scraping to the bone

[many houseapes]

I had started a couple of threads to see how creative we could be with coming up with 2-3 ingredient recipies & had many positive ideas
Now I am curious as to how many of us could stand living solely on 2-3 ingredient meals for an entire month without jeopardizing nutrition.
do you think that it's possible?

[ktsmama]

I can't think of that many, but I don't see why you couldn't. I would think that as long as you get your veggies and protein, you would be fine.

I am curious to read everyone else's take on this.

[MarshHen]

Sure, I've fed a family of four for a month many times with only 3 - 4 ingredients. Alot of grits were involved though. You just have to be creative.

[tervsforme]

Most of my meals are only 2 or 3 ingredients. I usually just have a protein and a veggie, but if I'm stretching my budget I cook rice and decrease the protein portion.

[3-boys-4-me]

Sure. I have a cookbook that only has 3, 4, and 5 ingredient recipes. Let me know if you need any recipes using a specific ingredient.

[baxjul]

I think that it is possible, I am just having a blank moment thinking of any.

[FreesiaE]

Surely! I'm sure there are a ton if you sat down and started mapping it out. Maybe make a spreadsheet with categories like: Protein, starch, veggie, other so you could have meals like

Protein: Ground beef
Starch: Pasta on hand
Veggie: Jar Spaghetti Sauce
Other: Canned Pineapple

Protein: Eggs
Starch: Toast
Veggie: none
Other: Jams/Jellies on hand

Protein: Chicken Thighs
Starch: Mashed Potatoes
Veggie: Garden Produce (what ever is ripe) or frozen peas
Other: Cinnamon Toast for dessert

Protein: Leftover Thighs made into a broth/ meat picked off
Starch: Leftover rice/potatoes/corn for the soup
Veggies: Leftover peas, carrots, etc. any veggie that makes a soup
Other: Rice pudding

I think it is important in cases like this to not only plan, but to have a bit of dessert or treat if you can. It makes life seem easier somehow.

[monkeywrangler71]

Do you mean, every meal only has 2-3 ingredients, or you can only have 2-3 ingredients for the month and you have to make every meal from the same ones?

The former, I pretty much do all the time, but I don't think it is possible to do the latter without giving up nutrition, since you can't really cover 4 food groups with 3 ingredients.

[staceyy]

Yes, lots of people eat 2-3 ingredient meals. breakfast: cereal or bacon and eggs with toast, lunch: sandwich, dinner: meat, fish or poultry, starch and vegetable.

[BeyondFrugal]

We do it with four ingredients. Protein, carb, and two veggies. That's dinner. Nothing is battered or sauced. It's plain jane but simple and healthy. I just have to have two veggies. And they have to be different colors- like collards and sweet potato, corn and zucchini, carrots and spinach, etc.

Lunch for me is always some kind of bean soup, a carb (oatmeal or rice usually), and a small protein.

Breakfast is always 2 ing. Usually rice and eggs. Sometime sausage instead of egg.

-Elaine

[tbs727]

I get bored with food too quickly. I wouldn't even want to try to do it.

[Luv2BeFrugal]

My Dh and I like pinto beans and corn with a little cheese on top. Cheap, yummy, and a complete protein.

[many houseapes]

Sorry monkeywrangler...I should have clarified...2-3 ingredients per meal.

[Radish4ever]

I really don't see why not - unless you're cooking EVERYTHING from scratch, it would be pretty easy - using premade sauces (spaghetti sauce, alfredo sauce, seasoning mixes, gravy mixes, etc) would make it so so simple and also add in more variety.

Even if you did do everything from scratch, rice or potatoes or oatmeal or bread plus a meat and veggie or fruit would really be fine! I think it would be important to make sure everyone is getting enough dairy in their diet via drinks or dairy snacks, though

[Nada.Leona]

I think it depends on whether you count condiments, like margarine or olive oil as an ingredient.