u/jatnos

hello I’m trying to build a near starvation level low cost diet because im bored, and need a challenge and I want to keep it around 50$ a month I’m wondering if there’s any way to optimize it further or cut costs even more without completely starving, or do i actually need other foods to survive?

right now my setup looks like this:

base foods:

potatoes, rice, pasta, groats (buckwheat or barley)

eggs (\~60 per month)

chicken (mainly discounted thighs or whole chicken)

chicken liver (gotta get dat protein)

lentils + split peas (I make thick pea soup / lentil stew in bulk)

cottage cheese

flour (for simple flatbread / pan bread / basic “crackers”)

vegetables: cabbage, carrots, onions

oil (depending on seasons may change like carrots in winter)

Diet structure:

breakfast: always bread with cottage cheese

3 day rotating cycle:

chicken potatoes + vegetables

leftovers or soup (bone broth from chicken)

liver and groats or pea soup

I cook pea soup in large batches (2–3 days worth)

I try not to waste anything (bones for broth, leftovers reused in soups)

supper: any leftovers or just pea soup

I also make simple flour-based flatbreads as a bread replacement/snack

Extra habits:

I buy only discounted food close to expiry

sometimes I get bones/scraps from butchers for broth or just to eat

food rescue/ surplus awareness

go to bakeries and ask if they have any leftover bread. (same for greengrocers)

i try to take advantage of any legal/free food sources when available

So do i have everything i need, do i need like other foods for nutrition like fruits or not really? Do i have everything I need to survive? Any tips are highly appreciated!

Thanks!

(please no comments about my wellbeing, im totally sane, this is in the name of science)

hello I’m trying to build a near starvation level low cost diet because im bored, and need a challenge and I want to keep it around 50$ a month I’m wondering if there’s any way to optimize it further or cut costs even more without completely starving, or do i actually need other foods to survive?

right now my setup looks like this:

base foods:

potatoes, rice, pasta, groats (buckwheat or barley)

eggs (\~60 per month)

chicken (mainly discounted thighs or whole chicken)

chicken liver (gotta get dat protein)

lentils + split peas (I make thick pea soup / lentil stew in bulk)

cottage cheese

flour (for simple flatbread / pan bread / basic “crackers”)

vegetables: cabbage, carrots, onions

oil (depending on seasons may change like carrots in winter)

Diet structure:

breakfast: always bread with cottage cheese

3 day rotating cycle:

chicken potatoes + vegetables

leftovers or soup (bone broth from chicken)

liver and groats or pea soup

I cook pea soup in large batches (2–3 days worth)

I try not to waste anything (bones for broth, leftovers reused in soups)

supper: any leftovers or just pea soup

I also make simple flour-based flatbreads as a bread replacement/snack

Extra habits:

I buy only discounted food close to expiry

sometimes I get bones/scraps from butchers for broth or just to eat

food rescue/ surplus awareness

go to bakeries and ask if they have any leftover bread. (same for greengrocers)

i try to take advantage of any legal/free food sources when available

So do i have everything i need, do i need like other foods for nutrition like fruits or not really? Do i have everything I need to survive? Any tips are highly appreciated!

Thanks!

(please no comments about my wellbeing, im totally sane, this is in the name of science)