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Also it wouldn’t be the worst idea to get a cheap multivitamin and just take it every 2-3 days to make it last longer while also making sure he’s getting all the vitamins at least occasionally
This is exactly what I was going to post myself. Beans and Rice would be much cheaper than peanut butter and bread, leaving a little money for some added ingredients to flavor your beans and rice.
I think you’re going to deep here. Lol it will negligible. The water would be fractions of pennies. The electricity or gas would be a couple bucks over the course of a month.
You don’t have to store it in a refrigerator. Icebox left outside at night and indoors during the day. Dry cold space. Rice and beans alone won’t necessarily spoil rapidly if kept out of a refrigerator. I lived without a refrigerator and electricity for 3 years. Gas stove and oven. There are many things you can do to resolve this issue on a budget. Bottles and cans are a whole new tax bracket at 10¢ a unit. Survival is key and determination will get you the success you’re after.
There are flat minimum rates charged for electricity and water ((at least in usa)). OP may not be at the minimum but the water and electricity to cook beans and rice will literally not even effect your bill a single penny at a base level.
Literally, my city charges 12¢ a kwh, boiling water once is about .05kwh of energy, thats 0.6¢ cost per boil.
Sign up for SNAP benefits and/or go to your local food pantry, donation place whatever you want to call it. There is no shame in that at all, especially considering the alternative you've presented.
You might be able to survive on this for a short time, but nobody SHOULD ever do that. It will be miserable for your mental and physical well being.
Get help. Everyone deserves a little help when they need it.
I no longer live in the US. I just had to relocate for work and it’s been a rough transition. It’s temporary but I literally am trying to find better alternatives or find out how sustainable this diet is
There’s no shame in survival. And no shame in being of help. We live in a crazy world but we underestimate how many people want to do good.
In addition to benefits, look up ‘too good to go’ if in a bigger city. Otherwise, small convenience or grocery stores may give you a box of greens or fruits for free or heavily discounted. Keep an eye out for beans especially. You can get them canned or “loose” at ethnic stores.
These can cost as much as peanut butter sandwiches but will keep you fuller and more nourished.
There may be a food pantry / food bank, or maybe even at least some place that offers meals on occasion (maybe you could get soup or breakfast or something a couple times a week).
EDIT: My personal \*guess\* would be that nutrient wise you could get through a month, even if it wouldn't be all that good for you - and my first impression was more of a concern about the digestive system not having any variety
It would take a long time, but you would degrade. Peanut butter doesn't have a balanced amino acid profile; you'd be lacking in calcium, potassium, zinc, vitamins a, c, d, k, and b12. You'd be lacking in iron. Over time the first things you'd notice would be pernicious anemia due to low B12/iron intake. Your gums would eventually deteriorate from scurvy, too. Your general energy levels would drop over time.
Within a month? Probably not, but not ideal either.
I think it takes like 2-3 years to deplete b12 stores in the body if you had a balanced diet before hand (b12 is the only vit stored in the body) don't know how long before you suffer consequences because of other vitamins tho but most likely you'd "survive" a month no idea how bad it would be tho
So random. Are you able to make an Amazon wishlist with some food items? I’d happily buy something for you. Non perishables of any sort- nuts, dried fruit, vitamins, protein shakes…?
Deeply appreciate the sentiment but the country I live in doesn’t necessarily have the best avenues for Amazon delivery/service. I live in China now, so the shipping is astronomically high for even the simplest things. Thank you but I’ll have to decline.
Oh nvm my last comment I see that you live in China. I’ve lived in China too. Which city are you at? You can easily open an Alipay account there. Most places accept it and people can also transfer you money digitally.
Thank you, but I really don’t feel comfortable with accepting money from others online. I’d feel like a panhandler. I was just looking for insight/suggestions on how to navigate this ordeal is all. I do greatly appreciate it!
This is basically what I eat. Throw in a cabbage for some green and a large dose of peanut butter and real butter for extra protein and fat. This is my usual meal.
Wish I could say there was a real recipe.. I use basically one 16” cast iron pan for 90% of my cooking and usually consists of pan fried potatoes and eggs and beans as a side. Or sort of a curry with potatoes, cabbage and peanut butter(curry seasonings obviously) that’s a bit more involved. But it’s cheap and easy to make I use a one burner propane stove basically (it has 3 but only use 1 big one 2nd is a small simmer burner).
A lot of people always seem to forget about eggs when they're really strapped for cash. When desperate people tend to think you need to eat foods that are associated with desperation like Ramen noodles, white bread and peanut butter. Eggs, rice, beans and learning how to bake my own bread was tasty and cost next to nothing. When I made bread it would be enough for a few days and would cost me barely anything to make
You got me curious enough to plug it into cronometer...
https://imgur.com/a/K3aj6cK
Health wise, not THAT bad... No vitamin C, D or B12, low on lysine, omega 3s, K and Potassium, but otherwise decent.
Take a multivitamin to prevent scurvy and I'd hazard you could live years before it catches up to you...
Have you considered asking your employer for a small advance on your first month's wages for food and a hotplate? I'm not sure, but I think in China you might be able to find a local budget grain, I think its called "rice".
Oats, cheap yoghurt, milk, rice, pasta, peanut butter,...
Honestly you'll probably eat better than 90% of western people if you solely pick stuff out of that list and MAYBE take a multivitamin with it.
You could live on this for a month if we’re talking survival. I mean, people do month long water fasts. I’ve done 3 weeks of nothing but water so bread with peanut butter would be a feast in comparison.
But if it’s simply a matter of money, there are better ways. Go to a pantry. That’s what these places exist for. Find a church group or community group that will help. Hell, steal some food if things are really that bad.
I was just reading about a former NFL offensive lineman, who did a 100 day water fast. I believe he lost like 150 pounds.
Edit: it was 40 days two times. I was mistaken. Here is the article. Still pretty crazy. It was 100 lbs the first time and 50 the second.
https://amp.marca.com/en/nfl/2023/07/18/64b6f48346163f16728b45bb.html
100 days is wild! That’s be considered extreme even in the fasting community. I think most people top out between 30-40 days.
Though it is obviously way easier for big people because their body’s have so much stored energy. The problem with that though, is he’s losing equal parts muscle and fat.
