I hope the Mac and Cheese with squash went over well for Mark! As I was making breakfast this morning for my kids, I was thinking about what I could recommend for Mark that would fit into his daily food budget. Both of my kids are fans of Cheerios, whether they are honey nut or plain. I think they are fascinated by the little rings with holes in the middle more than anything. Unfortunately, a box of Cheerios is out of Mark's budget. My two year old, however, loves oatmeal just as much as I do. And, believe it not, he will eat it plain (no sugar added), and not just one bowl, but two at a time! This gave me an idea for Mark. Now, I know oatmeal is probably not on the top of his list of most enjoyed breakfast items, but it is not only very economical, but deliciously nutritious as well. One serving (1/2 cooked oatmeal) provides 4 grams of dietary fiber (16% of Mark's minimum fiber needs/day) + 5 grams of protein. (~8% of his daily protein needs). He can add a cup of milk to that for another 8 grams of protein plus the benefits of calcium and vitamin D, bringing his protein intake up to ~20% of his daily needs. Since he's still missing a fruit, we can throw in a banana. This brings the cost of his breakfast to a mere $.56, with the most expensive item being the banana at $.31.
The oatmeal (store brand) is $1.49 for 30 servings (1/2 cup cooked), which equates to $.05 for one serving. Ironically, the oatmeal came in cheaper than its competitor, Frosted Flakes, which was $1.79 per box (14 servings) or $.12 per serving. This is proof that you can eat healthy foods on a budget!!!
The milk is $3.23 per gallon, which is an expensive initial investment, but contains 16 servings (1 cup each), equating to $.20 per serving. There were too many people in the dairy section to get a good photo of the milk, but that was the price as of today.
The bananas are $.47 per lb, which is about 5 medium size bananas, so ~ $.31 each.
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