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 . Within the next five years, food costs are expected to rise which is why you should cut down your grocery budget. You should eat less healthy just because you’re eating cheaper.
The math behind an affordable diet
You don’t have to put a lot more work into a cheap healthy diet. Although $1 burgers from a restaurant may seem cheap, they’re costly. A family of four eats 360 meals every month. Even a very liberal food budget of $1,159 means each meal for each person needs to clock in at no more than $3.22. One easy way to eliminate how much you spend is simple: eat less meat.
The idea of ‘weekday vegetarian’
Going entirely vegetarian, while is cheaper in many ways, is simply not a move everybody wants to make. If you cut meat out of your diet, it can save you around $200 a month. You can also try making meat a smaller portion of your meal – the USDA recommended serving size for meat is just 3 ounces, not the five to eight that most Americans eat. You don’t have to give up meat, just eat it a little bit less – your pocketbook will thank you.
So what should you eat?
If you’re not eating meat, that doesn’t mean vegetables should substitute everything as part of your diet (though a lot more vegetables never hurt any person). A complete protein, though, is important in helping you feel satisfied after a meal. Replacing your meat, then, with some other protein is important. Replace your expensive meat with:
- 20 cents per serving – rice and beans
- Hummus – 30 cents per serving
- 45 cents per serving – lentils with a nut sauce
- Oatmeal with milk – about 25 cents per serving
idea is to combine legumes, grains and nuts together. These 3 groups alone don’t make protein. Any two do when with each other.