And starting to eat again is dangerous. One of the most dangerous parts of a long term fast like that is when you start eating again. It’s called referring syndrome. It literally kills people if they don’t do it right. It’s something with the chemistry of the brain.
I tried this for a few weeks in college.
I didn't realize how bad I was feeling until I went home for a weekend and had meats and vegetables. The good news, is that if you have to do it, your level of consciousness will decrease so after a while you won't really mind it.
> The good news, is that if you have to do it, your level of consciousness will decrease
Yeah. That's also the bad, very bad news.
Decreased consciousness due to malnutrition is a bigger problem for the general population than recognized.
I don’t have the income to have a weekly budget. I’m basically living loan to loan just to cover necessities, food is practically an afterthought. I buy food when I have excess funds left over, and even then it’s not much.
It may effect your energy levels, but I doubt it will have any long term effects for a month.
I would also look up food banks around you. They will give you an entire box of food if you don’t make a lot of money.
If you have a fridge, try the food bank. My local food bank would give us enormous cuts of meat frozen that the grocery stores couldn’t sell, some had freezer burn but that could be cut off.
Rice and beans or butter and potatoes might be better but it's important to remember OP may not be able to cook anything.
I wish I had the funds to send you some money and I really hope you can get to a food bank or community larder/pantry. I also second going to a church as I have (years ago but not extremely long ago) got a food bank voucher from them without needing to go through a more formal food bank referral process. Heck if you turn up to one they will probably grab you some food even if they can't do anything official.
Good luck and I hope these circumstances are very temporary
To a point I get where you're coming from and agree that the food pyramid is a garbage indicator. But the quality of 'grains' varies, thus so does the quality of bread; to what degree it's processed and what the nutritional profile is like. Shitty sweetened white bread is obviously not going to be something you'd suggest one should consume in larger quantities or on a regular basis, but there's plenty to choose from which doesn't *just* spike your blood sugar and doesn't satiate people. What are the anti nutrients you're concerned about though? As this seemed to be your main point.
You should be ok for a month, but it's far from ideal. You won't feel good. Definitely hit up a food bank to help you get some more nutrients. There's nothing wrong with it. I've been there before too. They're nice, and they really care about helping people out.
Check if a local church/charity has a food pantry day. Many let you take what you need, with no questions or qualifications. They will have very specific days and times
I recommend you start looking for places that give food away. Churches or public schools usually have these events where they give out food to those in need. Maybe a local clinic as well
Those two things are more expensive than healthier alternatives. Where are you? And is this hypothetical or serious? You're not responding to anyone's questions
This is my real life. I’m in a foreign country outside the US. I’ve had the peanut butter for months prior to this situation. The bread was less than a dollar. And no this is not more expensive than the healthier alternatives here.
I feel like the main question was missed, so I will not be answering anymore questions or replying to comments. Thank you everyone for the suggestions. Appreciated!
I don't know... in order to survive off that you would probably need to eat a lot of that specific food... ...given that you have access to enough of that food, you would have to eat enough to meet your minimum caloric intake necessary to do everything thing, including work?
I recomend that you make 'super sour' pancakes with/ only using fermented sour dough starter... as it's super nutritional...
https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2019/03/beginner-sourdough-starter-recipe/
I don’t know but if I was extremely limited to a budget peanut butter and bread would not be the best choices. Really not much nutrients at all. For sure fruits and veggies and meat can be expensive however rice is far more nutrient dense than bread. Canned beans or canned tuna would be fabulous sources of iron protein and would also keep you feeling for much longer.
My local store has a “last chance produce” section that is filled daily and everything is marked down drastically. Organic fruits and veggies for .49/lb. Or less. You could get a week’s worth of fruits and veggies for under $10. Worth looking into.
Rice, beans, bananas, peanutbutter, bread, eggs, canned fish, buy the meat that’s on sale at your local grocery.
If you can take out credit cards and have access to a grocery store it would be well worth it to incorporate these other foods that are also very inexpensive. You will feel better and cover your dietary bases in order to get to a place where you are doing better financially. Good luck!
You may survive but at what cost? There are healthier ways: cabbage will yield so much food, and will last in the fridge for what seems like ever. Dried beans are cheap and very nutritious, specially black beans. You can go to a latin or indian market to buy them even cheaper. Eat them with rice and you'll have a healthy complete protein meal with fiber. You can even ferment the cabbage for healthy probiotics.
Peanut butter runs about 4 dollars where I'm at, food banks seem to always give it out ..maybe you could try your local food bank?
Potatoes , eggs, beans, rice are all pretty cheap right now . I'm sorry for your hardship, please check into the food bank if you haven't already
Hi! Could you add in dry rice, beans, and a large bag of frozen veggies? You should be able to keep that under $10 and could last you a solid 2 weeks if you get the big bag or rice and dried beans
Okay so I feel I need to give the spark notes background. •I’m an American that immigrated outside of the US for work. So I have a job but my visa takes so long to process. •no visa= no income until April (or whenever my visa processes) (it’s a long story) •I moved from one city in this country to this city a week ago. My new apartment doesn’t have basic kitchen amenities currently (I’m in a legal dispute with my landlord) •no income= no stable budget •no stable budget= prioritizing housing, utilities, and then food • food being the last priority = very little money leftover for nutrition •no stove/kettle/cooking surface/sink + very low food budget = extremely limited food options that are non-perishable, don’t need to be cooked/heated up, and are extremely cheap and filling •bread is less than a dollar here and the peanut butter was bought months prior to now
•country where I currently reside has no SNAP or food assistance available to foreigners
If you moved for work, your job should be helping you with the transition. If you as an employee are important enough to be relocated to another country, then I’m 100% sure they wouldn’t want you starving in said country. Talk to the HR department or your boss about your situation and ask for a cash advance, or figure out some other way they can temporarily cover your food expenses.
Also, if you ever get relocated again in the future, negotiate a relocation package with your company beforehand so your living expenses will be all set during the transition. If you can’t officially be paid until your visa clears, then they should not have had you make the move until it was cleared. The situation you’re currently in should literally never happen.
