Flavor does not matter, presentation does not matter but the food shouldn’t make you sick, and should ideally have enough calories per day for the average person to survive (2000 kcal min).
Edit: I am not in any danger of starving or malnutrition, nor am I insolvent. I’m mainly asking this question out of curiosity on how people would approach a solution :)
I think we’re thinking of the same seller - mine was 24 pack for ~$70. I do have a high tolerance for mundane foods and food preparation (was taught to not be picky and just make sure to eat balanced meals), so I wasn’t too glum when eating the MREs. It actually was nice to break them down and throw them into my lunchbox to eat between classes.
No luck with Chef Store unfortunately.
Look also for Grocery Outlet, Costco, and places like that. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=canned+foods+surplus looks interesting. There was once an actual store chain called “canned foods surplus” (there was one near my school) but I guess it’s gone now. The other hits from that search look promising.
I think as screwed up as the US currently is, there aren’t actual food shortages in most places, so you can get by one way or another.
The US is capable of self-sustaining food production, and I live in a state that produces a large portion of the overall nation’s food. I don’t think we’re in any danger of shortages in that regard at all.
Remember, I’m fine. I made this thread for curiosity, not necessity. I figured it’d be a good idea to try to think of ways to eat healthy on a budget to save money, but if I have to buy more than the minimum I can (and likely will).
I did find a Costco nearby to the campus, but I don’t have a membership card. There is a local grocery store though, and my roommates and I buy stuff as needed.
If you believe me, I bought the MREs as a reserve for the apartment (inspection dates were good and they were cheap enough to justify the purchase over alternatives), and I do enjoy them from time to time.
I’ve found Costco membership to be worth it, ymmv. If you have family at the same address (or maybe your non-campus address) you can put two people on single membership. That helps too.