[athenot]

A few years ago, I realized that several Asian cuisines are actually very cheap. Indian dishes are a great illustration of how you can make wonderfully tasty meals with very little of the expensive ingredients, and cheaper than fast food—not to mention way healthier.

[Sir_Vival]

It's not hard to be cheaper than fast food, other than possibly dollar/value menus.

All of the "staples" are insanely cheap - potatos, rice, etc. Most vegetables are as well. Toss in som emeat of whatever was on sale and you can easily cook a meal for 4 for 10 dollars, if not quite a bit cheaper.

[prawn]

Exactly. You just have to look past the 'big steak with some chips' meals, and appreciate something with staples plus a smaller portion of meat (e.g., stirfry, pasta, curry/stew bulked with potatoes).

[arebop]

Also, be willing to eat canned vegetables.

[mc32]

Frozen veggies are healthier and cheaper. Plus you get to cook them to your taste, rather than what the canner decides (cooking too long, adding salts, etc.)

http://www.heathernicholds.com/nutrition/frozen-vs-canned-ve...

[deadlast]

Frozen veggies definitely win if you have access to refrigeration -> access to energy. Canning is a revolutionary preservation technique in that it allows for long-term storage of perishables at room temperature.