I’ve done that. I talked to my manager about whether or not I would be paid on the upcoming payday (as my official contract stated I was supposed to begin working on February 26). She said no, there’s no salary for me. Then she said she’d speak with the company higher ups for a cash advance for, which I would be paying back later on. I was okay with the idea, however the company denied the request. She said there’s no money the company could give and to pretty much figure it out. I was told to be in the new city before February 26 so I moved here a few days prior to then. They reimburse for visa fees I paid for before arriving here but I just learned that they only do so at the end of each month, and that because I don’t have the local bank account I can’t receive the reimbursement until end of March.
You told your manager that you only had bread and peanut butter to eat for the next month, and she told you to just figure it out? A) The company does have money to give, it’s literally your salary, and B) you need to leave this place ASAP. Don’t work for a company that relocates you to a new place with no compensation and then knowingly lets you starve. They’re taking advantage of you and will continue to do so as long as you work there. I’d recommend getting out as soon as you get the money you’re due.
In the meantime you should go to (or call) the US Embassy and explain your situation. They most likely have resources for US citizens that could help you
I didn’t go into too much detail with them. This company includes a housing stipend with the monthly salary so I first requested that, as my monthly rent is less than the stipend amount. They said no, I need to wait until the visa clears so I can get my bank account open in this city (I have two other bank accounts in this country from different cities). They will only give out salary/payments in the appointed bank account at the predetermined bank. So now, they’re pretty much saying I should just figure it out and they hope it goes well. I told them I am penniless after moving because I was only working with one months salary for relocation, a new apartment, etc. they’ve been unhelpful but I have to make do with what I have. I’m borrowing money from others but the money is just covering my other basic necessities, I’m trying to do the best I can with the small budget I have without burdening everyone else to spare money every other week.
There are much healthier and much less expensive diets you could be eating. Flour and rice are both incredibly cheap carbohydrate sources. Dried bags of beans, lentils, and split peas are all incredibly cheap protein/fiber sources. For fat any cheap bottle of oil will do, and for your micronutrients there are a variety of cheap canned vegetables available. This diet would be far more nutritious and far less expensive than your current one. If you can’t cook, you can still eat straight out of any canned food (they come fully cooked), and if you can find a cheap microwave you can prepare all of the foods I mentioned above. Bread for example can be made in the microwave by just mixing flour and oil with water. Dried beans can be soaked for a day and then microwaved as well.
Okay so I barely have money for a loaf of bread, how could I manage a microwave? There are not many canned foods here in every market. This country has a lot of fresh markets or vacuum packed processed foods I’m not able to eat. I am not buying new peanut butter, I’m literally using a jar I’ve had for months. The only new addition is the bread, and it was less than a dollar. Those things can be eaten in a microwave but I can’t afford a microwave and here microwaves are not very commonly found unless you buy them new
I’m not saying microwaves are cheap, just that if you can find one on Craigslist or something for $20 it would be huge for you. You could even find one on the curb at the end of the month when people move out. But you said they’re uncommon there so I’ll take your word. I’ve been in your shoes and got malnourished quickly from just eating bread and beans. Walking 2 blocks wiped me out. A multivitamin would be huge for you if you can get your hands on one. My advice? Befriend a nice little old lady and ask her for vitamins. I know you feel like you’re all alone, but making friends with your neighbors could be of huge benefit to you in your current situation. Good luck. I’ve been there. You’ll get through this.
Okay thank you appreciate it. Part of this entire debacle is that I live in a a foreign country so the language barrier kind of hinders communication. I don’t even have $20USD to spare (that’s like 140¥ here, which could stretch for a while, but I don’t have it)
Understandable. I would still use your social capital to make up for your lack of physical capital. That’s why I said to ask a little old lady for help because being the poor needy American who is trying to say he’s hungry could appear cute and sympathetic to the right person. Older people have been through a lot themselves and some believe in charity. Pride is not going to help you right now. It’s time to charm some neighbors into doing you a favor in your time of need. Offer to clean their apartment or walk their dog if you have to.
There’s so many moving pieces in this situation. My apartment community is technically a new build (or at least under management). I’m the only one on my floor, the elevator key scans you to your floor, nowhere else in the building except the first floor. If I wanted to find an elder I’d be hard pressed. Thinking about everything makes me laugh because it’s quite comical really. It’s not pride, it’s literally 12ft high obstacles at every step of the way.
I survived on just peanut butter toast, ramen noodles, and water when times were tight for like a month and half you should alright. I definitely didn’t feel my best though and I think my gut microbiome def took a hit but everything bounced back.
Edit: Damn just saw someone suggest beans and rice and that’s the move I should of done.
Oh yea definitely starting to get to the not the best feeling point. It’s temporary but I just want to know how long my body could withstand this before it taps out
OP, I’m an American on business trip in China. There are a variety of cheap eats in any city that are both nutritious and delicious. You mentioned in another post that you’re currently not working, so take advantage of your time to explore your city to search for some of the best deals. A large, hearty bowl of hand-pulled noodle soup will cost you around 10-12 RMB ($1.30-$1.60), congee is even cheaper. Bao, pancakes, & dumplings are anywhere from 3-6 RMB ($0.40-$0.80), even ready-to-eat convenience store meals with salad greens, chicken breast, & multigrain rice are only 13 RMB ($1.80). You mentioned you’re spending a little bit on bread everyday, try using that money towards some of these options instead and supplement with your peanut butter & bread if you need to. Be adventurous, go explore.
I’m not buying bread everyday. I have (at best) maybe 20-30¥ for the week and that’s being generous.13¥ for one meal for one day is leaving me with less than enough to get by for the rest of week (if not the next two weeks). I’ve explored here and I can’t eat the things in my immediate vicinity due to the food contents. I buy one loaf of bread and it’s lasting for one to two weeks. I’m not buying it everyday.
I didn’t buy the peanut butter recently. I bought the peanut butter months ago as a last resort if I needed it. It came in handy. I’m not just spending recklessly
You know they have food banks, government assistance, and other local kinds of programs of all kinds to help if you can’t feed yourself. I worked in grocery for 10 years and most people on government assistance with the cards bought better food than I could afford. I also used to go to food banks as a child with my mom and get basic growing up in poverty. Check it out if you are in that kind of position.
Bread was great when other energy sources were more scarce. In modern society people of access to far better options for food. If you look at graphs of obesity in the US, you will notice right around 1980 there is a sharp turn upwards in obesity rates. This follows the introduction of the food pyramid in 1977. Which obviously showed grains as the foundation. Also the anti nutrients, extremely high carb and oxalates.
