The Art of a Scrounge Meal
Artwork by my amazingly talented friend Haley Clany Inyart
We’ve all been there. You just got home from a long day at work. You’re hungry. You open your fridge. There are no leftovers. No meal-prepped ingredients. You can’t or don’t want to go out to eat tonight. So now what?
Enter: The Scrounge Meal. So-named because you’re scavenging around your kitchen, mixing random ingredients, hoping your conglomeration of food will taste good and fill ya up.
Now, not to toot my own horn but I like to think I’m pretty decent at making a healthy and filling concoction of a meal. You know those videos going around about ingredient households vs. snack households? Well, my family was definitely an ingredients household so you could say I’ve had a little practice. And to be fully transparent, I’ve made my share of weird food that probably no one but me would enjoy haha, but I’ve also learned from those experiences. And now most of the time these meals turn out tastier than I even expect! You gotta get creative!
My step-by-step foolproof scrounge meal formula is explained below. It includes a list helpful pantry ingredients and some example concoctions I’ve made to spark your creativity.
Premade salad with leftover rotisserie chicken, an avocado, feta cheese, and an olive oil/balsamic vinegar dressing (approximately 5 mins to make)
The Scrounge Meal Formula
Disclaimer: following the steps below has about a 90% chance of creating a healthy, delicious, and satisfying meal but only about a 10% chance of it looking aesthetic.
Step One: Inventory your pantry and fridge.
See what foods and spices you’re working with.
Make note of any ingredients that need to be used soon before they spoil.
Step Two: Choose Your Protein. Meat, fish, eggs, tofu, tempeh, etc.
Protein will help increase the satiety of your meal (how full and satisfied you feel) and helps your body build and repair tissues.
I like to keep around some frozen pre-cooked chicken sausage, eggs, canned sardines, etc. for just these scenarios.
Ideally this protein is either precooked and currently frozen (just needs to be heated) OR canned OR very quick to cook (think eggs, tofu, tempeh, etc.).
Step Three: Add Some Fiber
Fiber slows down stomach emptying which keeps you full for longer, slows blood sugar spikes, feeds the good bacteria in your gut, and prevents constipation, among many other functions.
Pick a frozen, canned, or pickled veggie (or two or three).
These should be veggies that either need minimal preparation or, even better, does not need any processing besides heating and adding some seasoning.
If you pick a frozen veggie, start defrosting it. I often microwave frozen veggies first for an initial defrost to get rid of excess water and then give them a quick (we’re talkin’ about 5 mins ish) air-fry or saute.
Consider adding some canned beans or chickpeas to this meal for extra fiber or in place of veggies if you don’t have any.
Step Four: Make a sauce
This is THE KEY step to making your concoction tasty and cohesive.
I recommend starting with a fat base such as olive oil, mayonnaise, or canned coconut milk.
Contrary to what the 1980s and 90s led us to believe, our body needs healthy fats. They play a role in decreasing blood sugar spikes, help us absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K, and are the building blocks for our cell membranes and hormones.
Add an acid to balance out the fat. For example, balsamic vinegar, rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, hot sauce, mustard, etc.
Add spices and herbs to taste. Salt, pepper, and garlic are non-negotiable for me but I also often add red chili flakes, cumin, dried basil, or other spices depending on the flavor I feel like in the moment.
Step Five: Mix it all together
Or not, if you like to keep foods separate. But either way, drizzle that sauce over everything.
Full discloser: When I’m in a scrounge meal mood I often end up mixing everything in one pan to heat up (because less dishes later of course) so sometimes the individual ingredients are not cooked quite as perfectly as they might be if they were cooked separately. Usually, I’m too hungry to care. But find what works for you.
Optional to serve over some grains or starches
Think rice, quinoa, oats, corn tortillas, potatoes, etc. Quinoa and oats are particularly quick to cook in a pinch.
For example, if I have leftover rice, I will add that to the meal but I probably wouldn’t make a whole new batch of rice just for a scrounge meal.
Adding grains can help stretch out your ingredients further (you might even get another meal out of what you made) and adds a little more heft, flavor, and fiber to the meal. But they are not necessary if you don’t have any or don’t feel like them.
