How To Eat For $3 A Day (Frugal Meal Challenge)

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[cynthiahoz]

This made me want to cry. Reminded me of close friend who grew up with two alcoholic parents. She said at times the only food in their pantry was cornmeal. Both her parents died young but she is thriving and has led a happy, successful life😊

[alissandrasweeney]

I think what you were missing there was healthy fats! I remember watching a documentary several years ago where two guys went to live in some impoverished country and live off of $1 a day and basically just had rice and beans and started feeling ill and tired after a few days until a local finally explained to them that they needed to just add some lard to their rice and beans. They were also farming and whatnot to try to add other foods to their diets as much as possible too, but the lard was the key to having enough energy to survive.

[AFluidRealiTea]

This 3-day experiment was both interesting to watch and a helpful mental reset. Even with maybe double the budget to $6, which is less than many people budget, a LOT can be done. I appreciate the video.

[highqualitylady]

Absolutely loved the lady giving you an ice cream, big heart.
Your cooking videos are very interesting. I don’t see many as creative. Gifted talent.

[Mariportal]

If you wanna make beans again in the future, soak them overnight, change the water, wash and leave in the fresh water for an hour before start cooking. Garlic, salt and onions are essential! 👍🏼

[lilikae]

The best and fastest way to cook beans is with a pressure cooker or instant pot. And any Brazilian would tell you that good rice and beans can be eaten and enjoyed everyday! The secret is on the seasonings.... garlic is essential! 😄😄😄

[michelleparks]

Gabe, you have to soak beans overnight if they hurt your stomach. There is a compound in them that we cannot readily digest, but the soak make it possible. Icr what the compound is called.

Also, before the whole gluten free craze, I used to make my kids "pancakes" 🥞 with 1 banana 🍌 and 2 eggs 🥚 blend well and spread a very thin layer. Too thick and they don't cook or taste right. Almost like a crépe. No syrup necessary bc the banana is sweet enough. Try it! 🥰

[Annie]

Thanks for this. It’s inspiring to see what’s possible when it feels like the grocery costs are out of control.

Others have mentioned how important that long soak is when cooking dry beans, but I wanted to suggest rinsing at each step as well. My process is: sort, rinse, long soak, rinse, long cook, rinse. Then season after that. I’ve found rinsing all the foam and bubbles helps with the digestive troubles that often come with beans.

[godisgood]

Rinse beans, throw in crockpot, cover with water by at least an inch or more, cook for several hours, add salt at end. Easy and yum. :) For refried, put in a pan, mash and add some of the water. For a regular day when you're not eating cheaply, add some heavy whipping cream to get restaurant refried beans consistency, cumin, garlic powder, etc., other spices to taste.

[leisureblank]

That is so funny that lady thought you were homeless. Yesterday I saw a video of a woman who gave herself a budget of $15 at Dollar General. She made pasta, tortillas, gnocchi, and pieroghis out of flour and water. She had some canned soups, beans. I think she must be an amazing cook because 90% of her meals looked amazing.

[teubank]

You are a lot braver than me. I clearly remember the days when I didn't get enough food as a child and I never ever want to experience those days again. Those days did help in the first year of our marriage when money was extremely tight. We ate a lot of rice and beans and cornbread. We also ate a lot of oatmeal and a lot of soup. We made every kind of soup you could imagine. We always had a grilled cheese sandwich with it or cornbread. Those were the good ole days. lol We still eat soup and grilled cheese once or twice a month. Thanks for this and all of your videos. You make a lot of sense!

[kate]

Excellent. You need an instant pot for beans. Rice is great in the pressure cooker too.

[TheSUPERHAPPY]

"Frugal Fit Mom" has great playlists like this - and seems like an amazing cook

[gypsybelle]

Great insights from a tough challenge. Kudos for completing it!

[sweetheartcarebear]

Here in New Mexico, USA for people don’t know the geography for the USA states😉 New Mexico is the Chile Capital of the world and one of our main staples is pinto beans. We make delicious beans and refried beans that are to be soaked over night and sugar or baking soda can be added to help with gas and bloating. You get used to the fiber in beans after awhile. You need to usually add at least a little bit of pepper and salt. You can add spices of cumin. Chile of green or red can also be added to taste. Refried beans are to be fried and mashed in a pan and they can be very soft and creamy. You must always boil long enough . They can be frozen to save for later. Some people even fry with butter or lard or bacon lard. Just a few tips.

[dbartz]

Glad you showed us, that short term, or 2 to 3 days a week, ( just not all in a row, lol), we can save on our food expenses. It is definitely doable. Thanks for your sacrifice!👍

[learnaswegrow]

Hi Gabe, If you find yourself eating beans quite often, you should consider getting a pressure canner or at least a pressure cooker. We actually can ours so we can make most anything in minutes. Hummus, bean dip, refried beans, etc. It really isn't difficult and not a lot of equipment needed besides the pressure canner & jars. It's very simple. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise. Thanks for the entertaining videos!!

[bessieoriotis]

Thanks for reminding me to eat healthy and economic Gabe. I actually went cold turkey and stopped drinking coffee, tea, pop and chocolate. Feeling better.

[lionandthelamb]

You can save a lot by getting a thermal cooker. You just boil what ever you are cooking and then put it in the thermal cooker. It cooks beans perfectly with no fuel and no babysitting it.

[sweetchilli]

I have had a change in my thinking. I used to be too cheap to buy a lot of spices but seeing all the health benefits recently, I’m enjoying expanding and broadening my food choices..