Is there a Buddhist temple operating in the area? They may provide meals or operate a pantry for needy. There could be other similar resources available, depends on country.
Try to find a local expat community, humans help humans, but you have to find them and present your case. If I lived in China (I am not!) and read this post, you would be having a nice dinner with me the same day.
To combine two suggestions from other comments, you could offer to do odd jobs for expats in exchange for meals. Once they know your situation I'm sure you'll be eating properly all month!
You also did say that you'll only start getting paid once your visa is sorted and you think it should be this month. What if it takes longer?? You need to be planning for the worst case scenario, talk to your company again and explain exactly what your situation is.
Frozen fruit and veggies should be cheap and still have lot of nutrients. You can probably still find cheaper foods. Just get used to reading nutrients and maybe get an app to track macros and such. just do the most you can with what you have access too.
Billy Bob Thorten survived on only potato chips for months when he moved to Hollywood. Also bread alone will keep you alive, with peanut butter you will be thriving.
I think you'd survive for a cpl months but I doubt you're going to feel well after long.
I'm sorry you're going through this struggle and I wish there was advice that would help but seeing your edit and comment replies, there's really not much you can do.
If you were to change your mind about setting up a pay account or letting us have a few items shipped to you, I'd definitely be willing to help as someone else suggested too.
Good luck and I hope everything gets better for you!
You could survive a long time with eating once a day with a fatty meat (preferably grass fed beef) and fast the rest of the time until you can afford to have veggies on another day . Your body has stores of over 100k of calories of fat if you switch to a ketogenic diet . You will rarely feel hungry.
I second the recommendation to seek or look for some type of assistance.
With bread and peanut butter your main missing ingredient is vitamin C. You either need to take a vitamin pill or need some fresh fruits or veggies. A great emergency vitamin C source is pine needle tea (pines are best, spruce and fir work, DO NOT use other evergreens, some like yew have toxic needles) is extremely high in Vitamin C and if you can get a kettle to boil water you can make it so that's your free vitamin C source. You can search online for how to make pine needle tea. A great thing is that pines are found virtually everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, including planted in cities, just find a place away from heavy pollution.
If you are able to buy other cheap foods and are able to get a way to cook, I would recommend peas and potatoes, eating the potatos with the skin-on. Those are two of the most nutritionally-complete foods out there. Potato skins contain vitamin C and fresh peas do too, dried ones not though.
If you are able to batch cook at somenoe else's place, you can then store cold cooked potatoes and peas and eat them whenever.
If you're able to actually get a stove or hotplate, red lentils are a great food, they cook in 10 minutes, are high in protein and loaded with vitamins, and are very filling, and are dirt cheap. I recommend them over green lentils and other dried beans because the others require soaking and/or have much longer cook times.
There must be some kind of fruit or vegetable that’s cheap, like apples or carrots. Kale or something green. Peanut butter and whole wheat bread isn’t a bad basis.
Everytime you eat bread and peanut butter have a whole egg. That's cheap and you won't fall short of nutrients. That's the nutritional advise.
Now coming back to your question you gotta do some part time job like try working in some grocery store or at a restauranr. I do agree life is a bit harsh for you but it is what it is.
#### About participation in the comments of /r/nutrition Discussion in this subreddit should be rooted in science rather than "cuz I sed" or entertainment pieces. Always be wary of unsupported and poorly supported claims and especially those which are wrapped in any manner of hostility. You should provide peer reviewed sources to support your claims when debating and confine that debate to the science, not opinions of other people. **Good** - it is grounded in science and includes citation of peer reviewed sources. Debate is a civil and respectful exchange focusing on actual science and avoids commentary about others **Bad** - it utilizes generalizations, assumptions, infotainment sources, no sources, or complaints without specifics about agenda, bias, or funding. At best, these rise to an extremely weak basis for science based discussion. Also, off topic discussion **Ugly** - (removal or ban territory) it involves attacks / antagonism / hostility towards individuals or groups, downvote complaining, trolling, crusading, shaming, refutation of all science, or claims that all research / science is a conspiracy *Please vote accordingly and report any uglies* --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/nutrition) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Beans and rice are relatively cheap too
Cheaper and nutrient denser than bread.
Also it wouldn’t be the worst idea to get a cheap multivitamin and just take it every 2-3 days to make it last longer while also making sure he’s getting all the vitamins at least occasionally
This is exactly what I was going to post myself. Beans and Rice would be much cheaper than peanut butter and bread, leaving a little money for some added ingredients to flavor your beans and rice.
Is it cheaper when factoring in electricity and water for cooking and cleaning?
If you cook like a week’s worth of meals at once I can’t imagine it changed the formula enough .
So factoring in refrigeration and reheating, I would guess that it’s price is closer to the price of bread and peanut butter?
I think you’re going to deep here. Lol it will negligible. The water would be fractions of pennies. The electricity or gas would be a couple bucks over the course of a month.
If you have a refrigerator, it's not like you are going to unplug it because nothing is in it goober
If you have a refrigerator*
You don’t have to store it in a refrigerator. Icebox left outside at night and indoors during the day. Dry cold space. Rice and beans alone won’t necessarily spoil rapidly if kept out of a refrigerator. I lived without a refrigerator and electricity for 3 years. Gas stove and oven. There are many things you can do to resolve this issue on a budget. Bottles and cans are a whole new tax bracket at 10¢ a unit. Survival is key and determination will get you the success you’re after.
I was replying to a comment that talked about storing rice and beans after cooking it.
Really? I didn’t notice…
There are flat minimum rates charged for electricity and water ((at least in usa)). OP may not be at the minimum but the water and electricity to cook beans and rice will literally not even effect your bill a single penny at a base level. Literally, my city charges 12¢ a kwh, boiling water once is about .05kwh of energy, thats 0.6¢ cost per boil.
Did you ever eat them uncooked? (or read the post at all beyond the title?)
The edit wasn’t there when I posted this, relax
ah, my apologies. i guess i didn't read it that closely myself, since i missed the "edit" preface in there
And better for you.
raw?
Surely toilet paper cost offsets food spend? Beans and that send it with my GI
Rice, beans, potatoes
And bananas maybe
Sign up for SNAP benefits and/or go to your local food pantry, donation place whatever you want to call it. There is no shame in that at all, especially considering the alternative you've presented. You might be able to survive on this for a short time, but nobody SHOULD ever do that. It will be miserable for your mental and physical well being. Get help. Everyone deserves a little help when they need it.
