

Potatoes are very versatile. You should cook the potatoes with skin intact as that’s where most of the micronutrients are at. Roasted smashed potatoes are fantastic with skins intact. I made a potato cabbage gratin dauphinois the other day with all plant based ingredients and it was superb. You can also shred them to make a breakfast hash. You can boil them and make mashed potatoes. You can mix in a bit a flour and make gnocchi. There are so many great options with potatoes. If you have access to a Costco or similar bulk store, buy them from there, it’s usually much cheaper to grab a 10lb bag from a bulk store than a smaller bag from somewhere else, assuming you can go through it all. Maybe you have some friends you can split the purchases with to further save money?
Have you considered dried beans, they are very cheap and shelf stable. You soak them over night, rinse, then boil for an hour. Alternatively you could quick soak by boiling for 5 minutes, then letting them rest for an hour, then rinsing, and cooking for about an hour.
Rice is cheaper than bread, will do a better job of managing hunger pains, and help you gain weight more so than plan white bread.
Have you considered a food bank to bolster your nutrition?
I’m surprised you’re eating eggs and cheese with how expensive they are. I would recommend replacing with nuts as they are much healthier and they have a higher caloric density, if that’s possible for you.












If beans are making your stomach hurt you probably aren’t cooking them right. If you’re getting them from a can you have to rinse them very well to wash off all the garbage that they pack them with, but after that they’re good to eat right away.
The best and cheapest option is to buy them dry. About 1/2 cup of dried beans is equivalent to one 16 oz can. You have to either soak them overnight or quick soak them (boil for 5 minutes with some salt, then let sit for 1 hour), rinse, then cook for at least an hour, until they are soft.
You might also be having problems because you don’t have enough fiber in your regular diet, so the extra fiber might be a shock to your system. After about a month of consistently eating more fiber you shouldn’t experience that any longer.