How to feed your family for under $5: Canned bean dinners that are really delicious

[riversedge]

Good article for these times when grocery prices are so high



How to feed your family for under $5: Canned bean dinners that are really delicious

Affordable canned bean dinners under $5 that stretch your budget without sacrificing nutrition or taste when money is tight
https://www.mother.ly/food/canned-bean-dinner-ideas/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us


By Sara Goldstein Updated Oct. 29, 2025


Let’s acknowledge what’s happening: with looming cuts to SNAP benefits and food assistance programs, many families are facing impossible choices at the grocery store. Food prices continue to climb, and now the help many people rely on has been reduced or eliminated entirely. If you’re feeling the squeeze—or if you’re one of the millions of families directly impacted by these cuts—you’re not alone, and you haven’t failed.

Canned beans aren’t a consolation prize. They’re a legitimate strategy for feeding your family nutritious, filling meals when budgets are tight and government support has been pulled out from under you. This isn’t about “making do”—it’s about making smart choices with what you have, and making sure everyone gets fed well.
The real numbers

Here’s what we’re working with:

One can of beans: $0.89-$1.29 at most grocery stores
Protein equivalent: About the same as $4-6 worth of chicken or $6-8 worth of beef
Feeds: 2-4 people depending on how you use it
Shelf life: 2-5 years, meaning you can stock up when you have a little extra

With SNAP benefits gone, every dollar matters more than ever– and it’s forcing impossible decisions. Beans can help bridge that gap without sacrificing nutrition or flavor.
Why beans work when money is tight

Nutritional density that matters Beans aren’t just cheap—they’re actually one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can buy:

High in protein (about 15g per cup)
Packed with fiber (keeps everyone fuller longer)
Rich in iron, folate, and other essential nutrients
Complex carbs that provide lasting energy

When you’re stretching a budget, you need foods that keep your family satisfied and healthy. Beans do both.

[questionseverything]

1. Cooking beans from their dry state is even cheaper

[IronLionZion]

16. Instant pot or other pressure cookers are great for dry beans

good to check the beans for any stones before cooking.

[questionseverything]

63. I always pick through them for stones or hulls

I soak my beans overnight then crockpot during the day, so easy

[Beacool]

80. Yes, and healthier.

They also last longer and don't have any added sodium. In college I always kept rice, beans, hot dogs in the freezer and eggs (they were dirt cheap back then). If the check my mom sent me every month for my expenses arrived a bit late, I knew that I could still eat a hot and filling meal.

[FarPoint]

2. A few of my favorite bean meals.....

Red Beans and rice; ham and bean soup using ham hock; for lower price; chili, bake beans as a side dish...oh yea, white bean/ Cannellini Beans as a side dish...

I often make from scratch cornbread to accompany these dishes or french baguette. that can be made from scratch and or make no knead bread...

[jmbar2]

13. I'm with you on the cornbread

Really good crunchy cornbread baked in cast iron skillet makes everything a feast!. I'm a fan of split pea soup, and also hamhocks and lima beans with cornbread.

[Attilatheblond]

18. Mmmmmm! Butter beans!

One of my childhood favorites. Right up there with fresh green beans, potatoes and a little diced ham.

[617Blue]

3. A bag of organic, dried chickpeas (garbanzos) is cheap...

soak em for a while and they plump up to a nice consistency. You can season them with anything and they make a good healthy meat substitute.

[SheltieLover]

4. I make very nutritious soups with ground chicken, turkey, or very lean beef

Vary the fresh veggies: cabbage, zucchini, yellow squash, turnip, rutabaga, brussle sprouts, bell peppers of various colors, etc., a can of tomatoes, low salt chicken or beef broth, & often 1 lg can of tomatoes. I also add to the pot after the first servings by adding canned kidney beans, garbanzos, green beans, corn, etc.

A large Dutch oven pot lasts grandson & me about 3 days. Of course we eat other things, too, but it's nice to ensure we are both getting a huge healthy dose of veggies, & it's tasty & budget friendly, & nice to have something cooked for a quick meal.

