When you’re hungering for the exotic, but also just plain hungry, a slice of sashimi just won’t cut it. You need big flavours, a big bowlful and big value. But then, so do millions of people eating on a budget the world over. If you were still wondering just how important the topic was, check out finance website Saving Advice, who are sharing a staggering “50 Ways to Save Money on Food”.
Knowledge required
Feeding the appetite of a greedy guts on the budget of a waif, demands a solid knowledge of the cuisines of the world and a keen sense of who dishes up the biggest and most filling meals. A post-lunch nap is not possible for most of us, and a carb-heavy feed can leave you sluggish – as a recent discussion on the forum of renowned Dr McDougall once again proved . The solution? Avoid starchy meals at lunch time, and instead opt for the vegetable-laden menus of Lebanese, Turkish and Indian cuisines. Humungous dollops of hummus atop a few fine falafel is surprisingly satisfying, and a big thick steaming bowl of spicy dal fills tummies and fires the taste buds. However, the former is most usually pepped up with a bit of pita and the latter comes into its nutritious, delicious own when served forth with rice or roti. The best part of these exotic cuisines is their value for money, you can feed your face and avoid carb-loading without having to load up your prepaid card.
Deceptively filling: The genius of snacking
A Chinese steamed bun or three, packs sufficient stodgy punch, yet the rice-based dough doesn’t weigh as heavy on the tum as some meals, leaving room for a filling, balanced one-plate special like a heap of sticky rice, with some plainly roasted meat and a few heads of pak choi. Those strange pyramids of lotus-wrapped rice are worth a punt. They're packed with a myriad of meats, fish and veggies. While dim-sum can get pricey in a fancy city restaurant, you can find the same quality food at street stalls in China Town or in the smaller, dumpling and noodle houses.
Dim sum is deceptively filling. You think you’ve only nibbled a few delicate dumplings when suddenly- you've hit the food wall, hard. The same is true of Spanish tapas, Indian tiffin, Russian zakuski, Italian antipasti and any other cuisine that favours snack-based scoffing. The cumulative effect of these dense dishes is always far more than the seemingly skinny sum of their parts, as anyone who’s ordered a mixed grill to follow a ‘few mezze’ will attest.
The gut-busting genius of snacking lies in the lack of filler. Small plates are generally all killer and none of the distractions, bells or whistles involved with a larger main course dish. So if you can see past their supposedly slim-line silhouettes, go large by ordering three starters instead of a main. Your ‘trim’ triumvirate will trump your fellow diner’s meat and three veg every time. Ordering a few starters will deliver more variety than one large main, will generally not cost any more than a main meal. So while your stomach might feel the sting, your wallet will not.
When it comes to eating on the run, the glutton’s highway code is to slow down, stop, look and think. It's a bit like learning to cross the road. The immediate response to an immediate hunger is to grab and gobble, which can lead to great gustatory dissatisfaction, not to mention onsets of an undesirable attack of indigestion. The trick? Let your brain talk louder than your grumbling belly. Take your time to enjoy each mouthful and dedicate time away from work or your desk to eat your meal.
Eating on the run: Slow down, stop, look and think
When it comes to snacking on the run, instead of opting for an overpriced pot of pre-prepped pomegranate seeds, go off-piste and take a gamble on the pound-a-bowl of fruit and vegetables that can often be found in corner shops and High St markets. Then simply spend a happy afternoon popping punnets of cherry tomatoes, feasting on perfectly-ripe avocados or barely-blemished bananas. You’ll probably have enough left over to bake a brilliantly tropical, Caribbean-style banana bread and can rest assured in the knowledge that you've eaten well.
The gluttonous gourmet’s creed: Avoid high-end
Once you’ve managed to bypass the MacDonald's Poundsaver Menu and eschew the chain bakery’s savoury slice, snack-y street food options abound. Chinese bakeries offer a wealth of off-the-wall oddities both sweet and savoury; shabby Indian snack kiosks dispense samosas, pakoras and far more besides; and if you fancy a custard tart, then please seek out your nearest Portuguese cafe post-haste.
High-end eateries are not the glutton’s best friend. There you'll end up with your food refined down to pretty but paltry platters that will cost you anything but a paltry price. That’s not the gluttonous gourmet’s creed. Instead, gourmands should seek global grazers, run by the people for their people, where you can feed your face without emptying your wallet. An excellent point of departure for your journey are the cheap recipes from the BBC's “Good Food” website – which helps you “unch your way through the credit crunch with our low-cost meals”.
About The Author:
Gavin Whittaker is a writer with years of experience. Inspired by his travels and interest in foreign cultures, Gavin loves writing about everything from financial markets to tourism, food and lifestyle trends. Whittaker recommends Tuxedo, a leader in the field of financial solutions aimed at balancing people's budgets and reducing currency risks – both their currency card and their prepaid card are considered among the best in the country. You can find more of Gavin's insight on these issues at a wide variety of blogs, online- and print-magazines.
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