My husband said that tamales was something they enjoyed on special occasions because their family could not afford all of the ingredients required. His mom often made atole which is a masa based drink that you can mix with other flavors like chocolate, guava, or cinnamon. Masa was cheap (still is), but unfortunately doesn’t have a lot of nutrients. But, when you don’t have a lot of money, that doesn’t matter. All that matters is if it fills you up. (1/2)