I Ate for $12 a Week | Dirt Cheap, Easy & Healthy Meals (Emergency Grocery Challenge)

How can you make delicious meals that are nutrient-dense, filled with flavor, and still come in on budget? Let me explain exactly what I bought to make food for myself for a week for only $12.

This includes breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for an entire week. I tried to make sure to include as many protein and nutrient-rich foods.

Food prices have been increasing, so sticking to this budget won’t be easy, but I have a plan. Remember, these prices are based on where I live, so there is a chance they will not be the same for you.

However, with the shopping list provided, you can look and find something similar in your local grocery store to try and get the same amount of food for hopefully a similar price.

Watch me do the cooking challenge on YouTube

Shopping list:

• Oatmeal $1.82
• Onion $0.53
• 3 bananas $0.68
• 2 apples $1.02
• 2 jalapeños $0.23
• 1 lb bag Carrots large $0.98
• 1 Roma tomato $0.27
• 2 lb bag all purpose flour $1.32
• 1 lb dry Lentils $1.92
• 1 lb dry bag Pinto beans $1.00
• 16 oz dry white rice $0.92
• 5 lb russet potatoes $1.97
• Total: $12.66 (at my local Walmart in Utah)

Looking to Save Even More on Groceries?
If you’re trying to stretch your budget or want to learn more about my ultra-affordable meals, be sure to check out some of my most popular money-saving recipe collections.

• Cheap Family Meals Under $10
• How I Made a Month of Dinners for Under $50!
• Extreme Grocery Budget Recipes on YouTube

🎥 ULTRA Budget-Friendly Cooking Videos on YouTube:

• How I Ate for $10 a Week | Extreme Grocery Budget Challenge
• Dinner for a Month on Just $45 | Budget Meal Plan
• Cheap Meals for Under $10 | Easy & Family-Friendly
• Emergency Pantry Meals | No Fridge, No Problem
• $5 Dinners

Recipes for $12 Extreme Grocery Challenge:

Below you can find the recipe you can make with things bought on the shopping list, along with a few added pantry staples I already had on hand. Follow the recipes below to meal prep for the week!

All of these recipes are super simple to make, and are perfectly delicious meals and sides to make during those busy weeknights.

Homemade Flour Tortillas (Makes 10)

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup warm water
• 5 tbsp olive oil or melted butter

Instructions

1. Add salt to the water and stir.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour and oil, mixing with a fork until clumpy.
3. Slowly add the water and stir until a dough forms. If it’s too dry, add more water.
4. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 3-4 minutes, then place into the bowl cover with a cloth and let rest for at least 20 minutes.
5. Divide into 10 balls and roll each one into a thin tortilla.
6. Heat a large skillet on medium-high. Cook each tortilla for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Adjust heat if necessary to avoid burning.

Homemade Rustic Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup warm water

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
3. Stir in water to form a dough.
4. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes on a floured surface.
5. Shape the dough into a rectangle, score the top, and place it on the baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

How to make Pinto Beans

Ingredients

• 1 lb dry pinto beans makes 6 cups cooked beans
• 1 lb dry pinto beans
• 9 cups water (add more as needed)
• 1/4 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Sort through the beans and rinse them well.
2. Place beans in a large bowl, cover with 2 inches of water, and let sit for 8 hours. Letting the beans sit in water overnight helps them cook quicker and also helps with digestion.
   • (If you don’t have time to let them sit overnight that step isn’t necessary and I often forget to let my beans sit overnight)
3. Drain and rinse the beans.
4. In a large pot, sauté the onion, add the beans, seasonings, and water, then stir well.
5. If the beans are soaked, simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours. If not, simmer for 2 1/2–3 hours until tender.

Rice, Carrot, and Lentil Skillet Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 1/4 yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 jalapeño, diced
• 3/4 cup dry lentils
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3 cups water
• 1 1/4 cup cooked white rice

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, and jalapeño, cooking for about 6 minutes.
2. Add lentils, seasoning, and water. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until lentils are tender.
3. Stir in the cooked rice, let cook together for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and serve with rustic bread.

Potato Lentil Curry

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 yellow onion, diced
• 4 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 3/4 cup dry lentils
• 4 cups water
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 Roma tomato, diced

Instructions

1. Rinse the lentils in a strainer. This helps clean the lentils.
2. In a large pot, heat oil and sauté onions and carrots for 4 minutes.
3. Add potatoes, lentils, and water, and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until lentils are tender.
4. Stir in all the seasonings and the diced tomato. Simmer for 6 more minutes, then serve with rustic bread

Lentil Potato Burritos

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dry lentils
• 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups cooked pinto beans
• Seasonings of your choice: salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder
• Tortillas for serving

Instructions

1. In a large pot, simmer potatoes, lentils, and water for 20 minutes until lentils are tender.
2. Drain the water and stir in the diced onion, pinto beans, and seasonings. Let it cook together for 5 minutes.
3. Serve in tortillas for delicious burritos.

Pinto Bean Potato Burritos

Ingredients

• 5 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 7 cups of water
• 4 cups pinto beans
• Seasonings of your choice
• Tortillas for serving

Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes in 7 cups of water for about 10 minutes or until fork-tender.
2. Drain the potatoes, then stir them in with the pinto beans and seasonings.
3. Let everything cook together for 5 minutes until heated through, then serve in tortillas.

Extreme Budget Week Meal Plan:

Breakfast (Days 1-5)

Oatmeal with half a banana or half an apple.

Breakfast (Days 6-7)

Rustic bread slices buttered as toast, served with oatmeal, banana, and apple on the side.

Lunch (Days 1-3)

Rice carrot and lentil skillet casserole with rustic bread on the side.

Lunch (Days 4-7)

Potato lentil curry served served with rustic bread on the side.

Dinner (Days 1-3)

Lentil potato burritos.

Dinner (Days 4-7)

Pinto bean potato burritos.

Easy Side dish recipes:

• Easy One Hour Dinner Rolls
• Garlic Pull Apart Rolls – Roll Dough Recipe
• Avocado Corn Salad
• Caprese Salad

Quick links for making dinner easy:

• Family meal plans
• Tools for the kitchen and more
• The best cookbook for family dinner recipes
• FREE budget meal plan
• Cooking videos to watch

If you give these recipes a try, make sure to tag us on Instagram @julia.pacheco.cooking and let us know how much you liked the recipes!