We are a nonprofit that works in the food justice space. If you are USA / Canada a free little pantry / blessing box may help you:

https://www.littlefreepantry.org

The beauty of these “take what you need” food access points is no paperwork / no identification and the user retains their dignity. When your circumstances change, it also offers an easy way to give back because you can stock it with food too. We have 6 blessing boxes that were sponsored by a local lumber store. This idea was not ours: it came from one of our volunteers: an 80+ yo Vietnam Veteran who lives to build things and care for community.

Regarding what to eat, here is what I’ve learned and keep in my notes folder.

If I were thinking specifically about maximum nutrition per dollar for a household,

Eggs: protein, fat, choline, B12, selenium, iodine, several vitamins. Excellent nutritional density, especially when you have access to fresh eggs. Most of our neighbors have chickens, so we give our eggs away to those that live in town.

Dry beans/lentils: protein, fiber, iron, folate, potassium. Lentils have the bonus of cooking quickly without soaking.

Rice + beans: inexpensive calories + protein + fiber. Add tomatoes and you’ve got vitamin C, which helps the body absorb the non-heme iron in beans.

Oatmeal: dirt cheap, filling, whole grain, soluble fiber, iron, magnesium. Peanut butter turns it into a much more substantial meal.

Peanut butter: inexpensive calories, protein, fat, magnesium and vitamin E. Very useful when people need calories as much as micronutrients.

Potatoes: surprisingly nutritious. Potassium, vitamin C, B6, fiber if you eat the skin, plus cheap calories.

Potato + egg is an excellent low-cost meal.

Sweet potatoes: cheap source of calories plus an enormous amount of beta-carotene/vitamin A.

Cabbage: one of the great food workhorses. Cheap, lasts a long time, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and fiber. It can be eaten raw, sautéed, roasted, added to soup or fermented.

Carrots: inexpensive, durable and beta-carotene rich.

Canned tomatoes: vitamin C, potassium and lycopene, and they transform beans/lentils/rice into an actual meal where the enzymes complement each other.

Frozen vegetables: often a better value than fresh vegetables, virtually no waste, and nutritionally excellent.

Canned fish, especially sardines: protein, B12, omega-3s, vitamin D, and calcium when the bones are eaten. More expensive than beans, but extraordinarily nutrient dense.

Milk or powdered milk: protein, calcium, B12 and usually vitamins A/D. Powdered milk is particularly interesting for shelf-stable food access.

Iodized salt: almost absurdly inexpensive nutritional infrastructure. A tiny amount supplies iodine, which is otherwise surprisingly easy to miss.

Combinations worth remembering:

Beans + rice + tomatoes

Protein, carbohydrates, fiber, iron, folate, potassium, vitamin C.

Egg + potato + cabbage

Protein/fat/choline + calories/potassium + vitamins C/K/fiber.

Oatmeal + peanut butter + powdered milk

Whole grain + protein + fat + calcium. That’s a serious breakfast from shelf-stable ingredients.

Lentils + tomatoes + rice

Cheap, shelf stable, fast cooking, and nutritionally strong.

Beans + corn tortillas + salsa/tomatoes

Another classic complementary protein combination, with vitamin C helping iron absorption.

Sweet potato + beans + egg

This one is a nutritional monster for very little money.