Table 2.
Example of how a four-person family spending 25 % of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) budget on fruits and vegetables can satisfy Federal dietary recommendations for both food groups over 1 week
| Cup equivalents | Retail cost | Cup equivalents | Retail cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | Starchy vegetables | ||||
| Bananas | 13 | $3·69 | Potatoes | 22 | $4·33 |
| Watermelon | 13 | $2·62 | |||
| Frozen concentrated orange juice | 26 | $8·57 | Other vegetables | ||
| Cucumber, eaten with skin | 9 | $3·08 | |||
| Dark green vegetables | Green beans, canned | 9 | $3·40 | ||
| Romaine hearts | 7 | $2·31 | |||
| Beans and Peas | |||||
| Red and orange vegetables | Lentils, dry | 7 | $1·55 | ||
| Whole carrots, consumed raw | 23 | $5·51 | |||
| Total cost: | $35·06 | ||||
| Average cost per cup equivalent | $0·27 |
Family of four includes a male and a female aged 31–45 years, one child aged 10 years and one child aged 8 years. In June 2016, the household’s weekly food budget and costs to follow the TFP are assumed to have been $147.76 of which about 25 % was earmarked for fruits and vegetables. Costs of products are from the US Department of Agriculture’s Fruit and Vegetable Prices data product. Prices are 2016 average retail prices.