Wow. We're right on the Thrifty plan numbers, with two adults and a kid.
And, um... that includes steak, scallops, craft cocktails, fresh salads at least daily, the expensive (and tasty) feta cheese, organic local meats, etc. Like, we're not deprived on that budget, not at all. (Also, we're in Quebec. Prices are much higher. It's not actually legal to sell a gallon of milk for under 6$, for example... which definitely affects the food budget).
Disclaimer: we work to keep our food budget down. We shop sales, we save up and buy whole animals from the farmer or butcher in the fall and have an efficient chest freezer to store it in, we buy all our pantry goods in HUGE bulk, we make some meals ridiculously cheap (curry! chili! etc) to compensate for the more expensive meals, etc. We also have the privilege of having money set aside so that we CAN stock up on sales and buy meat directly from the farmer in the fall, which not everyone has.
We're just finishing building out house, but as of next year, there will be chickens, sheep, rabbits, and a big garden, which should also affect some of those costs.
Seriously, though. What would we have to do to spend on the liberal side of that plan?