[MiHale]

5. Not only beans...lentils are delicious...

https://www.ranchogordo.com/pages/about-us

A great place to buy dry beans of all different kinds…

Take lessons from the Leguminati

Their goal is to transform the diets of people across the world, to spark a revolution in food production and consumption. They call themselves the leguminati.

“When you rediscover beans, it’s something we’ve all taken for granted, and then you realize—oh my God—these are really great; it’s like a secret,” says Steve Sando, the founder of the California-based bean company, Rancho Gordo, who is, for many, the godfather of this cult. “The secret’s been revealed to them and they tend not to be able to shut up about it, because they feel they’ve discovered the world.”

[peacebuzzard]

8. I have some red lentils ready for the pot.

somewhere I saw a red lentil soup recipe and I have to find it.
If I don’t, I will make one up. It sounds delicious and my mouth waters every time I look at those organic red lentils I just purchased at Sprouts.

[MiHale]

11. I've found the red lentils break down easily...

Taking advantage of that aspect I use them to thicken some of my stews when needed. Plus because of the easy digestion of them I can stretch my dogs food … he loves red lentils. Had to introduce them to him slowly. Making lentil soups I prefer to use French lentils or brown ones they hold up in hot liquid better. My sister-in -law is from Türkiye she’s a magician with lentils.

[peacebuzzard]

20. in lands south of the border bean scraps are served with rice to family pets

its economical and keeps the dogs with a bellyful, especially because pet stores are just a notion heard of about far away lands...
And the dogs stay healthy and happy and in shape for a long life.
Back to the red lentil soup thanks for letting me know, I thought about soaking them first but maybe I don't have to. OK I will just cook it up in the pressure cooker. That should do it.

[Trueblue Texan]

35. My dogs LOVE pureed pinto beans.

They also love carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower, cooked or raw. Those things are special treats for them.

[get the red out]

43. Egyptian Red Lentil soup

I got my recipe from the "Moosewood" cookbook years (decades?) ago. It is my favorite soup in the world, healthy and CHEAP.

[peacebuzzard]

45. this cookbook is an eyeopener.

bookmarking this one

[erronis]

64. Moosewood - one the favorite cookbooks in my family - three sisters and myself.

See the restaurant site: https://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moosewood_Restaurant

Moosewood Restaurant (January 3, 1973–present) is an American natural foods restaurant in Ithaca, New York. In 1978, the original founders (Therese Tischler, Judy Barringer, Chris Miller, Patrick McGuire and three others)[citation needed] sold the restaurant to the staff, who became "The Moosewood Collective." In addition to producing a number of James Beard Award winning and nominated cookbooks (by the Moosewood Collective), The Moosewood Restaurant also won the James Beard America's Classics award from the James Beard Foundation in 2000.

Overview

Moosewood Restaurant was originally founded as a worker collective[1] on January 3, 1973[2] during the natural foods and Farm-to-table movements within the American counterculture.[3][4][5][6] According to the self-published 1974 Moosewood Cookbook (created by staff members), "a group of seven people started building [Moosewood Restaurant] in the fall of 1972," and the name was inspired by Patrick, one of the original founders, "who once read a book and in it was a character-a dog in fact' named Moosewood; it is also the name of a lovely striped maple tree."[2] Its original goal was to provide dishes made of "local, sustainable" food.[1][7][8] Although meat was served when the restaurant first opened, it was dropped from the menu.[9] The focus turned to natural foods that primarily featured vegetarian (and later vegan) dishes, but has also included pescetarian options on its menu and in its cookbooks.[9][10][11]

It was popular with countercultural icons: "Crosby and Nash once shared drinks at the bar, and Allen Ginsberg ended his dinner with a Moosewood brownie and black coffee. Even the Grateful Dead stopped by during their trip for Cornell's Barton Hall show, only to go unrecognized by the members of the collective."[8]

[Attilatheblond]

19. Lentils done with Indian seasonings..... cannot be beat!

[peacebuzzard]

24. Curry? That is the first thing that comes to mind.

which seasonings do you use with lentils?

[Attilatheblond]

30. Not curry so much

Cumin, coriander, garlic, onion powder, ground ginger, a pinch of chili flakes, Graham Marsala added just at the end. But LOTS of all of the above save the chili flakes. One can buy a seasoning mix, but I make my own, including the Gramah Marsala, which I make up by a batch for a smallish jar.

