Mr. Ruff’s Sept. 14 letter to the Daily makes one good point: For less than the cost of a meal plan, students can eat at almost any local Ames restaurant. Other points made in his letter are less well taken. For example, Mr. Ruff claims to be able to buy groceries for $1.43 per meal ($60 every two weeks), but offers this tidbit without any proof of nutritional value. Is the author buying for six people, cooking huge meals and dividing the total cost to take advantage of economies of scale? Is he buying cheaper, improper foods that have hidden costs in the form of malnutrition?

If it is possible to buy quality, nutritious food for a total of $30 per person per week, then I ask the author to provide a shopping list, menu and corresponding nutritional data for Daily readers, as we could all benefit from such economy. However, this reader suspects that such a tight budget does not accommodate anything approaching the delicious foods available from either local restaurants or ISU Dining, especially when accounting for the time spent planning and preparing meals.

That is not to say one should not cook — preparing food can be an excellent distraction and learning experience, and sharing the task with friends makes for a great time — but be aware that decent one-person meals, well prepared, can quickly approach or exceed the cost of even ISU Dining.