I analyzed an approach to eating cheaply and efficiently. This is one example of what you do if you have very little money and are not sure of what to do.
Brown Rice
There are 360 calories in 100 grams of raw medium grain brown rice. Also, 7 grams of protein. A 20-pound bag of brown rice (9,000 grams) yields 32,400 calories and 630 grams of protein. Cost: As low as $20 or less at Walmart.
(Note: You could use white rice, but it is not as nutritious and has a higher glycemic index.)
Beans
There are 340 calories in 100 grams of raw pinto beans. Also, 7 grams of protein. So a 20-pound bag of pinto beans (9,000 grams) yields 30,600 calories and 630 grams of protein. Cost: As low as $20 or less at Walmart.
Fiber: With 16 grams of fiber in 100 grams of raw pinto beans, or 1,440 grams in a 20-pound bag, you get 45 grams of fiber per day (if you take that bag and split it into 30 days). The recommendation is 38 grams per day for men and 25 grams a day for women, so you're set!
How It Works
Together, the 40 pounds of rice and beans provide 63,000 calories and 1,260 grams of protein. Or, about 2,000 calories and 40 grams of protein per day in a 31-day month. (Store in airtight containers to avoid insects.)
Cooking Rice and Beans
You can set rice or beans (or beans and rice) in a crock pot overnight (or in the morning) and wake up (or come home) to something that is warm, smells good, is nutritious, has fiber, bran, and decent protein. You can also steam rice (or rice and beans) in a rice cooker and time it in the morning to be ready when you are home from work. You can add condiments to either: tomato sauce, salt, chili powder, chicken broth, cut corn, cut up sausages, ground meat, carrots, collard greens, etc. You can make this in bulk and freeze or refrigerate for days of eating.
(Tip: Oh, you like bread? By contrast, a loaf of Orowheat 100% whole wheat bread has 18 slices. At 90 calories each and 4 grams of protein, a loaf provides 1,620 calories and 32 grams of protein. For the price conscious, a loaf of good bread per day - that's six slices per meal - still loses out to rice and beans. And stay away from white bread!)
Eggs
This is the perfect source of protein, more balanced in proportion for what the body needs than most other animal sources, according to science research. A large egg (50 grams) contains 6 grams of protein and delivers 75 calories. You can buy a dozen for about $3 not on sale. If you buy 5 dozen, it is $15 (although I believe my local Costco sells a case of 5 dozen for $8 or so). 60 eggs (that's five dozen) provide 2 eggs per day in a 30-day month (sorry if you hit a 31st, you go vegan that day), or, 150 calories and 12 grams of protein. (If you have a cholesterol problem, throw away most egg yolks. Sorry.)
Oil
Don't forget oil. Cholesterol-free canola oil ("Canada, oil, low acid" - a.k.a rapeseed oil) has 120 calories per tablespoon. There are 250 tablespoons in a gallon of canola oil. Or (get ready for it), 30,000 calories. No, don't fucking slurp 8 and 1/3 tablespoons per day for 1,000 extra calories. But do note that it costs less than $10 per gallon and will last you for 4 months at 2 tablespoons per day (or 240 extra calories) or cooking with. (Fried rice, anyone?)
Is That Enough?
Just so you know, a 30-year-old male endurance athlete - several hours of running per day - weighing 200 pounds should intake at least 70 grams of protein per day. You will probably need about 50 to 60. Most Americans consume double their need.
A moderately active (not sedentary, not active) adult female aged 19 to 30 needs 2,000 to 2,200 calories per day. All other moderately active females of any other age need less. (So ladies, you can use your savings to buy more fruit!) A moderately active adult male in the same age range needs 2,600 to 2,800 calories per day - all other ages need less. (You can increase the calories by using more oil in your cooking?)
So rice, beans, eggs, and oil - and you have over 2,390 calories and 52 grams of protein. This is your base. At most, this should cost you less than $60 per month. You will probably eat a lot less rice and beans than what I've outlined, just so you can vary your diet. And that's cool. More money for everything else!
Vegetables, Fruits, Meats
But hey, you are more active! You need more protein, more calories! And whether active or not, you need more vitamins and minerals, too! And we all need more variety for our health (and sanity)!
That's where the rest comes in...
Suppose you had just $130 per month for food. You have spent $60 on the basics. You have another $70 to spend on other things. You want to go for the cheapest, healthiest, most nutrition dense things.
