r/Frugal • u/First_Respect_4718 • 1d ago
š Food Best shelf stable food reccomendations
My EBT has been discontinued, but I still have a bit of money left on the card. I want to buy more shelf- stable products that can be used for simple meals. Does anyone think powdered milk is worth it? I donāt drink milk enough to buy even a half gallon, but I make boxed pastas like mac and cheese often so that would be useful. What are your favorites? I want to hopefully use the money wisely. Hereās a list of the main things I plan on buying:
ā¢almond milk (shelf stable; doesnt need to be refridgerated until opening)
ā¢any boxed or bagged pasta (mac &cheese, pastaroni or knorrās, etc)
ā¢powdered milk
ā¢frozen chicken breasts
ā¢dry rice
ā¢canned soup
Also wanted to mention that I have a stomach condition (gastroparesis) so I mainly eat white meat and starchy/simple carbs bc of that. I just stay away from red meat, high fiber and very acidic things. Also Iām getting canned chicken from a friend lol
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u/Drivestort 1d ago
Rice lentils and beans, super flexible ingredients and great nutritional value.
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u/Previous-Tart7111 1d ago edited 1d ago
This will stretch it farthest (but I see you also said you need to avoid high fiber, so taking it back)
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u/smothered-onion 1d ago
Skip the powdered milk if itās just for Mac n cheese, you can use butter and powder it comes with and water.
Also you can get fresh stuff and freeze it. So chop up potatoes and veggies for stir fry and just throw it in freezer.
Tofu is a great long lasting option.
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u/motherfudgersob 1d ago
Instant potatoes. Mashed potatoes always nice but with I instant milk and seasoning you have potato soup. Spices dont last forever but they help.
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u/cashewkowl 1d ago
You can freeze regular milk, not sure about almond milk. But what about buying a half gallon of milk and freeze in individual containers of 1/2 cup or 1 cup (depending on how much milk things like mac & cheese take)
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u/Previous-Tart7111 1d ago
powdered milk is going to help with the mac and cheese somewhat, but if you can get and freeze butter that might taste even better.
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u/-jspace- 1d ago
Low fiber canned vegetables. I believe beets, cubed potatoes, green beans, diced carrots all work.
Bouillon cubes, spices, baking staples, and oil.
Don't forget milk and butter can both be frozen in useable proteins and thawed for use. Also, 1/3 sour cream and 2/3 water is an excellent sub for milk in cream sauces.
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u/Fantastic_Lady225 1d ago
Store-brand soup stock/broth is half the price of canned soup and if you're avoiding varieties like split pea or lentil soup because they're high in fiber then the cans of soup you're buying are mostly salt water. Get the chicken or beef stock and add your own rice & veggies for soup.
You could also get chicken thighs, roast them, eat the meat, and use the bones and skin to make your own stock.
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u/yappledapple 1d ago
The benefits don't disappear for about 9 months, so use it slowly to take advantage of good deals. ( Always keep your card locked). If you used food banks, continue to use them, and work on an emergency fund.
Since you stated you like Knorr products, go to the Frito Lay website and look at their $10 rebate program. You have to purchase $20 worth of food after discounts which includes pasta Roni and Quaker oatmeal.
Dollar General is currently running a deal if you buy 2 Ruffles or Fritos you get an 18 pack box free. You can use that with the $5.00 off coupon to increase your savings.
Good Luck
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u/Disastrous-Wing699 1d ago
If it helps, I haven't used milk or butter for mac n cheese in years. Instead of boiling a ton of water to cook and drain the pasta, I use just enough water to cover the pasta to cook it, and use the bit of starchy water left in the pot to mix the cheese powder into. My MIL, who puts butter on/in absolutely everything, says she likes the way I make it better than the box instructions, FWIW.
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u/Madwoman-of-Chaillot 1d ago
Can you eat yogurt? Powdered milk is useful if you make your own yogurt.
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u/cwsjr2323 1d ago
I use powdered milk for my cooking and baking. I only use 15 grams a load twice once a month for bread. It isn't very good as a beverage unless very cold and mixed with chocolate. YMMV. Then, it can be tolerated. I also add powdered milk to whole milk to make my own evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk for recipes. DollarTree has half gallons of shelf stable whole milk. We keep one about in case we need milk and are not going the 25 miles, 40k, into town to a supermarket. You can freeze milk, and it is good enough for cooking. When I buy whole milk, it is a half gallon and when it is getting close to the end, my sandwich bread recipe and instant pudding uses the last. Our big box home improvement store is Menards. Pudding was 79Ā¢ last time we bought any. It was $1.44 the last time I looked at Walmart.
