Hey everyone, this is my first time posting here, and I’m in need of some help with cheap food ideas for me and my picky boyfriend.
We’re both 19 year old guys and with him being 6’5, he usually needs to eat quite a bit to feel full. He’s a relatively picky eater with a REALLY simple palate. His go to meals are (and these are eating out most of the time) Cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, fries, Mac n cheese, the occasional spaghetti with meat, and loads of Yakisoba noodles. We’ve been getting by with the Yakisoba, but he needs at least two trays to feel satiated, and we run out so quickly 😭. (Not to mention two trays of noodles aren’t really the most nutritious meal)
Ive thought about getting frozen chicken nuggets, frozen patties for burgers, I’ve got frozen fries in the freezer that I haven’t used yet because the task of frying them in oil seems so daunting compared to just popping them in an air fryer (which I don’t have).
I don’t know, what are your go to meals for picky eaters and simple palates? Anything helps. (Hopefully with minimal prep 🥲)
Cheap and filling meals for me and my bf?
byu/wigdog666 inFrugal
Posted by wigdog666
8 Comments
Chili?
Beef is pretty expensive now but you can substitute other proteins. It’s a pretty cheap thing you can make a lot of and eat on all week,
Lentil pasta and spaghetti sauce. Throw in an onion or a can of tomatoes. You’ll be stuffed.
Ground meat/chicken breast/ frozen veggies with white rice. Season/sauce to taste.
Rice, beans, chicken drumsticks, stew(with chicken and vegetables) potatoes cooked anyway, spaghetti.
The most filling foods are vegetables/fruits and oats
You could look up Pasta e Ceci, it’s pasta with chickpeas, Vincenzo’s plate on youtube has a good guide on how my mom and nonna used to make it.
Also look up Pasta e Piselli(Pasta and Peas) a guy on youtube that goes by Giovanni Siracusa makes a good version.
These were both decent tasting, quick enough cooking meals. Just don’t use preshredded cheese if you can help it. You don’t need pecorino romano, regular parmesan will be more than fine and you don’t need to absolutely use the amounts listed. The pre-shredded won’t work because of the cellulose etc though~
Instagram- look for “Filling Meals”. The cookbook is wonderful!
blend a can of white beans (drained and rinsed) into the pasta sauce for a cheap and easy way to add proteins and fiber to the spaghetti.
For some reason if I tell myself something is a “bowl” I will eat it. Maybe that might work for you guys?
Bbq bowls – coleslaw on bottom, bbq chicken, cornbread
Teriyaki bowl – rice, teriyaki chicken, green beans
Chipotle bowl – rice, canned refried beans, bell peppers, meat, salsa on top
Maybe you guys could have a theme a couple nights a week so that it’s something to look forward to.