Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?
This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.
Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
I think you're in eastern europe, and at least some of the US options are very unlikely to generalize over there (and the numbers are low for the US: 4 USD/day is about SNAP levels, and those are intended to supplement food budgets, not replace them entirely). If you're asking for US-side given the dollar unit:
The standard in the United States for hard-protein diets has traditionally been chicken breast, at about 130 grams protein and 700 calories per pound. Exact prices will vary depending on location, but expect around 2-3 USD per pound boneless skinless chicken breast in store brand bulk, generally on the lower end if you look at places like Sam's Club/CostCo. Bone-in used to consistently be less than 2 USD per pound, but it can vary a lot right now.
Canned tuna is kinda second-best: it's a little more expensive (~3ish USD per pound) and fewer calories, but it's shelf stable and prices are very stable. Depending on location, expect to need to check places like Gordon Food Services to buy in bulk. On the downside, large quantities start raising serious questions about heavy metal toxicity, and eating just canned tuna in water can risk rabbit starvation. Most people can't eat too much of it straight or solely spiced, as well.
Dried beans are more cost-effective in terms of dollar/calorie, but they can take obnoxious amounts of time to prepare, and they're pretty high in fat and carbs for the protein you get. Exact variety matters, but expect around 1-2 USD/pound dry weight, 100-120 grams protein and 1300 calories per pound. Even good in terms of dietary fiber! Downside is that it's a lot of beans, to the point I'm not sure I could eat that much in a day. Can be good to supplement or for variety, though.
Whey protein can sometimes be a reasonable choice, but it's very dependent on where and who you buy from. Some of the bulk purchases (eg Costco) can get as low as 3 USD/day to hit your protein requirements, while others will be as high as 30 USD/day.
Ground beef and turkey are usually (much) less dollar-efficient, but they can be used as supplements for flavor variation in ways that most of the above can't. Same for eggs. Unlike eggs, ground beef and turkey do (often!) go on sale, either for holidays or as it gets close to expiration date, often to compare or beat 'normal' chicken prices. Milk is very cheap, but it doesn't work well after the first gallon a day, and it doesn't work at all if you're lactose intolerant. (and I'd expect it's cheap in the US because of US-specific government policy stuff. Same for cheese.)
For filling the remainder of your diet, your big options are either breads or rice or noodles for carbohydrates, with the fixings (butter, fattier beans, heavy soups like cream of mushroom) for fats. You can get 1000 calories per 0.75 USD, here, without struggling too much; going with big bulk purchases can drop below that (eg 50 lbs of enriched white rice from CostCo runs around 25 USD, and each pound is 1500 calories and about 30 grams protein).
You can and should add some leafy greens for fiber and for macronutrients, but it tends to be what you do with the rest of your food budget, rather than a starting point.
These numbers are a little out of date, especially with current food inflation, but they'll point in a right-ish direction.
A tip for dealing with this is to prepare a large batch (like 5-10 lbs) at once and then freeze in portion sized bags. If you want to use them in a salad or just on their own you probably want to freeze them on a baking sheet before putting them into bags so they don't stick together too much.
Beans and chickpeas freeze pretty well and if you're using them for a stew or as filling in a burrito or something you absolute won't notice.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link