Great on rice or even a baked potato. Also, pureed a little then used as a sauce over some poached chicken if you want that. I generally add a dollop of PLAIN yogurt on top.

Check out an Indian cookbook from your library, or add one to your personal cookbook shelf. I have found that US cookbooks on Indian food generally got too light on seasonings, so I generally double or triple up on the spices. (Daughter's first beau was a young man from India, and she learned a lot from his grandma!)

Indian cooking is heavy on plant sources of protein as many people there are vegetarians so it's a good cuisine to go to for cutting down on meats. People who have trouble digesting beans, lentils and such can get enzyme supplements to help with that for a while as their bodies adjust to the dietary change of less meat, more legumes.

[peacebuzzard]

36. I am making a new list for my next shopping trip.

I think it is Gramah Marsala? or Garam? never had it but want to try it. yogurt somehow works in this too, somewhere.

[Attilatheblond]

39. LOL. I can't spell for beans!

[erronis]

65. Beans or lentils on a baked potato are my idea of a comfort meal.

I love Indian lentils - Trader Joes sells a good prepared one - perhaps a bit heavy on the salt, and of course, not as fresh as yours with your own herb/spice mixtures.

I may err on the side of adding a bit too much butter to the baked potato (or yam/sweet potato!). And perhaps sin by adding some very strong cheddar cheese on the top. (Cabot or Black Diamond 5 year or Pymouth Hunters).

Basmati rice is also excellent under the lentils.

[Ms. Toad]

28. I like your framing better.

I know it wasn't intended that way - but the OP sounded a bit like thinly disguised scoldy.

I absolutely love beans and rice. Currently I'm bingeing on refried beans spread over a tortilla with the last of the tomato harvest (which will last until January as it slowly ripens), a hot pepper from my garden, a slice of regular pepper, and some toasted cheese on top.

[MagickMuffin]

71. Made red lentil soup with sweet potatoes

It really is a fast and nutritious meal. It really takes less than 30 minutes to cook lentils.

[Woodwizard]

6. I cook beans a lot

I buy them dry and cook in a stove top pressure cooker.

I like cooking black and pinto for chili with ground beef from our local farm.

Grass fed and around the same cost as the supermarket.

I would eat them all the time but my wife likes more variety.

[peacebuzzard]

7. Beans carry as much protein punch as meat.

I know it’s tough for those that eat steaks and so forth but you can tighten your belt and not suffer hunger at all with these lowly veggies.
Plus, there are so many savory dishes to come out of this belt tightening period. It can build character and palate at the same time.
I always have beans on hand for a daily ration of protein. I am lucky because I do enjoy cooking at home for the savings of eating out.

It really helps if you have a kitchen to prepare your meals in. I prep for several meals at once since I am so busy with my other occupations….

Hope everyone can survive this belt tightening period ……

[Attilatheblond]

33. Cook a pot of beans, then divide into smaller freezer dishes if you have freezer space to spare

Huge time saver!

[peacebuzzard]

37. that is exactly what I do.

always a meal on hand for all of us juggling life on a budget.

[womanofthehills]

74. Except - you need to eat way more beans than meat to get the protein

Like 4 times. Good for younger people. You could top your beans with an egg to add more protein. Lots of Mexican restaurants serve a fried egg over the bean dishes.

Also- there are a few amino acids in meat that aren’t in beans so it’s probably good to put a little meat in your beans. Vegetarians are often low in taurine - which is only found in meat & fish.

[peacebuzzard]

76. I give taurine to my cat who has heart problems

now I have to figure out this relationship. I am a pescatarian….but I only eat fish/shellfish; once in a while. It depends on who is cooking it. I am a lazy cook. So fish/shellfish happens in my home rarely. More often when I dine out a couple of times a month.

