I don't think it's a fair comparison to compare high-carb processed food/eating out to homecooked low-carb.

Homecooked is cheaper, period. And frankly, there is *nothing* as cheap for food as bread you make yourself from wheat berries you grind yourself. I could make freshly-ground, whole grain bread for pennies a loaf - way better than anything one can buy in the store.

Low-carb does cost more. I have a freezer and buy meat in bulk. I garden and raise most of my veggies, canning, freezing and dehydrating for off-season use. I used to raise chickens for meat and eggs, but life doesn't allow that right now. I have a huge pantry and buy almost everything only when it's on sale in case lots. Still, meat and cheese cost more than rice and beans - sales or not. Rice and beans are dead cheap food.

There is no low-carb meal I can make that as cheaply as pancakes made from freshly-ground wheat berries. Even with real maple syrup, I could feed 10 folks for under a couple bucks until they were stuffed.

There's few foods as cheap as a big pot of dried beans with a skillet of cornbread, or a pot of beans served over brown rice.

And there's *nothing* as cheap as a ten pound bag of potatoes for feeding people when you're broke - you can get a ten pound bag for less than a large order of fries at McD's.

I am currently spending around $500-600/month for 2 people, having switched us to all organic products and pasture-raised meat and dairy. Prior to that switch, I could do it for $300-400. But if potatoes, wheat berries, brown rice and beans were staples, I could easily feed us for $100-200/month - no problem.

Course, the downside is we'd be eating $100-200 worth of nutrition per month - and the health costs of that can be astronomical. Price a heart bypass sometime... or monthly costs of insulin, syringes and testing strips. Even the most expensive food is darned cheap compared to the cost of poor nutrition.