The $3 bag of lentils I keep seeing people overlook at Aldi

I was at the Aldi off Broadway last week and watched a mom grab a $5 box of seasoned rice packets instead of the $1.29 bag of lentils right next to it. The rice had like 4 servings and the lentils make 12 portions easy with the same prep time. Why do people skip the plain legumes when they could stretch that budget so much further? Anyone else got a go-to cheap staple that folks seem to ignore?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliots4927d ago

oh man this hits SO hard. my wife and i went through this EXACT thing when we were trying to cut our grocery bill a few years back. we used to grab those flavored rice packets all the time because they were quick and easy but we realized we were paying like 4x more per serving compared to just buying lentils and rice separately. i started making a big batch of lentils on sunday with some garlic powder and cumin and it lasts us ALL week. we throw it in tacos, soups, or just eat it plain with a fried egg on top. the trick for us was realizing that the prep is actually the same - boiling water and waiting. once you get used to it you never go back to the expensive packets.

the_spencer27d ago

Start with a food scale and start weighing your beans and rice dry. It sounds extra but once you figure out what 1/4 cup dry rice actually looks like compared to a "serving" on the package, you realize you've been eating double portions the whole time. I keep a bag of black beans in the pantry and a bag of brown rice, and I just cook them both in a big pot with some bay leaves and salt. Throwing a fried egg on top is legit the move, especially if you add a dollop of salsa and some hot sauce. The whole "I don't have time" excuse goes out the window when you realize you're just boiling water either way.