By percent of income food is not expensive for many people in the US.  If you don't eat out much and if you were extremely careful, grew your own food and threw in being vegetarian as well, you might be able to manage okay on $44 a week.  But frankly, I can't imagine $44 per person as adequate to cover a week's food if most of your food consumption is at home.  I base this on our habits -- we do not buy extravagant food and we do not over eat. We also rarely have to throw out food.