1st: I'm skeptical that this is enough food to feed a family of five for one week, especially if it includes a grown man and growing teenager (many families tend to have children who are close in age, so a family of 5 might include at least 2 teenagers, if not 3). Teenagers eat a MASSIVE amount of food. My mother used to spend at least 600$ a month to feed three teenage boys and herself when we were younger. Also, frozen vegetables do not provide as much food as fresh vegetables (serving size is hardly accurate) nor are they as nutritious, and fresh veggies, depending on season, can often cost MUCH more than frozen.
I agree this is not the healthiest menu.....just healthier. Each meal should be around 500 calories. Dr's say that's enough. I would still be hungry....but then again... I am obese according to BMI
2nd: let's not forget that just because food is purchased in a supermarket doesn't mean it's healthy. What you've listed is a fairly balanced and nutritious menu (though, I tend to be even healthier, going the organic and natural foods root, which is MUCH more expensive). You can shop at discount supermarkets and load up on food very cheaply, but you get what you pay for. The stuff is loaded with preservatives, artificial ingredients, and trans fat. Not much of a difference between that and going to McD's IMO.
These were actually pretty healthy items. The healthy pasta sauce and the corn tortillas were the most questionable. The big bonus is these meals would have a small fraction of sodium and fat when compared to fast food. But yeah if people are buying alot of the prepackaged and canned stuff they may as well stop at a fast food place.
3rd: Just as there are bargains in supermarket food, there are also bargains in fast food. For example, KFC meal deals for 14.99$ which I would wager have a bit more food than one of the meals you've proposed (10 pieces of chicken, 2 family size orders of mashed potatoes w/gravy, large order of coleslaw, 5 biscuits).
More food for sure. But more is not going to help with obesity
Also, don't forget places like Denny's, that allow kids to eat for free on certain days (Denny's is pretty much fast food as far as nutritional value goes...). And then of course there's Jack in the Crack value menus (4 tacos for 2 bucks. Mmm Mmm), Taco Bell 2$ meal deals, Wendy's 1$ value menu, BK Value, etc.
Jack in the Box tacos are one of my guilty pleasures.....but harly $2 for 4. You have to add in the cost of a bypass surgery as well.
You can also find deals at other restaurants that aren't exactly fast food, but not healthy either. Consider Mexican restaurants that do 3$ burritos or Tortas, loaded with fat and low quality meat. Or places that cater to college students that often have large meals under 5$
I had two friends who just graduated, and they used to eat out every single day. They never prepared their own food. None of us could understand how they afforded it. Turns out hey just ate at all the cheapest places and found all the special deals. They also only ate twice a day (lunch and dinner). because they were getting so much calories, they didn't need to eat as much. Of course, they were not very healthy guys. One had chronic adult acne, the other gained weight, and neither of them could exercise for long without losing their breath.
Not good
Anyway, what I'm saying is. Yes, I think it's possible to eat healthy and cheap, but it's just as possible to eat shitty and cheap as well. Many families will choose the fast food route for one simple reason: IT'S CONVENIENT. After a long day, mom and dad are beat. Who wants to spend an hour or more preparing dinner, washing dishes, etc.? I think that's really the biggest difference here.
Yeah, that has been my point all along. It is a choice. I never said it was an easy choice. I love my Taco Bueno,Fuzzy's Tacos,BK and Chick fil a as much as anyone. Panda Express too.
