12 Meals You Can Make for Under $2 Per Serving

When Trump took office in January 2025, he promised to bring grocery prices down. Since then, the opposite has happened — and a new pressure is now accelerating the pain. Ground beef is up 17% and orange juice has climbed 25% since inauguration day, driven in part by tariffs that pushed prices higher for coffee, seafood, fruit, and meat compared to pre-tariff trends. Now fuel costs are compounding the crisis. Diesel prices surged nearly 50% in a matter of weeks following the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz — and diesel powers every truck, farm machine, and fishing vessel in the food supply chain. Disruptions to global fertilizer supplies have triggered a 35% spike in urea prices, pushing production costs higher at the farm level. GasBuddy analysts have warned that the full effect of higher diesel costs on grocery store prices hasn't hit yet — meaning what you're paying now is still a floor, not a ceiling. The twelve meals below are built around the ingredients least exposed to these pressures: dried legumes, eggs, rice, pasta, and bone-in chicken — all of which still keep cost per serving well under $2.

Note: Per-serving cost estimates are based on average store-brand prices as of early 2026 and assume basic pantry staples (oil, salt, pepper, common spices) are already on hand. Costs will vary by region and store.

1. Red Lentil Soup

Red lentils are one of the cheapest proteins available — typically under $2 per pound — and they cook in under 25 minutes without soaking. Combine one cup of red lentils with a diced onion, two cloves of garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, a teaspoon each of cumin and turmeric, and four cups of broth or water. Simmer until the lentils break down into a thick, creamy soup. Serve with bread or over rice. This makes four generous servings and costs roughly $2.50 total. Leftovers reheat beautifully.

Staple ingredients: Red lentils, canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, turmeric

2. Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Beans)

This Italian peasant dish is one of the most satisfying cheap meals in existence. Sauté onion, garlic, and a can of drained white beans (cannellini or navy) in olive oil. Add a can of crushed tomatoes, two cups of broth, and a cup of small pasta (ditalini, elbow, or broken spaghetti). Simmer until the pasta is cooked and the broth has thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Four hearty servings for under $3.00.

Staple ingredients: Canned white beans, canned tomatoes, pasta, onion, garlic, broth

3. Chicken and Rice

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are consistently one of the cheapest cuts of meat available, often under $1.50 per pound. Season generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Brown in a skillet, then add a cup of long-grain rice, two cups of broth, and a diced onion. Cover and simmer on low for 20–25 minutes until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed. Simple, filling, and deeply satisfying. Makes four servings for around $4.50.

Staple ingredients: Bone-in chicken thighs, long-grain white rice, onion, broth, paprika

4. Black Bean Tacos

Canned black beans seasoned well are a genuinely delicious taco filling. Drain and rinse a can of black beans, then warm them in a pan with cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, a splash of lime juice, and salt. Mash roughly half the beans in the pan to create a thicker filling. Serve in corn tortillas (far cheaper than flour) with any combination of shredded cabbage, salsa, hot sauce, or sour cream. Eight tacos from one can of beans — enough for two hungry people — costs around $2.00 total.

Staple ingredients: Canned black beans, corn tortillas, cumin, chili powder, lime

5. Vegetable Fried Rice

The key to great fried rice is using day-old cooked rice — fresh rice is too moist. Scramble two eggs in a hot, oiled pan, push to the side, then add the cold rice and stir-fry on high heat. Add frozen peas and carrots, a splash of soy sauce, and sesame oil if you have it. Season with salt and pepper. Four servings for under $3.50. Add a fried egg on top for an extra $0.20 per serving and a protein boost.

Staple ingredients: White rice (day-old), eggs, frozen mixed vegetables, soy sauce

6. Split Pea Soup

Split peas are among the cheapest dried legumes available, and they produce one of the most deeply warming, protein-rich soups in cold-weather cooking. Combine one pound of dried split peas (green or yellow) with diced onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and six cups of water or broth. Add a bay leaf and a ham hock or a few strips of bacon if budget allows (entirely optional — the soup is excellent without it). Simmer for 45–60 minutes until the peas dissolve into a thick, creamy soup. Makes six to eight servings for around $3.50.

Staple ingredients: Dried split peas, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, broth

7. Shakshuka (Eggs in Tomato Sauce)

Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern and North African dish that looks and tastes far more impressive than its ingredient list suggests. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil, add a can of crushed tomatoes, season with cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes, and simmer for five minutes. Make small wells in the sauce and crack in four to six eggs. Cover the pan and cook on low until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Serve directly from the skillet with bread for dipping. Four servings for under $4.00.

Staple ingredients: Canned crushed tomatoes, eggs, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika

8. Pinto Bean and Potato Burritos

This is a Tex-Mex staple that has fed generations on a budget. Boil and roughly mash two or three russet potatoes, then season with cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Warm a can of pinto beans and mash partially. Layer beans, potatoes, and salsa in flour tortillas and roll tightly. For extra richness, brown the assembled burritos in a dry skillet for a minute per side. Six burritos for around $4.00 — and they freeze well individually wrapped.

Staple ingredients: Russet potatoes, canned pinto beans, flour tortillas, cumin, chili powder

9. Lentil and Vegetable Curry

Brown or green lentils hold their shape better than red and produce a heartier, chunkier curry. Sauté onion, garlic, and ginger in oil, add curry powder or a combination of cumin, coriander, and turmeric, then stir in a can of diced tomatoes and one cup of dry lentils. Add two cups of water or broth and simmer 25–30 minutes. Stir in a can of coconut milk in the last five minutes for richness, though it's perfectly good without it. Serve over rice. Four generous servings for under $3.50.

Staple ingredients: Brown lentils, canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, curry powder, rice

10. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

This Roman classic uses almost nothing — pasta, garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes — to produce something genuinely elegant. Cook spaghetti to just under al dente and reserve a cup of pasta water. In a wide pan, gently toast thin-sliced garlic in olive oil until golden (not brown), add red pepper flakes, then add the pasta and a splash of pasta water. Toss vigorously to emulsify the oil and water into a light sauce. Finish with parsley if you have it. Four servings for under $2.50.

Staple ingredients: Spaghetti, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes

11. Chicken Tortilla Soup

This one is slightly higher in cost but still comfortably under $2 per serving and makes a substantial, crowd-pleasing pot of food. Simmer two or three chicken thighs in broth with a can of diced tomatoes, a can of black beans, frozen or canned corn, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and onion. Once the chicken is cooked through, shred it directly in the pot. Simmer another 10 minutes. Serve with crushed tortilla chips on top. Six servings for around $8.00. Freezes exceptionally well.

Staple ingredients: Bone-in chicken thighs, canned black beans, canned tomatoes, corn, broth, tortilla chips

12. Oatmeal with Banana and Peanut Butter

For breakfast or a quick dinner when time is short and money is tighter, a bowl of oatmeal made right is genuinely satisfying. Cook rolled oats in water or milk, top with half a sliced banana and a spoonful of peanut butter, and add a drizzle of honey if you have it. The combination of complex carbs, potassium, and protein keeps you full for hours. A canister of rolled oats costs under $4 and makes 10–12 servings on its own. Bananas remain one of the cheapest fruits by the pound.

Staple ingredients: Rolled oats, banana, peanut butter

Tips for Keeping Costs Low

• Buy dried beans and lentils over canned when time allows — they cost roughly one-third the price per serving.

• Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are almost always the cheapest cut of chicken and are more flavorful than boneless breasts.

• Store-brand canned tomatoes, broth, and beans are functionally identical to name brands and typically 20–30% cheaper.

• Freeze leftovers in single portions — almost everything on this list doubles or triples well and freezes without quality loss.