cringing reading this thread, add hot sauce -- it cures any lentil soup :

[PRICEPLUS]

jodi m,

Here is the recipe I have for lentils and rice.


1 cup of lentils

3/4 cup of rice (long grain)

1/2 cup of olive oil

2 large onions (slivered)

4 cups of water

2 tsps salt (to taste)

Clean and sort lentils, rinse, and drain. Rinse rice. In 3 quart sauce pan heat oil, add onions, saute until brown. Remove some onions for garnish. Add lentils and rice to oil, add watrer and salt, stirring well. Cover and bring to a boil, stir and simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender. Let set uncovered in pot about ten minutes before serving. Serve on a large platter. Garnish with some fried onions and serve with a grren salad.

VARIATION: Lentils with wheat-follow above recipe using wheat instead of rice.

Makes app. 4 servings.

I take the onions set aside for garnish and blacken them in a seperate frying pan. I then sprinkle them on top of the each individual serving.

[DivaJen]

I love lentils! Thanks for the recipe.

[flash]

Soup is always a good value! Great for using up odds and ends, too.

My favorites: lentil, carrot and wild rice, split pea, black bean (spicy), vegetable.

[PRICEPLUS]

Flash,

I posted a lentil soup recipe on another thread. Take a gander!

[Ima saver]

I like rice a roni, both the chicken and beef type. Lots of food for less than a dollar a box.

[katwoman]

I have never seen lentils in the gorcery store...

You can find them at Whole Foods in the bulk section. They have french lentils and brown lentils. And, they're organic!

[Ima saver]

Sadly for me, I do not like any fruits or vegetables except lima beans.

[PRICEPLUS]

I love Lima beans but the DW hates them so we rarely have them!

[Ima saver]

I should be so unhealthy since I don't eat what is good for me, but I am healthy as a horse.

[lisad71]

Oatmeal!