Is healthy food really more expensive?
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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?
No it isnt. This is just a cosy excuse for people who find it hard to lose weight. A bowl of salad does not cost more than a extra large pizza with potato wedges and sour cream on the side.0 -
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?
No it isnt. This is just a cosy excuse for people who find it hard to lose weight. A bowl of salad does not cost more than a extra large pizza with potato wedges and sour cream on the side.
That isn't nearly an equivalent comparison. A bowl of salad does cost more than a pack of ramen or (if you don't have all the ingredients and have to buy them) a burger from the dollar menu.0 -
Over here, instant ramen bought it bulk comes out to about $.12 per pack last time I checked. At four meals a day, that's about $.50 for a day of eating. It'll be pretty tough to eat healthy for cheaper than that.
A bag of bulk vegetables is a good addition, but the bag lasts about 6 -7 servings depending how much you put in. Once in a while you can throw in an egg.
That's a pretty extreme example, but doable (I had to do it for a while - you don't feel good, but better than that starving feeling. I once was able to get two bags [BOGOF] of spinach with a coupon, but that lasted maybe about two days).
What do people do about the "dirty dozen?" Do you just avoid it, buy it anyway, or buy organic. Though, organic does add a little bit more to the cost.
Do people buy fish? Over here it's $8/lb. on sale and only a $1 less for the farm raised version. (okay, I'll admit I haven't looked at frozen fish)
I know some people try to avoid dairy as there are some who claim that dairy is not actually healthy. When you look at alternatives to (cow) milk such as almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, those are quite a bit more expensive -- even when hitting up places like Trader Joe's.
I like oatmeal, but I couldn't handle it plain so there was an added cost of fruits and stuff. I guess if you're hardcore you could just cook your oatmeal and eat it straight up. Haven't done a cost comparison to my instant ramen example -- could be pretty close.
The kids love pizza. The frozen store brand one is about $2 give or take. Looked at making my own... the cheese itself (generic store brand on sale) cost more than the frozen pizza.
I believe people say cooking/eating healthy is expensive because they look at what they know how to do, swap out the unhealthy with healthy, and see that it will probably bump up the price a bit. It comes down to the convenience factor. If you have the money, you don't have to worry about what you're spending. When you're on a tight budget, you sometimes have to pick your battles. It's easier to cook something quick and dirty, or something you know you can cook without thinking too hard, etc. and possibly end up with something that's generally considered unhealthy.
A single parent working two jobs while taking/picking up the kids to/from school may not be able, or know how, to seek out healthy foods within budget, but they may know they can make mac and cheese with a $.79 store brand box mix and still have time to help with homework.
I'm sure people can do a lot more research and planning and shopping all over town to find healthier alternatives that won't break the bank (plus you have to factor in the cost of gas -- dang it's expensive again). But when you're busy trying to get out of the situation where you have to be so financially conscious, it's an unneeded stress.
Of course this does not factor in eating out. Eating out is an external cost. The money spent or saved at restaurants would be the same whether you're buying healthy groceries or unhealthy groceries.
$.020 -
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?
No it isnt. This is just a cosy excuse for people who find it hard to lose weight. A bowl of salad does not cost more than a extra large pizza with potato wedges and sour cream on the side.
That isn't nearly an equivalent comparison. A bowl of salad does cost more than a pack of ramen or (if you don't have all the ingredients and have to buy them) a burger from the dollar menu.
It is a relevant comparison because given the opportunity too many people would rather indulge in an expensive fatty meal than a cheaper healthy meal.
In any case, salad and veg are not that expensive.0 -
Over here, instant ramen bought it bulk comes out to about $.12 per pack last time I checked. At four meals a day, that's about $.50 for a day of eating. It'll be pretty tough to eat healthy for cheaper than that.
A bag of bulk vegetables is a good addition, but the bag lasts about 6 -7 servings depending how much you put in. Once in a while you can throw in an egg.
That's a pretty extreme example, but doable (I had to do it for a while - you don't feel good, but better than that starving feeling. I once was able to get two bags [BOGOF] of spinach with a coupon, but that lasted maybe about two days).
