“Good and Cheap” is a new resource that provides recipes and guidelines for those who have a tight budget. But this is food that anyone will love. The recipes make vegetables rather than meat the starring attraction.

The author, Leanne Brown, designed the recipes for the budget of people on the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps. The recipes plan for meals on $4 per day. She created the book for her Master’s in Food Studies at New York University. After she posted a PDF online, it went viral, with almost 100,000 downloads in the first few weeks.

Broiled eggplant makes a delicious salad. It has a crunchy and meaty texture, and Brown's recipe calls for a tahini dressing.

Broiled eggplant makes a delicious salad. It has a crunchy and meaty texture, and Brown’s recipe calls for a tahini dressing.

It’s not easy to eat a healthy diet on the cheap, but Brown gives ideas to help do that, which is particularly important considering the cuts made to food stamp recipients.

In an interview on NationSwell, she said, “It bothered me that so many ideas for fixing the food system leave out the poor. It seemed like they didn’t have a voice in the food movement. I wanted to create a resource that would promote the joy of cooking and show just how delicious and inspiring a cheap meal can be if you cook it yourself.”

A few of the recipes she includes are Lightly Curried Butternut Squash Soup, Broccoli Apple Salad, Potato Leek Pizza and Creamy Zucchini Fettucine. She is creative with Things on Toast with ideas such as Peas and Lemon, Roasted Vegetables, Black-eyed Peas and Collards, and Spinach and Chickpeas.

This is a useful resource for congregations and others to share with those who need ideas on how to prepare seasonal produce and extend the food dollar.

Download Good & Cheap here.