Okay, after reading some, I think my gut instinct was spot on. Beans are going to be the staple, and some rice as well. There is a great post in here about how to cook beans to remove a lot of the stuff that makes them objectionable in a diet:
http://nerdfitnessrebellion.com/ind...-a-carb-party-and-a-couple-of-other-concerns/
There is a book called Thrive Foods that has some suggestions, though he is actually all about raw vegan. However I think the food suggestions hold.
Berries are kinda pricey, though strawberries are in season so frequently on sale dirt cheap here. Frozen fruits and veggies are okay, just make sure they aren't processed and packaged in bad stuff (HFCS is the big one. Seriously IN EVERYTHING.) Blocks of frozen spinach (the store brand) are pretty affordable here and are often on sale for $1. Pumpkin seeds, obviously since it's raw he's talking about pepitas... if you can buy these in bulk they aren't too pricey, and I like to snack on them some - also use them along with flax seed as "cereal" with berries. Bananas... if you don't object to a brown banana, try to find a grocery store that sells their ripe bananas cheaper than the usual. It's all I ever buy anymore, I never buy yellow or green-tipped bananas. Always ripe because they are cheaper (and I like a ripe banana anyway.) One grocery store here has a discount produce rack that I will raid and have gotten some just fine produce that is ripe, but I bring it home and either use it immediately or chop/slice it and freeze it for use in a few days.
Missing from that list is sweet potatoes and I think you should keep those in the diet. Also avocados. If you have an Aldi nearby I think their avocados are typically $1 per.
Really, I think you're looking at shopping in bulk. Beans in bulk, rice in bulk, nuts and seeds in bulk. It's Farmer's Market season and sometimes you can get good deals on produce at the Farmer's Market, so try checking those out too. Stalk sales. Buy whatever is on sale. USE whatever you buy. Don't waste food. That's the big thing... a lot of people get produce and then don't even eat it so it goes bad and they have to throw it out. If you have money to just throw in the trash please send it to me instead, I could use it! So whatever you buy, use. Don't overbuy unless you're planning on freezing it.
More blogs that might be helpful for ideas of what to eat:
http://www.nomeatathlete.com/
http://www.thefirstmess.com/
http://thestonesoup.com/blog/
http://www.runningtothekitchen.com/
http://www.thegardengrazer.com/
http://www.whatrunslori.com/
I hope that helps some. It's tough when you're on a tight budget. I would say on the weeks you have a bit extra, buy something in bulk or something you can freeze so you can stockpile it away for later. I have about one week every few months where I spend $40 buying a bunch of bulk stuff, but it lasts a few months too, so it's not that bad. Doesn't make that particular grocery store visit any more pleasant though LOL.
$20 a week is about what I spend normally. But I do eat dairy (cheese!) and meat. Most of that goes to meat. If I had to sustain without meat, I think I'd go back to eating more rice for sure.
http://nerdfitnessrebellion.com/ind...-a-carb-party-and-a-couple-of-other-concerns/
There is a book called Thrive Foods that has some suggestions, though he is actually all about raw vegan. However I think the food suggestions hold.
Berries are kinda pricey, though strawberries are in season so frequently on sale dirt cheap here. Frozen fruits and veggies are okay, just make sure they aren't processed and packaged in bad stuff (HFCS is the big one. Seriously IN EVERYTHING.) Blocks of frozen spinach (the store brand) are pretty affordable here and are often on sale for $1. Pumpkin seeds, obviously since it's raw he's talking about pepitas... if you can buy these in bulk they aren't too pricey, and I like to snack on them some - also use them along with flax seed as "cereal" with berries. Bananas... if you don't object to a brown banana, try to find a grocery store that sells their ripe bananas cheaper than the usual. It's all I ever buy anymore, I never buy yellow or green-tipped bananas. Always ripe because they are cheaper (and I like a ripe banana anyway.) One grocery store here has a discount produce rack that I will raid and have gotten some just fine produce that is ripe, but I bring it home and either use it immediately or chop/slice it and freeze it for use in a few days.
Missing from that list is sweet potatoes and I think you should keep those in the diet. Also avocados. If you have an Aldi nearby I think their avocados are typically $1 per.
Really, I think you're looking at shopping in bulk. Beans in bulk, rice in bulk, nuts and seeds in bulk. It's Farmer's Market season and sometimes you can get good deals on produce at the Farmer's Market, so try checking those out too. Stalk sales. Buy whatever is on sale. USE whatever you buy. Don't waste food. That's the big thing... a lot of people get produce and then don't even eat it so it goes bad and they have to throw it out. If you have money to just throw in the trash please send it to me instead, I could use it! So whatever you buy, use. Don't overbuy unless you're planning on freezing it.
More blogs that might be helpful for ideas of what to eat:
http://www.nomeatathlete.com/
http://www.thefirstmess.com/
http://thestonesoup.com/blog/
http://www.runningtothekitchen.com/
http://www.thegardengrazer.com/
http://www.whatrunslori.com/
I hope that helps some. It's tough when you're on a tight budget. I would say on the weeks you have a bit extra, buy something in bulk or something you can freeze so you can stockpile it away for later. I have about one week every few months where I spend $40 buying a bunch of bulk stuff, but it lasts a few months too, so it's not that bad. Doesn't make that particular grocery store visit any more pleasant though LOL.
$20 a week is about what I spend normally. But I do eat dairy (cheese!) and meat. Most of that goes to meat. If I had to sustain without meat, I think I'd go back to eating more rice for sure.
. That's way high and in 9 lbs heavier than last year. My cholesterol went down quite a bit though. 
