Suppers when you're poor

amother

Glitter

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 5:21 pm

amother Pumpkin wrote:

Op, it sounds like you're already trying to be frugal. I don't think you're doing anything wrong. Just remember, lots of people don't serve salmon or chicken or meat during the week, even if they are not quite as tight financially.

My family is mostly vegetarian during the week. There are lots of healthy, delicious foods you can feel good about serving your family!

same could afford it. I dont like meat that much. I serve leftover chicken once. and mostly milchigs the rest lately

amother

Darkblue

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 5:32 pm

For any family, soups are a great idea. 2 carrots, 2 onions, 2 celery sticks. saute in oil. 8 cups parve broth. 2 cups green peas or lentils. cook for 1.5 hours. I'ts very filling. serve with sliced chicken and small salad. Tomato soup served with grilled cheese and cut vegies. Butternut squash soup served with rice and meatballs. It will fill you up and very pleasant in the winter.

amother

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 5:40 pm

amother Darkblue wrote:

We do soups once a week. I do not serve them with chicken, grilled cheese, or meatballs though! I do a hearty bean soup and another soup option and sandwiches or baked potatoes.

amother

Babyblue

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 5:53 pm

amother Red wrote:

This is a completely different question. It's not "Should I serve chicken if I really don't have the money for it?" It's "I've been trying to cook more frugally but my kids don't eat the food I make. Should I spend more so that they'll actually eat it?"

If they'd prefer the more expensive foods but are okay with the cheaper stuff, then sticking to frugal with an occasional splurge would be the way to go. But if they actually aren't eating dinner...that's a different story. I believe in being frugal, but not to the point that your kids aren't eating.

I think quinoa is such a healthy, cheap food. But my kids won't touch it. So I rarely make it for my family. (I'll keep a bag of it so that if we have leftovers of a food that my kids like, but not quite enough for the whole family, I'll make quinoa for my husband and me to make the food stretch.)

It's so hard to find a balance, especially when you're drowning in debt. And it's so hard to feel like you're trying so hard and everything you do is just a drop in the bucket, so why try so hard? And it's so hard to feel like you're not able to provide for your kids the things that they really like.

I don't have any other advice, other than yes, you can find a balance. But I am so sorry that you're under this much pressure and I wish I could help Sad

Well said. I made a cheap dinner tonight and then was short order cook the rest of the night as each kid refused to eat it and needed a separate supper.

amother

Leaf

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 6:40 pm

cupcake123 wrote:

OP where do you live ? I know the cheap sales in Lakewood. Maybe people in your area can give you ideas.
Only on imamother do I see people having pareve dinner so often. IRL most people I know eat fleishigs at least 4 days a week.

Could be because kosher food is so pricey oot where salaries are lower. I'm from in town all my life (and far from rich) so this concept of not eating fish\meat during the week is new to me

Cheiny

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 6:59 pm

amother OP wrote:

Is it justified to serve chicken, meat, fish during the week? Or just eggs, tuna, beans? (We do use a small amount of ground meat and cheese for flavoring but not as a main part of the meal. Like I would put some ground meat in sauce to flavor it but not serve meatballs. I will make tuna pasta but not tuna patties which use much more tuna.)
That is what we do but I want to know if I am doing the right thing.
We are in a lot of debt and get some tzedakah assistance. Also tuition assistance.
We do not have Tomchei Shabbos or similar in our location.

Tuna isn’t expensive, you can buy them for $1 a can on sale and stock up.

amother

Pumpkin

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 7:02 pm

amother Leaf wrote:

Could be because kosher food is so pricey oot where salaries are lower. I'm from in town all my life (and far from rich) so this concept of not eating fish\meat during the week is new to me

So is everyone just better off financially in town or are people just willing to go into debt to serve fleishigs during the week? There's no way everyone in town lives like that unless people are just living beyond their means, which I'm sure some people do.

There are halachas about what to do if you are so poor you can't afford to buy both challah and Shabbos candles. It's not true that every Jew has enough money to buy meat and chicken for every day of the week unfortunately. There's no mitzvah to live with standards you can't afford.

saralem

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 7:25 pm

Lots of different hearty soups and pasta dishes. Pasta with peas, for example. Freeze a block of tofu, defrost it and wring it out. The texture is much better, especially for vegetarian chili. Chicken hot dogs are so much cheaper. Macaroni with barely any meat (Beefaroni) and tomato sauce. Fish sticks instead of salmon. Yes, it’s hard. For me, the most important thing is for the meal to be filling. Second most important is protein. We all just do the best we can with what we’ve got.

cupcake123

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 8:57 pm

amother Pumpkin wrote:

No probably as amother leaf said a combination of higher salary + cheaper kosher food in town.
Just in the past weeks I've gotten ground beef at 2.99 pound. For meat sauce that's a $3 + $1 for pasta dinner. Obviously a bit more of your a bigger/ older family .
I've also got drumsticks at 1.99 pound.

amother

Cobalt

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 9:10 pm

cupcake123 wrote:

Wow. Yes, that is so much cheaper than anything I could possibly find where I live.

amother

Leaf

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 11:17 pm

cupcake123 wrote:

Where did u find ground beef for so cheap?? Bingo?

amother

Leaf

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 11:22 pm

amother Pumpkin wrote:

U don't need fleishig every night , 2 x a week and 1 night fish is standard. There's enough money to go around . I see gorgeous big houses going up every day where I live and over the top simchas. Noone should be eating beans for dinner every night. We have a community problem jf thats the case. I went to a $200,000 bar mitzvah in hotel and the guest (aunts and uncles- simple people trying to make end meet) were nearly in tears watching the amount of fish, meat, cakes sushi getting dumped. Its so maddening

amother

Cappuccino

Thu, Nov 09 2023, 5:49 am

amother Leaf wrote:

Where did u find ground beef for so cheap?? Bingo?

Npgs had ground beef for $3.99/lb
Got 6 packs!
Moadim lesimcha is having a sale this week on chicken, fish, brocoll and cauliflower
Not super cheap but cheaper than the store. Call them if you need.

I made a pot of lentils soup this week. It was delicious. Most of my kids didn't touch it.
No use making cheap food if kids won't eat it.

Kids are growing and need protein, I don't think any tzedaka organizations have any problem with you serving fleishig twice a week and fish once a week!
If your kids will eat beans, amazing! Serve it more often.
Don't stress too much, kids need a smiling relaxed mother above all!!!

amother

Gardenia

Thu, Nov 09 2023, 1:14 pm

making sure your kids are eating a proper dinner is not a luxury, its a priority. it is extremely reasonable to have fleishiks at least twice during the week. I think any tzedaka organization would agree especially if your kids are going to bed hungry because they wont eat the dinner.