Cabbage, carrots, spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, tomatoes, broccoli, etc. Watermelon, apples, oranges (in season), bananas, etc. These pack nutrition bang for the buck. Pay attention to sales.
Buy pork, chicken, or whatever meat is on sale. But honestly, eggs are still the best bang for your protein buck. Learn to love it. Try it hard boiled, then simmered in water and soy sauce so it turns a medium brown and is a little salty. Cut the simmered egg over your rice and beans. Try it beaten in a porcelain bowl, then microwaved in that bowl until cooked. Sugar makes it sweet. Salt and chopped green onions or spinach or mushrooms makes it a crustless quiche. (Whatever. Learn to like eggs. It's cheap and versatile.) Spend another $10 on eggs if you have to. If you are on a budget, a $10 New York steak is not on the menu tonight. (Sorry.)
With the remaining $60, you can probably average at least a pound to two pounds of some combination of vegetables and fruit per day. A pound of apples is 3 medium apples. A pound of uncooked spinach is six cups. A pound of carrots is 4 cups, sliced. (Grate some carrots instead, add salt, sautée until soft. Good like that, or go further: scramble in a couple of eggs for a carrot omelet.)
Other Strategies
Consider Sprouting: Some grains and beans may be safely sprouted for their nutrition. It only takes a few days, but make sure to wash carefully or cook thoroughly. As wet and warmth are also great for bacteria. Beans and grains are less than $1 per pound, and sprouting is like alchemy to convert some starch into vegetable and vitamin.
Container Grow: Spring radishes mature in 30 days. Leaf lettuces in 45 days. You only need pots and some soil near a sunlit window. Seeds can be had for $1 to $2 per packet.
Learn To Shop And Cook: Seriously, this is important. If you can't, you will buy processed shit just like millions of people who can't cook, then wonder why you are starving at the end of the month. You can learn the basics from a friend, then surf the web for recipes and watch YouTube videos. There is no need for a book: get paper and pencil, practice until you can throw it away.
If you are lazy like me, just do crock pot recipes. I do crock pot chili all the time. Or crock pot rice and beans. Or crock pot veggie, rice, and beans. Set it and forget it. And only one pot to wash later. (And if you're really lazy, only one spoon to wash, not even a bowl.)
Don't like beans? get lentils. However, do notice that there is no room for soda, juice, or processed foods.
Brown Rice
There are 360 calories in 100 grams of raw medium grain brown rice. Also, 7 grams of protein. A 20-pound bag of brown rice (9,000 grams) yields 32,400 calories and 630 grams of protein. Cost: As low as $20 or less at Walmart.
(Note: You could use white rice, but it is not as nutritious and has a higher glycemic index.)
Beans
There are 340 calories in 100 grams of raw pinto beans. Also, 7 grams of protein. So a 20-pound bag of pinto beans (9,000 grams) yields 30,600 calories and 630 grams of protein. Cost: As low as $20 or less at Walmart.
Fiber: With 16 grams of fiber in 100 grams of raw pinto beans, or 1,440 grams in a 20-pound bag, you get 45 grams of fiber per day (if you take that bag and split it into 30 days). The recommendation is 38 grams per day for men and 25 grams a day for women, so you're set!
How It Works
Together, the 40 pounds of rice and beans provide 63,000 calories and 1,260 grams of protein. Or, about 2,000 calories and 40 grams of protein per day in a 31-day month. (Store in airtight containers to avoid insects.)
Cooking Rice and Beans
You can set rice or beans (or beans and rice) in a crock pot overnight (or in the morning) and wake up (or come home) to something that is warm, smells good, is nutritious, has fiber, bran, and decent protein. You can also steam rice (or rice and beans) in a rice cooker and time it in the morning to be ready when you are home from work. You can add condiments to either: tomato sauce, salt, chili powder, chicken broth, cut corn, cut up sausages, ground meat, carrots, collard greens, etc. You can make this in bulk and freeze or refrigerate for days of eating.
(Tip: Oh, you like bread? By contrast, a loaf of Orowheat 100% whole wheat bread has 18 slices. At 90 calories each and 4 grams of protein, a loaf provides 1,620 calories and 32 grams of protein. For the price conscious, a loaf of good bread per day - that's six slices per meal - still loses out to rice and beans. And stay away from white bread!)
