Sometimes expenses or saving goals force you to survive on one dollar per meal. If you invest some time into it, you can easily reduce your expenses on food to one dollar per meal. By following these tips, you will not only survive, but even enjoy a healthy and varied diet.
Instructions
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Choose foods that are cheap relative to their ability to fill your stomach. Focus on foods that keep you full longer, like foods high in complex carbohydrates or protein.
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Keep in mind foods that are budget favorites. Yogurt is an excellent breakfast or snack. Generic dry cereal is much less than a dollar per portion, leaving some room in the budget for milk. Pasta and infamously cheap ramen noodles make for affordable lunches or dinners. Baked beans are a one dollar a day essential item.
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Shop smart. Watch grocery store flyers for drastically reduced prices. Frozen meals, including ones for diets, often go on sale for less than one dollar. You can prepare a frozen meal quickly and someone else has already made sure that it is nutritionally balanced.
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Cook in quantities. Increase the variety of your diet with stir fry and other cheap ways of combining several food types. If you are cooking for one person, you may have to eat leftovers for multiple meals. Experiment with ways that you can adjust favorite recipes to make them fit into your budget.
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Portion your food according to your budget. If you cook enough pasta or stir fry for leftovers, calculate how much you can eat for one dollar before eating. Set aside the appropriate amount and put the rest away.
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Drink water. People often feel hungry when they are only thirsty. Water is also cheaper than other drinks, especially if you drink from your tap.
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Join a wholesale club and shop at discount stores. If you look in the right place, sometimes you can afford meals that normally break the budget.