[moonrise november]

9. Even better

are 1-pound BAGS of beans! Way cheaper than cans. I recently made rice and beans. I buy white organic basmati rice from Whole Foods in 5-pound bags for $15. 1 bag of blackeyed peas was $1.99 from a local grocery. Organic tomato paste at Trader Joe's is .99. Rinse beans and fill large soup pot with water. Cook for an hour, add 1 chopped onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 chopped sweet pepper, and minced fresh cilantro. Raw salt to taste and the tomato paste. I also add green olives. Serve over rice. Many meals with that.

[Jilly_in_VA]

10. This sounds very good

and I will tuck this recipe away for Lent, BUT remember the people who live in food deserts, or work all day at menial jobs and don't have time when they get home tired, or are maybe homeless and cooking on camp stoves or whatever. They're the ones most in need of the canned beans. That's why I tuck both into my food bank donations.

[moonrise november]

12. The point is

that blackeyed peas cook up within an hour. Another even quicker recipe is red split peas cooked with onion, garlic, chopped fresh tomatoes, and cauliflower. Saute in olive or avocado oil with curry powder and cumin seeds for a few minutes and then cover with water and cook until soft. 35 minutes! Serve over rice. You can even add a can of coconut milk to increase the richness. I highly recommend Trader Joe's brand as it has no filler and is a good price. Also, a quick salad with mixed greens, tomato, radish and cuke can tide you over until the beans are done.

[Trueblue Texan]

34. And if you need convenience food...

...beans freeze very well, as do cooked rice, potatoes, quinoa and other grains. Just pull a serving out of the freezer and reheat. Dinner is ready in 5 minutes.

[peacebuzzard]

38. blackeyed peas! not just for New Years Day anymore.

I used to love those beans as a kid. Time to revisit.

[jmbar2]

14. Here is a GREAT lentils recipe

One of my favorites

[peacebuzzard]

32. Mujadara! quite a show!!! made my mouth water!

love this!!!Now I want to go to Lebanon!!!
The onion dicing is the key to this. I just found out that onions are a great probiotic. I buy them by the lb anyway. Show time!! thanks!

[jmbar2]

41. I was surprised the first time I made it due to the amount of onions

The caramelized portion becomes fairly sweet, while the crunchy ones are just pure delicious.

[GoCubsGo]

70. Mujadara is to die for!

"A Diet For A Small Planet" has a good recipe for it, too. I love it on a lettuce salad.

[lostnfound]

15. Terrific at lowering cholesterol - dense bean salad. Time saver too.

Two types of canned beans (i like black and kidney), drained
Chopped celery
Chopped cucumber
Chopped bell pepper (or other vegetables)
Nice to have: chopped black olives, seeds

Vinegar
Olive oil
Fresh herbs — i grow and use Greek oregano, lemon mint, dill, thyme, basil, chives — any or all of these
Mustard or a little chili powder or cayenne, if desired

Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Seems like a time saver to me, no cooking to do, and i feed myself on it for 4 or 5 meals. Just a few tablespoons of it is nice for a snack or you can turn it into a meal by pairing it with a piece of fruit or some other side.

This study says that a cup of canned beans a day, instead of rice, resulted in an 8% reduction in LDL in 28 days. I personally experienced a drop in total cholesterol of 14% — from 225 to 193 in about 3 months.

[peacebuzzard]

44. wow alone on the cholesterol LDL reduction. I didnt know that one!

thanks for the link.

[llmart]

17. I do love beans and yes, they are very nutritious but...

if you have young children they rarely like beans. Yes, they'll eat them if they're hungry enough, but I hate the fact that we peons are told "just eat beans every day" while the fat cats are in the ballroom eating caviar and steak.

It'd be one thing if this was a world war and we were eating beans, etc. to help the war effort like in WWII, but I'll be goddamned if I'm going to advocate the poor to just eat beans.

I know this will get some pushback, but I grew up poor and I learned to like my mother's bean soup made with the flavoring of a ham bone which she could get free from the butcher. This was mostly in the winter. But every once in awhile my father would "splurge" on a round steak which she would make into swiss steak after cooking it for a long time so it was not tough. They had seven children to feed and rent to pay so we wouldn't get evicted from the hovel that we lived in. I grew up in the snow belt of NE Ohio, so winters were brutal. The coal for our coal furnace had to be rationed out too.

