Let’s say $2 for 8 bananas vs $2 cheeseburger
Assuming normal size bananas, that’s about 800 cal worth of banana. From what I can tell about that cheeseburger, 415 cal per serving. So banana almost twice as good?
Not quite. Those 8 bananas are pure carbohydrate. You’re gonna digest those very quickly, and you’d still need a source for protein + fat, both of which you need to not die.
The shittiest cheeseburger, on the other hand, has tons of fat and a decent hit of protein. Way slower to digest. Also way easier to do stuff after eating. Eating that many bananas is a rough deal
10/10 times in severe poverty, I’d save up for for the cheeseburger.
I say though, the banana is still a very good additional carb source on a tight budget when combined with other foods. I ate, and will continue to eat, a boatload of bananas.
Food is something already solved in US. I think more expenses come from other sources: housing, medicine, transportation.
I lived on 500€/month for several years with only a microwave oven, and if your BMI is between 20 and 25, you can just eat canned vegetables at 0.50€ half of the time and be healthy.
I can't eat green beans anymore though.
If you're saving your money, why not go for the classic student combo of home brand bread, peanut butter and milk?
Just under 10,000 cal of diverse macronutrients for A$7.50 at Aldi, no cooking or significant prep required (cheeseburger equivalent would be closer to $50).
Get yourself those 8 bananas for $2 extra (realistically it'd probably be 5 big ones, though) and you'll get enough fibre to actually feel good too.
When I was very poor a friend of mine gave me a crockpot that got dented in shipping and Amazon sent a replacement. Throw some pinto beans in it in the morning and fire up the rice cooker (bought with an Amazon gift card from my sister for Christmas) when I got home and have the perfect cheap meal[0].
Once I figured out I could make cornbread in the rice cooker it was all over, $1.49 Jiffy cornbread box (think it needed an egg and maybe milk too so not all the time) with some beans thrown on top and I was in heaven.
Or sometimes I’d just make a giant pancake in the rice cooker which was also pretty awesome.
Beans are great, but require time to cook that not everyone has, especially when very poor. They also cost money to cook, require a kitchen, time to clean dishes, a place to store em if cooked in bulk, etc.
Bananas though