With the idea of self-isolating or mandatory quarantine looming, a lot of people are panic buying all sorts of things in anticipation of being inside for a month or more. Since you can’t eat toilet paper, folks are thinking about what they can eat that will keep and be affordable. This is going to be a financially difficult time for a lot of people as entire industries shutter their doors to prevent the spread of the disease.
But we can’t think about the worst of everything all the time, so let’s think about past times of trouble and how folks got through. Comedian and writer Jaboukie Young-White gave everyone a chance to share their family’s food strategies when they were growing up with little money and need for something satisfying and delicious. He called them “struggle meals,” because the struggle is real.
what are some struggle meals from your culture/household that are actually good as fuck
— giabuchi (@jaboukie) March 17, 2020
If you ate the chicken’s back you know it:
chicken back gang wya
— giabuchi (@jaboukie) March 17, 2020
In my house, it was rice and beans with soy sauce, which definitely feels uninspired after reading these responses. There’s a lot of delicious stuff to try at home here, and be honest: what the hell else is there to do? P.S. Don’t go and buy all the hot dogs in your grocery store, folks. We need to share and care.
1.
Hot dog octopus. You can put them on spaghetti or macaroni pic.twitter.com/oc6Qxrpo8K
— 1984’s George Whorewell (@EwdatsGROSS) March 17, 2020
2.
Dumpling soup! Any veggies you have + salt and garlic/onion powder, a Maggi cube if you’re lucky enough to have one, flour water butter/lard for the dumplings. And flour to thicken the broth. Feels very WW1 when eating it, but you won’t starve lmao
— Kayla Ancrum (@KaylaAncrum) March 17, 2020
3.
Got a little butter and sugar and cinnamon? Throw that on a tortilla and heat for the dessert of my childhood
— Spooky Chicano John Brown 👻 (@SlidesWith) March 17, 2020
4.
My dad used to make me fried spam or baloney on toast with cream cheese. Add a little jelly for a breakfast twist. Richies think it sounds gross, but it’s just a working class version of the combination of the flavors you encounter on a charcuterie board
— *casts Glibness* (@alasurstrigis) March 17, 2020
5.
if the irish know anything, it’s struggle meals
— ryn (@eboygirlfriend) March 17, 2020
6.
Ice soup really do be something else
— Gus Man The Bodacious (@man_of_gus) March 17, 2020
7.
That isn’t a struggle meal that’s just how you make ramen
— Sebastian Ice Cube Hersey (@sebhersey) March 17, 2020
8
Italians are QUAKING bc u just called pasta aglio e olio a struggle meal
— covid-19 (@marissasucks) March 17, 2020
9.
Cream of Mushroom soup with rice and chicken breast.
$7 to feed four people and have leftovers. https://t.co/S2eRqYbuvY
— Elizabeth Adetiba (@LizTweetsThings) March 18, 2020
10.
Corn beef & rice https://t.co/OTSxlWjZbt
— jae. (@JaeFiasco) March 17, 2020