EATING FOR $20 a WEEK | BUDGET MEAL PLAN

Today I'll be buying groceries for a week for $20 and then making meals with those ingredients. Thank you for watching my video!

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⭐️GROCERY LIST

eggs 12 ALDI 3.99
French bread Great Value 1
peanut butter walmart 2
potatoes aldi 10 lb bag 1.89
tortillas 8 Great Value 2.08
Avocado Aldi. 0.75
black beans seasoned walmart 0.89
1 onion Wholesome Choice 0.3
rice 1 lb walmart 0.97
cilantro 0.57
carrot 0.24
5 roma tomatoes 0.42
2 chili ramen packages 0.66
spinach bag fresh Aldi 1.47
garlic 1 clove 0.58
ginger 1.06
lentils 1.39

TOTAL 20.26

BREAKFASTS

1 -2 EGGS WITH TOAST
1 EGG WITH HOME FRIES WITH ONIONS AND TOAST
1 Egg with HOME FRIES WITH ONIONS AND TOASTin Air Fryer
1 Toast with avocado and sliced hardboiled egg
1 Huevos rancheros- flour tortilla, black beans, egg, avocado, cilantro, tomatoes
1 Avocado toast with guacamole with fried egg
1 toast with scrambled eggs and tomato

LUNCHES

2 SOUPS with lentils, potatoes, garlic, ginger, carrots, spinach & SIDE OF BREAD
1 Kara's peanut butter ramen with cilantro
1 Burrito with rice, spinach, avocado and tomato
1 tostada with rice, black beans, pico de gallo and sliver o avocado
2 SOUPS with lentils, potatoes, garlic, ginger, carrots, spinach & SIDE OF BREAD

DINNER

1 Kara's peanut butter ramen with cilantro
1 Burrito with rice, spinach, avocado and tomato
1 tostada with rice, black beans, pico de gallo and sliver of avocado
1 Black bean chimichanga
2 Burrito with rice, spinach, avocado and tomato
1 Rice bowl with lentils, rice, shredded carrots, avocado and fried spinach with garlic (not shown in video)

SNACKS

Toast with peanut butter
tortilla with cinnamon and sugar

LEFTOVERS -
4 eggs
more than half of the bag of potatoes
3/4 jar of peanut butter

KARA's FAMOUS PEANUT BUTTER RAMEN - HOW I MADE IT - 1 serving

1 bag of chili flavor ramen (I got at Walmart)
1/2 inch knob chopped ginger
1 large clove garlic chopped
cilantro - lots of this
1 heaping teaspoon chunky peanut butter
1 cup water
dash low sodium Kikkoman soy sauce
toasted sesame seeds

*optional chopped green onions

Sautée ginger and garlic in some oil being careful not to burn the garlic. Add 1 cup of water, 3/4 of the chili ramen seasoning packet and a dash of low sodium kikkoman soy sauce (or omit for less sodium). Add in brick of ramen and cover with lid. Cook until just past al dente, but not soggy. Add in peanut butter. Plate and top with LOTS of cilantro.

Add in chopped green onions if you have them, and toasted sesame seeds. I also used black sesame seeds.

See below for Kara's original recipe which calls for cayenne pepper. I didn't use cayeenne because I was already using chili ramen which is spicy.

KARA's FAMOUS PEANUT BUTTER RAMEN - ORIGINAL RECIPE - 2 servings
*Courtesy Kara and Nate Youtube channel

olive oil (or whatever you like)
4 ish garlic cloves
1ish fresh ginger
2 of your favorite instant ramens
salt
pepper
coconut aminos
cayenne pepper
peanut butter
fresh cilantro
green onions
toasted sesame seeds
sriracha

1. saute the garlic and ginger with some olive oil
2. Add water (or veg broth) and make the "sauce"
3.Add the seasoning packet the comes with the ramen if you want, or make your own
4. Add coconut aminos (idk maybe 1/3 cup?), salt, pepper, cayenne (if using soy sauce, you don't need as much or any salt!)
5. Stir in 1ish scoop of peanut butter
6. Add in noods and let it all cook together.
7. Put in bowls and add fresh cilantro, green onion, sesame seeds, and sriracha!

