Poor Man's Diet

[_chuchu]

Could also get multi-vitamin tablets/pills from GNC

Edit: They should also NOT be a substitute for things already part of your diet

[Mugmug]

I find that my godsend for saving when it comes to cooking is this baby here:

http://www.annaslinens.com/shop/stan...-crock-pot.jpg

This man speaks the truth. Crock Pots kick so much ass.

The best part is, like Dayson said is you just throw it all in, turn it on, goto work/school and when you get home its all done

[_chuchu]

Dayson wins the thread lol and yeah you can make soooo many things in the pot

[Plow]

Pork is dirt cheap, and a good source of lean protein.

uh, wut

[Elesirdur]

uh, wut

Yeah, modern pork sold in Canada and the US is about the leanest meat you can get outside of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Meat hogs have been progressively bred to be leaner over the last thirty years. It's also much lighter in flavour than it used to be; pork no longer has that "omg PIG MEAT" taste to it. The down side to the super-lean pork of today is that it's often dry as a bone, so stuff like pork chops or centre cut loin roasts without the rib rack should be brined or marinated prior to cooking to help keep some moisture in the meat.

Bacon on the other hand is as fatty and salty as it ever was, but I tend to think of pork and bacon as pretty different things when it comes to cooking an nutrition.

Another thing that's really great to have is a digital probe thermometer. You can get basic types for about $12-15 with a probe you insert into your meat as it cooks in the oven, and the wire lead goes to the base which usually has at minimum programmable temperature alarms and a timer feature. Just sink the probe into the deepest part of the meat, set the timer for your optimal end cooking temp less 8 to 10 degrees F and it'll be perfectly done after a 10-15 minute rest when you take it out after the alarm.

Here's an example of the kind of device I'm talking about, but any department store with a cookware section should have them cheap - kitchen stores tend to stock expensive ($35-80 each) units with all sorts of rather unnecessary features. http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Digital.../dp/B00004XSC5

I would say that learning to use and love your oven is a good way to cheaper and healthier cooking. I'm endlessly amazed at just how tasty roasted skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts are - no sauces needed. Just rub on some olive oil, salt and pepper, roast at 425 and the meat comes out awesomely delicious, and manages to stay moist. The fat in the skin and bones adds a lot to the flavour. Not to mention bone-in, skin on breasts can be as much as half the price per pound as boneless, skinless breasts. i.e. two boneless/skinless breasts can run like $12, but the bone-in/skin-on are usually about $6.50 or less. There may be just a little less meat, but it tastes so much better. And once you get a bit of practise it doesn't take more than 3-4 minutes to de-bone and skin two of them should a recipe specifically call for boneless/skinless.

[Mizango]

When I was a freshman at USC I lived on uncooked packages of Ramen Noodles, Tijuana Mamas (Spicy sausages from Corner stores lol) and Honey sandwiches.

Man I don't know how I made it.

[Lyrai]

Rice is great and you can mix it or serve it as a side to most anything. More recently I mixed up a can of tuna with a chopped up fried onion and green pepper with a few globs of ketchup, splash of vinegar, and some curry powder, cook until combined. Turned out a lot better than I expected.

I also take a can of chicken broth with some diced chicken, onion, peppers, whatever veggies I have and make a curry like that. Adding a bit of cornstarch thickens it up a bit. Serve that with rice and it's very tasty and pretty easy.

Also sloppy joes are great too, one pound of meat and a can of sauce will get you a lot of food. You can freeze some of it and just heat it up when you get fresh rolls.

[thebearofscience]

Yes. Really, learn how to cook. Completely serious. Just look up on the series of tubes or learn from a friend. I'm a freshman in college and I have three other roommates that don't know how to cook anything. They eat out every night and already blown their "campus money" (prepaid money for food meals and whatnot) and I still have $273 out of $300 (with seven or so weeks into school).

&, as said before, Sams Club will be your friend; buy everything in bulk for somewhatnotreally cheap!

[Kiro]

Rice
Chili
Cheese
Lots of tortillas.
Sour Cream
Salsa
Onions

You can either make massive burritos and put them in big freezer ziploc bags and just take 'em out and reheat 'em when you're hungry, or of course make 'em right on the spot.

Can make quesadillas (Tortilla + Cheese + Salsa/Sour Cream to "dip" it in), or you can make chili and rice. Rice on the bottom of the bowl, as much chili as you want to put on top, then put some cheese, sour cream, onions, and salsa if you want. Shitty salsa sucks on this stuff, but the "thick" salsa that is mostly just diced veggies with herbs and shiz is damn good on it. Stir that shit up in the bowl and it's fucking orgasmic.

Obviously it gets boring after a while, but you'd be surprised how much shit you can make with what I listed. You could even buy some chicken or steak and add that to the burritos or quesadillas.

BAMF.

I had to live off of that for a while, didn't gain any weight either. ^- ^

[Krandor]

Totino's Party Pizzas made up a huge portion of my diet while in college.

[Kiro]

Ew, I hate those pizzas. They just taste weird, can't put my finger on it.

The lowest I'd go is Tony's, rofl.

[Krandor]

The Mexican ones are grub, can't really eat any of the other ones.

[_chuchu]

Same, but I also liked Tombstone n Digiorno's

[Kiro]

I get Tombstone a lot. But Digiorno's is fucking expensive for a frozen pizza, lol. Frescheetta too. :<

GOD I'M LIKE A FUCKING FROZEN PIZZA PROFESSIONAL. How sad.

[archibaldcrane]

Rice
Chili
Cheese
Lots of tortillas.
Sour Cream
Salsa
Onions

Heh, all mexican food is made from like 4 ingredients. Just buy those and you can make a different dish per day for a year.

[Mojo]

I used to like those totinos pizzas, but I guess I just had one too many of them.... Even just smelling them almost makes me throw up in my mouth a bit. The Tony's pepperoni pizzas, on the other hard, are pretty damn good. It's too bad they doubled in price over the last 6 months.

[Azalee]

When it comes to crockpots, meatball subs is the way to go.

For really simple ones, add frozen meatballs and pasta sauce and let it cook all day. Add spices and cheese, then when you get home it can be scooped out and put on a kaiser roll and you have a delicious, fulfilling sandwich. Freezes well, too.

[AoE]

You guys rock. I'm looking forward to making a lot of this stuff now.

[Guyverarmor]

One thing I make, that I Picked up from my dad, is Rancher's stew.

1 can of Ranch Style Beans
1 thing of Hamburger Helper (three cheese, Cheeseburger Mac,etc.)

mix together, and taste very good and makes alot!

Also, buy alot of chicken and pork. Cheap and you can make alot of dishes with them without making the taste monotinous(sp?) One thing I like making Is chicken cheese and raice casserole. 2 frozen chicken breast, froze veggies, cheese, and rice. Makes alot as well, gives you a well rounded meal, and freezes good as well. Also the frozen dinners from like Lean Cuissine is pretty good as well.

[Murdock]

Basically looking for ideas besides Ramen Noodles. ;p

but ramen is the best way to go.