I'm a post-war boomer. This is the richest country in the world (or so they say) and we cannot and should not normalize what's happening in our economy and government. We should have our next protest be where we all bring a can of beans to the Capitol and put them on the steps with signs that say, "Let THEM eat beans".

[Biophilic]

21. I support everything you said. Thank you.

When they start eating beans and lentils on TV they might become popular. When I was a kid I hated my mom's beans and lentil soups. However, as an adult I loved them. But I thank everyone for the reminder that beans and lentils can be really, really good.

[Trueblue Texan]

26. I agree with what you say...

...but to me, being able to survive on such basics is more of a protest statement than a concession. I was the youngest of 7 kids and my dad died when I was 4 years old. Somehow my mom fed us all very well and we grew up knowing how lucky we were to eat such delicious food. We absolutely loved beans --I liked them better than meat. Nowadays, having a pantry full of beans and grains makes me feel like I've got a secret. I know how to feed us like kings on those very basic items. I have food security because I know what to stock. I can be generous with what I have, sharing with others who haven't that luxury--because of my skill and knowledge. To me, eating beans with most meals is like shooting a big FU to the oligarchy. I feel like I can easily survive without them. They simply CANNOT survive without us.

[Trueblue Texan]

29. Put some tomato sauce, brown sugar, and mustard...

...in those beans and make them. "barbecued" beans. They'll like them a lot better. You can also hide beans in a lot of food to stretch it and make it more nutritious.

[llmart]

53. I am fortunate enough to not be affected by food insecurity.

I am quite well off. I volunteer several places to do my part and I will donate to our food pantry but it won't be beans. I spent a day working in a large city food pantry through my employer's request and I couldn't believe how many cans of beans that people donated. I donate peanut butter, jam, bread, tuna fish, soups, etc. Anything other than beans. Poor people shouldn't have only beans to choose from. Oh, and cookies, chips, pretzels, Goldfish. Kids need to have treats too.

[MerryBlooms]

69. Thise ham bones aren't free anymore

And, folks pushing hammocks for bean soup? Even hammocks are expensive now days in my area. I have both canned and dry goods. No fancy rice, lol. Good grief. Just regular long grain, even that has gone up.

[llmart]

82. I had to think about your post for awhile since I didn't understand the "hammocks" thing.

I'm presuming you mean "ham hocks" or am I wrong? Don't know where you live, but in the South they use ham hocks for lots of things.

[Trueblue Texan]

22. We eat beans/legumes daily

I have made salads, soups, meat substitutes like bean loaves or burgers, or just a big ol' pot of beans for our meals. Beans are comfort food for me and my husband. He is a vegan and even though I am not a vegan, beans are one of my favorite foods on earth. A salad with beans and grains such as bulgur wheat, similar to tabouli, or green salads with white or red beans, Buddha bowls with beans, greens, veggies, grains, and sauces, as well as soups and pasta salads with multiple varieties of beans all make great entrees. Legumes such as red lentils can be added into pasta sauces to add protein. You can even puree beans to make healthy and yummy sauces. There are tons of recipes for delicious and nutritious meals based on beans. I feel bad for the folks who will suffer due to food insecurity that is coming, but a pantry full of beans can offset a lot of that misery.

[JohnnyRingo]

23. First thing my mom taught me was grilled cheese & tomato soup.

Later in life when I went through a bad time, I learned why.

Tomato soup was the cheapest kind (69¢) and I could go to the store for
A loaf of bread (79¢)
butter ($1)
...and put the Kraft singles in my jacket pocket.

I survived two weeks on on a couple bucks once

[NBachers]

25. This Bean Thread - I'm really enjoying it. More Bean threads!

[ForgedCrank]

27. Speaking from

experience, when I was a kid we consumed a lot of these types of meals. A dollar can go a long way if you put effort into it.
Dry Pinto beans are very affordable and go along way. You can also get ham hock etc real cheap to toss in them for some fat and flavor. Corn meal to make corn bread. Flour and milk with a little bacon grease makes fantastic gravy for biscuits. Fried potatoes go a long way for very little money as well. Spaghetti is another low-cost meal for not a lot. Other combinations of pasta and tomato are also inexpensive. And for those who are not from the hills and have never experienced it, fried baloney is awesome to add with breakfast meals. I like to chop it up and fry it with eggs and cheese in an omlet

[peacebuzzard]

48. a dollar and a functioning kitchen.

hard to do when you are a nomad. I love my home because of the finally functioning kitchen. There was a time I only had a hot plate and a tiny refrigerator dorm room style. but yes a dollar works best when you have a place to cook in a regular size stove and a full size refrigerator/freezer.

