Unlike the last reply, I would highly recommend the buffets in Las Vegas and Laughlin. I understand about the willpower, but the VALUE you get for what you pay is remarkable. Where else can you dine on all the roast beef, shrimp, ham, turkey, salad, etc., you can eat from anywhere between $10-20 per person (depending on your budget and/or preferences)?

If you are driving and cannot find a market to buy/save on things to eat, two places come to mind, where one can eat rather reasonably: Denny's (you will find them EVERYWHERE, and they can be seen from any freeway). The food is not the best the country has to offer, but the portions are good for what you pay. Truck stops would be another spot. Look for places on the side of the road where there are a lot of trucks parked. Here, too, the portions are relatively large for what you spend. Just make sure to notice how they are usually served and don't be afraid to ask for your meals without sauces/gravies when it is not impossible for the restaurant to do so. I have found that, in general, the restaurants here are quite willing to accomodate the customer when possible. Also, both these types of places serve breakfast (US/Brit style) 24-hours a day; give the toast to that skinny brother of yours!

Remember, also, that the dinners served in MANY American restaurants include a first course of salad and/or soup. (Read the find print on the menus.) By staying away from the more expensive ones (read European-style a la carte), you can save money. However, many restaurants here do not post the menu on the outside. If you are not sure that a place does not meet your needs/taste/budge, don't be too shy to enter and ask to see a menu first. I do it all the time.

Many of the larger supermarkets have "salad bars", where you choose from a number of items and pay by the pound. These are generally located inside the market, right by the delicatessen (charcuterie). Here, they can also usually make you a sandwich at reasonable prices. Be careful because the delis usually close by 6:30/7:00 in the evening. In addition, where there is a deli, they also usually sell whole, hot, ready-to-eat chickens that have been roasted on the rotisserie. You can buy a 3-pound whole, cooked-and-seasoned chicken for about US$6 to 7. You need to get into the town to get to these supermarkets (what I mean is, they serve the population, not the people travelling on the Interstate highways). For snacking in the evening the motel, you can look for Pork Rinds in the Snacks aisle. The "Mission" brand on the West Coast does not have sugar.

In southern California, there is a chain of hamburger restaurants named "In-n-Out" where you can buy a double hamburger with cheese for US$2.50. Give the bread to your brother. Oh, also make sure that if you eat at any of the hamburger places here, ask for them without catsup--- most of the places serve them with catsup.

That's all I can think of for the moment. I hope this helps and I am sure that there are many other people on this forum who have a lot of other suggestions.