Struggle Meal Recipes to Make on a Tight Budget

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Try these simple recipes with ingredients you already have

Co-authored by Dina Garcia, RD, LDN, CLT and Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD

Last Updated: October 11, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Meaning
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• Recipes
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• More Tips & Ideas
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• Origins
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• Video

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Whether you’re a college student on a tight budget or simply trying to cut corners, you may be familiar with the term “struggle meal.” These typically consist of filling, low-cost meals made with whatever affordable ingredients you have on hand. From spam sandwiches to buttered noodles, struggle meals can come in clutch when you’re trying to extend your dollar as far as possible. If you want to learn how to transform random pantry items into a delicious and budget-friendly feast, keep reading! Plus, registered dietitian and nutritionist Dina Garcia, RD, LDN, CLT, weighs in on the best struggle meal staples.

What is a struggle meal?

A struggle meal is a quick, filling, and cheap meal, usually made by people who have limited time and are trying to cut costs. Popular struggle meals include cheesy nachos, eggs or beans on rice, hot dogs, and instant noodles.

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Section 1 of 4:

Struggle Meal Meaning

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1. 
   A struggle meal is a cheap, simple, and filling meal. We’ve all been there: hungry, in a hurry, and low on cash. Struggle meals are a great solution because they're made on the fly with limited ingredients, yet still offer comfort and satisfaction. Struggle meals offer an easy, affordable, no-frills loophole to more labor-intensive, expensive meals.

   • There is no shame in struggle meals, as even the world’s wealthiest, such as Bill Gates, admit to loving a cheap and greasy sandwich here and there.
     • Other examples include Kylie Jenner’s love of Ramen noodles and Jennifer Aniston's preferred way of eating pasta with jarred sauce and parmesan.
   • Struggle meals are often creative and can lead to unexpected flavor combinations, like tuna mac and cheese for extra protein and spam sandwiches.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Dina Garcia, RD, LDN, CLT is a registered dietitian and nutritionist with over 15 years of experience.
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Section 2 of 4:

Struggle Meal Recipes

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1. 
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   Cheesy nachos For this easy recipe, you’ll need tortilla chips, cheese, and whatever other toppings you’d like to include, like jalapeños, salsa, or sour cream. Pre-heat the oven to 375 F (190.5 °C). Lay your tortilla chips out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle your cheese over the chips in an even layer and bake for 8-10 minutes. When the cheese is gooey and melty, it’s time to add the rest of your toppings!

   • Tip: A Mexican cheese blend works best for these homemade nachos.
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   Spaghetti A classic Italian-American meal, spaghetti is a simple and affordable dinner option. Start by boiling your spaghetti noodles in salted water according to the box instructions. Once the noodles are al dente, drain the water and add jarred marinara sauce. Season this dish to your liking by adding garlic, herbs, and parmesan.

   • Tip: Add browned ground beef to the pasta sauce to make a bolognese or ragu-inspired dish.
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   Hot dogs Hot dogs offer a delicious and versatile canvas, and they can be boiled, grilled, or pan-fried. If you don’t have a grill and pan-frying is too much work, put a pot of water to boil with enough water to cover the amount of wieners you’d like to make. Place the dogs into the hot water with tongs and lower the heat to medium for 4-6 minutes, or until the sausages are tender. Slide them into some hot dog buns and dress them up to your liking!

   • Tip: Popular hot dog toppings that you might have on hand include ketchup, mustard, relish, sauerkraut, bacon bits, diced onions, and jalapeños.
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   Cinnamon toast This iconic childhood recipe asks that you make a delicious paste out of soft butter, cinnamon, sugar, and a tiny pinch of salt. Then apply the paste to slices of bread and place in an oven set to 350°F (176.6 °C) for 10 minutes. Eat as many of these sweet and buttery slices as you like!

   • Tip: For an extra crispy, brûléed slice, turn on the broiler for 1 minute or so.
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   Peanut butter and jelly sandwich This childhood favorite can be tailored to all tastes, whether you prefer grape jelly over strawberry or smooth peanut butter over crunchy. First, grab two slices of bread— white and wholegrain are both good options. Then, lather one side with your peanut butter of choice, making sure to extend the layer to the very edge of the bread; do the same for the other slice of bread with the jelly. Unite the halves and take a bite!

   • Tip: To avoid a soggy sandwich, try toasting the bread ahead of time.
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   Cheesy tortilla rolls For this quick recipe, you’ll need cheese, tortillas, and butter. Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C). On a baking sheet, sprinkle generous amounts of whatever cheese you have on hand along the middle of an open tortilla. Roll them up tightly, brush them with butter, and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until tortillas are golden.

