Junk Food cheap and Healthy food expensive?

tasha12004
tasha12004 Posts: 232 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I am convinced that the country wants us to be fat. You can by a high calorie/salt/sugar item for under $2.00 but trying to find whole, nutritious, food seems to cost a fortune. When I changed my lifestyle , I started spending an extra $100.00 every two weeks on groceries. I think that junk food would be less to try and prevent obesity.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/05/eating-healthy-vs-unhealthy_n_4383633.html
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Replies

  • tasha12004
    tasha12004 Posts: 232 Member
    That's true. I guess I'm not used to spending so much because I am buying more fresh items then packaged. I actually hardly ever buy processed food anymore. I make everything i eat usually.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    edited March 2017
    For those of us that are conscious of our intake and the value for calories it's pretty easy to eat reasonably cheap but for the average person shopping in a grocery store, I agree. Calorie for calorie the cheapest food is usually the more calorie dense, nutritionally sketchy items. If you don't know how to budget these foods into your diet so that you don't become obese; chances are very good you will do so.
  • Middangeard
    Middangeard Posts: 47 Member
    Definitely make sure you're not wasting money on buying organic everything -- the only real difference is that they cost more, have much more limited shelf life, and give you the illusion that you're eating healthier. It's a great way to eat healthier without spending too much.
  • readytobeatfat54
    readytobeatfat54 Posts: 91 Member
    To OP- what is it you are looking to purchase that costs significantly more than a non-healthy alternative?
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    Also buying frozen is a great option. I'm going to cook my vegetables anyway. I get a huge bag of grean beans and baby carrot mix from Costco for about 8$. The bag can easily last me a month. Things I buy fresh are romaine lettuce which is reasonably cheap and the occasional pint of berries if they're on sale. I splurge on grapefruit segments prepared in cups at Costco tho!
  • sheermomentum
    sheermomentum Posts: 827 Member
    I have a produce market near me - they sell only produce and some dairy. Their prices are about half the grocery store. Its an extra trip, but I try to make it every couple of weeks, at least.

    Also, I find that its the pre-cut convenience produce that kills my pocketbook. A single bag of ready-to-eat salad costs 3 times as much as a head of lettuce, and is about a quarter of the food. And I absolutely agree with avoiding organic produce. There is no health or environmental benefit to it at all. Its basically there to make money for a luxury food industry.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    I'm actually spending less in general since I am buying less meat and have cut that drastically.
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    edited March 2017
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Just off the top of my head: Lentils, frozen broccoli, oats, potatoes, squash, cabbage, black beans, canned tomatoes, rice, carrots, tofu, and apples are all super-affordable (at least where I live).

    Do some people spend more when they change their diet? Absolutely -- there is a lot of tempting stuff out there.

    But generally if you buy in season, pay attention to sales, avoid trendy foods, and build meals around staples, you can keep your budget under control.
    Great points. Those foods are all very cheap where I am too. I could also add bananas, onions, frozen green beans, frozen peas, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and most kinds of dried beans and whole grains. A pound of frozen peas - if you wanted to eat that much - costs less than an adult sized fast food hamburger. YMMV of course.

    Slightly off subject, but I think the HuffPo article misinterpreted the study that it's citing. The study compared healthier vs. less healthy versions of the same foods. For example, chips that met nutritional guidelines vs. chips that didn't, or fatty cuts of meat vs. leaner cuts. It didn't compare fast food burgers with soup cooked at home, or a chocolate bar vs. a banana.
  • ShrinkingViolet1982
    ShrinkingViolet1982 Posts: 919 Member
    fascha wrote: »
    Also buying frozen is a great option. I'm going to cook my vegetables anyway. I get a huge bag of grean beans and baby carrot mix from Costco for about 8$. The bag can easily last me a month. Things I buy fresh are romaine lettuce which is reasonably cheap and the occasional pint of berries if they're on sale. I splurge on grapefruit segments prepared in cups at Costco tho!

    LOVE those grapefruit cups!!!
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    sheermomentum wrote: »
    And I absolutely agree with avoiding organic produce. There is no health or environmental benefit to it at all. Its basically there to make money for a luxury food industry.
    Oddly enough, I sometimes find that organic versions of the same produce are cheaper. There are also a few vegetables and fruits I buy organic because I like the taste better (celery, baby carrots, and strawberries). Not sure why they taste better, but they do.

  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    In season veggies, eggs, pulses, oats, dairy. I don't find any of this expensive.

    Which items are you finding pricey?
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    ButterballBookworm wrote: »
    fascha wrote: »
    Also buying frozen is a great option. I'm going to cook my vegetables anyway. I get a huge bag of grean beans and baby carrot mix from Costco for about 8$. The bag can easily last me a month. Things I buy fresh are romaine lettuce which is reasonably cheap and the occasional pint of berries if they're on sale. I splurge on grapefruit segments prepared in cups at Costco tho!

    LOVE those grapefruit cups!!!

    do you know the drain for 1/2 the calorie trick?! they're my guilty pleasure because I love grapefruit but even though I bought that special spoon I butcher the whole fruit version every time lol
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,932 Member
    I eat on $120 per month and I eat very well including steak, shrimp, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. This topic comes up five times a week, there are plenty of solutions if you look for them
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    I eat on $120 per month and I eat very well including steak, shrimp, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. This topic comes up five times a week, there are plenty of solutions if you look for them

    wow, HOW?! I spend that weekly, minimum. I need to get my kitten together lol
  • StarBrightStarBright
    StarBrightStarBright Posts: 97 Member
    sheermomentum wrote: »
    And I absolutely agree with avoiding organic produce. There is no health or environmental benefit to it at all. Its basically there to make money for a luxury food industry.

    FWIW- it might not be a difference in health for you, eating it. But it does make a difference in the health of the people growing it and there is evidence that it makes an environmental impact as well (organically prepared soils tend to be more fertile, etc).

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/is-organic-agriculture-really-better-for-the-environment/2016/05/14/e9996dce-17be-11e6-924d-838753295f9a_story.html?utm_term=.61e6b683a40e

    But really when we're talking organic vs non-organic we're really at the top of a sort of food specific Maslovian hierarchy :)

  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,646 Member
    fascha wrote: »
    cmriverside wrote: »
    I eat on $120 per month and I eat very well including steak, shrimp, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. This topic comes up five times a week, there are plenty of solutions if you look for them

    wow, HOW?! I spend that weekly, minimum. I need to get my kitten together lol

    Depends on your part of the country or world for that matter.
  • mantramoon
    mantramoon Posts: 31 Member
    Packaged convenience foods are where the price difference is the biggest. If you stick to whole grains, beans, produce (I try to buy what's on sale) and simple basics you'll do okay. It helps if you have a good discount grocery in your area. We have Aldi, and it's awesome!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,932 Member
    fascha wrote: »
    cmriverside wrote: »
    I eat on $120 per month and I eat very well including steak, shrimp, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. This topic comes up five times a week, there are plenty of solutions if you look for them

    wow, HOW?! I spend that weekly, minimum. I need to get my kitten together lol

    Nope. I've typed out that long reply more times than I should have, :lol:

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