anything is better than nothing; a little tea can stave off hunger for a while
Proverb meaning that even a small amount of food or drink can temporarily satisfy hunger; similar to 'half a loaf is better than none'.
There's only one rice ball, but as they say, anything is better than nothing, so let's eat it.
I skipped breakfast, but a little tea can stave off hunger for a while—I felt a bit better after drinking some tea.
A proverb emphasizing that you can't fight on an empty stomach, whereas 茶腹も一時 focuses on making do with very little.
A traditional Japanese proverb. The literal meaning is 'even a tea-filled belly lasts for a while,' suggesting that even a small amount of tea can temporarily relieve hunger.