The food part

MEAT

Chicken thighs. These are inexpensive, moist, and easy. Put them in a crockpot or the oven and cook. Last week I got 10 thighs for $4. This is plenty for a family of four. Rip off that skin, cook.

Rotisserie chicken. You can get one of these for $6 or so and have chicken breasts one time (for 2) and enchiladas, for example, with the rest. Or it will feed a family of four. And although it's probably high in salt and injected fat, it's easier than baking a chicken yourself and that's my point: easy can be good.

Pork tenderloin. When on sale, these are incredibly inexpensive cuts of meat and once again, just put them in the oven and bake. Done. No bones, no fat and gristle. You can get one for about $7 and it's enough for four.

Sausages. You only need one of these per person in a recipe so a pack of 5 for $4, mixed with some pasta, make a quick and fairly nutritious meal.

Frozen fish fillets. Defrost, bake in about 5 minutes.

VEGETABLES

Salad can become expensive with additives and while everybody thinks salad is diet food, it's not if you add hard-boiled eggs and fried chicken strips and cheese and then drown it in dressing.

Frozen vegetables are great and fast. Just don't get the ones with sauce. A bag of vegetables is less than $2 for about 6 servings. Peas, snap peas, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower. And a little butter on them makes them tasty.

Fresh vegetables, like carrots, squash, parsnips can be baked to a delicious sweetness. A bag of carrots is about $1 and is enough for a meal for 4.

CARBS

Rice and pasta are quick and easy. Don't buy the ones in packets with sauce and too much salt. Plus they're expensive, serving-wise. Avoid white rice in favor of a combination of brown or arborio or basmati or wild. Even what looks like an expensive buy will last a long time as one cup of dry makes 2.5 cups of cooked and you only need about 3/4 cup a serving. Potatoes are an OK carb as long as you don't deep fry them or slather them with LOTS of butter or sour cream.

SOUP

Homemade soup, including chili, is easy to make and inexpensive and gets you more vegetable servings. Basically soup is broth and ingredients. Like some of that rotisserie chicken and noodles or pasta and beans, which are very filling and full of protein. Canned soup is over-processed so while you think it's a cheap meal, it's not, compared to homemade which is fresher, closer to the bottom of the food chain, etc.

SO TO WRAP UP

• Plan ahead, take the time to cook. Consider how a fast food meal is about $6 per person and then see what you can make for that $12 for two, $24 (!) for a family of four.
  
• You don't have to eat healthy every meal.
  
• Cut out the prepared foods that include too much salt, sugar and fat.
  
• Although this should go without saying, don't buy chips and cookies and soda. They seem filling and delicious but once again, it's that fat/salt/sugar that you don't need. And don't start with me on the diet soda thing. IT'S BAD.

And I have ignored breakfast here, mainly because so does everybody in America although we've always been told it's the most important meal of the day.

And get over that I-hate-yogurt thing. Toss into some plain yogurt some granola or even a tablespoon of jam and have a piece of whole-grain toast.

Eggs are good for you and a fried egg sandwich is about 200 calories and gets you protein and whole grains. And about high-quality bread. Even if you eat 3 slices a day (one toast, two on a sandwich, say), a loaf that costs $3.50 is 16 slices or about 60 cents a day. My favorite: Brownberry 12-grain.

Good breakfast cereal doesn't have to taste like gravel mixed with sticks.

Doughnuts/pastries/most breakfast bars are bad. I shouldn't even have to say this.
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