Is healthy food really more expensive?

successby50

Try feeding 3 growing teens as healthy as you can!! Fresh fruit is always gone in my house before it goes bad, lol. I have to pick and choose what to purchase depending on seasonality and price. I'd love to have avocados and mangoes in the house all the time, but at a dollar for just one (!), I just can't do it. That bag of apples doesn't last the week, and quite frankly, just apples gets boring after awhile! Comparatively, a bag of cookies comes in at 4 dollars, and lasts all week. The garbage cereal is about 6 bucks depending on sales, and the "healthier" cereal is the same for half the size.
Yes, I have found it is much more expensive to feed your family well, but it's worth the cost, and we do the best we can

Espressocycle

Fresh produce is expensive and does not supply many calories. However, bananas, sweet potatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, onions and green peppers are all pretty cheap and you can do a lot with just those. Not to mention chicken and lean pork, brown rice, dry or canned beans... especially if you make a big pot of something and freeze portions, you can get your cost per day pretty low, like maybe $4-5/day per adult. That said, it's true that you could also just buy 4 McDoubles or other dollar menu fast food and get your calories that way, but the fast food joints lose money with those items in hopes of making it up on soda, so that's why.

BoomstickChick

I think it's false you buy less if you eat healthier. You can get a pack of ramen for 2 bucks that will last how long? A head of lettuce and some other veggies last a few days.

Basically, if you have no income in your home, you eat **** food because it's what you can afford. Eating healthy goes out the window.

BeachIron

No. Not for me. I became overweight on a diet of steakhouse food and red wine. A diet made up primarily of dairy, eggs. frozen chicken and fish, ground beef, frozen veggies, fresh veggies, tortillas, and cheese has been a huge costs savings for me.

rachelklewis3

I think it can be. My mother-in-law and I recently went grocery shopping together. We both filled our carts with the about the same amount of items. Mine was mostly produce, whole grain pasta, dairy- minimal junk. Hers was mainly frozen meals and junk food. Her bill was about $40 less. This is where it's debatable, though- her food will last forever in her house with just her and her younger son. I feed a family of four, prepare 3 meals a day, and I know that I can make that food last for about 2 weeks. So in a nutshell- I spent more at one time, but in the long run I feel I am saving- in more ways than one!

cpalumbo89

I think if you only shop the outer edges of grocery stores, then what you've avoided spending will equal out to what you've bought. No more chips or crackers (even the healthy ones) instead buy fruit and cheese and hummus to snack on. it'll equal out.

nvpixie

I don't think it's much more expensive if you shop the sales and buy in-season produce. If you store the produce properly, you can extend how long it keeps.

Blueberries are a great price right now at most of the grocery stores in my area so I bought a bunch and will freeze a lot of it for smoothies or adding to recipes later. The same method works for strawberries and bananas, and I'm sure other fruits as well. I buy a lot of meat on the "manager's specials" and then freeze it as soon as I get home. I got chicken breasts for half off yesterday. I froze half and used half right away in chicken soup.

The trouble of higher prices mostly comes in when people don't have access to different grocery stores or only access to small stores that don't carry a lot of fresh produce. I've noticed that in most cases, the smaller the store, the less variety and higher prices.

megleighd

Not if you plan. I spend the same amount (or less)
I buy some fruits and veggies but also buy frozen so the fresh doesn't go bad before I can get to them.

Also, I lost the desire to eat fast food or eat out. So really I am saving lots!

herblackwings39

I honestly think a lot of it is dependant on where you live. I'm sure it's cheaper to buy fresh if you have grocery stores, ethnic markets, various farmers markets, etc at your disposal to find the best prices. If you live in an outlying community where whatever you have the option of buying is flown in or shipped via boat....forget fresh. Just buying food will cost a fortune. I live somewhere with 2 small grocery stores in easy driving distance. There's not a great deal of choice in what's carried and if I don't buy produce when it's on sale I'll end up paying $5 for strawberries or $3 a pound for apples or $4 for a small container of berries.

