“I’m Writing Down All These Recipes”: SA Student Impresses Mzansi with R15 Budget Meal
- South African content creator glen.kreates posted a video on 3 August 2026 showing how to cook a full meal on just a R15 budget
- The mampara meal series challenged the idea that a satisfying dish requires meat, using green beans, lemon juice and mashed potatoes
- South Africans, including a dietitian, flooded the comments to praise the creative, budget-friendly cooking series
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Source: Instagram
A South African home cook is proving that a tight budget is no reason to go hungry. Creator glen.kreates posted a video on 3 August 2026 showing how to pull together a full meal using just R15 worth of ingredients bought from the street.
The clip is part of an ongoing series he calls "Mampara Week," a recurring budget-meal challenge that has quietly built a loyal following. In this episode, he works at a home kitchen counter, kneading an ingredient, sautéing green beans with lemon juice, and plating everything up with mashed potatoes for a finished dish that looks far more expensive than it cost.
What has resonated most with viewers is the absence of meat. Glen's caption acknowledged it with good humour:
"Another mampara meal, you can add meat!"
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Follow a balanced vegetarian diet
A healthy vegetarian diet should include a variety of fruits, vegetables, wholegrain carbohydrates, dairy or calcium-rich alternatives, and protein sources such as beans, lentils, eggs, nuts and tofu. Choose healthier fats, limit foods high in salt, sugar and saturated fat, and aim for a balanced intake of nutrients to support overall health.
View the Instagram video below:
Mzansi reacts to the R15 challenge
South Africans packed the comments section on [glen.kreates' reel](https://www.instagram.com/reels/DbleMXcodX8/) with praise:
@lusanda_nox wrote:
"As a dietitian, there's no page I repost more than this one. Budget friendly, good meals, and more importantly, removing the stigma that all meals need meat. You're doing amazing Bhuti."
@cookingwithnjabs_] said:
"Love This Series 😍😍"
@pako_methusele wrote:
"🔥🔥🔥we need more of this"
@lethabo_ntswane shared:
"Food Really just needs Creativity 🔥🔥👏👏👏 You're Too Good Bro 🔥🔥🙌❤️"
@daddykholo commented:
"I'm literally writing down all these recipes 👏🔥"
More Briefly News stories on food
- Families in Mpophomeni, KwaZulu-Natal, are turning to food gardens to grow their own produce and survive tough economic conditions while supporting their communities.
- An Afrikaner refugee living in the US sparked online debate after sharing a photo of groceries received from a food bank, with South Africans humorously comparing the assistance to SASSA and discussing life abroad.
- A South African Apostolic church went viral after a video showed congregants being served puff-puffs and chin chin during a Sunday service, with Mzansi praising the unique church experience.
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Source: Briefly News