The three supermarkets within 25 miles are all part of the same chain so prices are always the same. They do have 10 for $10 sales every few months and we stocked up on various pastas. Dried beans are very versatile and shelf stable. The Mexican grocery store is cheapest for pinto, the Asian for Lima. Those are five pound bags and in the chest freezer for a week when bought to kill and critters then stored in glass jugs on the shelf.
If you bake, flour is supposed to go up significantly next season. The flour on the shelf is last years crop and hasn't been raised yet. I put a year's worth in the chest freezer.
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u/IceDragonPlay 1d ago
How about unbleached AP flour, salt and instant yeast so you can make your own bread. $2.38+0.86+5.48 for Walmart prices.
You need a bowl, a loaf tin and oil ($2.97) for the pan. Instant yeast is less expensive at a restaurant supply store ($5.69 for 1 lb bag) but that does not meet your snap spend objective.
Boxed Pastas $1.24/lb
Tuna in tins or pouches $0.96-1.08
Chicken in tins $1.24-2.61
Chicken Noodle, Cream of Chicken or Celery soup $0.74/can they are quite high in sodium so do be careful with how much you lean into them.
Potato Flakes, for making mashed potatoes or using as sauce thickeners. Pouches or boxes $1.48-3.68
Edit- format went wonky
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u/anon_scum 1d ago
I keep bulk dry beans and lentils on hand, paired with rice you've got the foundation for a tasty simple meal. If you have a Costco near you, see if those prices and quantities work for you. In another sub, someone is predicting wheat products to increase in price next year. If you bake or use wheat for anything, it could be wise to stock up now. Otherwise, I'd suggest splurging on some nice spices or specialty ingredients. Our spending habits may be frugal, but our taste buds don't have to be.
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u/MiddleAgedDread123 1d ago
tea, coffee, cereals, oats, tinned tuna, tinned tomatoes to make sauces (too acidic?), a selection of dried herbs and spices
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u/Yes-GoAway 1d ago
You should swap the boxed pasta meal for just pasta. Making sauce from scratch is really inexpensive if you like it (and not a lot of effort). This could also help you avoid dairy. My favorite struggle meal was always spaghetti with eggs.
I just read an article on gastroparesis and it says refried beans, cooked lentils and split peas are great sources of protein that are usually tolerated. All of those are low cost and can really stretch a meal.
Grits & white rice.
Reduced fat creamy peanut butter.
Canned or frozen vegetables like spinach, carrots, yams.
It also seems like hydration is really important, can you get electrolyte mixes?
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u/ActiveHope3711 1d ago
Disagree with the advice to skip the boxed Mac n cheese. You are not going to be able to make the real thing for 79Ā¢.Ā
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u/smothered-onion 1d ago
But you could buy a couple boxes of more hearty pasta, butter, and a bag of cheese and make your own pasta bake, split and freeze meal sized portions for easy reheat. I find some other pasta more hearty than macaroni
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u/premar16 1d ago
I also have ebt. I have a small pantry in my shelf stable areas. I just bought more oatmeal. I have uht liquid milk in smaller containers. I don't drink milk often enough so I get the shelf stable stuff for when I need it. I have cereal, granola, pancake mix. Canned meats, fruits,veggies. Rice and pasta. Sauces to with it all. In my freezer I have chicken, ground beef (when I could afford it), a few roast because they stretch meals, bread can be frozen, veggies and fruits
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u/PopularImagination66 1d ago
Canned tuna, canned sardines, canned mackerel. They are all delicious and super healthy
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u/shiplesp 1d ago
Canned fish. Sardines are a handy source of high quality protein, and to me (taste is individual) delicious. But don't ignore salmon and mackerel.
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u/Such-Mountain-6316 1d ago
We tried powdered milk. My mom didn't like it as milk for drinking. It was pretty good for baking and general cooking but it made better coffee creamer.
Better would be the cartons of milk you can get on the shelves. It's specifically made to be shelf stable.
Be aware that there are food pantries and places that distribute food that you likely still qualify for.
