Almost a round error comparatively doesn’t mean it’s 0.01%.

People used to spend ~30% of their income on mass produced basic staple foods with very little meat they cooked at home. You can live like that on like 1$/day. Median household income is over 80k today so we are talking more than an older of magnitude price reduction.

Get regular meal delivery etc and sure you can spend crazy money but it’s not really spending that money on food itself.

family of 3, never ordered delivery in my life outside of pizza once in a blue moon and eating out no more than twice per month - food bill $1,900-ish / month

That’s over 20$/day per person. All 3 of you could literally eat exclusively fast food in most of the US on that budget.

You’re not just paying for food here. One possibility is you’re talking things you buy at the grocery store here, but laundry detergent is’t food.

So what’s the actual deal here.

eating healthy… eggs are $14/dozen and all that “inflation” jazz

The article is literally about eggs being 7$/dozen, which is an egg specific price spike.

Even assuming you’re spending twice as much on eggs it just doesn’t add up to over 20$/day. Flour is 0.50$/lb, lettuce is 3$/lb, butter is 5$/lb, etc. Even a 3,000 calories per day you’re well under that.

I think the problem is more you are eating luxuriously than eating healthy.

I have a similar build, basically all adults and I am the only one who pays for food. My monthly bill is about 30 - 60% your bill. Mostly sits in the 30 - 40% range.

I don't dine out, I don't drink, and I have some lifestyle + allergy restrictions for some things, but I tend to believe those restrictions actually make it more expensive than not.

I am also not in a VHCOL, but still quite high since I'm quite close to a major hub in an expensive suburb.

That number is insane to me. I would have to go high end on every single meal to get to the same number. I don't think I debate quality all that much either. I don't feel I cheap out either generally. Food is a fair bit less than 5% of what I make annually too.

You should buy an Instant Pot and learn how to make beans.