12 December 2023|General Discussion
https://toasterding.com/f/what-to-eat-on-a-budget-in-kenya-9-meal-ideas
Here are the best meal parings for budget eating in Kenya, they are all cheap and filling, whether on campus or freshly graduated with nothing major going on, there is no income just living off allowances. This means you need foods that cost cheap, you have not much here and your options are limited.
Here are the best 9 meals that don’t cost much, they may not be the healthiest option, but we are trying not to starve here.
BREAKFAST OPTIONS
1. Avocado Toast
Cost : <KSh 50
Whether I have money or not, avocado toast is the one thing that must be on my breakfast. It is super cheap, easy to prepare, and comforting.
I can’t say the same for eating out since avocado toast is one of the most expensive breakfast options in restaurants.
All you need is 2 -3 slices of bread and one small avocado, or half a large one.
It is as simple as toasting your bread, slicing or mashing your avocado then spreading it on the toast sprinkling salt, pepper, or any preferred spices on top.
3 slices of bread cost approximately KSh 5 and a small avocado at around KSh 30. Serve this with black tea, coffee, or chocolate( with no milk ) and you won’t spend more than KSh 50 for this entire meal, plus it is filling.
Did I mention it is way healthier than expensive spreads like Nutella, fruit jams, and margarine?
If you are concerned about the fats in avocados, don’t worry because they’re natural and healthy fats that do no harm to the body.
For bread choice go with brown bread, not for health concerns but because it is wholegrain and thus filling for longer than white bread. Remember we are on a budget and can’t afford to feel hungry all the time.
You also don’t need a toaster, you can toast your bread on the pan!
2. Sturungi- Black Tea & Tubers
I don’t know why sturungi( black tea) is seen as a poverty beverage, to me I actually prefer it over milk tea since it tastes pure tea.
If you are on a budget, then milk is a luxury and if you want tea, it should be black. If you however dislike the taste of sturungi because you are used to milk tea, just spice up your sturungi by squeezing in a lemon wedge. It elevates and gives it more character.
Add ginger too, I love sturungi more because you can add whatever you want, for milk tea you can’t add lemon juice for instance as your milk will cuddle up
Sturungi goes well with boiled tubers like Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, and arrow roots(nduma)
These tubers while boiled are good carbs with low glycemic index, making them healthy from a nutrition perspective
Overall sturungi deserves some love and has more perks than milk tea in my opinion, pairings are versatile and it is budget-friendly.
3. Ugali Leftovers & Milk Tea
I mean bread is 65 bob, so no shame. I actually eat this combo most of the time, you reduce wastage by utilizing the leftovers
This doesn’t pair well with black tea but with milk tea? Heavenly!
4. Porridge-Uji
Best alternative to oats and for cheap!
Uji can be boring, adding margarine specifically Blue Band just elevates it, also a squeeze of lemon juice makes it alive.
You can make uji richer by adding milk, but milk is out of budget here.
LUNCH IDEAS
5. Smocha (Chapo-Smokie)
Cost <KSh 70
Smocha is ideal if you are outdoors and need to grab a quick bite. It is not a real meal by any means, but it packs all the nutrition you need. Smocha is basically a wrap filled with proteins and vitamins, and the chapati wrap is a source of carbs.
A roll of smocha is around KSh 65, and you can really feel full from it as it is dense. You can optionally wash it down with the fresh passion juices sold on the street for around KSh 50 and for less than 120 bob you will be good for lunch.
6. Indomie & Egg
Price: KSh 55
This is not only cheap but also quick, so if you are broke and lazy, and you have to somehow cook, I don’t think it can get easier than this!
Indomie is a popular brand of instant noodles, instant noodles have been pre-cooked so just 3 minutes in boiling water and they are done.
Frying an egg takes less than two minutes, under a minute sometimes
Make the egg runny, so that it can mix in the noodles, have a piece of fruit on the side and you have a balanced diet for almost free.
Check Recipe: The Correct Way to Cook Indomie.
7. Chips & Kebab
Cost: KSh 170
Chips-sausage is not the best option, sausage is expensive for the size, so that is like a luxury when we are on a budget, smokies are also more on the pricier side so kebabs are the best option.
Kebabs have a big volume for the packing and are dense, so be sure one medium-sized kebab is going to keep you full, the chips (fries) are just a side, and the kebab is the main character.
8. Chapati & Beans
Price: Approx. KSh 70
If chapati beans are an option, then it is likely you are buying this from kibandasky rather than making it yourself. while you can cook all these by yourself and for cheap, it is not viable in terms of quantity and time consumed.
Chapatis take over an hour and so do beans, the other thing is these foods are normally prepared in big batches to make sense of time consumed; and since we are on a budget, the best option is to buy from the food stand.
If you want to make a home version of this then you might wanna check out this recipe: Chapati With Beans Recipe: The Default Campus Cuisine
9. Spaghetti & Tomato Sauce
Cost: <KSh 70
A cheap pack of 400g spaghetti is around KSh 100, while expensive ones go for almost KSh for the same size, and for a serving like this, you need like 1/3 of that quantity, since it all expands on cooking. You however need alot of tomatoes, like 3 or 4 of them preferably medium to large sized.
Cook tomatoes till broken down and have a sauce at this point, you can only achieve this while covering the cooking tomatoes as the steam trapped will break them down.
Next simply boil your pasta( but not all the way through), till al dente, then you can add the tomato sauce back on the stove, and mix the drained spaghetti in.
Save some of the drained pasta water to cook this, and cook until you are happy with the doneness, preferably drier than mine here.
Links
The 5 Cheap Protein Foods in Kenya
Your Guide to Budget Shopping & Essentials in Kenya
Naivas vs Carrefour vs Quickmart: Which Supermarket is the Best?