Eggs
This is the perfect source of protein, more balanced in proportion for what the body needs than most other animal sources, according to science research. A large egg (50 grams) contains 6 grams of protein and delivers 75 calories. You can buy a dozen for about $3 not on sale. If you buy 5 dozen, it is $15 (although I believe my local Costco sells a case of 5 dozen for $8 or so). 60 eggs (that's five dozen) provide 2 eggs per day in a 30-day month (sorry if you hit a 31st, you go vegan that day), or, 150 calories and 12 grams of protein. (If you have a cholesterol problem, throw away most egg yolks. Sorry.)
Oil
Don't forget oil. Cholesterol-free canola oil ("Canada, oil, low acid" - a.k.a rapeseed oil) has 120 calories per tablespoon. There are 250 tablespoons in a gallon of canola oil. Or (get ready for it), 30,000 calories. No, don't fucking slurp 8 and 1/3 tablespoons per day for 1,000 extra calories. But do note that it costs less than $10 per gallon and will last you for 4 months at 2 tablespoons per day (or 240 extra calories) or cooking with. (Fried rice, anyone?)
Is That Enough?
Just so you know, a 30-year-old male endurance athlete - several hours of running per day - weighing 200 pounds should intake at least 70 grams of protein per day. You will probably need about 50 to 60. Most Americans consume double their need.
A moderately active (not sedentary, not active) adult female aged 19 to 30 needs 2,000 to 2,200 calories per day. All other moderately active females of any other age need less. (So ladies, you can use your savings to buy more fruit!) A moderately active adult male in the same age range needs 2,600 to 2,800 calories per day - all other ages need less. (You can increase the calories by using more oil in your cooking?)
So rice, beans, eggs, and oil - and you have over 2,390 calories and 52 grams of protein. This is your base. At most, this should cost you less than $60 per month. You will probably eat a lot less rice and beans than what I've outlined, just so you can vary your diet. And that's cool. More money for everything else!
Vegetables, Fruits, Meats
But hey, you are more active! You need more protein, more calories! And whether active or not, you need more vitamins and minerals, too! And we all need more variety for our health (and sanity)!
That's where the rest comes in...
Suppose you had just $130 per month for food. You have spent $60 on the basics. You have another $70 to spend on other things. You want to go for the cheapest, healthiest, most nutrition dense things.
Cabbage, carrots, spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, tomatoes, broccoli, etc. Watermelon, apples, oranges (in season), bananas, etc. These pack nutrition bang for the buck. Pay attention to sales.
Buy pork, chicken, or whatever meat is on sale. But honestly, eggs are still the best bang for your protein buck. Learn to love it. Try it hard boiled, then simmered in water and soy sauce so it turns a medium brown and is a little salty. Cut the simmered egg over your rice and beans. Try it beaten in a porcelain bowl, then microwaved in that bowl until cooked. Sugar makes it sweet. Salt and chopped green onions or spinach or mushrooms makes it a crustless quiche. (Whatever. Learn to like eggs. It's cheap and versatile.) Spend another $10 on eggs if you have to. If you are on a budget, a $10 New York steak is not on the menu tonight. (Sorry.)
With the remaining $60, you can probably average at least a pound to two pounds of some combination of vegetables and fruit per day. A pound of apples is 3 medium apples. A pound of uncooked spinach is six cups. A pound of carrots is 4 cups, sliced. (Grate some carrots instead, add salt, sautée until soft. Good like that, or go further: scramble in a couple of eggs for a carrot omelet.)
Other Strategies
Consider Sprouting: Some grains and beans may be safely sprouted for their nutrition. It only takes a few days, but make sure to wash carefully or cook thoroughly. As wet and warmth are also great for bacteria. Beans and grains are less than $1 per pound, and sprouting is like alchemy to convert some starch into vegetable and vitamin.
Container Grow: Spring radishes mature in 30 days. Leaf lettuces in 45 days. You only need pots and some soil near a sunlit window. Seeds can be had for $1 to $2 per packet.
Learn To Shop And Cook: Seriously, this is important. If you can't, you will buy processed shit just like millions of people who can't cook, then wonder why you are starving at the end of the month. You can learn the basics from a friend, then surf the web for recipes and watch YouTube videos. There is no need for a book: get paper and pencil, practice until you can throw it away.
If you are lazy like me, just do crock pot recipes. I do crock pot chili all the time. Or crock pot rice and beans. Or crock pot veggie, rice, and beans. Set it and forget it. And only one pot to wash later. (And if you're really lazy, only one spoon to wash, not even a bowl.)
Don't like beans? get lentils. However, do notice that there is no room for soda, juice, or processed foods.
