Food insecurity is on the rise, with new work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, tariff-driven inflation, and the war in Iran pushing many Americans to the financial brink, particularly people of color, children, and those with disabilities. As more families visit food pantries in search of free ingredients and affordable meal ideas, some social media creators are developing content that helps people feed themselves in creative, accessible, and culturally relevant ways. Unlike food influencers with big-brand deals and expensive ingredients, these creators destigmatize seeking support from food pantries, clipping coupons, and cooking frugal dinners. Many use the trending term “recession meals.”
What also makes these creators so popular is that they invite viewers into their kitchens with warmth, not judgement.
Some creators, for example, make unboxing videos with items from the food bank, a contrast to the luxury unboxing videos of expensive products. Many share meals that are made on a shoestring budget. Others dig into recipes and kitchen hacks of the past to help viewers develop cooking skills—since making it yourself will nearly always save money.
What also makes these creators so popular is that they invite viewers into their kitchens with warmth, not judgement. Along with recipes and shopping ideas, they’re sharing genuine care.
Civil Eats recently spoke with five creators about what motivates their work, their thoughts on why they’ve had an impact, and their top tips for creating affordable and nutritious meals at home.
Kate Vee (@itskatevee)
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Vee is an epidemiology Ph.D. student and vegan on a budget in North Carolina. Her “day in a life” videos show her trying new recipe ideas, knitting her own clothes, reading at mealtime with her adorable cat, Kali, and cooking for friends. She debunks nutrition misinformation with bone-dry humor, and her “too much food Tuesday” potluck videos with friends are inspiring.
What motivates you to make your content?
I started making content about cooking and eating on a budget after the Trump administration started cutting research funding. Several of the projects I was working on were threatened or delayed, and I had to change jobs several times due to unstable funding environments.
Since I was cutting my budget anyway, I thought people might like to see my strategies for saving money and what kinds of foods I could cook with really cheap ingredients. It really took off in a way that I didn’t expect, and now I just love showing up every day and talking to all these people who chat in my comments.
What impact has your work had? How has it made a difference for members of your audience?
I hear from people about how seeing me make low-cost recipes, talk about realistic affordable nutrition, and use what I have in creative ways has saved them money and improved their diet quality. A few people have told me that they are eating a lot less meat too, which I love for the animals and the environment.
Also, I hear from people that my content is helpful in their recovery from restrictive or disordered eating because I focus on including all the things you need for good health like vegetables and fiber, without restricting myself from eating anything else I want, like dessert every day.
What’s a practical tip you can share with readers?
I recently published a “4 Weeks to Pantry” list that shows how to build a pantry from nothing, after hearing from many people that the $50 per week budget wasn’t feasible because not everybody has pantry staples to rely on.
Every week, set aside a portion of your budget to adding or replenishing long-lasting pantry staples like beans or grains, textured vegetable protein, etc. Stock up on canned goods you use regularly when there’s a sale, and slowly build up the basics, so that each week you can devote most of your budget to fresh fruits and vegetables, tofu and tempeh, yogurt, and other fresh ingredients.
Carolyn (@epicuriousexpeditions)
Carolyn demonstrates disability-friendly green Thai curry. (Click here to watch video)
Carolyn, who only uses her first name publicly, creates accessible recipes and meal ideas for people with disabilities and other needs. Her warm and welcoming personality and vibrant, easy recipes add to the pleasure of cooking a meal.
What motivates you to make your content?
My mom had lupus, so I started cooking at a young age to help her when she was unable to cook. Also, my son is autistic and needs help with certain activities. I also tore my meniscus and couldn’t cook in my normal way [for a while]. I started using a stool in the kitchen to sit down and finish my meal prep.
I have traveled extensively, grew up in a multicultural area, and am familiar with a lot of different cuisines, so I can pull from different types of food to make something fresh and new. I also have videos that feature accessible soul food recipes so that folks don’t feel like they have to cook the same things all the time.
What impact has your work had? How has it made a difference for members of your audience?
I get a lot of feedback from people with different disabilities. Many tell me, “Before I became disabled, I used to be a chef,” and they say how helpful these videos are. Other folks tell me they are cooking with their children with autism or Down syndrome, or a parent with dementia, and they can make simple meals together using my videos.
I grew up really poor, and it took years for my mom to be approved for disability assistance. So, I think a lot [about] accessibility in terms of cost as well as shelf-stability. Many times, you buy groceries and that’s all the energy you have. My videos show how you can use certain ingredients like potatoes, carrots, or canned chickpeas that last weeks. People can hold onto these ingredients for longer, reducing food waste and cost.
What’s a practical tip you can share with readers?
Don’t feel like you have to stand up. All my recipes are designed so that you can sit down as you cook. All my slow-cooker meals allow you to take your time if you have fatigue. If you have the energy to open a few bags and then take a break and come back, you don’t have to rush.
Kiki Rough @kikirough
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Also known as the Recession Recipe Lady, Kiki Rough is a home cook with a big personality that leaves no room for shame. She loves to use basic kitchen skills and recipes from previous generations to help people adapt their cooking to create accessible, affordable, and allergy-friendly meals.
What motivates you to make your content?
When I dropped out of college, I was working multiple jobs and couldn’t afford to feed myself. People would tell me, “Wow, Kiki, this is the best you’ve ever looked in your life,” when really it was famine.
