Wayyy back in 2020, I asked the BuzzFeed Community which "struggle meals" they'd still eat if they were rich. After all, we all know that some of the best food is really, really cheap (looking at you, rice and beans!). Here are some of the best responses:
To be clear, of course you can have money and eat a "struggle meal" — it's just that when you're broke, "struggle meals" are often the only thing you can afford. I'm sure many a millionaire eats pb&js (if not, what's it all been for?), but that's kind of my point.
1. "You can pry beans on toast out of my cold, dead fingers."
2. "Cinnamon toast is an absolute godsend. Is it cheap? Yeah. Is it addictive? Hell yeah."
3. "I can make some kick-ass homemade mac and cheese with all the pricey cheese, but give me a box of Kraft any day."
4. "Dal with rice."
5. "During the Depression, my grandma’s family always ate macaroni and sausage. It’s just macaroni noodles with ground sausage (sage is best) and a little milk poured into it. I LOVE this stuff."
6. "Omelettes! I always have a bunch of eggs, random produce and some sort of cheese."
7. "Plain pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese. That’s it. I still sometimes eat that instead of sauce."
8. "Scrambled eggs on toast."
9. "A frozen 80-cent breakfast pot pie and fries."
10. "Peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Never gets old."
11. "Instant ramen and a spoon of peanut butter. YUM."
12. "I love potato waffles with either baked beans or spaghetti hoops on top. It makes me feel like a child again and it's so comforting."
13. "I would still eat bully beef and rice, which is corned beef from a can with chopped onions and peppers with white rice. It’s a Jamaican (and other nations') 'struggle' meal that your parents made when they were tired from work. It’s so good."
14. "A Spam sandwich on white bread with ketchup."
15. "Beans and rice. I love them. You can make them as plain or as fancy as you want."
16. "Egg-in-the-hole. Melt some butter in a big frying pan. Use a glass to cut circles out of two pieces of bread. Put the bread in the pan and break an egg in the hole of each one. Cook the eggs to taste (I like mine with a runny yolk but a solid white). If the pan is big enough, you can toast the circles alongside 'em; otherwise, do it after you take out the egg and bread. Pop the toasted circles on top of the eggs, and add a little salt and pepper. Good for breakfast or supper."
17. "Tortilla chips, hot sauce, and cheese.... seriously try it."
18. "For some reason, I love rice and corn with soy sauce. Just love that sh*t."
19. "White rice with scrambled eggs and ketchup. Sorry, not sorry. Ooh and you can sprinkle some chives on top, yummy."
20. "A grilled cheese sandwich and canned tomato soup."
21. "Noodle sandwiches 100%. I'm living with my parents and have some great food in the house but I'll always choose noodle sandwiches if I can."
22. "A butter sandwich. Yes, it's bad for you, and no, I don't care. Plain bread and butter spread with a glass of milk, my good shows on TV and I'm asleep in five minutes."
23. "Tinned meatballs."
24. "Jasmine rice and fish sauce."
25. "Cereal."
26. "My favourite meal in the world is pasta with ketchup and cheese."
27. "Plain pasta. It's so good and I always cook too much and end up shovelling it into my face like a goblin."
28. "Saltine crackers and honey."
29. "Mashed sweet potato with a fried egg on top! Just wrap a sweet potato in a damp paper towel, pop it in the microwave for 5-6 minutes, and then mash it up with a little milk to make it creamy. Top it with a crispy egg. Odd but delicious!"
30. "Hamburger Helper."
31. "Tuna mac is still a go-to in our house when we’re just feeling lazy. We always keep a few cans in the cupboard."
Thanks to the BuzzFeed Community for their contributions!
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.