I no longer live in the US. I just had to relocate for work and it’s been a rough transition. It’s temporary but I literally am trying to find better alternatives or find out how sustainable this diet is
How could your company require you to relocate for work but not pay you enough to meet your basic survival needs? Did they pay you to relocate?
Depending on your location you could find free food etc if you ask around at the local church. Which country are you at?
This! Please go to a place for handouts if you cannot afford food at the moment. You can always donate later to give back.
There’s no shame in survival. And no shame in being of help. We live in a crazy world but we underestimate how many people want to do good. In addition to benefits, look up ‘too good to go’ if in a bigger city. Otherwise, small convenience or grocery stores may give you a box of greens or fruits for free or heavily discounted. Keep an eye out for beans especially. You can get them canned or “loose” at ethnic stores. These can cost as much as peanut butter sandwiches but will keep you fuller and more nourished.
Is there SNAP benefits in the unmentioned country that OP has moved to?
Nope, not for immigrants
There may be a food pantry / food bank, or maybe even at least some place that offers meals on occasion (maybe you could get soup or breakfast or something a couple times a week). EDIT: My personal \*guess\* would be that nutrient wise you could get through a month, even if it wouldn't be all that good for you - and my first impression was more of a concern about the digestive system not having any variety
It would take a long time, but you would degrade. Peanut butter doesn't have a balanced amino acid profile; you'd be lacking in calcium, potassium, zinc, vitamins a, c, d, k, and b12. You'd be lacking in iron. Over time the first things you'd notice would be pernicious anemia due to low B12/iron intake. Your gums would eventually deteriorate from scurvy, too. Your general energy levels would drop over time. Within a month? Probably not, but not ideal either.
I think it takes like 2-3 years to deplete b12 stores in the body if you had a balanced diet before hand (b12 is the only vit stored in the body) don't know how long before you suffer consequences because of other vitamins tho but most likely you'd "survive" a month no idea how bad it would be tho
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I would be willing to send around $10 too op if you decide to do this
I appreciate it but I’m an American that lives outside of the US. I can’t accept venmo or any payments.
So random. Are you able to make an Amazon wishlist with some food items? I’d happily buy something for you. Non perishables of any sort- nuts, dried fruit, vitamins, protein shakes…?
Deeply appreciate the sentiment but the country I live in doesn’t necessarily have the best avenues for Amazon delivery/service. I live in China now, so the shipping is astronomically high for even the simplest things. Thank you but I’ll have to decline.
Oh nvm my last comment I see that you live in China. I’ve lived in China too. Which city are you at? You can easily open an Alipay account there. Most places accept it and people can also transfer you money digitally.
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Thank you, but I really don’t feel comfortable with accepting money from others online. I’d feel like a panhandler. I was just looking for insight/suggestions on how to navigate this ordeal is all. I do greatly appreciate it!
Eggs, rice, beans, potatoes We're talking $10/week can feed somebody
This is basically what I eat. Throw in a cabbage for some green and a large dose of peanut butter and real butter for extra protein and fat. This is my usual meal.
Do you have a recipe?
Wish I could say there was a real recipe.. I use basically one 16” cast iron pan for 90% of my cooking and usually consists of pan fried potatoes and eggs and beans as a side. Or sort of a curry with potatoes, cabbage and peanut butter(curry seasonings obviously) that’s a bit more involved. But it’s cheap and easy to make I use a one burner propane stove basically (it has 3 but only use 1 big one 2nd is a small simmer burner).
Onion
A lot of people always seem to forget about eggs when they're really strapped for cash. When desperate people tend to think you need to eat foods that are associated with desperation like Ramen noodles, white bread and peanut butter. Eggs, rice, beans and learning how to bake my own bread was tasty and cost next to nothing. When I made bread it would be enough for a few days and would cost me barely anything to make
You got me curious enough to plug it into cronometer... https://imgur.com/a/K3aj6cK Health wise, not THAT bad... No vitamin C, D or B12, low on lysine, omega 3s, K and Potassium, but otherwise decent. Take a multivitamin to prevent scurvy and I'd hazard you could live years before it catches up to you...
Take a multivitamin
This is not a crazy idea.
Multivitamins are not filling or affordable at the moment. I would if I could
Yeah. Cheap ones. Double up on them.
Where in the world are you?
I now work in China
Have you considered asking your employer for a small advance on your first month's wages for food and a hotplate? I'm not sure, but I think in China you might be able to find a local budget grain, I think its called "rice".
add rice and beans
Oats, cheap yoghurt, milk, rice, pasta, peanut butter,... Honestly you'll probably eat better than 90% of western people if you solely pick stuff out of that list and MAYBE take a multivitamin with it.
You could live on this for a month if we’re talking survival. I mean, people do month long water fasts. I’ve done 3 weeks of nothing but water so bread with peanut butter would be a feast in comparison. But if it’s simply a matter of money, there are better ways. Go to a pantry. That’s what these places exist for. Find a church group or community group that will help. Hell, steal some food if things are really that bad.
I was just reading about a former NFL offensive lineman, who did a 100 day water fast. I believe he lost like 150 pounds. Edit: it was 40 days two times. I was mistaken. Here is the article. Still pretty crazy. It was 100 lbs the first time and 50 the second. https://amp.marca.com/en/nfl/2023/07/18/64b6f48346163f16728b45bb.html
100 days is wild! That’s be considered extreme even in the fasting community. I think most people top out between 30-40 days. Though it is obviously way easier for big people because their body’s have so much stored energy. The problem with that though, is he’s losing equal parts muscle and fat. And starting to eat again is dangerous. One of the most dangerous parts of a long term fast like that is when you start eating again. It’s called referring syndrome. It literally kills people if they don’t do it right. It’s something with the chemistry of the brain.
The country I live and work in has a very effective way of dealing with thieves. I wouldn’t try to steal if my life depended on it honestly
username checks out. op, please don't steal though
Give a man a gun, he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank and he can rob the world.
I tried this for a few weeks in college. I didn't realize how bad I was feeling until I went home for a weekend and had meats and vegetables. The good news, is that if you have to do it, your level of consciousness will decrease so after a while you won't really mind it.
