What do you eat?
gambling8nt: There are three primary aspects of a balanced diet to consider:
(1) starches: in my experience, rice is the cheapest per calorie, when purchased in bulk.  Other good choices in this category include pasta and barley.
(2) vegetables: getting a variety of vegetables is important in one's diet; I typically get frozen, since I can't get to a supermarket often enough to get fresh.  Note that vegetables should typically be either green or carrots to qualify; in particular, corn is a starch.
(3) protein: your body can't function without consuming several amino acids you don't produce.  My typical protein source is cheese, as this is cheaper per serving than meat.  Also in this category are beans, soy, and tofu.A typical meal where I live on the east coast (by which I mean, 80% of my lunches/dinners) consists of:
$0.30 to $0.40 of pasta (1/3 to 2/5 of a pound, dry),
$1.00 to $1.25 of vegetables (1/2 pound),
$0.60 to $0.90 of cheese (2 to 3 servings),
and occasionally seasonings.Add in milk and cereal for breakfasts, plus costs of variations on this theme and occasional extras, and my monthly food budget works out to around $160.Edited to indicate amounts associated with given costs.