$3 Dinner: Reporters Found Meals Close to That Price

The U.S. Agriculture Department said it ran simulations showing about $3 a meal meeting its dietary guidelines; Wall Street Journal reporters found examples in Boston and New Orleans that came in around $2.39 to $2.96, though portions were modest.

The Agriculture Department said it simulated thousands of meal combinations that meet the new dietary guidelines and cost roughly $10 a day, or about $3 per meal. The department described an example meal as 3 ounces of chicken, a cup of vegetables, a tortilla and a dairy item. Grocery prices remain elevated overall, and the department’s estimate does not fully account for regional differences, shopping time or preparation needs. Reporters from the Wall Street Journal shopped in Boston and New Orleans to test the government’s example. What was found: - The USDA spokesman said many combinations met the $10-a-day threshold, with an example of 3 ounces cooked chicken, a cup of vegetables, a tortilla and a dairy item. - In Boston, parceling out 4 uncooked ounces of boneless skinless chicken, a cup of store-brand frozen broccoli and a flour tortilla cost about $2.61; adding one ounce of store-brand cheddar brought the meal to $2.96, while buying all the ingredients at the store totaled nearly $26. - At a Rouses Market in New Orleans, four uncooked ounces of frozen chicken added about $1.10, a white corn tortilla was under 10 cents, a cup of frozen broccoli and a glass of milk brought a sample meal to about $2.39; a small pudding cup could be added for about 31 cents and the full grocery haul cost about $19.99. - National retail prices reported by the Labor Department showed a pound of chicken breast near $4.15 and cheddar near $5.79, little changed from a year earlier, while retail beef prices were up about 16% in December. - Experts and some shoppers noted limitations: a food economist said the simulations are abstract and may not translate well to all households, and a grocery worker who travels between stores said the idea of a $3 meal can seem unrealistic in practice. Summary: Reporters were able to assemble small meals near the government’s cited price in specific stores, but those meals were fairly modest and the wider feasibility varies by location, shopping choices and preparation. Undetermined at this time.