What do people do about the "dirty dozen?" Do you just avoid it, buy it anyway, or buy organic. Though, organic does add a little bit more to the cost.
Do people buy fish? Over here it's $8/lb. on sale and only a $1 less for the farm raised version. (okay, I'll admit I haven't looked at frozen fish)
I know some people try to avoid dairy as there are some who claim that dairy is not actually healthy. When you look at alternatives to (cow) milk such as almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, those are quite a bit more expensive -- even when hitting up places like Trader Joe's.
I like oatmeal, but I couldn't handle it plain so there was an added cost of fruits and stuff. I guess if you're hardcore you could just cook your oatmeal and eat it straight up. Haven't done a cost comparison to my instant ramen example -- could be pretty close.
The kids love pizza. The frozen store brand one is about $2 give or take. Looked at making my own... the cheese itself (generic store brand on sale) cost more than the frozen pizza.
I believe people say cooking/eating healthy is expensive because they look at what they know how to do, swap out the unhealthy with healthy, and see that it will probably bump up the price a bit. It comes down to the convenience factor. If you have the money, you don't have to worry about what you're spending. When you're on a tight budget, you sometimes have to pick your battles. It's easier to cook something quick and dirty, or something you know you can cook without thinking too hard, etc. and possibly end up with something that's generally considered unhealthy.
A single parent working two jobs while taking/picking up the kids to/from school may not be able, or know how, to seek out healthy foods within budget, but they may know they can make mac and cheese with a $.79 store brand box mix and still have time to help with homework.
I'm sure people can do a lot more research and planning and shopping all over town to find healthier alternatives that won't break the bank (plus you have to factor in the cost of gas -- dang it's expensive again). But when you're busy trying to get out of the situation where you have to be so financially conscious, it's an unneeded stress.
Of course this does not factor in eating out. Eating out is an external cost. The money spent or saved at restaurants would be the same whether you're buying healthy groceries or unhealthy groceries.
$.02
Interesting points, but if you're not ready to eat healthy, even if you have money you could find a bunch of good sounding reasons as to why you do not have time to do so. Kids being helped with their homework could also pitch in to prep and make dinner -- and learn a handy life skill in the process. ;-)0 -
It depends, but for me, it hasn't increased my grocery bill. I'm pretty good about bargain shopping and keeping my bill low, and it has been a goal for me to do this without "breaking the bank". I do watch for pesticides, hormones, etc. in my foods, although I'm not an extreme nazi about it.
When I was buying more "junk" we weren't as aware of portion sizes and such. We were overeating and a lot of the "junk" snack foods don't fill you up for long, so we were hungry again shortly after. The "junk" seems cheaper at the store when you buy it, but when you look at consumption, I think it averages out to be about the same.
Fresh fruit and vegetables can be pretty cheap, if you buy in season. I've started buying about half of my produce from Aldi's because they have such great deals! The other stuff I grab at my regular grocery store and just watch for sales and keep in my which produce is in season at the time. A 3 lb bag of clementines (which are in season during the winter) normally costs $6.99-7.99, but if I wait for them to go on sale they will be $3.99. That's a great deal and they last about a week, with 2 people eating only a portion each a day.
Once the growing season hits, we start our backyard garden and grow as many vegetables as we can. Gardening is great exercise and you can do it with a little amount of space, if you don't have a lot. Google "Urban Gardening" for space saving ideas. We start most of our stuff from seeds, although you can get seedlings too and start it that way. It takes a little trial and error. This year we are trying to add some fruit and melons and seeing what our luck is with that.
Another option is joining a CSA, if you don't have room or time to garden.
As for the veggies going bad, I usually find a soup recipe to use them up. I can make a big batch and portion it down into ziploc bags, which I freeze. Then I have a quick, healthy meal for those days when I am to busy to prepare something elaborate. Just pull it out the freezer, defrost, and heat!
I have found that now that I am weighing my meats, they are even cheaper per serving than I once thought! I eat a lot of chicken, which is really cheap when it goes on sale. I break down the packages when I get home into portions that we use for meals and freeze them until I need them. I do still mix it up with fish, beef, and pork.