When I started seeing people struggling around me, I thought, “Well, I’ve learned a lot of useful things and I am always enthralled by looking back in history and finding solutions to the problems of the past.” I specifically started looking at Great Depression and World War II [cookbooks] because I knew that between victory gardens and limited access, they’d already figured it out.
I have a background in adapting recipes for my family [members] who have gluten allergies, dairy allergies, egg allergies, and a vegan. I figured why don’t I adapt these historic recipes to modern food access?
What impact has your work had? How has it made a difference for members of your audience?
I have a gorgeous little community. Something I’ve seen is not only people coming to me and saying, “Thank you, Kiki. This worked for me,” but whenever there are comments that I don’t know the answer to, people will pop in with their own life experiences and teach people what’s worked for them. People from so many walks of life are coming together to support one another.
I have over a million followers across platforms, which speaks to the need right now.
What’s a practical tip you can share with readers?
One of the biggest pieces of advice is to look back at historical knowledge, even from the ‘90s, because the biggest expense for people is the cost of convenience. You can bake a loaf of bread for cheaper than at the store, but not everyone has the time and skills to do that. We are paying people to bake and slice that bread, so leaning into baking knowledge is helpful.
There are so many possibilities for basic ingredients. You can cook chickpeas to taste like chicken! You have to learn to adapt what you have access to. Some folks feel demoralized when they go to the food bank and get a loaf of bread, a half-gallon of milk, and some beans, but there’s so much you can do with that. It’s a matter of using the tools and knowledge to turn that into something with dignity.
Brenda Sanders (@AfroVeganSociety)
Sanders is executive director of the Afro-Vegan Society, a nonprofit dedicated to making plant-based living accessible to marginalized communities. The group, with multiple creators, empowers people to embrace healthier lifestyles through culturally relevant education, resources, and support. Their shopping and recipe videos honor the legacy of African cultural food traditions while emphasizing how making them vegan is a reclamation rather than a sacrifice.
What motivates you to create your content?
We’re addressing the need for accessible, culturally relevant information in communities that have historically been overlooked in conversations about health, food, and sustainability.
We know that many people want to eat better and take care of their families, but don’t always have the resources, representation, or support to make those changes feel possible. Our content is driven by the desire to close that gap—by providing practical tools, relatable education, and inspiration that meets people where they are.
At the core, we’re motivated by community. We want to help Black families and marginalized communities build healthier futures, create new traditions, and feel empowered in their food choices—without judgment and without barriers.
What impact has your work had? How has it made a difference for members of your audience?
We regularly hear from community members who feel more confident grocery shopping, cooking at home, and making informed food choices because of the tools we provide.
Beyond individual change, our work has helped foster a sense of community and belonging—creating spaces where people feel seen, supported, and empowered to explore plant-based living without judgment.
What’s a practical tip you can share with readers?
One of the most important mindset shifts is to stop thinking that eating well has to be expensive. Instead of focusing on specialty products or one-time recipes, build meals around affordable staples like beans, lentils, rice, and seasonal vegetables.
A practical approach is to shop with intention. Choose ingredients that can be used across multiple meals throughout the week. For example, one pot of rice or beans can become a stir-fry, a soup, or a bowl, depending on how you season and combine it. This not only saves money, but also reduces waste and makes meal prep feel more manageable.
Vieney Causor (@vieneyskitchen)
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Causor shares nostalgic Mexican recipes rooted in healing and simplicity. She focuses on making food feel accessible, comforting, and intentional, especially for those reconnecting with their roots or learning to nourish themselves with what they have on hand. Her calm and relaxing demeanor makes her videos a balm for the nervous system.
What motivates you to make your content?
A big part of what motivates me is remembering what it felt like to not feel connected—to my culture, to my body, even to food itself.
Growing up, food was always there in a practical way. It meant we were fed, and my family was doing their best with what they had. But it was more about making things stretch and less about slowing down to feel what food meant. I didn’t realize that the meals I grew up eating carried stories, emotions, and so much love behind them.
When I cook now, I’m more intentional. I still honor the dishes I grew up with, but I also add ingredients that nourish me in a deeper way, or I take my time instead of rushing. Now, it’s no longer just about survival . . . It’s about connection to my roots, my family, and my younger self.
I want people to see that [cooking] can be simple, colorful, rooted in tradition, and still deeply healing.
What impact has your work had? How has it made a difference for members of your audience?
The messages I receive mean everything to me. People tell me my videos remind them of their moms, their abuelas, their childhood . . . or that they’re learning how to cook for themselves without feeling overwhelmed. Some share that they’re on tight budgets and didn’t realize they could make meals that feel nourishing and comforting with what they already have.
The biggest impact is helping people shift their perspective from seeing food as stressful or limiting to seeing it as something grounding, emotional, and healing. It becomes less about “what I don’t have” and more about “what I can create with what I have.”
What’s a practical tip you can share with readers?
Instead of thinking in “recipes,” I like to think in bases plus flavor. A base can be beans, rice, tortillas, or potatoes. And flavor can come from salsa, roasted veggies, herbs, or broth.
This approach can create so many meals without needing to spend more. Nourishing yourself doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or perfect.
These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
The post ‘Recession Meals’ Destigmatize Home Cooking on a Budget appeared first on Civil Eats.
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