How much do you spend on groceries? The USDA tracks the cost of food on a monthly basis, in part, as a way to determine the level of supplemental food assistance (food stamps) it offers to lower income families. In February 2010, for example, the USDA estimated that an adult male, eating all his meals at home, could meet his nutritional needs for about $38 a week if he followed the Thrifty Food Plan developed by the USDA.
Here's the suggested weekly shopping list for an adult male on the Thrifty plan:
- 4 1/2 pounds of grains (rice, bread, pasta, cereal)
- 2 1/2 pounds potatoes
- 5 pounds other vegetables
- 2 pounds canned or dry beans
- 6 1/2 pounds fresh fruit
- 1 3/4 pounds fruit juice concentrate
- 11 pounds of dairy products
- 2 1/2 pounds chicken
- 1/2 pound beef or pork
- 1/4 pound nuts
- 2-3 eggs
- 2 pounds of oil, salad dressings, spices, condiments, and other miscellaneous stuff
I know you're going to be dying to weigh in on this list of foods. Suffice it to say that it's been developed to meet the nutritional guidelines set out in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans–such as they are. But before we go there, there's another point I'd like to make.
The Hidden Labor Costs
One thing I think we can probably all endorse is the fact that the Thrifty Food Plan focuses on unprocessed foods. There's little if any allowance for things like frozen or refrigerated entrees, lunch meats, prepared soups, soda, desserts, or snacks. In other words, if you need to eat cheaply, be prepared to put in some sweat equity.
Cooking more food from scratch is a way to improve nutrition as well as save money. Yet many families receiving supplemental food assistance make different choices, opting instead for more convenient (and costly) prepared foods. As a result, they fall short of nutritional targets.
Some of these poor choices may be due to lack of education or impulse control, marketing forces, and other assorted evils. But researchers writing this month in the Journal of Nutrition point out that the time that people need to spend preparing food has economic value. They argue that the thrifty food plan is not so thrifty when you consider the cost of this labor. If you're a worker in a low-wage job, time may be just as short as money in your household.
Ironically, the people who can and do spend the most on groceries may be the ones who also have the time and inclination to do more cooking from scratch. (Although if you are going to spend more, I sure wouldn't recommend that you do it as suggested in the USDA's "Liberal Food Plan" but that's a topic for another post!)
Your thoughts?
