Asylum seekers and immigrants are very resourceful people when it comes to stretching their small allowances. Pasta macaroni is a common meal among some immigrants and doesn’t cost very much to make. You can feed yourself for only 1-2 euros.
Taking into account the high cost of living and low allowances that asylum seekers and unemployed immigrants receive in Finland, the school is for some the only place where they can eat a balanced and varied meal.
Here is one example of what an unemployed immigrant family may eat in Finland: breakfast consists of white bread, butter, marmalade and a glass of milk; pasta macaroni for lunch (see below); and pancakes with jam, butter or tuna flakes with oil for dinner.
Pasta macaroni is a cheap way to feed yourself.
There are different versions of how to make pasta macaroni.
Pasta macaroni (about 1 euro/person):
- Small onion
- Garlic
- 200g of macaronies
- Can of tuna fish flakes with oil
- Water
- Salt and spices like chili
Chop onions and fry until golden brown. Add macaronies, water and salt to taste. Place tuna fish flakes with oil after the macaronies have absorbed the water. Macaronies can be boiled separately and served with the fried onion-tuna-oil sauce.
Pasta macaroni tomato sauce (about 1.50 euro/person):
- Small onion
- Garlic
- 200g of macaronies
- Can of tuna fish flakes
- Can of tomato sauce
- Salt and spices like chili
Chop onions and fry until golden brown. Add tuna flakes, tomato sauce and spices. Boil macaronies spearately. Mix cooked macaronies with tomato-tuna-fish sauce.
If you get tired of macaronies, you can switch to spaghetti, which is more expensive. It can add about 0.50 euros to the cost of your meal.
Buy rice! There are at least a few Indian shops downtown Helsinki where rice is reasonably cheap.