Charitable Cookbook Has Recipes to Eat Delicious, Nutritious Food for Just $4 a Day

— -- What started as a thesis project for Leanne Brown has turned into a full-fledged career. The New York University food studies program graduate focused her thesis on how people on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -– more commonly known as food stamps –- could eat healthy, delicious and nutritious food on their budget.

“I had this overwhelming sense that everyone deserves to eat good food,” Brown, 30, told ABC News. “I know that it’s difficult, but it’s possible.”

Many people on SNAP eat on $4 a day, and the resources for recipes on that budget are seriously lacking. The latest food guide for people on SNAP from the government is 2000’s Thrifty Food Plan, which includes recipes for delights such as beef noodle casserole and orange gelatin salad.

So Brown set out to create recipes for food that people actually want to eat and can afford, resulting in dishes such as whole wheat jalapeno cheddar scones, spicy pulled pork, potato leek pizza and more.

Once she graduated, she decided to make the recipes available for free online, thinking a few people would download it. It was a slow start, but then it got picked up on Reddit, and had 55,000 downloads in one night.

“It was so crazy because I was feeling down about it, like maybe this isn’t something people want or need,” she said. “And then all of a sudden people were saying, ‘This is great. I really like it and it’s helpful for me.’”

Brown then decided to put the book on Kickstarter, asking for $10,000 to actually be able to print the book. She ended up with $144,000 and a book deal, resulting in being able to give away 33,000 books for free through a buy one, give one sale model. Brown now works full-time on the book, having updated it this month and starting on a book tour this September.

“From start to finish, it’s been so much more than I could have ever imagined,” Brown said.

Here are three of her top cheap cooking tips and some recipes from her book.

Don’t throw out wilted vegetables. Just because a bunch of spinach isn’t in peak condition doesn’t mean it can’t be used. Brown recommends throwing older vegetables in a stir-fry, omelet or soup.

Make use of your freezer. Cooking in bulk is cheaper, and if you won’t be able to eat it all before it goes bad, then just freeze the excess for another day. Even ingredients themselves can be frozen, such as bacon, which often comes in a pack of more than you need for a recipe.

Make your own broths and stocks. Not only will they add a ton of flavor to dishes, but there’s also no added cost – just take water and the parts of vegetables and animal bones you would normally discard and simmer on low heat for a few hours.

Filipino Chicken Adobo
Half Veggie Burgers
PBJ Granola Bars