For anyone struggling with food prices, first, I empathize. I've been there. It fucking sucks. Second, when desperate, I put together a plan much like the following, and it helped me get through some hard times.

USA prices 2026-09-16

26 oz salt: $1, 0 calories, 0 protein

200 lb dry beans: $120, 300000 Cal, 20000g protein

200 lb rice: ~~$50~~ $100, 330000 Cal, 2400g protein

360 tablets multivitamin: $37.50

Annual cost: $258.50 Daily calories: 1726 (suitable for a sedentary person.) Daily protein: 61 g

You can get even higher protein and lower cost if you have access to bulk soybeans. Multiply by whatever values you like to hit your calorie or protein needs.

You don't have to eat JUST this. But if this is the majority of your meals, you have enough to survive, and in the US, you'll actually be healthier than most of the people around you.

EDIT: updated the numbers because I'm an idiot who forgot that you need 4, 50lb bags to get to 200lb, rather than 2.