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  • From: "Don Bowen" <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>
  • To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Homestead] Food costs
  • Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:05:59 -0700


Cutting Food Costs in These Times of
Economic Downturn, By Dr. John McDougall
People who embrace change are likely to thrive in the upcoming economy; those
who fight to maintain their current comforts will suffer. With the housing
market in a crisis, the US dollar's value falling, and gas prices going
crazy, now, more than ever before, the time has come to make a committed
decision to become healthy through proper nutrition. Over the past 35 years I
have encouraged people to eat a starch-based diet-few have listened.
Escalating costs of food, and medical care, as well as poor health, will
force this long-overdue shift in people's food choices. If you have not done
so already, I encourage you to get ahead of the crowd. Not only will you be
more likely to survive financially (at least), but you will also help
accelerate trends that will have a ripple effect benefitting everyone.
The first step to surviving an economic crunch is to think, "How do I cut my
expenses?" Focus on those things you can control. You have 100% control over
the foods you buy and eat. Food is one of the largest single monthly
purchases consumers make. According to Merrill Lynch, at the end of 2007, "36
percent of consumers' disposable income went to food, energy, and medical
care, a bigger chunk of income than at any time since records were first kept
in 1960." In this newsletter I will address the costs of food, which are
intimately related to costs of medical care-a subject of an upcoming
newsletter.
The Escalating Cost of Food
Food is one of our three basic needs for survival (air and water are the
other two). Most people living in developed countries (US, Europe, Australia,
New Zealand, etc.) have enjoyed a high standard of living and an abundance of
relatively cheap food. However, the cost of food has been rising worldwide
each year, and at a faster rate than ever before. Two major developments
account for this:
People of underdeveloped countries, especially India and China, are
prospering and can now purchase more food and more expensive foods, like meat
and dairy products. Seems as if everyone wants to eat like Americans eat-more
accurately described as "the diet of kings and queens." Producing
food-animals requires large amounts of grain. The second reason is that the
production of biofuels made from all kinds crops, from corn to nuts, is
taking away from the food supply. Worldwide demand is just beginning to
deprive people in developed countries of their cheap foods. Plan on this
trend accelerating.
Animal Foods Are Expensive
Animal foods, like meat, poultry, fish, milk, and cheese, are expensive.
Approximately one-third of the calories consumed by people living in
developed nations are from animal sources. In the near future, the diet of
the average Westerner will, of necessity, include more grains, legumes,
tubers, fruits, and vegetables, and significantly fewer animal products.
On average, moderately active women consume about 2000 calories daily and men
2500 calories. You have a choice of which foods will provide for your energy
needs. The cost of animal-food centered meals cooked at home for one person
could easily be $10 a day or more.
Cost of Animal-derived Foods
Consider the costs of these animal foods to provide for your daily
calorie needs*:
Food and weight Unit Cost (USD) Cost of 2500 Calories (USD)
1 lb. Rib Eye Beef 9.99 24.29
1 lb. Ground beef 2.99 6.55
1 lb. Chicken breast 3.99 13.72
1 lb. Salmon 9.99 30.60
1 lb. Cheddar Cheese 6.29 8.54
1/2 gallon milk 2.49 10.37
*Cooking costs not included; lb. = pound = .454 Kg; USD = United States
Dollar; Prices in Northern California.



Eating Out Is Expensive
People do not realize how much money they spend in restaurants, and on fast
food. In the United States about half of the food dollar is spent eating
out-with about 40% of that going to full-service restaurants and 40% to fast
food. At least one-third of American adults and children eat at a fast food
restaurant daily. The expensive habit of eating out is already changing; the
National Restaurant Association says 54 percent of restaurants reported
declining traffic in January of 2008, and the government says eating at home
increased last year for the first time since 2001. Spending $14 for a full
day's worth of fast food meals would not be unusual.
Cost of Fast Foods
Consider the costs of these fast foods to provide for your daily
calorie needs*:
Food Unit Cost (USD) Cost of 2500 Calories (USD)
Taco Bell Taco 0.99 14.56
Taco Bell Steak Burrito 3.19 12.65
Taco Bell Chicken Salad 5.39 17.06
KFC Snacker 1.19 9.30
KFC Oven Roasted Twister 3.59 19.10
Burger King Whopper 2.99 11.12
Burger King Triple Whopper 4.99 11.03
BK Chicken Sandwich 3.99 12.62
BK Big Fish Sandwich 3.39 13.24
McDonalds Big Mac 3.19 14.77
McDonalds Large Fries 2.00 8.77
McDonalds Chicken Sandwich 3.49 20.77
McDonalds Fish Sandwich 3.19 20.98
Round Table Veggie Pizza 21.35 19.34
Round Table Ulti-meat Pizza 21.35 14.83
USD = United States Dollar; Prices in Northern California.



