• Eggs: 99 cents per dozen, can be breakfast, lunch, dinner or hard-boiled for snacks. Eggs are $2.79 a dozen
• Canned beans, like kidneys or chick peas: 79 cents for a 16-ounce can. $1.19
• A five-pound roasting chicken ($5) could yield two dinners. For the first meal, roast with potatoes and carrots and eat half of the chicken. For the second meal, make a stir-fry with the leftover chicken and a bag of frozen mixed veggies ($1.29 for a 16-ounce bag) and serve over brown rice (99 cents for a 16-ounce bag). The 5 pound roaster costs $12.00 Potatoes are $3.00 for 4 pounds and carrots are cheap so that would be ok. The 16oz bag of mixed veggies is $2.49.
• Oatmeal costs $3.69 for a 42-ounce canister and has 30 servings. That could replace at least $7 worth of boxed cereal, and the oatmeal is more filling. $5.99
• Bananas, at 49 cents a pound, cost less than most fruits, especially those "select" peaches and nectarines at $1.99 per pound. Bananas are definitely cheaper and healthier than the sugary granola bars I send in my daughter's lunch. $.89/lb
• Texturized Veggie Protein, a lean meat substitute that's a lot like ground beef and can be added to pasta sauce or tacos, is $2.69 for 10 ounces. That is $4.28/pound if you do the math. Tell your 14 year old kid he gets 4oz of veggie protein.
A little more advice like that and we can really be poor.