Here’s the thing: I’m pretty good at preparing healthy meals on a budget — I’m the sort who used to buy dried milk and make yogurt when I was really broke. But a lettuce salad simply won’t fill you up the way cheap crap well. Rice, hotdogs, macaroni— there’s a reason people buy that instead of lettuce and an onion. If they’re lucky they can afford to eat salad AND sone spaghetti. But only if they’re lucky.