How to Feed a Family of 4 on $10 Per day, a Healthy Diet
1. Take inventory of what you have already, then plan around what is on sale or in season.
2. Plan your meals, two-week rotations work well.
3. Shop with cash only if you feel tempted to buy unplanned items.
4. When planning meals make sure you account for batch cooking and reutilizing leftovers for new meals.
5. Make your own sauces and dressings. There will be no additives and you make only amount you need which ends up cheaper as not processed.
Meal plan ideas
Breakfast
Oatmeal and bananas/frozen fruit
Scrambled tofu with in season vegetables (frozen or fresh) can be made into burritos
Banana pancakes topped with pureed frozen fruit
Toast and hummus and steamed vegetables
Lunch
Leftovers
Pasta with veggies
Hummus and salad wrap
Baked potatoes with salad
PB&J
Chickpea salad sandwich or on top of salad bowl
Dinner
Soup and salad (vegetable soup with added whole grain like rice)
Beans and rice with different seasonings
Chili and homemade cornbread
Burritos or burrito bowls
Buddha bowls
Spaghetti and homemade marinara with steamed vegetables
Curries using lentils and starchy vegetables
Homemade pizzas
Snacks
Fresh fruit and vegetables
Hummus
All Prices based at Walmart as easily accessible to most everyone
Monday
Breakfast
Oatmeal with bananas and ½ cup frozen berries and nondairy milk
$0.13/ounce x 1.4 oz x 4 = $0.73 for four servings of oatmeal
1 pound of bananas $0.49…one banana weighs about 4 ounces therefore 4 bananas = $0.49
1 pound frozen mixed berries $1.98 is $0.12/oz…1/2 cup is 1.8 oz…so 4 x 1.8 oz x $0.12 = $0.86
96 oz almond milk costs $3.82 which is $0.04/oz….4 oz in each bowl x 4 x $0.04 = $0.64
Total for breakfast for 4 people = $2.72
Lunch
Baked sweet potato with large salad
1-pound sweet potato is $0.88/pound and is 2-3 medium potatoes; 2 pounds/4 potatoes = 1 potato per person = $1.76
1 cup of salad (greens, tomato, bell pepper, green onion, cucumber, carrot)
• Spinach $0.20/oz = 4 oz is $0.80
• 2 Roma tomatoes ($0.23/each) = $0.46
• 1 green bell pepper is $0.62
• 4 green onions; 1 bunch is $0.78 4/6 is $0.52
• 1 cucumber $0.62
• 1 carrot weights 2.5 oz/1 pound of carrots is $0.92/one carrot is $0.15
Total for salad for 4 is $3.17
Total for Lunch for 4 people = 4.93
Dinner
Beans and rice with mixed vegetables
1-16 oz bag of dried chickpeas/black beans is $1.18 or $0.07/oz; 1 cup dried beans = 3 cups of cooked beans; need 10 oz for 4 people is $0.70
1-16 oz bag of dried rice is $0.78 per pound or $0.05/oz; 1 cup dried is 4 cups cooked; need 7 oz for 4 people is $0.35
1-12-ounce $1 or about $0.08 cents an ounce and one bag would feed 4 people one serving is $1
Total for dinner for 4 people = $2.05
TOTAL FOR THE DAY $9.70