@ucbalumnus, re post #118, unfortunately, most low income people dont have access to asian markets.
@“great lakes mom”, nice job. You’re getting about 2000 calories a day, with a variety of flavors (of course, using sugar, oil and spices from your pantry). Can you really buy a dozen eggs for $1.50, 8 oz of cheddar for $2 and a quart of milk for $1.50 where you live? Those items cost a lot more than that where I live.
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Re home-baked bread: it would only last a week if you added preservatives to the dough. <<<
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That is not entirely true, but this is not exactly a baking thread. Our home baked breads last longer than a few days, and can be frozen without losing anything.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/29688/why-does-sourdough-bread-keep-fresh-longer
PS You can keep mixed dough in the fridge for quite some time as well. One could easily mix 1500 grams of flour a week and bake two or three breads a week.
@xiggi - Like you, I like to make homebaked bread, the no knead variety in a dutch oven or cast iron pan.
I don’t make it as often anymore because I can’t be left alone with it, especially if there is plugra butter in the house. It wouldn’t last for a week in my house. I do make some smaller loaves for portion control purposes and keep dough in the fridge as you suggest. Cheap, easy, and so much better than most store bought bread.
Growing up poor in the 70s, I was lucky that my mom knew how to cook. Red beans and rice, pinto beans and ham hock with cornbread, chicken and dumplings. She also learned to cook Mexican food from a Mexican/American neighbour - homemade tortillas, enchiladas, etc. All very filling but meat was rarely the center of the plate, unless it was ground beef (sloppy joes, spaghetti bolognaise, hamburgers). But like I said before, we rarely had fresh vegetables - maybe corn on the cob or cabbage. We were on food stamps for a while but I don’t really remember the menu changing, except we had fewer snacks and I had to eat a school lunch every day.
I think part of the problem these days is that poor people, in general, don’t know how to cook or have the time and resources (pots and pans, gadgets, etc). And lack of grocery stores in poor neighborhoods. I’ve heard of cooking classes for people on benefits, and community gardens, etc. All great ideas, IMO.
CF, you can get cheddar for $1 here. It’s often on sale as part of those 10 for $10 things. We don’t buy eggs so I’m not sure about that. Milk can be that cheap but it’s rare.
One of my go-to foods to stretch is hummus. I can get a large thing of (delicious) hummus that’ll last me a week for $4 at a little restaurant by my house. Another $2 for pita and that can be the basis of my lunch or dinner for several days.
Also cooking classes, gardening, etc- all sound fantastic in theory but I sure as heck did not have time for those things when I was on foodstamps- and I didn’t even have kids!
When I am eating healthy (for me) and I catch the sales I can eat for the day for between $10-15. That is basically 10 small meals/snacks. I just did the calculation.
Problem is I generally do not eat healthy
Yep, the prices I posted are real prices here. Especially when shopping sales or more generic brands.
Remember that many families do not access to a variety of grocery stores - they may have to be reliant on the neighborhood small grocery or convenience store if they have no car or if they have to haul small children out in bad weather on a bus, etc. to get to a cheaper big box store. At least that is the case in our town where many disadvantaged live.
You need bread, potatoes, and corn.
Haha, nice try. But no.
Someone at my work got mercury poisoning, and it was very serious. She could have died, and it took the doctors too long to figure out. Clueless. Her blood pressure was dangerously high. I’ve never paid attention to what has mercury or doesn’t, but apparently it can even be in your water. I wonder why they don’t test people regularly for that when you get blood tests at your physical.
+1 on the hummus @romangypsyeyes. It is a staple in our house and we slather it on everything. We rarely use butter.
Love hummus. For those on a budget, super easy to make from scratch and tastier.
A lot of comments on vegetables being expensive. Broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes are all inexpensive, definitely cheaper than junk food.
I think it is a combination of access, start-up costs and planning. A five pound bag of frozen organic beans at Costco is cheaper than anything that you would be able to buy in a grocery store. A three pound bag of frozen berries is also way cheaper. Defrost the berries, make some oatmeal with milk and you have a great breakfast. You can buy a boneless ham for $2.59 a pound at Costco. This ham has almost no fat and makes great sandwiches at a fraction of the cost of store bought luncheon meat. A chicken at Costco makes multiple meals for my daughter and me. Two dinners with potatoes and veggies for a side. Then I make a huge pot of soup using all the bones and the leftover chicken on the carcass. To do this, you need the spices, stockpot and the knowledge. Add brown rice, white beans, carrots, onions and spinach to the soup and you have a complete protein and a healthy filling meal. This makes enough soup for three dinners in addition to the two dinners that we already had.
Of course, I have a car so that I can get to Costco. I have a car so that I can hit multiple grocery stores for all the loss leaders. I have the spices and a car so that I can buy bulk spices at Sprouts which are a fraction of the cost of jarred spices. I have the pots and pans because I received very expensive pots/pans when I married over 20 years ago. I still use these same pots/pans and will probably be able to pass them down to my grandchildren.
It isn’t just one factor. A multi-pronged approach would be needed to ensure that people can cook/eat in a healthy way. My mom is currently working on a nutrition/cooking program that would provide all the start-up materials upon successful completion of the program. It does absolutely no good to teach someone how to eat healthy meals if they don’t have the pots, pans, knives and access to the food necessary to cook the aforementioned heathy meals.
I see a lot of “poor people don’t know how to cook” on this thread. My experiences are completely contrary to that. I know a lot of people who are getting by well without a lot of money. They have vegetable gardens, chickens, shop in bulk and enjoy the challenge of creating healthy flavorful food without spending much.
I was thinking about the meals I already eat every day: oatmeal made with raisins and milk (cinnamon and brown sugar) for breakfast; and chicken livers (1/4 pound) and grated carrots, with a diced apple and vinaigrette, for lunch. Those two meals cost about $3 total a day. That would leave me about $2 for dinner (assuming $5/day, which is a $1/day supplement to the $29). For $2, I could have a two-egg frittata with potatoes (sweet or white) and some frozen veg, along with a few slices of whole wheat bread.
Also, I love sardines on toast for breakfast. My mom is English and I grew up eating kippers on toast cooked under the broiler. Yum! 
@momofmusician17 not to mention being able to afford the start-up costs of having a costco membership.
Look at the pictures in this https://fstoppers.com/food/what-week-groceries-looks-around-world-3251
Check the soft drinks in North America and compare to France. Mexico leads the world -or close- in Coke consumption and child obesity. Many day workers’ lunch is 32 oz of Coke and a gansito. Junk food is a favorite!
The poorer the people the poorer their habits are.
Cardinal Fang, living in Wisconsin, yes, the dairy products are quite reasonable in cost! However when I go to AZ, the produce is cheaper, so things balance out.
I can’t afford to shop at Costco under the false pretense of savings money anymore. I’ve done test run in the last few months so iI know. When the Costco American Express expires that will be the end of my Costco experience. I might piggy back my sister but I will pay cash.