The New York Times estimates that a week's worth of food costs the average American adult a grand total of $49. Yes, only $49 a week, Monday through Sunday including breakfast, lunch and dinner. And that doesn't mean junk food is the best option for people on a budget like is commonly perceived as cheap. How then can it be done - eating a healthy on a low budget? By playing the servings-per-dollar game. The following are 10 cardinal rules of eating healthy on a budget: 1. Eat at home and brown-bag your lunches. 2. Cook meals from scratch. 3. Learn to prepare freezer-friendly make-ahead lunches. 4. Keep a meal planner and updated fridge and pantry lists. 5. Cross-reference your shopping list with #4. 6. Think seasonal. 7. Eat more plants. 8. Get creative with your proteins. 9. Buy these (judiciously) in bulk: freezables, pantry staples, and meal bases with long shelf lives. 10. Buy generic.

2. The New York Times estimates that a week’s
worth of food costs the average American
adult a grand total of $49.

3. DID YOU KNOW?
Each of the 50 million US citizens enrolled in the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) receives $35 a week for food.

4. THE CALORIES-PER-DOLLAR GAME
FACT #1
Measured calorie for calorie, junk food costs less than more
nutritious alternatives.
On a 2,000-calories-a-day diet:
Energy-dense junk = $3.52/day
Nutrient-dense food = up to $36.32/day

5. FACT #2
Junk food prices are less vulnerable to inflation.
A two-year study comparing the prices of 370 foods sold in
Seattle supermarkets reported a 19.5% increase in the price of
nutrient-rich foods, while junk food prices dropped 1.8%.

6. WHY “CHEAP” JUNK FOOD IS
ANYTHING BUT
Calories-per-dollar budgeting ignores the fact that when you
maximize calories at the expense of nutrition, you externalize
the cost of your cheap meals to expensive health care.

7. Bottom line: Playing the calories-
per-dollar game gives you instant,
but unsustainable, savings.

8. SERVINGS-PER-DOLLAR:
A HEALTHIER PERSPECTIVE
Servings-per-dollar budgeting levels the playing field and shows
fresh produce to be the better option price- and health-wise.
Servings-per-dollar budgeting levels the playing field and shows
fresh produce to be the better option price- and health-wise.

9. THE 10 CARDINAL RULES OF
EATING HEALTHY ON A BUDGET
1. Eat at home and brown-bag your lunches.
2. Cook meals from scratch.
3. Learn to prepare freezer-friendly make-ahead dishes.
4. Keep a meal planner and updated fridge and pantry
lists.
5. Cross-reference your shopping list with #4.
6. Think seasonal.
7. Eat more plants.
8. Get creative with your proteins.
9. Buy these (judiciously) in bulk: freezables, pantry
staples, and meal bases with long shelf lives.
10. Buy generic.

10. DID YOU KNOW?
The average American household spends $2,620 per year on
restaurant meals. That’s enough to feed one person three healthy
home-cooked meals a day for an entire year!