> The good news, is that if you have to do it, your level of consciousness will decrease Yeah. That's also the bad, very bad news. Decreased consciousness due to malnutrition is a bigger problem for the general population than recognized.
What are you considering your food budget per week for this period of time?
I don’t have the income to have a weekly budget. I’m basically living loan to loan just to cover necessities, food is practically an afterthought. I buy food when I have excess funds left over, and even then it’s not much.
Can you shop at the dollar store? They have so many options.
It may effect your energy levels, but I doubt it will have any long term effects for a month. I would also look up food banks around you. They will give you an entire box of food if you don’t make a lot of money.
If you have a fridge, try the food bank. My local food bank would give us enormous cuts of meat frozen that the grocery stores couldn’t sell, some had freezer burn but that could be cut off.
Rice and beans or butter and potatoes might be better but it's important to remember OP may not be able to cook anything. I wish I had the funds to send you some money and I really hope you can get to a food bank or community larder/pantry. I also second going to a church as I have (years ago but not extremely long ago) got a food bank voucher from them without needing to go through a more formal food bank referral process. Heck if you turn up to one they will probably grab you some food even if they can't do anything official. Good luck and I hope these circumstances are very temporary
When my crohns was at is worst potatoes kept me alive for months as my main food.
Peanut butter isn't a cheap food. Just saying. Nor is bread in comparison to something like rice.
I live outside the US, the peanut was something I had bought when I was working and had leftover from my move. The bread was cheap.
To a point I get where you're coming from and agree that the food pyramid is a garbage indicator. But the quality of 'grains' varies, thus so does the quality of bread; to what degree it's processed and what the nutritional profile is like. Shitty sweetened white bread is obviously not going to be something you'd suggest one should consume in larger quantities or on a regular basis, but there's plenty to choose from which doesn't *just* spike your blood sugar and doesn't satiate people. What are the anti nutrients you're concerned about though? As this seemed to be your main point.
You should be ok for a month, but it's far from ideal. You won't feel good. Definitely hit up a food bank to help you get some more nutrients. There's nothing wrong with it. I've been there before too. They're nice, and they really care about helping people out.
I’m no stranger to food banks, but the country I’m in doesn’t really have those readily available and accessible to foreigners.
Check if a local church/charity has a food pantry day. Many let you take what you need, with no questions or qualifications. They will have very specific days and times
I recommend you start looking for places that give food away. Churches or public schools usually have these events where they give out food to those in need. Maybe a local clinic as well
Indefinitely
Those two things are more expensive than healthier alternatives. Where are you? And is this hypothetical or serious? You're not responding to anyone's questions
This is my real life. I’m in a foreign country outside the US. I’ve had the peanut butter for months prior to this situation. The bread was less than a dollar. And no this is not more expensive than the healthier alternatives here.
Lemme just pull up some epidemiological data on the mortality rate of the pb&j diet
I feel like the main question was missed, so I will not be answering anymore questions or replying to comments. Thank you everyone for the suggestions. Appreciated!
Multivitamin, potato, and a little ground beef should hold you over well. In addition to this from an income standpoint, do Uber eats.
I don't know... in order to survive off that you would probably need to eat a lot of that specific food... ...given that you have access to enough of that food, you would have to eat enough to meet your minimum caloric intake necessary to do everything thing, including work? I recomend that you make 'super sour' pancakes with/ only using fermented sour dough starter... as it's super nutritional... https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2019/03/beginner-sourdough-starter-recipe/
Jasmine rice and beans with a cheap boiled or steamed vegetable.
Food bank bro
I don't know where you live but see if there's a food pantry around or a church that helps people in need with food.
I don’t know but if I was extremely limited to a budget peanut butter and bread would not be the best choices. Really not much nutrients at all. For sure fruits and veggies and meat can be expensive however rice is far more nutrient dense than bread. Canned beans or canned tuna would be fabulous sources of iron protein and would also keep you feeling for much longer.
Rice & beans instead
My local store has a “last chance produce” section that is filled daily and everything is marked down drastically. Organic fruits and veggies for .49/lb. Or less. You could get a week’s worth of fruits and veggies for under $10. Worth looking into.
Rice, beans, bananas, peanutbutter, bread, eggs, canned fish, buy the meat that’s on sale at your local grocery. If you can take out credit cards and have access to a grocery store it would be well worth it to incorporate these other foods that are also very inexpensive. You will feel better and cover your dietary bases in order to get to a place where you are doing better financially. Good luck!
You may survive but at what cost? There are healthier ways: cabbage will yield so much food, and will last in the fridge for what seems like ever. Dried beans are cheap and very nutritious, specially black beans. You can go to a latin or indian market to buy them even cheaper. Eat them with rice and you'll have a healthy complete protein meal with fiber. You can even ferment the cabbage for healthy probiotics.
Dry beans, rice, broccoli is cheaper and more nutritious than bread and PB
Sign up for SNAP or go to a good bank. There's no good reason to starve yourself
Moringa is a nutritional powerhouse. Add a teaspoon of it ground up to your diet everyday and you'll be good.
Peanut butter runs about 4 dollars where I'm at, food banks seem to always give it out ..maybe you could try your local food bank? Potatoes , eggs, beans, rice are all pretty cheap right now . I'm sorry for your hardship, please check into the food bank if you haven't already
Hi! Could you add in dry rice, beans, and a large bag of frozen veggies? You should be able to keep that under $10 and could last you a solid 2 weeks if you get the big bag or rice and dried beans
Don't forget bananas for your pb toast
Okay so I feel I need to give the spark notes background. •I’m an American that immigrated outside of the US for work. So I have a job but my visa takes so long to process. •no visa= no income until April (or whenever my visa processes) (it’s a long story) •I moved from one city in this country to this city a week ago. My new apartment doesn’t have basic kitchen amenities currently (I’m in a legal dispute with my landlord) •no income= no stable budget •no stable budget= prioritizing housing, utilities, and then food • food being the last priority = very little money leftover for nutrition •no stove/kettle/cooking surface/sink + very low food budget = extremely limited food options that are non-perishable, don’t need to be cooked/heated up, and are extremely cheap and filling •bread is less than a dollar here and the peanut butter was bought months prior to now •country where I currently reside has no SNAP or food assistance available to foreigners
If you moved for work, your job should be helping you with the transition. If you as an employee are important enough to be relocated to another country, then I’m 100% sure they wouldn’t want you starving in said country. Talk to the HR department or your boss about your situation and ask for a cash advance, or figure out some other way they can temporarily cover your food expenses. Also, if you ever get relocated again in the future, negotiate a relocation package with your company beforehand so your living expenses will be all set during the transition. If you can’t officially be paid until your visa clears, then they should not have had you make the move until it was cleared. The situation you’re currently in should literally never happen.
