I can't afford healthy food!

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  • Jennifer_Lynn_1982
    Jennifer_Lynn_1982 Posts: 567 Member
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    awesome post!
  • brcossette
    brcossette Posts: 89 Member
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    When people say this i think they mean organic foods or the like but your point is still made.
  • Dube11
    Dube11 Posts: 93 Member
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    I_Will_End_You wrote: »
    Totally agree with the thought behind this......but...I don't know where they're shopping, but some of those prices are crazy cheap. Wherever it is, I need to move there. lol.

    No kiddin. $1.96 for 2lbs of chicken breast? Back up the truck!
  • jackiekapaj
    jackiekapaj Posts: 4 Member
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    I have always found that the less processed the food is, the cheaper it is. Up to a certain point buying whole food instead of processed will decrease your food bill dramatically. If you are so poor that you use mostly rice and pasta as fillers to feed your family, then upping it to include enough veggies and protein sources to be nutritionally adequate, you may find that your grocery bill will increase a bit. However, go to whole foods, shop carefully, use food banks if necessary, but you stay on a healthy diet at a low cost.
  • thoseAmericanthighs
    thoseAmericanthighs Posts: 24 Member
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    love it!!
  • exstromn
    exstromn Posts: 168 Member
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    GreenValli wrote: »
    I am thrilled with the produce markets in my area and the sales on fruit and vegetables. It seems there are always great prices on something and as a result I eat a great variety. I do shop mostly at those markets and watch the sale flyers constantly.

    Protein is higher in cost but I do use eggs for dinners at least once a week. And I can make a great soup with beans or other good price protein as a budget dinner meal and get several meals from one pot of soup. I do not eat costly processed food. If you figure the cost per pound of potato chips and compare that with cost per pound of carrots (or some other sale produce) it is obvious that we CAN afford healthy food! I know I cannot afford to eat out, or buy expensive snacks, but I certain do not need those!

    AGREE! A little extra leg work looking for sales or price matching when possible and a willingness to learn how to prepare them, makes affordable seasonal fruits and veggies easy to get which in my opinion are the best "healthy foods" to put in your body.
  • jackiekapaj
    jackiekapaj Posts: 4 Member
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    that was whole natural foods - not the whole foods store, which is very expensive in my neck of the woods! LOL!
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    $.88 for a pound of grapes?
    $1.96/lb for non-bulk pack chicken?
    I understand the premise of this, but the prices are totally unrealistic, lol.
  • jennismagic
    jennismagic Posts: 243 Member
    edited February 2015
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    shellma00 wrote: »
    THANK YOU!!! Seriously... its about being too lazy to cook for yourself, not that you cannot afford it.. cooking from scratch is not that hard...

    "Laziness" may be the culprit for some people, but it also has to do with hectic schedules, ability, knowledge, or access to healthy food for others. You might want to read up on food deserts, food security, and other barriers to healthy eating before making assumptions about people.


  • Smallc10
    Smallc10 Posts: 546 Member
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    Yah, I want to shop wherever these people are shopping! I would probably have to pay double most of the prices for the natural food, which I do. It's still cheaper than buying processed stuff.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
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    TheOwlhouseDesigns wrote: »
    Agreed totally!

    And you only have to want it bad enough.

    Buy some pots and plant some tomato seeds and lettuce etc. Lots of veggies do perfect in pots on your patio or at your front door etc. ( if you dont have a garden)
    Herbs do perfect and look cute in your kitchen

    Google or go to Pinterest and you find all kind of information how the re-grow Roman Lettuce and celery and green onions etc.

    I get out of one bunch of chives 3 portions at least. I cut them for use and the roots with an inch left of the "plant" i put in a glass of water and it re-grows very fast. same for roman lettuce, celery etc.

    And so on with a lot of food. People lack imagination, energy and spirit to be more active.


    You know how cute pot hangers are with strawberries? And they grow every.

    Yeah... I garden a little myself.

  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
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    I_Will_End_You wrote: »
    Totally agree with the thought behind this......but...I don't know where they're shopping, but some of those prices are crazy cheap. Wherever it is, I need to move there. lol.
    Yes I was questioning the chicken prices. It looks like Walmart though, but still chicken is not that cheap.
  • Amanda682015
    Amanda682015 Posts: 68 Member
    edited February 2015
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    If I can do it anybody can! I am on Ontario Works (up here in Canada) I receive 1200 per month including EVERYTHING. My rent alone is $900. That leaves $300 for food, and other bills.

