Budget International Cuisine: World Flavors Without the Price Tag
Cook international meals inexpensively using budget-friendly ingredients.
Asian Cuisine on Budget
Many Asian dishes are built for stretching a small amount of protein. Stir-fries, fried rice, noodle bowls and curries use plenty of rice or noodles and vegetables with a modest amount of chicken, pork or tofu. A few pantry items, like soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger, cover a huge range of meals.
Latin American Cooking
Latin American cooking is naturally affordable. Rice and beans, tacos, burritos, enchiladas and soups lean on corn tortillas, dried or canned beans, rice, onions, tomatoes and inexpensive cuts like pork shoulder or chicken thighs. Cumin, chili powder, oregano and lime do most of the flavour work.
Mediterranean on a Budget
Mediterranean cooking uses legumes, grains, vegetables and olive oil as its base. Chickpeas, lentils, pasta, couscous, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and lemon are all inexpensive. Meat is often a side rather than the main event, which keeps costs down. Hummus, lentil soup and pasta with vegetables are classic budget meals.
Indian Spice Strategy
Indian food is one of the best cuisines for budget cooking once you have the spices. Dal made from lentils, chana masala from chickpeas, and vegetable curries cost very little per serving. Buy spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala in larger bags at international grocery stores, where they're often far cheaper than small jars.
Building Your International Pantry
Build your international pantry slowly. Each time you try a new cuisine, buy only the two or three items it needs, then reuse them. International aisles and specialty grocery stores often have better prices on rice, spices, sauces and dried legumes than the main aisles, especially in large bags.
Budget International Meals
A world-flavours week from sale items: Monday, chicken fried rice; Tuesday, black bean and sweet potato tacos; Wednesday, chickpea curry with rice; Thursday, pork shoulder carnitas; Friday, Greek-style sheet pan chicken with potatoes and lemon. Five cuisines, one sale protein or two, and a small pantry.
Featured Cities
International aisles and specialty stores have different deals each week. Browse what's on sale in your city to plan your next world-flavours week.
Deals in Your City This Week
Choose your city to see this week's grocery deals and build your meal plan:
Ready to Save on Groceries?
Forkfull finds this week's deals and builds your meal plan automatically.
Get Started Free