On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:07:23 -0500, Ross wrote:

> "Jim Henderson" <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote in message
> news:475c3e4d@news.povray.org...
>> On Sun, 09 Dec 2007 10:24:07 -0800, Darren New wrote:
>>
>>> Incidentally, in the US, it's often cheaper to eat out at an
>>> inexpensive restaurant (like pizza of McD) than to buy fresh food to
>>> prepare at home. That's why poor people get fat here.
>>
>> I don't know about cheaper, but easier it certainly is.  Especially
>> with a bunch of kids that need to be fed.
> 
> Cheaper. Subsidized corn makes up the most used ingredient in everything
> on the menu at a place like McDonalds. From the filler in the meat (and
> what do they feed the meet factories? corn... they feed corn to an
> animal that is specialized to eat grassy greens. wtf), to the breading
> around the meat, the buns, french fries (what potatos?), beverage and
> salad dressing.

Well, let's see...

Stew beef, from CostCo:  $15 for 5 lbs. (1/4 lb = $0.75)

8 hamburger buns, about $2.50 ($0.31 per bun)

For 1/4 pound burgers, grind up the stew beef (pre-ground is more 
expensive by about $1 per pound IIRC), add a little bit of bread (we 
added 3 slices of bread chopped into fine bread crumbs - one loaf was 
about $1.35 IIRC and is maybe 15-20 slices - that handled 2.25 lbs of 
beef) - about $0.05 per burger.

So we're at $1.11 per burger, and it's fresh made instead of padded with 
corn.

One potato per serving of fries would be $0.20 (about $5 for 25 lbs, 
figure 1 lb per serving of fries).  A bit of oil to fry them in, peanut 
oil is good unless you have allergies to peanuts, otherwise sunflower oil 
works too).  Figure $4.00 for 4-5 uses (and each use is more than a 
single serving) - $0.15 per serving is probably a high estimate.

So the fries are about $0.35 per serving.

Drink will be the most expensive component if you want a brand name cola 
beverage.  I pay about $0.25 per 12 oz can in a case of 24.  So figure 
one of those...

Total cost:  $1.11 + $0.35 + $0.25 = $1.71 per meal.

IIRC, a quarter pounder with cheese meal costs around $4 around here.  
(It's been about 10 years since I ate at a McDonald's).

There are additional costs to making it yourself, of course - you've got 
to have equipment, for starters.  Time is also a factor to consider.

But I'll take the cheaper homemade burger any day over the trash served 
at McDonald's.

Jim

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