Bored with your culinary abilities?  Spend too much on groceries?  Want to add some adventure and challenge to everyday life?  Read on…

Back when I was backpacking in Latin America, a group of fellow travellers and I started a challenge called the Backpacker Cook-off.  We each put 2 USD into the pot and we each had an evening to create a meal big enough to feed everyone, with the tastiest meal being voted the winner.

It was pretty simple but surprisingly fun.  You had to be creative and resourceful.  We ended up with some good dishes but more importantly it forced us out of our comfort zone and created memories where other dinners would be fast forgotten.

So, in the spirit of “looking for adventure” this year my boyfriend and I have decided to trial a new version of the backpacker cook-off, renamed to the 150p Urban Cook-off (London being urban and all).

The challenge: Create tasty, low carb, nutritious meals for £1.50 per person.

Here are the guidelines:

• £1.50 per person (more or less 2 USD equivalent)
• Filling enough to not require any supplementary food
• Low carb, with only whole grain carbs (ie no pasta, bread, flour etc)*
• Major condiments are not included in the £1.50, ie oil, salt, pepper, random spices that could easily be found in a hostel kitchen

Can it be done in London?  Will we end up sad and starving?  Is it sustainable?

We will soon find out…stay tuned.

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*For a number of reasons, both of us have been avoiding carb-heavy meals, with the occasional dabble in the Paleo diet and we both feel a lot better for it.