Yeah, I couldn’t live on that now. But I was 19 years old, 116 lbs and in great shape. Bicylced from my off-campus apartment to classes every day. I ate some rice and beans also - cheap. I remember eating an avocado with soy sauce and sour cream - they must not have been so expensive like they are now or maybe I splurged since I didn’t have them very often.
But I always took my calculator to the store to make sure I didn’t go over my budget. I worked full time every other semester in a co-op program so all that I saved had to last the entire semester. I even read my electric meter every few days to make sure my electric bill wouldn’t cut into my food budget. Don’t miss those days!