Poll of the Day > Per calorie, potatoes are almost more expensive than fast food

(+) Yeah! (+)

Potatoes are usually $1 each. They have 100 calories each. Meaning, to get your daily calories, you would need to eat $20 per day. What the fuck? I thought they were the ultimate poverty food. What is this garbage?

Fast food, you can get a large combo, you get your fats, carbs, and protein, and it's also $1/calorie. I used to just eat one large combo from there every day and not much else.

Ramen is also expensive as fuck. A pack of 4 at my store is $10.

I need a new struggle meal where I can survive off of like $1 a day. That's what I'm looking for.

I don't think this is true. I survived on potatoes for years without going underweight.

Before the tariffs I'd get a 10lb bag of potatoes for 2-3 dollars. Grocery prices are insane right now but now they are 5 dollars for a 10lb bag. 10lb bag of potato probably holds 15 potatoes. That is way less than 1 dollar per potato even with inflated prices.

VioletZer0 posted...

I don't think this is true. I survived on potatoes for years without going underweight.

Before the tariffs I'd get a 10lb bag of potatoes for 2-3 dollars. Grocery prices are insane right now but now they are 5 dollars for a 10lb bag. 10lb bag of potato probably holds 15 potatoes. That is way less than 1 dollar per potato even with inflated prices.

They are definitely like $0.89/lb at my supermarket.

Also, you must have oiled them up with butter and grease and cheese.

The whole point of potatoes was that they had higher caloric value than many other foods. Hence the last paragraph here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato#Production

It's part of why a lot of people tend to argue that the potato being transported to Europe from the "New World" was a huge spur that helped kickstart the Industrial Revolution.

It's also the reason behind the Irish famine - once the potato was introduced, it was so much more efficient than farming prior crops that it became the staple crop, and helped grow the population beyond previous limits. So once it began suffering crop failures, there wasn't really an alternative to switch to to support the existing population.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

The whole point of potatoes was that they had higher caloric value than many other foods. Hence the last paragraph here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato#Production

It's part of why a lot of people tend to argue that the potato being transported to Europe from the "New World" was a huge spur that helped kickstart the Industrial Revolution.

It's also the reason behind the Irish famine - once the potato was introduced, it was so much more efficient than farming prior crops that it became the staple crop, and helped grow the population beyond previous limits. So once it began suffering crop failures, there wasn't really an alternative to switch to to support the existing population.

I'm going to go to my grocery store (Kroger, gyat) and find the cheapest potato.

Currently I can get a 5lb bag of russets for $2.49, so $0.50 per pound.

Ok, the cheapest potato was $0.55/lb.

That's still $10/day.

I think the potato has fallen from grace as the most economic food.

In a 10 pound bag of potatoes you can buy for 5 dollars you get 3300 calories.

Ok, a lb of potato is 350 calories. I thought it was much less

I can live off that.

Yellow posted...

Also, you must have oiled them up with butter and grease and cheese.

If you're eating the skin, you can actually survive pretty healthily off of nothing but potatoes, even without loading them up with anything. It's not a great idea and you'll likely need to supplement a few vitamins here and there, but they're one of very, very few foods that can actually form the entirety of one's diet without major issues.

This is complete bs. I JUST bought a 10lb bag of potatoes for $3.99 (it was on sale, but it was normally $7). The internet says that a 10-lb of potatoes usually has 12-15 potatoes in it.

Also, I'm in Canada, so this works out to around $2.85 USD. That's like less than a quarter per potato.

What kind of overpriced ass ramen are you getting? Like, I know that "premium" shit costs ten dollars for a four pack (it's not even that good), but Maruchan is still cheap as can be.

there ain't no way four packs of ramen are $10

no chance in fuck

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/7d6dad49.jpg

"Back in my day..." - Average Person Over 30

ConfusedTorchic posted...

there ain't no way four packs of ramen are $10

no chance in fuck

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/7d6dad49.jpg

Yeah it fucking sucks. Walmart also got rid of the cheaper brand here so I have no choice but to get that if I want ramen.

Nongshim ramen runs from $5 to $15 per 4 pack.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/0158ae34.jpg
They are almost twice as large as Top Ramen packets, and they have things like vegetable flakes and dehydrated tofu blocks.

Yellow posted...

They are definitely like $0.89/lb at my supermarket

If you are picking out single potatoes yeah, or you can get the 15 pound bag for $5.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/news/a39697/penn-jillette-weight-loss-potato-diet/

captpackrat posted...

Nongshim ramen runs from $5 to $15 per 4 pack.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/0158ae34.jpg
They are almost twice as large as Top Ramen packets, and they have things like vegetable flakes and dehydrated tofu blocks.

Yes but they're overpriced. I got a 5 pack of the veggie one for $2 since it was on clearance though.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/a99e0b32.jpg

If you're judging food simply by price and calories, you're going to gravitate towards very unhealthy foods. Might as well drink oil and buy candy by the pound.
Celery and cucumbers and stuff have extremely low calories, so those would look extremely expensive if prices were compared to calories.

captpackrat posted...

Nongshim ramen runs from $5 to $15 per 4 pack.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/0158ae34.jpg
They are almost twice as large as Top Ramen packets, and they have things like vegetable flakes and dehydrated tofu blocks.

Yeah, Nongshim is super expensive. I think it's really cool that you can find different options at even Walmart now, but they still have all the cheap options too.

But that's still incredibly overpriced for what it is. A couple vegetable flakes isn't worth a 500 percent increase in price. It's way better to just buy fresh vegetables and meats and mix them in yourself. That's how I do it.

Yeah, the only ramen at my store is expensive af. There are way better things you can eat for that price. Also too much salt, you're basically asking for health issues, and it doesn't even taste that good. Ramen gets a 3/10 in my book.

pedro45 posted...

If you're judging food simply by price and calories, you're going to gravitate towards very unhealthy foods. Might as well drink oil and buy candy by the pound.
Celery and cucumbers and stuff have extremely low calories, so those would look extremely expensive if prices were compared to calories.

Cooking oil is literally like gasoline for humans. That could keep you alive for a long time though. That's food for an emotionless robot in a human's body.

Yellow posted...

Yeah, the only ramen at my store is expensive af. There are way better things you can eat for that price. Also too much salt, you're basically asking for health issues, and it doesn't even taste that good. Ramen gets a 3/10 in my book.

Cooking oil is literally like gasoline for humans. That could keep you alive for a long time though. That's food for an emotionless robot in a human's body.

I either throw the packet away or only use some of it.

Yellow posted...

Cooking oil is literally like gasoline for humans. That could keep you alive for a long time though.

In terms of raw calories, yes. In terms of literally everything else humans need to survive, less so.