For a family of four in the US, the average food bill is from $586 to $1,159. For most American families, meats make up forty percent or a lot more of that food . . Eating cheaper, nevertheless, should not mean eating less healthily.
The low-cost diet math
A cheap healthy diet doesn’t have to be a lot more work. Although $1 burgers from a restaurant may seem cheap, they’re costly. A family of four will eat about 360 meals every month. Even a very liberal food spending budget of $1,159 means each meal for each person needs to clock in at no more than $3.22. Cutting down the amount you spend is easy by eating less meat.
Being a ‘weekday vegetarian’
Although going vegetarian entirely is cheaper often, it isn’t a move people want to make. Cutting meat out of even part of your daily diet, though, can cut more than $200 a month out of your food budget. You are able to also try making meat a much smaller portion of your entire meal – the USDA recommended serving size for meat is just three ounces, not the five to eight that most Americans eat. You do not have to give up meat, just eat it a little bit less – your pocketbook will thank you.
What is it best to eat?
If you are not eating meat, that doesn’t mean vegetables should replace every little thing inside your diet. Protein is essential in helping you feel full after a meal though. Protein needs to replace the meat somehow. Replace your meat with:
- Rice and beans – 20 cents per serving
- Hummus – 30 cents per serving
- Lentils with a nut sauce – 45 cents per serving
- Oatmeal with milk – 25 cents per serving
The basic idea is to blend legumes, grains and nuts or seeds together during the day. Protein isn’t made with these three groups alone. Together, any two do.