Join this channel to support me:

[beckyw]

Love all your content! So helpful, always new ideas, new ingredients, new ways to think about eating and buying and preparing food. Have a great end of 2024.

[patpeters]

Potatoes and onions with an egg is also one of my favorite breakfasts. Avocado toast, I am in heaven. Lol. 🥑🍳

[chrisharmon]

A tip for soy sauce if you don’t own some. Most grocery stores have a deli section. A lot of them have premade sushi. And they will have condiments- just snag a couple packets of soy sauce.

[ccjdis]

Appreciate that you do the work of going back to previous videos to insert. Thanks.

[betterlivingonabudget]

Wow, 10# of spuds for $1.89 is amazing. That never happens here in south FL, but we do get cheap avocados, LOL. The PB ramen dish sounds fantastic.

[kimmegee]

You make budget eating look on purpose for healthy eating. I love it.

[debblouin]

If you up your budget to $25 you could get a Costco roast chicken and up the protein and lower some of the carbs.

[momofmomof]

I got a 2 dozen pack of organic eggs from Costco for under $5. It was the best price anywhere near me. Everything looks so delicious ! Especially the burritos! 🥰🎄❄☃🎅💖✝

[beckymccomas]

I've said it before, I love your videos. We share a similar taste in food, but I do use more meat than you, due to my husband. I'm also protein deficient. When making your home fries, try a little curry powder with it. Gives it another depth of flavor. Thanks again for taking your precious time to make and share your videos with us. 😊

[patpeters]

Hmmmm I haven't heard about peanut butter in ramen before. I have both so I am definitely going to try it since I have not been disappointed in recipes you have suggested.🍜

[abunchahooey]

Michelle, I know you don’t label your budget meal plans, but you definitely prove people can eat healthy on a budget! Everything looks so fresh and colorful and flavorful! I’m a carb queen, so that hash brown and egg burrito looked right up my alley! 😂 It all looked great, and you must feel good eating so healthily. I wish I could remember where I saw this tip, but to keep potatoes fresh longer, get a sturdy cardboard box and line the bottom with newspaper. Lay potatoes in a single layer, top with newspaper and repeat ending with a layer of newspaper on top, to shield potatoes from light. Store in a cool, dry, dark place. Potatoes are supposed to last weeks and weeks with this storage technique, and i share this because Sam’s 10lbs of potatoes to me are always the freshest, but it’s sometimes difficult to use up so much. I plan on trying this soon, but I’m sure it will work just like back in the day a family member’s root cellar kept potatoes fresh all winter long. It was actually a door in the kitchen floor and was always cool and dark. Have a great week, and hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

[jacki]

Good buys this week allows for more colorful meals.

[my]

I just found this channel. I can't get over how good these recipes look after you are done. It's like you are making something from nothing..

[jmknudsen]

The ramen noodles with peanut butter sounds great. I'll have to try it. I have leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving, so will be making Lentil Shepherd's Pie tonight.

[pek]

Omg that's a good deal on potatoes. Also yay!

[justafryguy]

The lentil soup I have done with chicken broth mix and it tastes so good, I will try adding ginger.

[ShaunaLeesSnackidies]

LOVE these kinds of videos!❤ I wish they were around 20 years ago!

[CyCySunflowers]

Your meals look amazingly delicious. I'm taking notes. Thank you for doing these 20, 00 grocery meal plans. Truly appreciate it.

[tinashort]

I had this playing while I was making a pan of 💩on a shingle or SOS…just so the city folk know it’s just hamburger crumbled and browned with gravy. I’ve been eating it my whole life and I love it!! Anyway… I sat down to watch and started the video over so I could actually watch it!! Happy Sunday Michelle!! I always look so forward to your videos!!!!❤ ps…I just don’t care for cooking in the air fryer. I’ve had 2 and didn’t like either !

[TheSusanhunter]

There's something very satisfying about watching spinach wilt up in a pot.