Kristy7418

I have to admit for ME it's a tad more expensive. I don't even do organic and all that. I try to get all I can from Aldi's. I get paid twice a month and I used but all my food for the two weeks when i got paid. With fruit and veggies I can't do that anymore. And my food bill is a bit higher. Not a whole lot but a bit. Which kinda hurts because I really don't have much money between paycheck to paycheck but it's not stopping from eating healthy and losing this weight.

arains89

Yea It definitely is for me but it is worth it.

Jaulen

Depends on what you eat. Overall it's cheaper for us.....we don't buy as much junk food (cookies, chips, pop, crackers, frozen meals) as we used to

We spend roughly ~350 a month on food for 3 people. And that includes meat that we purchase 1 or 2x a year and freeze for use. And I'm not a sales or coupon shopper. And I live in WY, not an area known for cheap produce.....even at farmers markets.

(bought half a grass fed local cow last year since we didn't get an elk or deer last year.....didn't get to go hunting)

If produce we bought looks like it's going to reach the end of it's life, soup or something similar gets made and then tossed into the freezer for quick dinners/lunches in the future.

iWillGetCrowSomeday

USDA did a study on this a year ago... Follow the link to check out the tables and stats if you're interested.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-economic-information-bulletin/eib96.aspx#.UcSB678b7ww


The findings of the study were:

In terms of price per calorie, foods higher in calories tend to be less expensive than low calorie foods, particularly vegetables. But, grain foods are the cheapest per calorie, even cheaper than "moderation foods." Protein foods, mixed dishes, and dairy foods land in the middle. (pp. 16-17)

In terms of price per edible 100g, dairy is the cheapest choice. Protein foods are the most expensive, with "moderation foods" being the third most expensive (of the food groups in the study). (p. 18)

Regarding price per average serving size, grains were the cheapest again, with vegetables and dairy falling in second cheapest per serving. Mixed dishes, which can tend to be larger portions, were the most expensive per serving. (p. 20)

"When making food choices, consumers may need to consider the entire
cost of their diets. Cheap food that provides few nutrients may actually
be “expensive” for the consumer from a nutritional economy perspective,
whereas a food with a higher retail price that provides large amounts of
nutrients may actually be quite cheap. Consumers should also consider the
total daily cost—which is likely the one metric that will have the most relevance
to consumers trying to control their food budgets." (p. 30)

AJL437

Before I got better at cooking and created some go-to meals, I would go to the store with a couple recipes and spend a TON of money buying non-seasonal vegetables, spices, or bottles of condiments when I would only need 1 tsp. Now, I can cook without a recipe pretty well and make meals with what we have on hand. I am lucky that I can buy seasonal vegetables a large bag of seasonal vegetables for around $30 and supplement with frozen veggies, quinoa or rice, and frozen proteins like fish, chicken breasts, turkey burgers, etc. We definitely eat a lot less processed food - I was shocked at the prices of candy, potato chips and microwave dinners the other day when I went to the store. I also take my lunch which saves $10 - $15 a day.

LAW_714

If you live in an urban food desert, fresh fruits and veggies may not be as available to you. And it's probably never going to be cheaper than McDonald's value meal dollar menu.

I don't disagree with you that for many people fresh fruit is going to be pricey. But I don't consider fast food burgers a valid comparison--canned and frozen fruits and veggies can be a very good option and the price per serving is likely going to be less than that burger.

Not that I disagree with you. I think frozen veggies are a good affordable option -- and cheaper than many of the processed items people are comparing them to. (I have a few different bags of frozen veggies in my freezer most of the time).

But then I also have easy access to grocery stores.

There are urban areas where this is not easily the case.

And valid comparison or not, there are people comparing cooking at home to McDonalds. Personally, I home cook 90% of my meals, grow my own tomatoes and herbs, regularly visit the farmers market, and haven't eaten at McDonalds in a year. There are, however, people who are eating out of McDonalds (either due to availability, ease, or preferance) and at the end of the day, their $1 menu may be cheaper. Healthier? Oh, hell no. And for MOST people it's really a matter of what you prioritize (but not for all people. There are issues of locality, income, etc.)


