Summer Food Savings! 5 Cool Recipes to Eat Cheap in the Heat

In hot summer weather, standing in the kitchen is the last thing you want to do. But eating out or ordering delivery adds up fast. Save money with these cool recipes that use little to no cooking.

■ Recipe 1: Cold Chinese-Style Somen (about 80 yen/serving)
Ingredients: 1 bundle somen (30 yen), 1/4 cucumber (15 yen), 2 slices ham (20 yen), 1 egg (15 yen)
Directions: Boil somen and rinse in cold water, top with ingredients and pour tsuyu sauce. Egg can be shredded omelet or boiled.

■ Recipe 2: Tofu Rice Bowl (about 100 yen/serving)
Ingredients: 1 bowl rice (30 yen), 1/2 block tofu (20 yen), bonito flakes (10 yen), green onion (10 yen), tsuyu
Directions: Place crumbled tofu on rice, top with bonito flakes and green onion, eat with tsuyu. Adding natto or kimchi makes it even better.

■ Recipe 3: Tuna Mayo Pasta (about 120 yen/serving)
Ingredients: 100g pasta (20 yen), 1 can tuna (80 yen), mayonnaise, soy sauce
Directions: Boil pasta, rinse in cold water, toss with tuna, mayo, and a dash of soy sauce. Perfect as cold pasta in summer.

■ Recipe 4: Hiyajiru - Miyazaki Cold Soup (about 150 yen/serving)
Ingredients: Miso (10 yen worth), 1/4 cucumber (15 yen), 1/4 block tofu (10 yen), shiso leaves (15 yen), 1 bowl rice (30 yen), ground sesame (10 yen worth), dashi
Directions: Mix miso with ground sesame, dissolve in dashi, add cucumber, tofu, and shiso, then chill. Pour over rice.

■ Recipe 5: Banana Smoothie (about 80 yen/serving)
Ingredients: 1 banana (30 yen), 200ml milk (40 yen), ice
Directions: Blend everything. Works as a breakfast replacement too. Use frozen banana for extra chill.

In summer, food spoils quickly, so simple one-dish meals are better than batch prep. Keep ingredient costs low and eat cool.

* Listed prices are from 2025. Prices may vary by location and time. Please check with each restaurant for current prices.