Hungry? You can make a 'value' meal from a few dollars

Welcome to The Short List. Each week we'll pick a topic and share our favorite — or, in some cases, maybe our least favorite — things about the Tampa Bay area.

This week, we're between paychecks and looking to eat on a dollar. Fast food "value" menus are the way to go when you're scrounging to find enough for a meal.  

McDonald's — The restaurant offers a few healthy choices in addition to the indulgences that built the business. The 7-ounce fruit and yogurt parfait is only 160 calories and has fresh berries and crunchy granola. The sausage burrito features all the food groups in one handy, portable tortilla. The small coffee also is only a buck.

Wendy's — It doesn't have quite as many choices as some of the others because it doesn't offer breakfast. But its sandwiches are a satisfying size, and a few include vegetable toppings such as onion, lettuce and tomato. The baked potato (99 cents) is a healthy alternative to fries and the small Frosty (99 cents) is a nice-size treat.

Burger King — The chain has the most variety for a cheap breakfast ($1 each). French toast sticks and little cinnamon buns are favorites, and the sausage muffin with egg and cheese is a meal in itself. The bite-size hash browns are a must.

Sam's Club — Everything comes in jumbo size, including the café offerings. And the entire board reads like a dollar menu. Among the best deals are a slice of pizza and a soda for $2.64, which includes tax, or a hot dog and soda for $1.82. A 32-ounce Icee easily serves two kids and is only $1.20, and churros, ice cream and hot pretzels all ring up at $1.06 each.

Taco Bell — The restaurant gets props for having several choices for vegetarians, all for $1. The crispy potato soft taco is dressed with pepper jack sauce. The bean burrito and cheese roll-up aren't enough to make a meal , but are great side items. Dessert choices include a caramel apple empanada and crunchy cinnamon twists. Purists should definitely get the crunchy beef taco, though.