Yesterday I asked you to think about how you would spend $100 if that was all you had to feed your family for the month. I’ve never lived on such a small budget for our family. Even when we were getting out of debt and had 3 small children (instead of 6 big ones) our budget was $185. That’s as low as I’ve ever gone. There are a bunch of great ideas in the comments and several people even mentioned giving it a try for a month. Report back if you do, but understand I’m not asking or even suggesting someone try it. It’s just a mental exercise.
Here’s a list of the highest nutrition lowest cost foods I know. Some of them have been smeared online as unhealthy foods (ahem…..whole wheat, cough cough….potatoes), but since the dawn of creation they have sustained healthy human life. If God made it and called it good for food, it’s good enough for me. None of these links are affiliate links. Links are for proof of price. There may be lower cost options available locally. Unlinked foods are from Aldi.
1. Whole Wheat Berries: $15.48 for 25 lbs; 274 servings at $.05 each. I would grind them fresh for pancakes, whole wheat bread, English muffins, tortillas, pitas, cracked forhot breakfast cereal, sprout it for salads etc. It would be our main diet staple.
2. Long Grain Brown Rice: 5 lbs for $3.38; 50 servings at $.07 each. I would use it to make rice, pilaf, soup, pudding, hot breakfast cereal, and yes–sprouts.
3. Dry Pinto Beans: 4 lbs for $3.82; 52 servings at $.07 each. I would use these in soup, casseroles, with rice, veggie burgers, ground as flour to add protein to bread, and grow sprouts etc.
- Rolled Oats (Aldi): 42 oz for $2.39; 30 servings $.08 each. I would make hot breakfast cereal; add it to bread, muffins, pancakes etc.
- Popping Corn: 2 lb for $1.98; 27 servings at $.07 each. I would pop this for snacks and grind it for cornbread and hot cereal mush.
6. Celery: 1 stalk for $1; 16 servings for $.06 each. Soups, salads; with peanut butter. The beauty of this food is you can regrow it from the base.
7. Potatoes: 10 lbs for $2.99; 20 servings for $.15 each; baked potatoes, soups, home fries; mashed potatoes, bread.
8. Carrots: 2 lbs for $1; 8 servings for $.12 each; salads; soups; muffins, pancakes;
9. Eggs: $1.59 a dozen; 8 servings for $.20 each
10. Milk: $2.15 a gallon; 16 servings for $.13 each. I would use it in pancakes; hot cereal; biscuits; and yogurt making
11. Peanut Butter: 40 oz for $2.99; 35 servings for $.09 each. Sandwiches, muffins, and as a dip for veggies and fruit
12. Apples: 3 lbs for $2.69; 9 servings for $.29 each
13. Bananas: 4 lb for $1.16; 16 servings for $.07 each
14. Onions: 3 lb for $1.99; 12 servings for $.16; add to soups and casseroles to add flavor and nutrition
15. Whole Chickens: 5 lbs for $4.75; 16 servings for $.29 each. I would boil chicken for bone broth soup and remove the meat to combine with beans, rice, etc…and make it stretch.
Everything on this list totals $49.36 and has 589 servings averaging $.08 each. (Keep in mind it takes several servings of different foods to make a balanced meal.) I still have half my budget left to do this again or find a little more variety to add to the mix. While I was shopping and doing the research for this post, they had chicken legs on sale for $.49 a lb; oranges 4 lb for $3; broccoli for $1 a lb and avocados for $.39 each.
In March, I could add nutrition by gathering wild edibles like lamb’s quarter, clover blossom and leaves; violets; wild chives; and dandelion. Hunting for more protein options is another possibility. There are also 30+ harvester drop off locations in driving distance from my house where we could get free food several times a week. Area grocery stores donate product to them for a tax deduction when they get close to their sale date. Most of these drop offs do not ask for registration or proof of income, but do require some wait time to stand in line.
When I made my purchases I would also think about what could regrow into food for the future. For example, celery and green onions can be regrown from the base. Potatoes can be cut into pieces and planted in the spring. Right now is the time to start seeds from peppers, tomatoes, and cantaloupe. You can grow them from seeds found inside your purchased food. Here’s more info on growing a garden from grocery store food and here.
What do you think? Did any of the cost per servings surprise you?
They do. Mostly because I have not ever seen prices that low, in either of the states I have lived in. I would second your choices, they are good, but it would likely cost more than $100 where we live.