    I price match EVERYTHING!!! My son and I blend fruit/veg juice in the morning with added protein powder. This provides us with our fruits and veg for the day. The rest of the day is chicken, salads, rice, a bit of pasta, healthier cereals, oatmeal, sandwhiches, lunch meats, etc. I have done this for 47 days so far and have lost almost 17 pounds! It works for me. Plus I exercise at home. I don't go to the gym (I literally can't afford it!) I YouTube my workouts, plus I bought Shaun T's Insanity Max used!

    I am living proof that it can work, even as a single mother on OW.
  • shellma00
    shellma00 Posts: 1,684 Member
    edited February 2015
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    jennismagic wrote: »
    shellma00 wrote: »
    THANK YOU!!! Seriously... its about being too lazy to cook for yourself, not that you cannot afford it.. cooking from scratch is not that hard...

    "Laziness" may be the culprit for some people, but it also has to do with hectic schedules, ability, knowledge, or access to healthy food for others. You might want to read up on food deserts, food security, and other barriers to healthy eating before making assumptions about people.


    This was a blanket statement, not directed at anyone in general, sorry you thought it was an attack on you.

    I know all about a hectic schedule and I am still able to cook food in the time I have, if not, I have a slow cooker that can do it for me.

    I am thinking this was a topic that was piggybacked off another topic where the person was saying that frozen pizza was all that they could afford. They were from another country, so I am sure they dont have the access that everyone else does with food choices, but where I am from I can cook a good healthy food in the same time frame as cooking a frozen pizza in the oven and save money.

    Shop at your local produce stores and meat lockers where you can buy in bulk for a really good price. Our local produce store has weekly bags full of a variety of produce for $19.99 and then in their deli they have a meat bag that is $29.99. The produce lasts me over a week.

    I also grow a garden when the season comes around, which also saves money. But you would have to have time to maintain that as well.

  • viclrstew
    viclrstew Posts: 15 Member
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    jackiekapaj wrote: »
    that was whole natural foods - not the whole foods store, which is very expensive in my neck of the woods! LOL!
    i know, right? We call it "whole paycheck"!
  • shellma00
    shellma00 Posts: 1,684 Member
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    bradfield2015 wrote: »
    If I can do it anybody can! I am on Ontario Works (up here in Canada) I receive 1200 per month including EVERYTHING. My rent alone is $900. That leaves $300 for food, and other bills.

    I price match EVERYTHING!!! My son and I blend fruit/veg juice in the morning with added protein powder. This provides us with our fruits and veg for the day. The rest of the day is chicken, salads, rice, a bit of pasta, healthier cereals, oatmeal, sandwhiches, lunch meats, etc. I have done this for 47 days so far and have lost almost 17 pounds! It works for me. Plus I exercise at home. I don't go to the gym (I literally can't afford it!) I YouTube my workouts, plus I bought Shaun T's Insanity Max used!

    I am living proof that it can work, even as a single mother on OW.

    This is awesome!! I dont know what Ontario Works is.. but sounds like you do a great job!! Congrats on the 17 lbs in 47 days as well.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    SergeantSausage wrote: »
    TheOwlhouseDesigns wrote: »
    Agreed totally!

    And you only have to want it bad enough.

    Buy some pots and plant some tomato seeds and lettuce etc. Lots of veggies do perfect in pots on your patio or at your front door etc. ( if you dont have a garden)
    Herbs do perfect and look cute in your kitchen

    Google or go to Pinterest and you find all kind of information how the re-grow Roman Lettuce and celery and green onions etc.

    I get out of one bunch of chives 3 portions at least. I cut them for use and the roots with an inch left of the "plant" i put in a glass of water and it re-grows very fast. same for roman lettuce, celery etc.

    And so on with a lot of food. People lack imagination, energy and spirit to be more active.


    You know how cute pot hangers are with strawberries? And they grow every.

    Yeah... I garden a little myself.

    I know and i am stinky jalouse lol

    Went from a Dutchie living in the country side with a huge garden and lots of horses to the hot all plants destroying Las Vegas sun rofl
    Its hard here, but manich some grow some herbs & veggies etc.
    But noting compared to what i had before. :)

  • AlisonH729
    AlisonH729 Posts: 558 Member
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    shellma00 wrote: »
    THANK YOU!!! Seriously... its about being too lazy to cook for yourself, not that you cannot afford it.. cooking from scratch is not that hard...

    Some of my healthiest meals are the easiest. Grilled chicken, steamed broccoli (or string beans, or Brussels) & maybe some quinoa or couscous. They're not necessarily the most exciting- but that's a different story.
  • racheljonel
    racheljonel Posts: 400 Member
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    TheOwlhouseDesigns wrote: »
    We lived in California before and its more expensive there.

    I was in California over the summer and I was SHOCKED at how low the produce prices were, and how big and fresh everything was. A jalapeno in California is the size of a bell pepper in Cleveland.

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