5 meal ideas for living on the median global food budget

If you haven't heard already, we're running an event where people live on the median global food budget for three days. It's more like running a marathon for charity but more related to poverty and a lot easier for the less fit among us. Although you might find it challenging in its own different sort of way. You can find more details here.

So what can you eat on the global median food budget? Here are some ideas:

  Crunchy Chickpeas

       Ingredients

• Can chickpeas, rinsed
• Vegetable oil
• Spices to taste (eg, garlic powder, chili powder, or cayenne pepper, etc)
• Salt

Surprisingly, if you bake chickpeas long enough, they start tasting a bit like chicken. Who would have guessed? And they're good for you! 

Start heating oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread chickpeas on a baking sheet, put a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, spices and salt to taste on and mix to evenly cover chickpeas. Place in oven for 20 minutes. Stir. Put in again for 10 minutes and check to see if crunchy. Cook until a texture you enjoy. Should take around 40 minutes total. Add more spices to taste after finished.

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       Potato Soup

      Ingredients

• 1 large potato, diced
  
• 1 medium onion, diced
  
• 1 leek, if budget allows it
  
• Spoonful of margarine
  
• Salt to taste
  

Boil potato in about 1 ½ cups water until soft. In the meantime sautée onion until translucent. Add leek and fry for about 4 minutes. Add onion and leek to potato and water mixture. Mash with potato masher to desired consistency. Add salt and margarine to taste. 

       Fried Rice

       Ingredients

• 1 carrot, diced
  
• 1 onion, diced
  
• Vegetable oil
  
• ⅔ cups uncooked rice
  
• Soy sauce to taste
  

Cook rice using your preferred method. While this is cooking, sautée onion and carrots in oil until soft. Add rice and soy sauce to taste. Fry until slightly crispy. 

       Ramen Noodles

While not terribly high on the nutritional scale, ramen noodles certainly are delicious and cheap!

       Peanut Butter on Toast

An oldie but a goodie. You can also mix it up by adding sliced banana or topping it with some honey. 

       Oatmeal

A quick, easy, warm breakfast meal, and it's quite cheap. You'll probably have to skip out on any berries or nuts you usually put in though, as berries add up quickly. 

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