Cat, the first few items are available online from Wal-mart ;). The other things are from Aldi, but Save-a-lot has similar prices and Grocery Outlet is another good option. I hardly ever walk into a conventional grocery store. Their items aren’t any better but they cost a whole lot more.
I so wish there was an Aldi in Charleston! I took your asvice and just bought whole chickens at Harris Teeter for .89/lb. I only shop there for sale items since they can be pricey. I recommend checking out their clearance produce rack. I was able to buy tomatoes, oranges, and apples for .30 per pound and some is organic! I also picked up lemons and limes for .07 a piece! 🙂
Those are some great finds. That’s what I love about regular grocery stores. They are High/low stores, meaning most of their prices are high but you can find some amazing deals nestled in if you know how to look. Looks like you do!
The one thing I would caution is going to a diet made up of mainly whole wheat, in either berry form or ground, beans and brown rice can be difficult on the digestive system. That is why these things should be a part of your regular diet all year long. I have found over the years that I do eat more whole grains regularly and less meat, but I’m not by any means a vegetarian. The high price of meat has forced me to change my diet. I love things like coconut lentil soup, pasta made with spinach and feta cheese, and Indian Chickpeas and rice.
Catherine — Yes! Any change in diet will throw the system for a loop. I remember my first few days increasing protein. My family needed a hazmat suit to be in the room with me. For me it was a problem with having the right kind of digestive enzymes. Most people with a grain digestion problem, really have an enzyme problem (gluten sensitivity is much more rare.) I was able to balance my system with a comprehensive enzyme tablet combined with probiotic therapy. Now I can eat anything–such a relief.
You are lucky that you can tolerate wheat, especially the GMO stuff sold in supermarkets. My family cannot, and I do not believe it has anything to do with God. Oats are better, potatoes, too. But a carb heavy diet is not healthy in the long term. OK for an emergency situation, but if wheat is a large part, sprout the wheat, use fermentation as much as possible. Human beings evolved eating meat, berries, roots, and fermented milk, cheese. Investigate sprouts as a component of a survival diet, esp in winter months. Very nutrient dense .
K, We will have to agree to disagree on the wheat issue. I believe God created humans and that they didn’t evolve, so reject food suggestions based on evolution (like paleo diets.) Right now GMO wheat is illegal and not in food sources in any supermarket in the US. When our guts are healthy, my family is able to digest wheat and other grains well. There have been times when we couldn’t but traced the problem back to antibiotic therapy or some other problem that caused a disruption in gut health. I do love sprouts though and other fermented food–ok, LOVE is a strong word, but I believe in their healthfulness :).
I wish we could get those prices down here. Our milk is double what it is up where you are. I was shopping with a friend in Illinois one day and we got to the milk case and I stopped in my tracks and said OH MY GOSH! LOOK at those prices! LOL I got a few stares. 😉 I buy milk at Walmart (our cheapest store) and it is $6.36 for Walmart organic and it’s $5.65 for hormone free. And it’s $4 something for the super cheap stuff that scares me. Needless to say, I’ve told my family that they’re all old enough to drink water instead of milk. We have it around for cereal and cooking and the occasional glass of milk. I can buy almost 4 gallons of gas for my car for what it costs to get milk.
Hi! I enjoyed this post and the time and thought you put into it and really like your blog. I have had fun participating in your Frugal Fridays posts several times. Angela, I am also a Christian…a young Earth Creationist and do not believe we evolved. However, I have to disagree with your statements about wheat. Wheat has been hybridized and cross bred for many, many years, even before genetic modification was on the scene. We live in a fallen world where nothing is perfect, or good the way God made it in the beginning. Because of this, I believe some foods may be more beneficial and helpful to the human body than others at this point in history. I believe wheat and grains in general to fall into the category of less beneficial, and for many people are even very harmful. I do not think there is one perfect diet for everyone, and do think it is great that you and your family are able to eat wheat. I strongly dislike the word paleo. That being said, a grain free diet has been hugely beneficial to me, especially as it pertains to dental health. A gluten free diet with lower consumption of other grains has greatly benefited my children, especially some behavior and learning issues that had plagued my oldest son his whole life. We, too, have gone through gut-healing protocols, but still believe we are healthier without the inclusion of some of these foods in our diet. I felt compelled to comment because I really like your blog but do believe that we are all different and what works for one may not work for another and that is ok!
Sarah, I’m glad you’ve found a diet that’s working well for your family.