This is Intern Josh’s study. When offered to write the article, he chose to study more restaurants Calories Per Dollar. His thirst for grinding excel data is unmatched.
Our cutoff was ~3 minutes or less of effort. This was Credit to Sam K. for the specific recommendation “ready” or “heat and eat”.
Metrics for qualifications:
The goal was to disqualify empty carbs like poptarts and drinking oil.
Click Column Names to Sort
| Item | Calories Per Dollar | Protein Per Dollar | Cost If Eaten All Year | Calories Per Protein | Before Tax Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissin Souper Meal Chicken Flavor | 2240 | 48.0 | $326 | 47 | 0.25 |
| Maruchan Ramen Chicken Flavor | 2111 | 44.4 | $346 | 48 | 0.18 |
| Maruchan Spicy Chicken | 944 | 22.2 | $773 | 43 | 0.54 |
| Tina’s Red Hot Beef Burrito | 895 | 23.7 | $816 | 38 | 0.38 |
| Patio Beef & Bean Burrito | 840 | 20.0 | $869 | 42 | 0.5 |
| Classic Corndogs | 699 | 14.0 | $1,045 | 50 | 4.58 |
| Great Value Pepperoni Pizza | 629 | 25.2 | $1,160 | 25 | 2.78 |
| Pow Mac & Cheese | 614 | 33.9 | $1,188 | 18 | 1.18 |
| Toaster Strudel Strawberry | 558 | 6.2 | $1,308 | 90 | 3.87 |
| Campbell’s Cream Of Mushroom Soup | 550 | 10.0 | $1,327 | 55 | 0.5 |
| Drive Thru Jumbo Cheeseburger (Pierre) | 539 | 20.8 | $1,354 | 26 | 1.54 |
| Chef Boyardee | 523 | 20.5 | $1,397 | 26 | 0.88 |
| Tina’s Red Hot Beef Burrito With Salsa Con Queso | 492 | 16.4 | $1,483 | 30 | 1.28 |
| Tinas Beef And Bean Burrito With Salsa Con Queso | 492 | 16.4 | $1,483 | 30 | 1.28 |
| Great Value Sausage Egg &Cheese Buscuit | 487 | 15.4 | $1,498 | 32 | 3.12 |
| Pizza Rolls Pepperoni Pizza | 469 | 13.4 | $1,557 | 35 | 8.96 |
| Shells & Cheese Gluten Free | 451 | 10.7 | $1,619 | 42 | 2.24 |
| Wild Mike’s Ultimate Pizza | 446 | 26.5 | $1,637 | 17 | 5.74 |
| Eggo Cinnamon Toast | 439 | 7.6 | $1,661 | 58 | 1.98 |
| Tina’s Smothered Burrito | 438 | 13.3 | $1,669 | 33 | 1.28 |
| Banquet Sweet And Sour Chicken | 438 | 11.5 | $1,669 | 38 | 0.96 |
| Great Value Spaghetti Rings | 435 | 12.9 | $1,676 | 34 | 0.62 |
| Lipton Extra Noodle Soup | 407 | 15.3 | $1,795 | 27 | 1.18 |
| Hot Pockets Pepperoni Pizza | 397 | 12.0 | $1,840 | 33 | 9.98 |
| SpaghettiOs | 388 | 9.2 | $1,883 | 42 | 0.98 |
| Banquet Swedish Meatballs | 385 | 16.7 | $1,894 | 23 | 0.96 |
| Great Value Mac& Cheese | 324 | 14.4 | $2,250 | 23 | 1.88 |
| Hot Pockets Bacon Egg Chese | 320 | 12.0 | $2,281 | 27 | 5 |
| Kid Cuisine Mini Corn Dog | 282 | 6.9 | $2,592 | 41 | 1.74 |
| Michelina’s Lasagna | 276 | 13.3 | $2,650 | 21 | 0.98 |
| Mambo Italian Pepperoni Meatball Pizza | 268 | 10.9 | $2,728 | 25 | 5.98 |
| El Charrito Chicken Taquitos | 258 | 11.6 | $2,832 | 22 | 3.88 |
| Great Value Meatlovers Lasagna | 255 | 13.3 | $2,859 | 19 | 1.88 |
| Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bites | 252 | 4.2 | $2,897 | 60 | 5 |
| Microwave Rice Pasta & Cheddar | 246 | 6.4 | $2,971 | 38 | 4.68 |
| Bagel Bites Cheese And Pepperoni | 238 | 7.9 | $3,067 | 30 | 3.97 |
| Cole’S Salty Pretzel Middles | 237 | 8.4 | $3,080 | 28 | 3.27 |
| 505 Cheese Chicken Chalona | 231 | 9.9 | $3,158 | 23 | 2.12 |
| Tina’s Loaded Burrito | 227 | 9.6 | $3,212 | 24 | 1.98 |
| Tai Pei Sweet And Sour | 226 | 9.1 | $3,231 | 25 | 2.08 |
| Kellogs Egg Breakfast Sandwich | 217 | 8.9 | $3,359 | 25 | 9.94 |
| Zatarains Chicken Alfredo | 209 | 9.0 | $3,493 | 23 | 2.44 |
| White Castle Hamburgers | 209 | 9.3 | $3,497 | 23 | 3.88 |
| Digiorno Cheese Stuffed Pepperoni | 208 | 10.1 | $3,504 | 21 | 7.44 |
| Prego 3 Cheese Alfredo | 191 | 6.7 | $3,828 | 28 | 1.94 |
