It's much, much cheaper to buy rice, beans, corn, potatoes, and pasta and supplement with cheap proteins (eggs, chicken) and cheap fresh fruits and veggies (melons, bananas, apples, cabbage, carrots; see the list starting on page 34 of http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB71/EIB71.pdf ) Page 36 of the same report shows how an adult on a 2000 calorie diet can meet their recommended fruit and veggie intake for about $2 per day, with a pretty good variety (including some expensive options like strawberries.) This is more or less how I eat, and I'm just above the poverty line.