According to the USDA, the average American should be able to build a nutritious, home-cooked meal plan for $9 a day or $33 a day for a family of four. But with the current price of groceries, this may seem easier said than done.
Americans can keep grocery prices in check without having to sacrifice their favorite foods or flavors. These three spud-centric recipes you can help you to eat well on $9/day. With a little planning, you can make a week’s worth of delicious, nutritious, and cost-effective meals, no matter if you are dining solo or with your family.
Why are potatoes an all-star value vegetable?
Potatoes are one of the best meal prep foods for anyone looking to build seriously satisfying meals on a budget. They hit all the major requirements to get more bang for your buck:
- For meal prepping, look for affordable pantry staples that you can buy in bulk and last for weeks. When stored properly, potatoes keep for a month!
- Focus on nutritionally dense foods that help provide a well-rounded diet. Potatoes1 are an all-star vegetable with more potassium than a medium-sized banana, 30% of your daily value of vitamin C, 26 grams of complex carbohydrates to fuel your body and brain, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of plant-based protein, 1.1 milligrams of iron, and 10% of your daily value of vitamin B6.
- Build meals with cost-effective foods at a low price per serving. For example, a 10-pound bag of potatoes can provide more than 30 servings of vegetables for just over $5.
- Buy ingredients you can use in multiple meals for the week to simplify your grocery list. Potatoes are a versatile ingredient common in breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes.
A sample week of healthy meals on $9 a day2
Potatoes USA’s Chef RJ Harvey, Director of Culinary, and Executive Sous Chef Aurora Hollenbeck are sharing their favorite potato recipes for cozy, nutritious, and affordable meals.
Start your day right with a hearty Farm Stand Breakfast Bowl for $4.70 per serving; have a power lunch with a Minestrone-Style Roasted Potato Bowl for $1.77 per serving; and cozy up for a White Bean & Potato Ground Turkey Chili dinner for $1.46 per serving. That’s a grand total of $7.93 per day!
Farm Stand Breakfast Bowl

This hearty and wholesome breakfast bowl is the perfect way to start your day, offering a delicious balance of creamy, savory, and zesty flavors.
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Minestrone-Style Roasted Potato Bowl

Tender, golden roasted potatoes create a satisfying base for a medley of sautéed vegetables—zucchini, carrots, celery, and onions, all seasoned with Italian herbs like oregano and basil—served on a bed of marinara sauce and topped with parmesan cheese.
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White Bean & Potato Ground Turkey Chili

This chili is both filling and flavorful. Chocked with ground turkey, potatoes, and white beans, it gets topped with fresh herbs or a sprinkle of cheese, to create a wholesome, balanced meal that’s sure to please.
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1. All nutritional values are for a medium (5.3 oz) skin-on potato.
2. Prices accurate as of 12/20/24. Prices are pulled from the Augusta Walmart Supercenter located at 201 Civic Center Dr, Augusta, ME, 04330. Augusta, ME, was chosen as it has the average cost of living in the United States, based on the AdvisorSmith Cost of Living Index: https://advisorsmith.com/data/coli/