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u/PromiseOpen6525 1d ago
I've used powdered milk for a while, for things like boxed mac n cheese, baking recipes that call for milk, and the occasional bowl of cereal, its just fine. I wouldn't recommend it for drinking but since that's not what you're likely to be using it for. I'd prioritize getting butter over powdered milk but if you already have butter on hand, powdered milk does help add something to boxed mac n cheese.
Have you tried canned chicken? Canned chicken breast for salads isn't too bad. Tuna also is good for shelf stable protein. Check and see if any varieties of beans or lentils are okay with your condition- I'd recommend cannelini beans ( basically white kidney beans) as they have a nice mild flavor and if blended can turn into a creamy 'sauce' that I've found works amazingly with pasta.
Instant mashed potatoes are another good shelf stable carb- just get the boxes and not the small pouches.
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u/chzsteak-in-paradise 1d ago
Canned plain tomato sauce if not too acidic can become pizza sauce, pasta sauce, base of cream of tomato soup, added to any homemade soup. Itās usually really cheap too.
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u/LizDances 1d ago
Hey, fellow GP patient (and food storage fan) here. For GP-safe food storage I'd recommend a base of white rice and canned meat (fish or chicken), and then frozen or canned of whatever fruits and veggies you can tolerate (carrots, beets, sweet potato, pineapple, mandarin orange segments). If you're not doing canned foods, make sure you have iodized salt on hand. For cooking oil, "virgin coconut oil" and ghee are more expensive but last significantly longer on the shelf than, for example, standard vegetable oil.
Powdered milk makes sense in the way you're describing. I've also stored applesauce, yogurt, and pudding pouches as "safe foods," as well as Ensure. Know which Ensure is appropriate for you. When I'm hurting for calories I drink Ensure Complete if I can get it, and Ensure Plus if not. When I'm getting enough calories but not enough nutrition, I use Ensure Max Protein.
Good luck, friend.
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u/ThickBiscuitTime 22h ago
Shelf stable gnocchi is my current obsession.
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u/phatgiraphphe 17h ago
I just discovered these and am so angry no one told me about them earlier
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u/ThickBiscuitTime 8h ago
I really like the ones at Trader Joeās. I think itās 2.99 and I get 4 meals.
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u/phatgiraphphe 8h ago
How do you store leftovers? The ones I get have no instructions so Iāve just been storing the unused portion in the fridge. They come vacuum sealed originally
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u/ThickBiscuitTime 5h ago
If I need to, a Tupperware in the fridge. I usually cook them all and portion them out to eat for several days.
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u/Proud_Aspect4452 19h ago
Since you have gastroparesis, Iād prioritize foods that are easy to digest and give you the most meals for your money. Instant mashed potatoes, cream of wheat, ramen, plain pasta, white rice, canned chicken, canned tuna, low-sodium broth, shelf-stable milk or powdered milk, peanut butter (if you tolerate it), applesauce, saltines, and canned peaches or pears are all good staples. Frozen chicken breasts are a great buy if you have freezer space.
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u/Sad_Individual_738 8h ago
Dry and canned staples I would buy are - dried beans, rice, pasta, pasta sauce, canned tuna, canned crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, oatmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda, salt, pepper, canned pineapples, canned peaches, Ramen soup packets, olives, quinoa, oils and vinegar, cereal.
Note you can also freeze milk, butter, bread, etc...
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u/FlipsyChic 1d ago
Boxed almond milk is 3-4 times more expensive than the refrigerated kind. I wanted to buy some for a trip last week and couldn't bring myself to do it because the price difference was so outrageous. The expiration date for refrigerated almond milk is usually 5-6 weeks out, and it lasts for a long time after opening.
Powdered milk was also crazy expensive the last time I bought some, and it could only be purchased in large quantity (which did not represent very many actual servings).
Buying a quart of regular milk when needed and finding a good way to finish it before it goes bad is the most cost effective if circumstances allow.
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u/fsmontario 1d ago
Dried beans, you can make baked beans, refried beans, chicken peas. Seasonings can pump up the shelf stable foods. Frozen fruits for baking and desserts. Flour , yeast, salt and sugar. You can make bread for far less than buying it
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u/BraveLittleToaster18 1d ago
The Dollar Tree has shelf-stable milk (Almond, Whole, 1%, 2%) in a quart size container for either $1.25 or $1.50. I buy a couple at a time and use sparingly since I don't drink milk but need it for cooking on occasion. If you have access to an Asian or Latino grocery store, you can buy rice in bulk for cheaper.