Still, I think for most people there are healthy options available even on a budget.

ostrichagain

For us it's the same. We eat vegetarian twice a week, we buy organic produce, dairy and meat, conventional and whole grain for everything else. I cook and plan out meals and we also get what we can locally. I this is aspect is key to keeping it affordable. We also keep chickens which lay cheap organic, free range eggs (they also eat all my table scraps and make amazing compost). I grow a vegetable garden. I watch sales.

I keep an annual calender of when meats and produce are in season and buy directly in bulk from the farmer. I just bought 40lbs of organic strawberries for less than $2 a pounds and I have ~300 lbs. of organic, free range beef coming in July what I paid about $3.50/ lb for. There are always free roosters available on craigslist, so if you know how to butcher a chicken . . winner, winner.

It is a whole lot more work, but I can feed my family of 5 for under $200/week (and that includes sundries).

ClumsyArtist

USDA did a study on this a year ago... Follow the link to check out the tables and stats if you're interested.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-economic-information-bulletin/eib96.aspx#.UcSB678b7ww


The findings of the study were:

In terms of price per calorie, foods higher in calories tend to be less expensive than low calorie foods, particularly vegetables. But, grain foods are the cheapest per calorie, even cheaper than "moderation foods." Protein foods, mixed dishes, and dairy foods land in the middle. (pp. 16-17)

In terms of price per edible 100g, dairy is the cheapest choice. Protein foods are the most expensive, with "moderation foods" being the third most expensive (of the food groups in the study). (p. 18)

Regarding price per average serving size, grains were the cheapest again, with vegetables and dairy falling in second cheapest per serving. Mixed dishes, which can tend to be larger portions, were the most expensive per serving. (p. 20)

"When making food choices, consumers may need to consider the entire
cost of their diets. Cheap food that provides few nutrients may actually
be “expensive” for the consumer from a nutritional economy perspective,
whereas a food with a higher retail price that provides large amounts of
nutrients may actually be quite cheap. Consumers should also consider the
total daily cost—which is likely the one metric that will have the most relevance
to consumers trying to control their food budgets." (p. 30)

Wow this is great thank you for sharing! It's so interesting to hear everyone's perspective. I guess it comes down to where you live and how much thought you put into it.

Mouse_Potato

Interesting variety of replies. For me, as a single gal, it is much cheaper to eat healthy. I used to spend around $8-10 a day for lunch. When I make my own, it is healthier and it comes in around $2.50 a day. Same for breakfast. I used to spend about $5 for a breakfast sandwich, but I can make my own for a dollar or so. We usually go out for dinner, so no savings there, but if I weren't dating the world's pickiest eater and cooked my own dinners I have no doubt they would be much cheaper.

I suppose you could counter my story by pointing out how cheap frozen meals are, but since they never fill me up I just end up at the vending machine 20 minutes later, spending more money on unhealthy food. Same goes for Ramen noodles. They fill me up for maybe an hour, then I need more food. To get the same level of satiation (not even considering nutrition), I would spend far more on unhealthy food than on stuff that's good for me.

belgerian

Up front cost yes long term healh benefits no. When you say is it more expensive I guess I would take into consideration all factors. Such as processed foods have tons of sodium which increases blood pressure and fat builds up in your arteries and can casue strokes ect ect ect ect and on and on and on.

ahmadfahmy

I keep hearing online and in conversation with friends and coworkers that it's so much harder to eat healthy because healthy foods are more expensive. I am torn on the subject because I know produce can be expensive and can depend on your area. But I also know that when you eat healthy, you buy less junk foods and maybe even less food overall. I'm curious, what are your thoughts? It is a cop out or it is eating healthy really cost prohibitive?

if by healthy you mean unprocessed..then no, it is not more expensive. you can eat healthy on a college student's budget. you might have to sacrifice some variety and taste but it can be done.