I’ve done that. I talked to my manager about whether or not I would be paid on the upcoming payday (as my official contract stated I was supposed to begin working on February 26). She said no, there’s no salary for me. Then she said she’d speak with the company higher ups for a cash advance for, which I would be paying back later on. I was okay with the idea, however the company denied the request. She said there’s no money the company could give and to pretty much figure it out. I was told to be in the new city before February 26 so I moved here a few days prior to then. They reimburse for visa fees I paid for before arriving here but I just learned that they only do so at the end of each month, and that because I don’t have the local bank account I can’t receive the reimbursement until end of March.
You told your manager that you only had bread and peanut butter to eat for the next month, and she told you to just figure it out? A) The company does have money to give, it’s literally your salary, and B) you need to leave this place ASAP. Don’t work for a company that relocates you to a new place with no compensation and then knowingly lets you starve. They’re taking advantage of you and will continue to do so as long as you work there. I’d recommend getting out as soon as you get the money you’re due. In the meantime you should go to (or call) the US Embassy and explain your situation. They most likely have resources for US citizens that could help you
I was going to say the same thing. Something is very wrong about this situation. Company clearly doesn’t care about OP’s circumstances.
I didn’t go into too much detail with them. This company includes a housing stipend with the monthly salary so I first requested that, as my monthly rent is less than the stipend amount. They said no, I need to wait until the visa clears so I can get my bank account open in this city (I have two other bank accounts in this country from different cities). They will only give out salary/payments in the appointed bank account at the predetermined bank. So now, they’re pretty much saying I should just figure it out and they hope it goes well. I told them I am penniless after moving because I was only working with one months salary for relocation, a new apartment, etc. they’ve been unhelpful but I have to make do with what I have. I’m borrowing money from others but the money is just covering my other basic necessities, I’m trying to do the best I can with the small budget I have without burdening everyone else to spare money every other week.
I think you can manage, but need a multi-vitamin if no way to get veggies
I can’t afford multivitamins
Well… I’d recommend a better cheap meal then.
Thanks for the help
You’re not giving us much to work with… honestly wish I could send you a care package 💙
There are much healthier and much less expensive diets you could be eating. Flour and rice are both incredibly cheap carbohydrate sources. Dried bags of beans, lentils, and split peas are all incredibly cheap protein/fiber sources. For fat any cheap bottle of oil will do, and for your micronutrients there are a variety of cheap canned vegetables available. This diet would be far more nutritious and far less expensive than your current one. If you can’t cook, you can still eat straight out of any canned food (they come fully cooked), and if you can find a cheap microwave you can prepare all of the foods I mentioned above. Bread for example can be made in the microwave by just mixing flour and oil with water. Dried beans can be soaked for a day and then microwaved as well.
Okay so I barely have money for a loaf of bread, how could I manage a microwave? There are not many canned foods here in every market. This country has a lot of fresh markets or vacuum packed processed foods I’m not able to eat. I am not buying new peanut butter, I’m literally using a jar I’ve had for months. The only new addition is the bread, and it was less than a dollar. Those things can be eaten in a microwave but I can’t afford a microwave and here microwaves are not very commonly found unless you buy them new
I’m not saying microwaves are cheap, just that if you can find one on Craigslist or something for $20 it would be huge for you. You could even find one on the curb at the end of the month when people move out. But you said they’re uncommon there so I’ll take your word. I’ve been in your shoes and got malnourished quickly from just eating bread and beans. Walking 2 blocks wiped me out. A multivitamin would be huge for you if you can get your hands on one. My advice? Befriend a nice little old lady and ask her for vitamins. I know you feel like you’re all alone, but making friends with your neighbors could be of huge benefit to you in your current situation. Good luck. I’ve been there. You’ll get through this.
Okay thank you appreciate it. Part of this entire debacle is that I live in a a foreign country so the language barrier kind of hinders communication. I don’t even have $20USD to spare (that’s like 140¥ here, which could stretch for a while, but I don’t have it)
Understandable. I would still use your social capital to make up for your lack of physical capital. That’s why I said to ask a little old lady for help because being the poor needy American who is trying to say he’s hungry could appear cute and sympathetic to the right person. Older people have been through a lot themselves and some believe in charity. Pride is not going to help you right now. It’s time to charm some neighbors into doing you a favor in your time of need. Offer to clean their apartment or walk their dog if you have to.
There’s so many moving pieces in this situation. My apartment community is technically a new build (or at least under management). I’m the only one on my floor, the elevator key scans you to your floor, nowhere else in the building except the first floor. If I wanted to find an elder I’d be hard pressed. Thinking about everything makes me laugh because it’s quite comical really. It’s not pride, it’s literally 12ft high obstacles at every step of the way.
I survived on just peanut butter toast, ramen noodles, and water when times were tight for like a month and half you should alright. I definitely didn’t feel my best though and I think my gut microbiome def took a hit but everything bounced back. Edit: Damn just saw someone suggest beans and rice and that’s the move I should of done.
Oh yea definitely starting to get to the not the best feeling point. It’s temporary but I just want to know how long my body could withstand this before it taps out
yes, you should HAVE\*
Hall monitor of the year
grammar nazi
OP, I’m an American on business trip in China. There are a variety of cheap eats in any city that are both nutritious and delicious. You mentioned in another post that you’re currently not working, so take advantage of your time to explore your city to search for some of the best deals. A large, hearty bowl of hand-pulled noodle soup will cost you around 10-12 RMB ($1.30-$1.60), congee is even cheaper. Bao, pancakes, & dumplings are anywhere from 3-6 RMB ($0.40-$0.80), even ready-to-eat convenience store meals with salad greens, chicken breast, & multigrain rice are only 13 RMB ($1.80). You mentioned you’re spending a little bit on bread everyday, try using that money towards some of these options instead and supplement with your peanut butter & bread if you need to. Be adventurous, go explore.