If you do serve with any of these starches be careful that they don’t become the majority of your meal. If too much of a meal comes from grains and starches this can spike your blood sugar and then make you feel hungry again quickly or tired after when your blood sugar drops back down quickly.
Enjoy your tasty concoction :)
Frozen stir-fry veggies with leftover rice, leftover frozen pork, and kimchi (approximately 10 mins to make)
Set Yourself Up for Success
These are ingredients that are helpful to keep your pantry and freezer stocked with so that it’s easy to make a scrounge meal. They are ingredients that won’t spoil quickly.
Veggies
Frozen: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, spinach, stir-fry mix, peas, butternut squash, carrots, green beans, etc. whatever you’ll ACTUALLY eat (I LOVE frozen veggies for their convenience, long shelf life, and same nutritional value as fresh.)
Canned: tomatoes, green beans, olives, mushrooms, etc. (Tip: look for BPA free cans and no added sugar)
Fermented and/or pickled: sauerkraut, kimchi, beets, onions
Protein
Canned fish: sardines, trout, salmon, tuna (in moderation due to mercury levels), mussels, oysters
Frozen and precooked meat: This could be frozen meat leftovers from the last time you made chicken, beef, pork, etc. OR rotisserie chicken (I love to freeze part or all of a rotisserie chicken to save for later when I know I won’t feel like cooking), OR frozen precooked sausage (look for simple ingredients, no additives), etc.
Vegetarian options: tofu, tempeh, eggs, beans WITH rice or quinoa (for complete amino acids)
Sauces
Olive oil, mayo (look for versions made with olive oil or avocado oil instead of seed oils, more on this in a future blog post), canned coconut milk
Vinegars, lime/lemon juice (look for no added sugar), mustard, hot sauce pesto
Tahini, peanut butter, pesto, preminced garlic and ginger
Spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger powder, cumin, turmeric, curry powder, red pepper flakes, etc.
Dried herbs: basil, thyme, oregano, Italian seasoning, rosemary
Fresh ingredients
These ingredients are versatile, tasty to add when available, and you might already have them around
Lemons/limes, onions, garlic, greek yogurt, avocado, hummus
Scrambled turmeric tofu with peppers, onions, and basil (approximately 15 mins to make)
BONUS: Some example scrounge meals I’ve made to get ya thinkin’ of ideas
Some of these are a little weird, I know!
Rice and beans with canned sardines, canned black olives, an avocado, and an olive oil/lemon juice/tahini sauce with red chili flakes.
Scrambled turmeric tofu in olive oil with (frozen) broccoli, peppers, and hot sauce
Leftover rice, leftover frozen pork, frozen stir fried veggies, kimchi
3 eggs, 2 pieces of avocado sourdough toast and sardines with some walnuts and blueberries on the side
A sweet potato with eggs and a quick 5 min saute of mushrooms and a red pepper
Leftover rotisserie chicken, black beans, a can of diced tomatoes, and kimchi
Leftover sweet potatoes, mushrooms, canned chickpeas, a handful of spinach, with sriracha mayo sauce and an egg on top
Kale, tomatoes, and cucumbers from our garden with leftover rice, canned chickpeas and a lemon juice, tahini, mayo sauce
Bell peppers, squash, canned black beans and precooked chicken with copious amounts of garlic and cumin, a dash of red pepper flakes, and dried herbs
What’s your favorite go-to “scrounge meal”? Most unique or creative? What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to making scrounge meals? What do you like to stock your pantry with? I want to hear about your concoctions!
Happy Creating!
Sources
Bouzari, A., Holstege, D., & Barrett, D. M. (2015). Mineral, fiber, and total phenolic retention in eight fruits and vegetables: a comparison of refrigerated and frozen storage. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 63(3), 951–956. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf504890k
Inchauspe, Jessi (2022). Glucose revolution: The life-changing power of balancing your blood sugar. Simon & Schuster.
Lipski, Elizabeth (2020). Digestive wellness: strengthen the immune system and prevent disease through healthy digestion. McGraw Hill.
Nosrat, Samin (2017). Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the elements of good cooking. Simon & Schuster.
Pollan, Michael (2008). In defense of food: An eater’s manifesto. Penguin Group.
