When looking to maximize calorie intake on a budget, the type of food consumed makes all the difference. Some foods provide more calories per dollar than others, allowing you to stretch your grocery dollars further. Focusing spending on products that offer the most calories per serving is the key to affordable healthy eating.
The Cheapest Sources of Calories
The most cost-effective sources of calories are often pantry staples and foods that provide energy in an inexpensive, concentrated form. Here are some of the cheapest sources of calories:
- Rice
- Pasta
- Bread
- Potatoes
- Beans
- Peanut butter
- Vegetable oils
- Sugar
Grains like rice, pasta, and bread provide a high number of calories for a low cost. Starchy vegetables like potatoes are also an affordable and versatile source of energy. Legumes such as beans and lentils offer protein in addition to calories. Oils, peanut butter, and other nut butters deliver concentrated calories along with healthy fats. Sugar, while not particularly nutrient-dense, is one of the cheapest ways to obtain calories.
Why Are These Foods So Calorie-Dense?
The foods mentioned above are calorie-dense for a few key reasons:
- They contain large amounts of carbohydrates and/or fats, which provide 4 calories per gram.
- They often have low water content, allowing more calories to be packed into a smaller serving size.
- They are affordable, non-perishable staple foods.
- Modern agricultural practices optimize crop yields, resulting in more calories grown per acre.
Carbohydrate-rich grains and starchy vegetables have a high ratio of carbs to water. Similarly oils are nearly pure fat, giving them a very concentrated calorie count. The inexpensive nature of staple crops like grains makes them an ideal source of calories worldwide.
Calculating Calories Per Dollar
To compare which foods truly offer the lowest cost per calorie, the number of calories a food contains must be divided by its price. Here is an example calculation:
A 5lb bag of rice contains about 10,000 calories and costs $3.
10,000 calories / $3 = 3,333 calories per dollar
This shows that rice provides 3,333 calories for every dollar spent, making it extremely cost-effective. The same math can be done for any food to determine its calorie bargain potential.
Most Affordable Foods by Calorie Count
When analyzing various foods by their cost per calorie, some clear winners emerge:
| Food | Calories | Average Cost | Calories per Dollar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flour (5lbs) | 13,500 | $2 | 6,750 |
| Dry pasta (1lb) | 1,560 | $1 | 1,560 |
| Rice (5lbs) | 10,000 | $3 | 3,333 |
| Oats (5lbs) | 11,000 | $4 | 2,750 |
| Beans (1lb) | 1,250 | $1 | 1,250 |
| Vegetable oil (1 gallon) | 15,000 | $3 | 5,000 |
| Sugar (5lbs) | 7,750 | $4 | 1,938 |
| Bananas (1lb) | 400 | $1 | 400 |
Grains such as flour, pasta, rice, and oats provide the highest number of calories per dollar. Beans are also an excellent source of affordable protein and calories. Oils offer unmatched calorie density, delivering thousands of calories per bottle. Produce like bananas offer important nutrients, but far less energy per dollar.
Buying in Bulk Maximizes Value
Another factor that reduces the cost per calorie for many foods is buying in bulk quantities. For example:
- A 1lb bag of rice contains about 2,000 calories for $1.
- A 20lb bag contains 40,000 calories for $8.
Per pound the 20lb bag is clearly the better deal. This holds true for most grains, dry goods, and other non-perishable items. The more you buy at once, the less you pay per calorie. Buying large bags of rice, flour, oats, pasta, beans and other staples is prudent when trying to maximize calories per dollar.
Leveraging Sales and Store Brands
Watching for sales and discounts can further increase affordability. Store brands for foods like pasta, rice, sugar and oils often have just a fraction of the cost for the same number of calories. Monitoring weekly circulars and stocking up during sales leads to the best deals.
Factor Nutrition Into the Bargain
While the foods mentioned so far offer plenty of affordable calories, nutrition is also an important factor. Here are some ways to ensure a nutrient-dense diet on a budget:
- Build meals around inexpensive staple carbohydrates
- Add beans for fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals
- Buy inexpensive produce like bananas, potatoes, carrots and onions
- Choose nutritious oils like olive and canola oil
- Use dairy products like milk, yogurt and eggs for additional nutrients
- Take a daily multivitamin to fill any nutritional gaps
As long as you get adequate nutrition through smart planning, calories from starchy staples, beans, and healthy oils can meet your energy needs without breaking the bank.
Navigating Potential Pitfalls
Maximizing calories per dollar does come with a few cautions:
- Focus on nutrition variety, not just cheap calories.
- Consult a doctor if pursuing rapid weight gain.
- Avoid binging on empty calories.
- Engage in regular physical activity.
- Moderation and portion control are still key.
An extremely cheap but nutritionally inadequate diet could lead to health issues. Additionally those looking to gain weight rapidly should do so under medical supervision. While these affordable foods provide energy, eating too much of anything can lead to unwanted weight gain. An active lifestyle ensures those extra calories are put to good use.
Sample Meal Plan and Grocery List
Here is an example of how to plan inexpensive, high calorie meals for a day:
Breakfast
- Oatmeal made with milk, topped with banana
- Scrambled eggs
- Glass of orange juice
Lunch
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread
- Carrot sticks
- Yogurt
Dinner
- Pasta with tomato sauce and ground turkey
- Tossed salad
- Glass of milk
Snacks
- Trail mix
- Apple with peanut butter
- Protein bar
This sample menu relies heavily on calorie-dense ingredients like whole grains, legumes, milk, eggs, yogurt, juice, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils. Shopping for those items in bulk and watching for sales can make meeting higher calorie needs very affordable.
Grocery List
- Oats
- Milk
- Eggs
- Orange juice
- Peanut butter
- Jelly
- Whole wheat bread
- Carrots
- Yogurt
- Pasta
- Canned tomato sauce
- Ground turkey
- Salad greens
- Trail mix
- Apples
- Protein bars
Following these types of meal plans and shopping lists can help achieve maximum calories and nutrition for minimal cost.
Conclusion
Finding affordable sources of calories involves focusing on inexpensive, non-perishable staple foods that offer nutritional bang for your buck. Rice, beans, pasta, flour, oats, peanut butter, oils, and potatoes provide plentiful energy for very little money. Buying in bulk quantities, sticking to store brands, and shopping sales can further increase savings. While calories are important, be sure to round out your diet with fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, dairy, and other wholesome foods to obtain a full spectrum of nutrients. With some savvy meal planning and grocery shopping, it is possible to meet all your calorie needs, even on a tight budget.
