| Meal | Description | Reference Foods | Calories | Protein | Cost |
| Meal 1 | Breakfast with nutritional supplements | Weekday - Oatmeal with Flax, Nuts, Tea, Vitamin Weekend - Pancakes with Fake Meat, Tea, Vitamin | 650 | 13 | 0.99 |
| Meal 2 | Bean based meal | Chili with Brown Rice and Frozen Vegetables Dal Makhani with Brown Rice and Frozen Vegetables Tostadas with Salad and Dressing Soft Tacos with Guacamole Hummus Plate with Fresh Vegs, Fruit and Nuts Frozen Burrito with Salad and Dressing | 700 | 28 | 1.57 |
| Meal 3 | Grain based meal | Whole Wheat Pasta with Broccoli and Cheese Teriyaki Stir Fry - Brown Rice with Broccoli and Tofu Homemade Vegetable Pizza Cheese Plate with Fresh Vegs, Fruit and Nuts | 700 | 27 | 1.54 |
| Snack 1 | High protein dairy with active cultures | Cottage Cheese and Whole Wheat Crackers Greek Yogurt | 170 | 17 | 1.09 |
| Snack 2 | Fruit | Apple Orange Pear 1/3lb pineapple 1/4lb strawberries 1/4lb grapes | 80 | 0 | 0.5 |
| Snack 3 | Junk food (optional) | 1/4 cup popcorn kernels, popped in oil Ramen Noodles 3oz Chips 2 Homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies Homemade brownie 3 Aldi little schoolboy cookies | 375 | 7 | 0.2 |
| TOTAL | 2675 | 92 | 5.89 |
This morning I did a more intensive analysis of my $4 a day food goal. It is achievable, if I am willing to cut all snacks and live on 2000 calories a day, with only 68 grams of protein. Of course, when I want to lose weight (1-2lbs a week), I eat 2000 calories a day. 68 grams of protein a day is plenty, for a sedentary 120lb woman...
My affinity for weight training, coupled with a vegetarian diet, requires I eat a little more. The table above is more realistic (though still pretty low in protein) and reflects the cost cutting measures I have made over the last year. I think there is room to cut a few % here and there, maybe 15% at the high end. $5 a day might be attainable without nutritional compromise. $4 a day? No way.
In my defense, it seems like every time I go to the store, food prices have gone up. The references I was using to establish this goal certainly did not account for the food inflation we have seen over the past few years. I also doubt the diets were as nutritionally sound as what I am eating. I believe the long term health benefits of eating this way are substantial.
I am going to continue working on that 15%, but I am no longer chasing $4 a day. Health comes first.