So yeah, I think it's a cop out for some people. Yes, I have to do more food prep than before, since I don't buy a lot of prepared foods, but I have more control over my food. I also knew that losing weight and getting healthy was going to require work and it's just part of my process.0 -
no0
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You think its cheaper to make your own spaghetti sauce until you realize the tomatoes are 2.99 a pound, and basil and oregano is 99 cents each, etc...
There are still cheaper alternatives to the store bought stuff. During the cooler months, or when fresh tomatoes are expensive, you can buy them canned. I can get a 28 oz can of tomatoes (diced, crushed, pureed, and sauce) for $0.69-0.89 on sale. They go on sale like that at least 4 times from November to February. I buy 10 cans at a time. Fresh basil and oregano is still going to be $0.99 each, but you could also get dried spices for cheaper and they will last 6 months.
I usually make at least double what I could use, since there are only 2-3 of us eating it at a time, and freeze the rest. Freezing it is easy. Cool, put in a ziploc bag, and put in freezer.0 -
"And it's probably never going to be cheaper than McDonald's value meal dollar menu."
Nonsense.
I'm a man, 5'10", 170 lbs. The cheapest meal I could eat at McDonald's - and feel that I've eaten a meal - would be about $5 for three value-menu bacon cheeseburgers (no fries, no pop - about 1,000 calories).
My home-cooked meals hardly ever cost as much as $5 per serving ... and that's even though our grocery bills have gone up since my wife and I cut out most of the (very cheap) pasta, bread, and potatoes from our diet. Now and again we tally up the cost of our meals: we very often find that we've spent less than $5 between us, and that includes the bottle of home-made wine we drank (about $1).
I eat meat with every meal - whatever is on sale, mostly (pork loin; chicken quarters; strip loin steak; beef roasts; sausage from the butcher's counter). The rest of the meals are made up of eggs (cheap) and vegetables (also cheap) for the most part.
And, yes, vegetables can be cheap, no matter the repeated refrain of "fresh produce is *so* expensive": cabbage, onions, tinned tomatoes, dried beans, mustard/collard/etc. greens (in season), broccoli (on sale), tinned peas, frozen spinach ... they are all cheap and good for you.0 -
when I started cooking about 6 or 7 times per month my electricity bill went up by about $20 so there is also that factor. and I wasn't cooking full course meals or beans/rice from scratch either. I see a lot of the people who think its not more costly seem to be both a) more than one person in the family .. . and b) have a higher income bracket that allows them to have gardens or live in houses have a vehicle or etc. Which makes sense.0
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I just thought of 2 factors for me though that made my food bills go down. One is that probably 4 or 5 years ago I stopped watching tv. and #2 would be back when I had a relationship I could be kept busy being around someone else doing other things all day instead of eating.0
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Yes it is. I never have really ate junk food. Then trying to buy healthy most of it is more expensive. I can tell a big difference at the register every week.0
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Actually my grocery bill is around the same amount as when I was feeding us disgusting junk. I have a produce store nearby that has insanely cheap produce, grains, and spices. Also, I use stores reward programs to get whatever else I need at what ends up being a 30-40% discount generally.
It takes about 10 mins to plan this, but my time in the grocery store is decreased which leads to me buying less crap I don't need.
Win.0 -
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?
Lots of posts on this recently. This is a myth.
Give an obese or gluttonous person some money to go and get some lunch.
The pizza shop is doing a special offer - £6 for a pepperoni pizza with chips and a can of coke.
The supermarket is doing a special offer £3 for a salad or chicken sandwich, bottle of mineral water and a yoghurt.
Which one is he/she more likely to go for, stereotypically?0 -
Yes it is. I never have really ate junk food. Then trying to buy healthy most of it is more expensive. I can tell a big difference at the register every week.
Wrong0 -
People who say that healthy food is expensive usually want healthy food that looks and tastes like junk food, with no effort from them. Healthy food is cheap; junk food is cheap. Processed healthy food that mimics junk food is expensive.0
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We've had to increase our grocery budget for sure. When we first got married, the paycheck was stretched pretty thin, and food was the place I could save the easiest. (As opposed to rent, and other fixed bills). We never ate out and I bought less protein and more carbs like bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes. I could tweak any recipe/meal to stretch it further by adding cheap carbs.
