Now maybe I'm missing some cultural context for the price of produce in the US but for €5 per person here in Ireland I could make an absolute feast. Say I make a ragu for 4-5 people, here's what my shopping list might look like (checking prices on tesco.ie):
- Pasta 500g (€0.65)
- Ground pork 400g (€3.50)
- Bag of onions 1kg (€0.60)
- 4 bulbs of garlic (€0.80)
- Bag of carrots 500g (€0.60)
- Celery 450G (€0.79)
- Tinned Tomatos (€0.45)
So for €7.39 I could feed 4-5 people and have most of the onions, garlic and celery left over for another dish.
If I had the budget to get 5 people Taco Bell at €5 a head, I could cook that recipe twice over and have enough left over to buy a half-decent bottle of wine.
I know scale changes if you live on your own say, but that's when you save stuff for lunches, make smaller recipes etc. And I live in one of the highest cost-of-living countries in the EU - is the situation really so dire in much of the US as to be drastically different?
* Onions: $1.59 for 2lb
* Carrots: $0.89 for 2lb
* Garlic: $1.89 for 5 heads
* Celery: $3.09 for a bunch (~1lb)
The carrots are cheaper, and everything else is more expensive but mostly the celery. This "basket" of fresh vegetables is $6.67 vs €2.79 (2.4x). Exclude the celery and it's $3.55 vs €2.00 (1.8x)
Cooking is a financial commitment.
I'll also say the first recipe I found suggested 1kg of pork to go with that much pasta and vegetables.
Once you have a decent set up and pantry, it's not bad. But if you need 5 spices to try a recipe, you're looking at at least a $15 home cooked meal. For one person.
Buying hotdogs, buns, and soda in bulk will probably cost ~$1.25 per meal, if not less. You can freeze the dogs and buns; the latter will still taste great after a light toasting.
$5 for a few minutes of effort vs spending slightly less for usually at least half an hour to an hour when off hours during the work week are at a premium can make that extra spend very attractive, especially if they're single
Rice and beans make a complete protein. You're writing as if people are getting less protein than they expected, but the inclusion of beans means they're probably not.
Maybe, you know, chicken isn't the only thing in my freezer.
And my objection to your comment is I think pretty universally applicable.
I don't think that's the case.
When a person can have an entire dinner meal at Taco Bell for less than $5, or jumbo hot dog + drink at Costco for $1.25 ... cooking at home is definitely more expensive.
https://www.tacobell.com/food