For a family of four in the US, the average food bill is from $586 to $1,159. Meat makes up for forty percent or a lot more of that spending budget. . You should eat less healthy just because you’re eating cheaper.
Math behind any cheap diet
A cheap healthy diet doesn’t have to be more work. While a few $1 burgers at a fast food joint seem like a great option to eat cheaply, they’re really costly. . A liberal food spending budget of $1,159 means each meal should be no a lot more than $3.22. Cutting down how much you spend is easy if you eat less meat.
The thought of ‘weekday vegetarian’
Although going vegetarian completely is cheaper often, it isn’t a move individuals want to make. $200 can be cut out of your budget if you cut meat out of your diet. You can also try making meat a smaller portion of your meal – the USDA recommended serving size for meat is just three ounces, not the five to eight that most Americans eat. Your pocketbook will thank you if you eat just a little less meat.
What things to eat then?
If you’re not eating meat, that does not mean vegetables should replace everything inside your diet. Protein is essential in helping you feel full after a meal though. You need to replace your meat with other protein. Replace your meat with:
- Rice and beans – about 20 cents per serving
- Hummus – about 30 cents per serving
- 45 cents per serving – lentils with a nut sauce
- Oatmeal with milk – about 25 cents per serving
The basic idea is to combine legumes, grains and nuts or seeds together during the day. Alone, each of those three groups doesn’t make a complete protein. Any two do when with each other.