We still don't eat out a lot, and I still can/dry/freeze/jam produce in season when it's the least expensive and we can eat it year round. But even with eating less food in general, we are spending probably about 25% more by replacing more carbs with lean proteins.
In general I think healthful food per pound are more expensive, but depending on what and how much you were eating before, most people can eat more healthful foods on a similar budget - especially if you previously ate out a lot.0 -
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?
No it isnt. This is just a cosy excuse for people who find it hard to lose weight. A bowl of salad does not cost more than a extra large pizza with potato wedges and sour cream on the side.
That isn't nearly an equivalent comparison. A bowl of salad does cost more than a pack of ramen or (if you don't have all the ingredients and have to buy them) a burger from the dollar menu.
It is completely equivalent - the point being is that the price is often ignored. Habits, portion sizes and what people are telling themselves psychologically are to blame, not the cost of food.
Besides, unless a one dollar burger is of significantly bigger size than the price suggests, people wouldnt put on weight. They would do so with all of the other extras that they pay for to go with it. A burger with bread could typically have around 350-400 calories. Not the end of the world.0 -
I spend abour 2.15 for my Breakfeast I make 2 servings of steel cut oats which are about 4.00 for 20 servings and then I mix in 1 serving of fage yogurt which is about 1.75 per serving. You could easily mix in something else with the oatmeal for under 3 or 4 dollars. I could get a vaulue meal at MCD for lets say 4.00 thats the sausage egg mcfullin with hashbrown. Granted I could just get the egg muffin off the dollar meal but is that really going to fill me up. Also the oatmeal may not be as tasty as the fast food but the fast food will create cravings in me to want more. In the long run it is better just for me to eat healthy. The oatmeal and yogurt fills me up pretty quick. For lunch i Spend probably 4 dollars I like fresh fruit and yogurt so usually a apple and a bannana and 2 servings of yogurt. I get most of my protein thru Fage 2 percent plain. Dinner vaires sometines I will have a burger or fish but even a burger only costs me about 1 punnd i make 3 burgers at close to 5 a pound ground round that is 1.67 for the burger plus mustard I dont use a bun plus maybe some french fries or chips. Even if i ate a whole bag of chips (which I dont) that would be like 6 dollars for dinner at the most.0
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I spend abour 2.15 for my Breakfeast I make 2 servings of steel cut oats which are about 4.00 for 20 servings and then I mix in 1 serving of fage yogurt which is about 1.75 per serving. You could easily mix in something else with the oatmeal for under 3 or 4 dollars. I could get a vaulue meal at MCD for lets say 4.00 thats the sausage egg mcfullin with hashbrown. Granted I could just get the egg muffin off the dollar meal but is that really going to fill me up. Also the oatmeal may not be as tasty as the fast food but the fast food will create cravings in me to want more. In the long run it is better just for me to eat healthy. The oatmeal and yogurt fills me up pretty quick. For lunch i Spend probably 4 dollars I like fresh fruit and yogurt so usually a apple and a bannana and 2 servings of yogurt. I get most of my protein thru Fage 2 percent plain. Dinner vaires sometines I will have a burger or fish but even a burger only costs me about 1 punnd i make 3 burgers at close to 5 a pound ground round that is 1.67 for the burger plus mustard I dont use a bun plus maybe some french fries or chips. Even if i ate a whole bag of chips (which I dont) that would be like 6 dollars for dinner at the most.
chips are the junk food, so is the burger you're talking about. but a lot of other stuff you're talking about is healthy, but here's the problem. A lot of us who are getting $100 a month food stamps have to figure out how to eat healthy on $3 per day for years on end so we cant just live off of oatmeal, bananas, patatoes and beans for long periods of time. ground beef = junk food is maybe $2-3 dollars per pound where as healthier meat from the deli at the grocery store is $7-10 per pound. chips are almost always on sale for $1-2 and can last several days. but they are junkfood. Another thing is that the vast majority of coupons are for junkfood like, candy burgers, chips and soda.0
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