I’ll tell you right now that there are not many ways to make canned tuna taste very good. I’m not talking about the albacore stuff, either. I am referring to the tuna in water. When you don’t have much else, though, it is a source of protein. A great source of protein actually.

Last night started off with absolutely no desire to pick up groceries from the store. (by the way, I just took a bite and it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought, I’ll tell you later what might have made the difference) I’ve had three boxes of spaghetti sitting around for a few months and I knew that I should not let that source of nutrition go to waste

The plan for eating cheap involves several major points. A protein, a starch and a source of minerals or vitamins. In my pantry this generally includes:

• Starches
  • pastas (made with durum wheat)
  • rices
  • potatoes
  • tortillas
• Proteins
  • beans
  • lentils
  • chickpeas or garbanzo beans
  • eggs
  • milk *2% or higher
  • animal meat *No More than one pound per seven day week*
    • chicken – a whole roaster should last one person a month
    • beef or lamb – a whole roast will also last a month
    • ground meat – usually beef
    • fish
      • Albacore tuna – preferably in oil and a pouch
      • sardines
      • kippered herring or other salted fish
• Source of vitamins and minerals – all of these have a decent shelf life
  • onions or leeks
  • celery
  • carrots or parsnips
  • garlic or shallots
  • canned tomatoes or tomato sauce – fresh ones rot, or can your own
  • chard or kale
  • Brussels sprouts or beets
  • spices

It may seem like a long list at first but every couple weeks I actually only need to pick a couple of items from each section. Some of the items you get a lot more bang for your buck, meaning more nutrition per calorie. That is the secret to staying full on a low budget. I have emphasized the items that have extremely high nutritional value per caloric value. Know that this is not a scientific approach and I am only grouping my foods based on how I am using them.

You will notice that I have not listed cheeses, fruits or some of the more expensive cuts of meat. The goal eventually is to be able to budget approximately eighty dollars per month for a single person. This includes spices, oils and wines.

I was going to get into the two different spaghetti dishes I made over the last two days but I will save them for tomorrow. I will explain more about my method throughout the course of this blog.