# What would be the most optimal diet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209 "2013-01-06T00:27:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/1 "2013-01-06T00:27:00Z")
What should you eat to get all required nutrients for the least price? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/2 "2013-01-06T00:41:59Z")
Rice and beans are a good start - super cheap. Throw in some chicken and some frozen vegetables, maybe a multivitamin. Of course, buying what’s on sale will help. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/3 "2013-01-06T00:47:38Z")
Pumpkin pie. Grains, dairy, eggs, vegetables. That’s four food groups right there. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/4 "2013-01-06T01:55:01Z")
Let’s assume 2000 Cal per day. Make up some macronutrient balance in the range of what is recommended, maybe skew a bit higher protein and lower carb of the ranges - 25% protein (500 KCal, 125 grams); 45% carb (900 KCal, 225 grams); 30% fat (600 KCal, 67 grams). Getting the carbs is easy and cheap. Potatoes, buckwheat, brown rice, all very inexpensive. Fat is cheap. Getting fiber and micronutrients with frozen veggies and even fresh kale, collard greens, squash, carrots, etc. is pretty dang cheap. How to get quality protein the cheapest is the question. Lentils, beans, etc. average 6 to 9 grams of protein/100 KCal with 17 to 18 grams of protein/100 KCal. Damn cheap. 1 cup of black beans (662 KCal, 42grams protein, 121 grams carb, negligible fat) is less than 50 cents (bought dried). Mix in with other protein sources to off set its being an incomplete protein by itself. Greek yogurt can be had for $4 a 4 cup tub and each cup ($1 worth) has 23 grams of quality protein. Not as cheap of a protein source as the beans but not bad. 6 oz of chicken breast, roasted, meat only, has 56 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat, no carbs, and 276 KCal. It can be found on sale at under $2/lb, so serving costing under 70 cents gives you complete protein for about the same cost as the protein in the beans and with many fewer calories and fewer carbs. So yeah, beans and other legumes, cheap but high nutritional value veggies (and frozen is just as nutritious and usually cheaper), a serving of chicken a day, a bit of grain or rice or potato, some yogurt for variety with maybe some bulk cereal added in, and pretty dang cheap, under $2/day, very nutritious living. ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/5 "2013-01-06T02:05:21Z")
One thing if you want to mix in some beef/pork from time to time - be sure to check out the section of the meat department that has “marked down” items - usually due to “expire” within 2-3 days but still good. If you buy on an “as needed” basis (I’ll stop by and get something to fix that night) you can save a ton that way. Chicken is great but every once in awhile you need some of the red stuff to satisfy that craving. Also, the freezer is your friend - buy anything in bulk and package/freeze it and you can make a buck go a long way. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/6 "2013-01-06T02:52:59Z")
Thanks for great posts but I will point out that you guys are forgetting the cost of preparing the meal (electricity and/or gas, also we can safely assume that time got it’s value too…). ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/7 "2013-01-06T02:59:44Z")
Eggs are a good source of protein b vitamins and choline. They last for weeks after the best before date, so do not hesitate to buy them on clearance ---
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/8 "2013-01-06T03:02:15Z")
OK, the thing with time makes it a bit complex, so lets just assume you have a busy life/don’t like to cook - can only spend an hour on it daily. So, obviously food you can eat straight from the store has an advantage… Also I would like to point out it’s only a hypothetical question, it’s not like I am broke or something… ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/9 "2013-01-06T03:04:38Z")
Your requirements are somewhat contradictory. Food made from scratch is going to be less costly in terms of money but more costly (than prepared food from the supermarket) in terms of time. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/10 "2013-01-06T03:40:17Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Pumpkin pie. Grains, dairy, eggs, vegetables. That’s four food groups right there. But are they really the bestest foods of all? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/11 "2013-01-06T14:05:13Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > Thanks for great posts but I will point out that you guys are forgetting the cost of preparing the meal (electricity and/or gas, also we can safely assume that time got it’s value too…). The fuel costs of preparing a meal are negligible, certainly less than driving to McD’s. The time cost to make something edible from those basic ingredients is not much more than convenience foods, albeit one might need to plan some: leave beans to soak overnight, put them up in a crockpot in the morning before you go to work. Actual time involved doing something, certainly _well less_ than an hour daily. Really going to the store and buying something already made takes more time. Now if you want better tasting food with a greater variety of flavors you are going to need invest more time and intellectual capital at least and maybe a few pennies more. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/12 "2013-01-06T17:45:41Z")
You can live just fine on nothing but potatoes with a little milk or butter. [The Value of Whole Potato in Human Nutrition](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1252113/pdf/biochemj01140-0284.pdf) (small PDF) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/13 "2013-01-06T18:45:56Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Your requirements are somewhat contradictory. Food made from scratch is going to be less costly in terms of money but more costly (than prepared food from the supermarket) in terms of time. Cheap. Nutritious. Fast. You can pick two. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/14 "2013-01-06T19:17:34Z")
Making food assumes the use of a kitchen. If you are homeless, the best thing going is McD’s value menu–burgers, fries, apple pies and milk provide the basic nutrients. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/15 "2013-01-06T19:22:24Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Cheap. Nutritious. Fast. > > You can pick two. Perhaps that used to be true, but then God invented the crockpot. ---
**Author:** ![romadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@romadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romadea)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/16 "2013-01-07T04:45:24Z")
You just wander around orchards, hunting small animals and eating tree fruits. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/17 "2013-01-07T05:47:05Z")
[Road kill](http://www.amazon.com/Original-Road-Kill-Cookbook/dp/0898152003). To save money, just eat it off the road. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/18 "2013-01-07T08:32:04Z")
> [@romadea](#): > > You just wander around orchards, hunting small animals and eating tree fruits. And adopt a nomadic lifestyle because a lot of us here are in a cold-ish temperate climate where fruit and small animals aren’t available year-round. Or, of course, you go above the Arctic Circle and learn to love eating the fat and the gut contents of the animals you kill. (Going above an [Arctic Circle franchisee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Circle_Restaurants) might be more feasible.) ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/19 "2013-01-07T16:54:02Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Perhaps that used to be true, but then God invented the crockpot. And the rice cooker. Roger Ebert [clued me in](http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/11/the_pot_and_how_to_use_it.html) to the versatility of the rice cooker. I use mine to cook rice, beans, oatmeal, steam vegetables, make soups and stews, etc. It is truly set-it-and-forget-it cooking. For example, if I know that my corn on the cob needs 8.5 minutes of steam, I just set it to that number and walk away. The timer doesn’t start until the water’s boiling and it chimes when it’s done. I love my crock pot and my microwave but it I could only have one appliance, it would be [my rice cooker](http://www.aroma-housewares.com/kitchen/appliances/ARC-996SB.html). ---
**Author:** ![romadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@romadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romadea)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209/20 "2013-01-07T20:27:41Z")
Wow, I’ve been thinking about getting a rice cooker forever but it seemed so frivolous to buy a whole appliance that only cooks one thing. Thanks for the tip!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-most-optimal-diet/646209.md?page=2)