Quick Meals for One under $2

1. Hash Brown and Eggs - Buy shredded frozen hash browns. Heat in microwave for 1 minute while also heating 1T olive oil in pan. Add hash brown to pan and flatten. Cover with lid (doesn't have to fit) and leave 5 min. Crack 2 eggs over hash browns and flip. Cook another 3-5 min. Season w/ salt and pepper. Hash browns $.50, olive oil $.20, 2 eggs $.80 Total: $1.30. Keep in mind this total includes using organic cage free eggs for over $4.50 a dozen.

2. Lemon Egg Soup - Incredibly comforting and satisfying. Combine .75 cup brown minute rice, 1.5 cups water, and 1.5 teaspoons better than boullion chicken broth paste. Cook 7 minutes. Squeeze in juice of 1/2 medium size lemon. Crack one egg into mixture and stir vigorously with fork. Rice $.25, boullion $.25, lemon $.50, egg $.40, Total: $1.40.

3. Sweet Potato and Green Vegetable - Again comforting and healthy. Microwave sweet potato for about 10 minutes until soft. Remove skin and add butter and brown sugar if desired. If veggies aren't in season use frozen. I don't have hard data but I have read that if fresh fruits and vegetables have to travel to get to you, frozen alternatives may have a smaller carbon footprint. Things like green beans or peas are nice. Sweet potato $.75, veggies $.50, topping $.15 Total: $1.40.

4. Spaghetti with Fake Meat - A classic stand by. Combine cooked whole wheat pasta, marinera sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, and about 1/4 cup of Morning Star's Griller crumbles. Pasta $.50, Sauce $.60, cheese $.15, griller crumbles $.50 Total: $1.75. I buy Morning Star Products at Wal-Mart for 1/2 the price that they retail at the grocery store (about $2.50/bag instead of $5). Many people will think me a hypocrite for shopping at Wal-Mart. But I'm not so sure its all bad. I'd like to explore this in a debate style post later.


5. Dry Soup Mixes - My local co-op has several dry soup mixes that are $3-4/lb. I especially like a curry lentil soup mix they have. These soup mixes are much cheaper than buying a can of soup and you can add frozen veggies or extra seasoning to them as desired.