I have a theory that there is a impossible trinity (like in economics), where a food cannot be delicious, cheap and healthy at the same time. At maximum 2 of the 3 can be achieved.

Is there any food that breaks this theory?

Edit: I was thinking more about dishes (or something you put in your mouth) than the raw substances

Some popular suggestions include

  • fruits (in season)
  • lentils, beans
  • rice
  • mushrooms
  • LoafyLemon@kbin.social
    22·
    2 years ago

    Onion. It’s cheap, nutritious, acts as a low-key anti bacterial solution, can be served in a multitude of ways, or eaten raw.

    Subscribe for more onion facts. 🧅

  • GTac@lemmy.worldEnglish
    21·
    2 years ago

    You already mentioned them, but I’m a huge fan of lentils. They go with so much stuff and you can combine them with a variety of spices. Give me any leftover ingredients and some lentils, and I’ll cook up something delicious. I can and will eat lentil soup for days.

    They are also a pretty solid crop, they can grow in a variety of climates, require little water and are good for the soil.

  • eduardm@lemmy.worldEnglish
    17·
    2 years ago

    Well, something being delicious is subjective, but if we assume a “general acceptance” of most delicious foods, potatoes could fit easily. They can be cooked in all kinds of ways, are very nutritious and, again, pretty much everyone says they’re delicious.

    • nijntjefan@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      3·
      2 years ago

      That’s a good point, but even within potatoes there is perhaps still a trade-off between “delicious” and “healthy”. As in steamed potatoes without sauces or stuff is kind of meh, while french fries are not that healthy.

  • macrocephalic@lemmy.fmhy.mlEnglish
    10·
    2 years ago

    I make a curry of: tofu, green lentils, pearl barley, pearl cous cous, pumpkin, potato, onions, and whatever else is in the vege drawer of the fridge. Then I cook it in a laksa paste with coconut milk. it’s delicious and keeps in the fridge for at least a week with no meat.

  • ccccEnglish
    8·
    2 years ago

    Most fruit that’s in season would cover all three.

    • dolkeylime@kbin.social
      2·
      2 years ago

      Berries are the tastiest fruit, strawberries are unrivaled. Maybe a sweet mandarine could come close.

      • cccc
        1·
        2 years ago

        Let me tell you about mangoes. Not necessarily the cheapest depending on area but if you’re in the right area and season you can get a box for almost nothing.

        I do love a good blueberry though.

  • PM_ME_FEET_PICS@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    2 years ago

    Oatmeal with bananas, cinnamon, soy milk(unsweetened), flaxseed and sugar + extra fruits according to preference.

    I eat it everyday for breakfast and I never get tired of the flavor. Sometimes I even get a bit greedy and eat it more than once. It’s very filling, healthy, and cheap.

  • PaxSapien@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    2 years ago

    When I was in college, I had the rule of not buying anything that is >$1.50 per pound. This is what I was reduced to (prices may be different now due to inflation and geo area):

    1. Apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries when they are on sale
    2. Milk, yogurt
    3. Pork shoulder, chicken quarters, thighs, drumsticks
    4. ground pork, ground beef
    5. Carrots, broccoli, potatoes, cabbage (you’ll be surprised at how good thinly sliced cabbages taste in a sandwich)
    • fluxion@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      2 years ago

      Cabbage sandwich? Is there some special prep to it? Seems like it would be super bland

      • Reoru@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        2 years ago

        Spice it up with sriracha mayo on toasted bread. salt, pepper and a sprinkle of msg on tomato slices and add simple pickled pink onions. Slice the cabbage into very thin strips and assemble. It’s my favourite sandwich.

        Pickled onions: Red onions, sliced thinly, Boil 50/50 water and vinegar, add salt to the solution and optionally a bay leaf or other aromatics to create the brine. Put sliced onions in a jar and fill the jar with the brine, put it in the fridge after cooling down and wait a night for the sharp oniony taste to disappear.

  • Elle@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    2 years ago

    …Do we have a community yet for sharing cheap, healthy food recipes? I’d say cooking, but I don’t want to get into all the back & forth over what counts as cooking/baking/frying/etc.

    Maybe /c/cheaphealthymeals? Or maybe cheapgoodmeals would be better? 🤔

    Whatever the case, I think it’d be a solid idea for a community for exchanging recipes and tips!

      • pineapplefriedrice@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        2 years ago

        Can I kindly suggest maybe making a guideline post as to what constitutes “healthy”? It was really sad to see all of the people on the previous sub posting their supposedly “healthy” meals that weren’t anywhere close to healthy. I get that there’s a need to leave room for people who are starting at zero and still improving, but it also shapes people’s perceptions in a very real and misguided way. If reliably sourced and well moderated that would make the space a lot better.

    • pineapplefriedrice@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      2 years ago

      The problem with those broad strokes “healthy eating” subs is that people post stuff that isn’t actually healthy by any stretch. To an extent it’s relative, but for the most part it just goes to show you how many things are perceived as healthy when they’re not that far from just eating takeout.

      • Elle@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        2 years ago

        Mm, and the same can be said of “good eats” kinda stuff. There’s a reason I didn’t jump right into making one personally (this being one, the other being I’m very basic with food).

    • vividspecter@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      2 years ago

      I’m a big fan of these cooked in an air fryer. Usually a bit cheaper than black beans as well in my area, although I prefer the latter on balance.

      • yippeekyay@lemmy.worldEnglish
        12·
        2 years ago

        just make sure you keep the smoke extractor on for an extra 15-20 min after turning off the air fryer to get all the carcinogenic particles out of your kitchen.

          • yippeekyay@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            2 years ago

            There was a paper somewhere that shows the high temperature cooking method would result in release of acrylamide? I don’t remember the exact chemical it talked about but the gist is that the person eating the air-fried food aren’t as susceptible to the carcinogens than the person cooking the food because the particles got pushed out the fryer very rapidly.

      • macrocephalic@lemmy.fmhy.mlEnglish
        3·
        2 years ago

        I could eat for a week in what I’d costs to buy one McD meal. It’s wouldn’t be a very varied diet for the week but it would probably be healthier than the one McD meal.

      • hyper@lemmy.mlEnglish
        1·
        2 years ago

        Not in Germany lol. A cheeseburger used to be 1€ now it’s at 2,29€ 💀. Cheeseburger menu costs 5,99€

    • Double_A@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      2 years ago

      I wonder if they are actually that unhealthy. After all a burger is just meat, bread, and some veggies. Doesn’t seem that unbalanced.

      I assume the most unhealthy part there is the gallon of sugar soda that people also drink there ._.

      • ComeScoglio@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        2 years ago

        undefined> Kebab

        It’s all the additives to these otherwise quite wholesome ingredients that make them less healthy and not as nutritionally dense as they should be. McDonald’s burgers are not JUST meat, bread, and some veggies unfortunately.

        • fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          2 years ago

          Don’t forget that all of their ingredients are particularly low quality. Your beef was not a grass fed cow who lived a happy life before being killed. It was a cow who lived in misery eating awful food and producing low quality meat. And I’m sure everything else on the burger was low quality too.