Recently I bought a bunch of canned mackerel and realized just how cheap it was. I spent about $20 and have enough to last two weeks. I make mackerel patties, and I eat them with bread and mayonnaise. I can't help but wonder why canned salmon and tuna are more than double the cost? Can I live off canned mackerel, mayonnaise, eggs, bread, and orange juice indefinitely? Are there any other ridiculously cheap foods I should know about?

Rice and beans... Mackerel is cheap because it tastes like ass. I'd take tuna or salmon any day.

Why not pursue cheap, rich foods. Cannibalism can also bring a full wallet attached to the meat. However in answer to your question

http://www.divinecaroline.com/22177/52070-twenty-healthiest-foods-1

Salmon and Tuna are predatory fish and eat mackerel to grow.

"farmed" salmon (almost the only thing you can get here now) is usually fed with lots of mackerel.

So it kind of makes sense its cheaper (and better for the environment) to just eat the mackerel

But probably even better to check out stormynatures' list

Recently I bought a bunch of canned mackerel and realized just how cheap it was. I spent about $20 and have enough to last two weeks. I make mackerel patties, and I eat them with bread and mayonnaise. I can't help but wonder why canned salmon and tuna are more than double the cost? Can I live off canned mackerel, mayonnaise, eggs, bread, and orange juice indefinitely? Are there any other ridiculously cheap foods I should know about?

Just curious, but how much is a can of mackerel? I don't think I've seen anything cheaper than cans of tuna in the canned fish aisle. I usually buy them in packs of 6 or 24 for <$.50/can.

For a dollar or two you can get like 12 packets of ramen--a couple week's worth of lunch. Of course, eating that might ramen might technically kill you, but you'll be saving lots and lots of money!

I can't help but wonder why canned salmon and tuna are more than double the cost?

Basically, tuna is full of mercury. But mercury is very expensive, and the tuna companies don't want to just GIVE it to you without charging appropriately. In fact if it weren't for the heavy government food subsidies, they would probably throw away the tuna and just sell the mercury instead.

[quote name='SteveDeFacto' timestamp='1330328196' post='4916915']
I can't help but wonder why canned salmon and tuna are more than double the cost?

Basically, tuna is full of mercury. But mercury is very expensive, and the tuna companies don't want to just GIVE it to you without charging appropriately. In fact if it weren't for the heavy government food subsidies, they would probably throw away the tuna and just sell the mercury instead.
[/quote]

Mercury is not expensive. I'm pretty sure it has more to do with supply and demand. However, in light of much higher levels of mercury in tuna and salmon the high demand for these products is more confusing.

[quote name='SteveDeFacto' timestamp='1330328196' post='4916915']
Recently I bought a bunch of canned mackerel and realized just how cheap it was. I spent about $20 and have enough to last two weeks. I make mackerel patties, and I eat them with bread and mayonnaise. I can't help but wonder why canned salmon and tuna are more than double the cost? Can I live off canned mackerel, mayonnaise, eggs, bread, and orange juice indefinitely? Are there any other ridiculously cheap foods I should know about?

Just curious, but how much is a can of mackerel? I don't think I've seen anything cheaper than cans of tuna in the canned fish aisle. I usually buy them in packs of 6 or 24 for <$.50/can.
[/quote]

We can not use cans as a way to measure the cost since a can of tuna is much smaller than a can of mackerel. The cost for mackerel was about 8 cent per ounce compared to 18 cent per ounce for salmon and tuna.

[quote name='Promit' timestamp='1330369226' post='4917093']
[quote name='SteveDeFacto' timestamp='1330328196' post='4916915']
I can't help but wonder why canned salmon and tuna are more than double the cost?

Basically, tuna is full of mercury. But mercury is very expensive, and the tuna companies don't want to just GIVE it to you without charging appropriately. In fact if it weren't for the heavy government food subsidies, they would probably throw away the tuna and just sell the mercury instead.
[/quote]

Mercury is not expensive. I'm pretty sure it has more to do with supply and demand. However, in light of much higher levels of mercury in tuna and salmon the high demand for these products is more confusing.
[/quote]
It's funny because you thought he was serious.