Chef With A $1 Budget Shares Healthy Recipe That Can Feed Two People Without Spending A Cent More
buritora | Shutterstock In a video, chef Jose Rojas shared a healthy, vegan recipe that can feed two people for $1. Hard to believe, but it's true.
In this economy, many people are having a hard time eating healthy while also saving money. Between expensive grocery lists and all of the other bills that demand attention, people are just trying to do their best by putting food on the table, no matter what that food looks like. But, to help individuals who may be struggling with both cost and eating healthy, Rojas proved that it honestly doesn't take that much money.
Chef Jose Rojas shared a healthy recipe to feed 2 for only $1.
"Alright, today's challenge, we got $1. But I mean to see if I can do something for a dollar," Rojas began in his video, walking into a grocery store. He explained that he was on the hunt for the smallest onion and the smallest potato. Finding both, he first put the potato on the scale, which read 20 cents, then put the onion on, which read 10 cents.
At that point, Rojas' amount was 30 cents. Next, he went to find the smallest tomato, and after weighing it on the scale, it turned out to be a quarter of a pound. Finally, Rojas found a rather small pepper, which was free because the cashier couldn't weigh it. For everything that he bought at the grocery store, Rojas' total came out to 65 cents.
Making one more stop at another grocery store, Rojas picked up some beans for 35 cents. He eventually headed home, where he showed viewers how to make a meal with everything that he purchased. Cooking all the ingredients together, Rojas made two bowls of bean, tomato, and onion soup, and there were even leftovers.
"No processed food. No shortcuts. Just real food doing real work. Everybody talks about nutrients… until you show them you can get ALL of this for a dollar. This isn’t struggle food… this is smart food," Rojas insisted.
Most Americans are struggling to afford groceries right now.
In a survey conducted by loan marketplace LendingTree, half of Americans said it’s difficult to afford food, and only 22% of the 2,000 people polled reported no difficulty at all. That strain isn't just affecting lower-income households either, with 57% of those earning above $100,000 each year saying they worried about paying for groceries in the past month.
Grocery costs climbed 2.4% over the past year, while the cost of eating out rose 3.9% during the same time frame, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Matt Schulz, LendingTree's chief consumer finance analyst, explained that the data from the survey stands out for what it says about the reach of rising prices.
Drazen Zigic | Shutterstock
"Food costs are hitting every income level, and it's changing how people spend," he said. "Nearly half of Americans are struggling to afford food, and even higher earners are feeling the pressure. That shows up in everyday choices, from groceries to dining out, and it's a clear sign that budgets are stretched thin."
While Rojas' video is a great way to show how people can make their budget work and still eat a healthy, well-balanced meal, it also highlights just how much people are struggling to even need a video like that in the first place. So many people feel stuck between rising costs and their basic needs.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