Eat for Less than $3 a Day on The McDougall Diet
The McDougall Diet is based on starches-potatoes, grains, and legumes. These
plant foods, which provide for the bulk of your calories, cut expenses in
several important ways. Starches are inherently inexpensive-a full days
supply of calories from starches will cost less than $1.50. You can stockpile
grains, potatoes and legumes, cutting costs of transportation to the market.
These foods are easily stored for long periods of time without the energy
costs associated with refrigeration. Since they do not easily spoil there is
little wastage. Clean up after plant-based, low-fat meals is easy and cheap
because there is no grease requiring expensive, environmentally toxic,
cleansers. A simple rinse will often do.
The McDougall diet also includes some perishable fruits and green and yellow
vegetables. These items are more expensive than starches; but they are
consumed in small amounts; thus, adding relatively little to the food bill.
Focusing on fruits and vegetables that are in season will also help keep your
food budget affordable. With the starch component costing less than $1.50
daily, this leaves an additional $1.50 to spend on fruits and green and
yellow vegetables; keeping the total food costs at $3 a day per person on the
McDougall Diet.
Mary provides several of our favorite inexpensive meals in her recipe section
this month. For example, the ingredients for her Stove Top Stew cost $1.40
(fills up four adults) and the Pea Soup ingredients cost $1.80 (fills up 6
adults).
Cost of Common Starches
Consider the costs of these tubers, legumes, and grains to provide for
your daily calorie needs*:
Food Unit Cost (USD) Cost of 2500 Calories (USD)
20 lb. White potatoes 6.99 1.75
10 lb. Sweet potatoes 5.99 3.00
25 lb. Pinto Beans 13.79 1.05
25 lb. Rice (brown) 24.75 1.52
50 lb. Rice (white) 14.99 0.44
120 Corn Tortillas 2.79 1.00
50 lb. Corn Grits 41.99 1.28
9 lb. Oatmeal 6.99 1.09
*Cooking costs not included; lb. = pound = .454 Kg; USD = United States
Dollar; Prices in Northern California.




Cost Saving Tips
Buy large quantities of long-lasting products
Buy unprocessed foods
Buy in bulk from health-food stores, coops, and grocery stores
Shop warehouse stores (wholesale clubs)
Buy on-line by mail order
Make food at home from basic ingredients; don't eat out
Rely on starches for calories
Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season
Shop at farmers' markets
Plant a garden
Use a well-planned grocery list
Shop after meals, not when you're hungry
Shop efficiently to cut down on gasoline-consuming trips to the stores
If going to a place nearby, walk or cycle instead of using the car.



Should You Store Food for an Emergency?
Buying large amounts of food could be a sound financial investment
considering the escalating costs of foods. Worries about worldwide
catastrophe from epidemics of avian flu, nuclear war, financial depression,
and devastations predicted from global warming, may cause some people to
consider stocking up on food. The Latter Day Saints (Mormon) Church
recommends storing a full year's supply of food. Their recommendations focus
on a starch-based meal plan, because this is the only practical way such
storage can be done. A family of four would store 1200 pounds of grains
(corn, wheat, rice) and 250 pounds of legumes, plus additional canned and
packaged fruits and vegetables in order to provide for one year.
Recommendations for quantities and items to purchase and effective means of
storage can be found through the Internet. You will also be able to locate
companies dedicated to providing survival foods.
Winning in the New Economy
Winning during an economic crunch involves behaviors not much different than
those you should already be doing during good times. Plus, if you do these
sensible things now you are less likely to find yourself enduring a financial
crisis later. A person spending $14 a day eating at fast food restaurants
could be spending $3 by eating a starch-based diet at home. This translates
into $11 per day savings. (This means $330 a month and $4015 per year saved,
which happens to be enough to attend the McDougall 10-day live-in Program in
Santa Rosa, CA-so you might consider the McDougall Program as a free
program.) And think about the health benefits gained by avoiding all that
fat and cholesterol. Money saved on food can be put away and/or spent on
everything else. But one thing you do not want to spend your money on is more
medical care.


Don Bowen KI6DIU
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html
>From lisakvperry AT gmail.com Fri Apr 11 11:07:31 2008
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From: "Lisa K.V. Perry" <lisakvperry AT gmail.com>
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Subject: Re: [Homestead] Backsliding
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On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:01 AM, Marie McHarry <mmcharry AT gmail.com> wrote:

>
> It's quite easy to cut everyone down who's running for public office.
> What would you do if you were the president?


After watching The News Hour last night on PBS, husband and I got to talking
about *why* anyone would want to *be* President in the years ahead. What a
thankless job. They'll have a headache every day from Problems that will
need to be tackled. Must be for the great lifetime benefits and speaker fees
(after the fact), perhaps for your picture on *Time* once in a while.

Shoot, in Hillary's case, she's married to that already. If I were her I'd
do pro-bono work and travel. And garden, of course.

Lisa




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