| Kahiki | 188 | 6.7 | $3,884 | 28 | 2.82 |
| Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowl Meatlovers | 187 | 9.8 | $3,904 | 19 | 2.46 |
| Great Value Orange Chicken | 186 | 6.4 | $3,921 | 29 | 1.88 |
| Idahon Cheddar Broccoli Potato Soup | 177 | 3.8 | $4,119 | 47 | 1.58 |
| Compleats Chicken Alfredo | 177 | 8.1 | $4,130 | 22 | 1.98 |
| Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowl Sausage | 169 | 8.1 | $4,310 | 21 | 2.48 |
| Weight Watchers Traditional Lasagna With Meat Sauce | 165 | 8.0 | $4,424 | 21 | 2 |
| Barilla Sausage And Tomato Rotini | 165 | 7.0 | $4,424 | 24 | 2 |
| Campbell’s Creamy Broccoli | 160 | 2.0 | $4,563 | 80 | 1 |
| Compleats Chicken Alfredo | 158 | 7.6 | $4,612 | 21 | 2.78 |
| Smart Ones | 155 | 7.0 | $4,710 | 22 | 2 |
| Compleats Salisbury Steak | 152 | 7.1 | $4,818 | 21 | 1.98 |
| Velveeta Cheese Bowl Bacon Mac And Cheese | 149 | 7.0 | $4,895 | 21 | 2.28 |
| Great Value Chicken Noodle Soup | 145 | 10.1 | $5,037 | 14 | 1.38 |
| Campbell’s Beef And Barley Soup | 135 | 5.1 | $5,402 | 27 | 1.48 |
| Lean Cuisine, Sesame Chicken | 132 | 4.8 | $5,530 | 28 | 2.5 |
| Kraft Mac And Cheese With Chicken And Beef Meatballs | 129 | 5.4 | $5,637 | 24 | 2.78 |
| Evol Truffle Parmesan | 129 | 4.3 | $5,645 | 30 | 3.48 |
| Campbell’s Santa Fe Chicken | 128 | 6.4 | $5,725 | 20 | 2.98 |
| Atkins, Orange Chicken | 125 | 8.2 | $5,840 | 15 | 3.28 |
| Amy Kale Bake | 124 | 4.7 | $5,886 | 27 | 3.87 |
| Lean Cuisine, Orange Chicken | 124 | 5.6 | $5,887 | 22 | 2.5 |
| Sonoma Flat Bread Pepperoni Pizza | 123 | 4.9 | $5,913 | 25 | 6.48 |
| Atkins, Chicken Margherita | 122 | 8.5 | $5,986 | 14 | 3.28 |
| Amy’s Chinese Noodles & Veggies | 122 | 3.6 | $5,992 | 34 | 3.94 |
| Sam’s Burrito Bowl Beef Barbacoa | 121 | 5.0 | $6,038 | 24 | 3.97 |
| Classic Meat Loaf | 120 | 6.0 | $6,083 | 20 | 2.5 |
| Sam’s Ramen With Chicken | 108 | 5.7 | $6,785 | 19 | 9.48 |
| Sweet Eart Breakfast Burrito | 104 | 6.1 | $6,998 | 17 | 2.78 |
| Atkin Sausage Scramble | 104 | 6.1 | $7,042 | 17 | 3.28 |
| Powerbowl, Pork Bowl | 98 | 5.7 | $7,472 | 17 | 3.48 |
| Powerbowl, Chicken Sausage & Barley | 98 | 4.6 | $7,472 | 21 | 3.48 |
| Beef & Broccoli | 94 | 7.4 | $7,743 | 13 | 2.97 |
| Coconut Shrimp Tempura | 92 | 2.7 | $7,930 | 34 | 5.54 |
| Atkin Beet Merlot | 91 | 6.1 | $7,981 | 15 | 3.28 |
| Kung Pao Chicken | 91 | 7.1 | $8,030 | 13 | 2.97 |
| Atkins Chicken & Broccoli | 88 | 7.6 | $8,257 | 12 | 3.28 |
| Spicy Crab Roll | 87 | 3.2 | $8,425 | 27 | 5.54 |
| Chana Masala | 84 | 3.0 | $8,672 | 28 | 2.97 |
| Beetnik Shepherds Pie | 70 | 3.6 | $10,429 | 19 | 5 |
| Shrimp Alfredo | 48 | 2.0 | $15,148 | 24 | 4.98 |
Ramen really does crush the competition. And yes, Lots of Sodium. This is data, use it to benefit you. This could mean supplementing life with an occasional Ramen snack when you are exhausted. This also could mean not using the entire packet. Or, you don’t believe that sodium is terrible and this is the most dangerous article we’ve released since Caffeine Per Dollar.
Frozen burritos, Frozen Corndogs, and Frozen Pizza topped the list. Keep an eye on the price, as some brands are expensive. Lowest cost items are easily 2x better Calories Per Dollar than most brands.
We aim to eat meals around 700 Calories Per Dollar, ~40g Protein Per Dollar, and include many top nutrient per dollar items.
Since this discovery, Ramen has been consumed fairly often. Bonus that we add 1 egg into the boiling Ramen water while the noodles are being added. Eggs are fantastic Protein Per Dollar.