[ForgedCrank]

50. That is

so true. Even making the beans, as simple as it may be, requires some space and a crock pot where a stove isn't available. We always also soak them overnight and change out the water a couple of times so resources are required. Not sure why, but grandma always laughed and said it was for "soaking the farts out". hahaha. I have no idea how true that is. My suspicion is that soaking them just reduces the cook time, but I'm not positive. Even corn bread needs a heavy cast iron skillet to do it in a way I consider proper. But it can be done without an oven at least. But man, cornbread and soup beans (hill-speak for pinto beans) is a great meal for very little money

[peacebuzzard]

55. For sure.

I heard than from my South American grandma too. It must be true if it has spread around the world. But then I always add garlic and onions to my beans even if they do come from a time saving can. So not sure if the intestinal gas thing is ever cured with beans.

[erronis]

68. Why cure it? Live with it and love it. You'll also find out who really loves you!

Adding plenty of onions and garlic helps us find out sooner.

[peacebuzzard]

77. My critters always love me

when I finally make it home from whenever and wherever.

[lageorgia]

31. Just bought canned beans 2 days ago for chili

I was just at our local Publix buying 3 cans of beans for chili (even though spouse is from Texas he likes beans in his) and there was nothing at under 3.50 per can.

Buying the meat 10.00 a lb for ground beef 1.5 lbs
13.00 lb for chuck 2 lbs
3.99 @ 3 cans beans

and the rest of the ingredients I already had. Yes I made enough to freeze for some lunches but it still came out to a very expensive pot of chili.

Please help those in need; donate money if you can, food, sanitary products, formula, diapers and other really needed items to your local food bank.
Husband and I are skipping our huge friends and family Thanksgiving we do annually this year and donating the money we would normally spend to our local food bank.

[Aristus]

40. Austerity for people who are already suffering; Gatsby parties for the ones causing the suffering.

George Carlin was right. They call it 'The American Dream' because you have to be asleep to believe in it.

[peacebuzzard]

49. Gatsby parties new ballroom on one side; beans for the masses.

There is a club and we are not in it.

[markie]

42. yes, beans are yummy and nutritious...

and in the context of merely talking about food and beans this is a good thread... although, in the context of what is happening in the real world of taking away food assistance and help for those with less income... this is absurd.

Food stamps don't just feed hungry people. Food assistance is a crucial part of our economy. People, children, communities, businesses, farmers... all benefit from these programs.

Grocery stores depend on this assistance and all the variety of food that it buys. Farmers sell their crops to people with food assistance... etc., etc....

I do not know why, as a society, collectively we have demonized this program. I fringin' hate the Republicans and what they are doing to this Country!

Maybe though, if we all just decided to live on only beans for a time... the results would shake all of society to its core

[dalton99a]

46. Kick

[get the red out]

47. I eat a lot of beans

They are incredibly versitile! I just cook them up and start tossing in seasonings most of the time to see what I can come up with. I eat meat but not very often, so beans are a staple for me. The InstaPot keeps me fed!

[marybourg]

51. Canned beans are incredibly high in sodium.

[peacebuzzard]

56. I buy the no salt version of canned beans.

i suffer with BP elevations from food sources.

[marybourg]

58. I've never seen "no salt" claims, only "low" or "lower salt", which are still

very high in salt. If it’s not any trouble, could you tell me the brand names of the “no salt”. That could bring me back to beans, which I always loved, but gave up a few years ago.

[peacebuzzard]

59. I did mean to state low salt/ low sodium.

I don’t know if there is a no salt version.
I buy everything low sodium in a can when I find it. I do not buy it in regular format. I even add low sodium vegetable broth to thin it out since most soup is too chunky imo. Plus it lasts longer.
I have become a lazy cook. Most of my time is spent washing dishes.

