From the given data, what is the total cost per meal if beginning inventory is $17,190, ending inventory is $15,150, and purchases were $42,800?

To determine the total cost per meal, the total cost of food available for use during the period must first be calculated. This involves determining the cost of food used, which is derived from the beginning inventory, purchases, and the ending inventory.

The calculation follows this formula:

Cost of food used = Beginning inventory + Purchases - Ending inventory

Substituting the values from the question:

Cost of food used = $17,190 + $42,800 - $15,150

Cost of food used = $44,840

Next, to find the total cost per meal, this total food cost should be divided by the number of meals served. However, without the number of meals given in the question, we can't arrive at a numerical answer for total cost per meal directly.

In the correct scenario, the final cost per meal can be derived once the number of meals served is known. If we were considering an example where serving a certain number of meals results in the total determined cost equivalently yielding the choice given, it's imperative to analyze how the figure arrives at the eventually recognized choice.

For instance, if we assume the number of meals served is conducive to the last option's obtained figure, then after dividing the total cost of food used