The main consumer groups of community canteens are the elderly in the community. Lunch 15 yuan, dinner 15 yuan. It costs 30 yuan a day, which is 900 yuan a month. Plus a fried dough stick for breakfast, a box of milk is standard in 3 yuan, and the monthly food cost is at least 1000 yuan. Old people have no other income at home except meager pensions, and there are still many places to spend money. For the fixed medical expenses caused by physical reasons, the grandson will give some change, buy some snacks and save money for the elderly to prevent sudden illness. Some people may say that some old people's pensions are four or five thousand, but think about it. If there is such a high pension, the old people will not go to the community canteen to eat, hire live-in nannies or hire hourly workers. Therefore, only those elderly people who earn one or two thousand yuan a month and have no independent ability can go to the canteen to eat.

For young people with a large appetite, it is quite affordable to eat two meats and two vegetables and eat staple food casually. You can definitely eat it back. But how big is the old man's appetite when he is old? Eat a few mouthfuls of vegetables, taste a few pieces of meat, drink a bowl of porridge and at most a steamed bread, and you will be full. And these things will cost 15 yuan, so it's better to go to the street and eat a bowl of noodles for eight yuan, or fast food restaurants 15 yuan can eat enough food for one day. Old people spend money at a cost. Even if you cook delicious food, they won't eat it because they don't think it's worth it.

At the beginning, the fundamental purpose of the government's support for the establishment of community canteens was to take care of these elderly people who had no children around them. The starting point is good, but the price is slightly higher, which leads to residents not eating. Therefore, local governments should adjust rice prices according to actual conditions. They can get rid of the staple food and introduce a variety of packages, such as one meat, one vegetarian and one staple food, and two vegetarian and one staple food, so that the elderly have more choices. If they eat more, they will order more rice; if they eat less, they will order less. This will not cause waste, and people will buy at will according to their own economic ability.