[marybourg]

73. Thanks. It looks like the lower or low sodium beans are actually lower in sodium.

than they were a few years ago when I had to give them up as being too high in sodium.

[Lurker Deluxe]

66. I do not know where you live

Here in Houston one of our major chains, HEB, has a very good option:

https://www.instacart.com/store/h-e-b/s?k=no+salt+added+pinto

Looking through their selections they have the same for diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, green beans ... an others.

With a 10-40 mg per serving sodium level.

[marybourg]

72. We don't seem to have H -E- B stores here in Arizona.

But I did look at the offerings at Kroger‘s store. There certainly are more really low sodium beans than there used to be. Thanks for pointing this out. I may actually be able to go back to some of my bean meals.

[peacebuzzard]

81. Tomato has a no salt version in cans

i buy that for my recipes.

[walkingman]

52. I love ranch-style beans w/jalapenos over rice and a piece of pita bread....yummy!

[hunter]

54. My parents had more children than they could comfortably support.

I learned early how to prepare food on a very limited budget.

In my feral young adulthood I learned how to survive on little or no budget -- dumpster diving, scavenging leftover food from the tables (and sometimes the trash...) of fast food places, etc.

There really shouldn't be any stories of food scavenging like that in a wealthy and supposedly civilized nation.

My "food security" has always been a big bag of rice and a variety of beans and lentils in my pantry. Spices and flavorings are treasure even if it just those little tubs of taco sauce that Taco Bell used to leave out on the counter for the taking.

The traditional foods of recent immigrant communities tend to be very affordable, especially if you live in one of those communities. There's a lot you can do with rice and beans beyond a simple can of beans with rice.

I have two frugal cooking traditions to draw upon -- my wife's Mexican traditions, which my sister-in-law is the family caretaker of, and my own less appealing potatoes-and-cabbage-and-Lima beans with a smoked ham hock, beef tongue, or fish tossed in if you've got one.

One of my brother's is the cook in our family and can rightfully be called a chef. He's owned restaurants, which is not an endeavor for the fainthearted. He can make a stupendous meal out of the most basic, almost random, ingredients. He likes food.

If I hadn't learned to cook and be social about food I'd be a hermit sitting in front of a computer monitor writing code, eating whatever my handlers fed me. My first serious girlfriend's pickup line was, "Come with me, you need to eat." And this was true.

My approach to eating, especially when I'm in a bad place mentally, is disturbingly utilitarian. I don't want to be malnourished, or so skinny as to alarm people, or end up in the hospital as a skeleton-man when I get the flu or some other similar ailment. My wife witnessed me as a skeleton man with pneumonia early on in our relationship and it's a wonder she didn't flee.

My wife's an academic. She got at least a quarter century as a full time student, from kindergarten past graduate school, and never really had time to cook. So I became the cook by default, which would have surprised anyone who knew me when I was young.

Our county has a well regarded food bank and it's important that people contribute money to it. Food donations are important but dollar donations have a much bigger impact.

But frankly, that's not enough for me. I want to live in a world where anyone, simply by virtue of being human, can walk into a basic eating establishment, sit down, and order a satisfying, nutritious meal. I want to live in a world where children get free meals at school. That's not beyond our reach.

[erronis]

78. I hope the dream you state in your closing paragraph can someday be true - around the world.

And thanks for a beautiful post. A lot of personal reality in it.

[marble falls]

57. Even better: dried beans.

[Initech]

60. When we have to eat canned beans, and billionaires can bankrupt entire continents...

That's not a sign of economic prosperity. That's a sign of imminent collapse.

[leftstreet]

62. +1

[GreenWave]

61. I buy dry beans, etc. from Palouse in WA as shipping is free.

Bulk order with neighbors/friends if it seems costly to buy a big bag.

https://palousebrand.com/.

[SWBTATTReg]

67. Thanks for the link, I spent some time out there looking at their products, and this place is a goldmine that I'll

shop often. Thanks again.

[GreenWave]

75. You're welcome!

A lot of that land was fertile from the last ice age melt-off!

[erronis]

79. The Palouse - beautiful land

From their website