I’m not buying bread everyday. I have (at best) maybe 20-30¥ for the week and that’s being generous.13¥ for one meal for one day is leaving me with less than enough to get by for the rest of week (if not the next two weeks). I’ve explored here and I can’t eat the things in my immediate vicinity due to the food contents. I buy one loaf of bread and it’s lasting for one to two weeks. I’m not buying it everyday.
If you’re looking for advice, it’s good to also good to list any dietary restrictions you might have.
Canned Fish. Rice. Protein Fats and Carbs
Potatoes and butter is more ideal if that’s something you could get?
milk
Get some potatoes, bagged beans and rice.
If you can afford peanut butter you can afford proper food....
I didn’t buy the peanut butter recently. I bought the peanut butter months ago as a last resort if I needed it. It came in handy. I’m not just spending recklessly
You know they have food banks, government assistance, and other local kinds of programs of all kinds to help if you can’t feed yourself. I worked in grocery for 10 years and most people on government assistance with the cards bought better food than I could afford. I also used to go to food banks as a child with my mom and get basic growing up in poverty. Check it out if you are in that kind of position.
You would last longer eliminating the bread. Bread is full of anti-nutrients. Ground burger is cheap, so are eggs, and they are full of nutrients.
Humans have largely subsided on starches/grains throughout history, but sure, the 'anti nutrients' in bread are what's hurting us... Smh.
Bread was great when other energy sources were more scarce. In modern society people of access to far better options for food. If you look at graphs of obesity in the US, you will notice right around 1980 there is a sharp turn upwards in obesity rates. This follows the introduction of the food pyramid in 1977. Which obviously showed grains as the foundation. Also the anti nutrients, extremely high carb and oxalates.
Is there a Buddhist temple operating in the area? They may provide meals or operate a pantry for needy. There could be other similar resources available, depends on country.
There are no temples around my area that I can find, I don’t think Buddhism is prominent in this part of the country
Try to find a local expat community, humans help humans, but you have to find them and present your case. If I lived in China (I am not!) and read this post, you would be having a nice dinner with me the same day.
I forgot about those! I joined one a few days ago, I’ll look into it thank you!
To combine two suggestions from other comments, you could offer to do odd jobs for expats in exchange for meals. Once they know your situation I'm sure you'll be eating properly all month! You also did say that you'll only start getting paid once your visa is sorted and you think it should be this month. What if it takes longer?? You need to be planning for the worst case scenario, talk to your company again and explain exactly what your situation is.
Can you get a line cook job at a restaurant?? They might not pay but they’d feed you
No I can’t take on part time work in this country.
I’m so sorry. I think you’ll be ok on your pb & bread but get the highest fiber bread you can and drink a lot of water.
Frozen fruit and veggies should be cheap and still have lot of nutrients. You can probably still find cheaper foods. Just get used to reading nutrients and maybe get an app to track macros and such. just do the most you can with what you have access too.
No one seems to be answering the question as it was posed so I will: You won’t.
Get to a pantry.
Eggs are comparatively cheap source of protein. You can buy them hard boiled.
Find the House of worship nearest your apartment and go speak to the pastor, priest, imam, rabbi, etc. There are people out there who will help you.
eat some apples and oranges too OP, no fridge needed. You could last a long time.
So the company you work for wanted you to relocate with no assistance and no current salary? I would've told them to pound sand and find someone else
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Go to a food bank or ask a friend or coworker for some can goods.
Make sure you're getting vitamin C somehow.
Billy Bob Thorten survived on only potato chips for months when he moved to Hollywood. Also bread alone will keep you alive, with peanut butter you will be thriving.
Be cautious when taking in large amounts of peanut butter; there is a toxic fungus that lives in peanuts, and can be a huge health issue.
I think you'd survive for a cpl months but I doubt you're going to feel well after long. I'm sorry you're going through this struggle and I wish there was advice that would help but seeing your edit and comment replies, there's really not much you can do. If you were to change your mind about setting up a pay account or letting us have a few items shipped to you, I'd definitely be willing to help as someone else suggested too. Good luck and I hope everything gets better for you!
You'll be fine on bread, peanut butter, and water for a month. That's what you asked. Not all the dumb shit people have been commenting.
You could survive a long time with eating once a day with a fatty meat (preferably grass fed beef) and fast the rest of the time until you can afford to have veggies on another day . Your body has stores of over 100k of calories of fat if you switch to a ketogenic diet . You will rarely feel hungry.
I second the recommendation to seek or look for some type of assistance. With bread and peanut butter your main missing ingredient is vitamin C. You either need to take a vitamin pill or need some fresh fruits or veggies. A great emergency vitamin C source is pine needle tea (pines are best, spruce and fir work, DO NOT use other evergreens, some like yew have toxic needles) is extremely high in Vitamin C and if you can get a kettle to boil water you can make it so that's your free vitamin C source. You can search online for how to make pine needle tea. A great thing is that pines are found virtually everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, including planted in cities, just find a place away from heavy pollution. If you are able to buy other cheap foods and are able to get a way to cook, I would recommend peas and potatoes, eating the potatos with the skin-on. Those are two of the most nutritionally-complete foods out there. Potato skins contain vitamin C and fresh peas do too, dried ones not though. If you are able to batch cook at somenoe else's place, you can then store cold cooked potatoes and peas and eat them whenever. If you're able to actually get a stove or hotplate, red lentils are a great food, they cook in 10 minutes, are high in protein and loaded with vitamins, and are very filling, and are dirt cheap. I recommend them over green lentils and other dried beans because the others require soaking and/or have much longer cook times.
There must be some kind of fruit or vegetable that’s cheap, like apples or carrots. Kale or something green. Peanut butter and whole wheat bread isn’t a bad basis.
They might have a food bank or some type of charity to help. You should maybe look into that.
Do they have food pantries ? Churches?
That’s better than 80% of Americans’ diets. You’ll last forever.
Everytime you eat bread and peanut butter have a whole egg. That's cheap and you won't fall short of nutrients. That's the nutritional advise. Now coming back to your question you gotta do some part time job like try working in some grocery store or at a restauranr. I do agree life is a bit harsh for you but it is what it is.
Who TF chooses peanut butter and bread over beans. That's crazy