   • Tip: You can dip these in a sauce or dressing, like ranch, marinara, or salsa, for more depth and flavor.
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   Egg with rice and beans You can use microwaved rice or leftover rice for this recipe. Otherwise, you’ll need an egg and canned beans of your preference. Cook your egg in a skillet to your liking, whether that be sunny side up, over medium, or otherwise. Open up your can of beans and pour them on the rice in a bowl. Add the egg to the mixture. Voila! Hunger averted.

   • Tip: Add a splash of soy sauce to your rice and garnish with green onions or chives.
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   Omelette Eggs are relatively affordable, accessible, and very versatile, making them a perfect struggle meal ingredient. Although a plain omelette cooked in butter or olive oil will definitely fill the void, adding whatever vegetables you have in your fridge can jazz it up nicely. Garcia shares that “chopped up peppers and onions” along with “potatoes” and “cheese” are a great addition to any skillet meal, omelettes included.

   • Tip: If you add diced ham along with green peppers and onions, you’ve got yourself a Denver omelette!
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   Buttered noodles This recipe couldn’t be simpler. Just grab whatever noodle you have in your pantry— spaghetti, macaroni, or shells all work well— and boil them according to the box instructions. After they’ve been cooked, add a slab or two of butter to the hot noodles in a bowl. Salt and pepper to your taste and mix thoroughly. Bon appétit!

   • Tip: If you happen to have some powdered Parmesan in your fridge, sprinkle it all over your noodles for a nutty and cheesy kick.
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    Grilled cheese sandwich A true classic, the grilled cheese is composed of two very common household ingredients: bread and cheese. One way to do this is to place two slices of buttered white bread into a pan, add the cheese, and continue pressing until you achieve a crispy exterior and a melty interior. You can also start it in the pan and finish it in the oven for a more even cook and an extra crunch factor.

    • Tip: A combination of mozzarella and cheddar will give the sandwich the perfect balance of chewy meltiness and peak flavor.
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Section 3 of 4:

More Struggle Meal Tips & Ideas

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1. 
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   Other super-easy struggle meals include tuna salad, mac and cheese, and breakfast cereal. Many popular and tasty struggle meals require two ingredients at most, like quesadillas and breakfast cereal. Usually, there is a carb and dairy element, combined for a cheap but explosive flavor bomb. Here are some bonus struggle meal ideas for when you really don’t want to do much at all:

   • Quesadillas: All you need to make a quesadilla is a flour tortilla and your choice of cheese. Spice it up with some hot sauce and jalapeños, or cool it down with sour cream and guacamole.
   • Instant noodles: Instant noodles have been trending on TikTok, especially brands like Buldak and Samyang, and there are a few different ways to make them.
   • Tuna salad: There are lots of ways to use canned tuna, and pairing it with mayonnaise is a classic choice. Adding onions, lemon juice, and celery can really elevate it!
   • Mac and cheese: Whether you prefer homemade mac and cheese or the Kraft boxed kind, this is an American childhood favorite— turned adult struggle meal!
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   To make struggle meals, the key is to load up on affordable pantry staples. It’s no secret that fresh fruits and vegetables tend to be a little pricey, and they also don’t have a long shelf life. So, if you’re looking to make easy meals on a budget, stock up on non-perishable goods, like canned and dried foods, such as beans, pasta, and nuts. The idea is to always have a few of these items on hand that you can elevate with protein and other ingredients from the fridge. For example, you can make shakshuka by poaching eggs in a jarred tomato sauce and sprinkling a little feta cheese on top. Here are some other ways you can get creative:

   • Repurpose your leftovers: For example, one great way to use leftover rice is to mix it with meat and stuff it into peppers.
   • Reach for filling, affordable carbs. A loaded baked potato can be the perfect weeknight dinner!
   • Fill your freezer with frozen veggies. Garcia suggests keeping frozen peas, corn, or veggie medleys in the freezer for quick additions to soups and stews.
   • Throw everything into a skillet. According to Garcia, “skillet meals” where
 “everything goes into one pot, and you don't have to do any planning” work great as struggle meals.
     • For these, Garcia suggests easy-to-cook proteins like turkey, with the addition of whatever frozen veggies you have in your freezer and your preferred jarred sauce, like “pesto” or “Tikka Masala,” for a flavor boost. 

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Section 4 of 4:

“Struggle Meal” Origins

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1. “Struggle meal” is similar to “poor man’s meal,” which originated during the Great Depression. The early 20th century was a time of dire economic hardship in America, leading to the Great Depression, which introduced some OG struggle meals, known then as “poor man’s meals.” These meals typically consisted of cheap ingredients and no fuss preparations, utilizing kitchen staples like peas, pasta sauce, and potatoes.

   • Some other historically accurate poor man’s meals include sliced hot dogs and fried potatoes, vinegar pie, and peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches.

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