STOP saying healthy food is more expensive
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I'm having a hard time wrapping my head arounf this because I eat a lot of "exotic" stuff, that would normally be considered expensive, in larger quantities might I add, and I spend max $75 a week, and that's if I make a stop at the Whole Foods cheese counter ... I eat berries (all types), sheep's milk yogurt, unhomogenize yogurt, raw almonds ... my diary is open ... all rather "high priced" fare, and I keep to my budget ...
EDIT: For me AND my mom ... 2 people ... though, I do eat way more than her because of my activity level.0 -
and oh yeah, wanted to add that we DO have a vegetable garden but so what? for two months we eat fresh tomatoes and cukes. string beans for three months. we get 3-4 months of hot peppers and herbs. and guess what else....start up costs were over $200, compost is not free, nor is water. I'll ignore cost of seeds for now.
One possible answer to this might be community gardens, but, that sort of thing isn't for every place. Can't imagine people getting into it in the suburbs.0 -
lol. 2 people to feed. That's adorable.
In other news, I feel damn good that I bought 2 weeks of groceries for 4 people for $135. Georgia produce at the Farmer's Market = epic cheapness.
Whether it lasts the expected 2 weeks is another story...0 -
You can definately buy healthy for less. Aldi head of lettuce cucmber and tomatoe is less than $3 . Mix that with canned chilli. 88 cents a can and jiffy corn bread mix. I eat salad chili and bread for about 6.00 can feed 3. But most time i buy quick lo cal more expensive items at deli. Pre cooked hard boiled eggs. Chopped veggies etc. I also eat chick fil a. Lo cal items but expensive. So eating healthy can be cheaper and more expensive. It is cheaper than buying all the medicine i use to buy.0
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I have a hard time with this one, too. And with remembering some people can't get well priced fresh produce.
I live in SA, Texas and have a Fruit/Vegetable Store I've been frequenting for nearly 10+ years called Chico Boys [http://www.chichoboys.com/], where I can buy 5-8 bags of fresh produce for around $25-$30, and it'll last me a whole long time. A lot longer than just a week.
I'm really, really into eating healthy because it is *incredibly cheap* for me to do so. I do a lot of buying in bulk, portioning out and freezing for use across the coming weeks (for meals, for snacks, and for smoothies)At HEB or Walmart it would cost 2-3 times as much. So I'm definitely there with the original poster.
Cheaper for me (but I understand some people don't have the resources available to them or aren't interested in them, and even with a whole lot of other people in this city, still, don't even know they are available to be taken advantage of).0 -
Bottom line is: Where there's a will there's a way ... if you really want something you will make it work.
By the way, this applies to all aspects of life.0 -
I agree that eating healthy doesn't have to break the bank ... BUT it does depend on where you live, how much time you have available to cook, and your level of creativity in the kitchen.
I'm fortunate to live on the west coast of Canada, where family farms, and their corresponding produce markets, abound. Mid-summer it's not surprising to get two full grocery bags of produce for around $15. Then I get creative. I don't have a lot of money, so this is the type of thing I do to make healthy food on a budget:
- To a pound of lean ground chicken ($2.50), I extend it with oat bran, mushrooms, onions, grated zucchini and/or chopped spinach (2-3 cups of whatever was a good deal) ... and end up with about 8 healthy chicken burgers. No reason this couldn't be done with hamburger too.
- Or I'll cook a $1 head of cauliflower, toss it and the water into a blender, return to the pot and add half a can of coconut milk (about 75 cents) ... and end up with 4-5 2-cup servings of really delicious soup for $1.75.
- A friend just gave me a smoked trout, so I turned part of it into another fabulous soup, with onions, frozen chopped spinach, and a half a can of coconut milk.
- Instead of spending a lot of money on fresh or frozen juices, pick up a $2 bottle of lemon juice and make tons of lemonade.
- Freeze all leftover meat bones and make a delicious and very nutritious bone broth, which can be eaten on its own, or used to make other things such as soups, sauces and gravies.
These are just a few ways I've found to eat healthy without taking out a mortgage.0 -
Bottom line is: Where there's a will there's a way ... if you really want something you will make it work.
By the way, this applies to all aspects of life.
Absolutely agree. And if you really refuse to give up fast food, you're going to find a way to rationalize why you "can't". I've done it in the past. My husband does it now. He "doesn't have time", so he eats fast food. I've cooked lunches for him (things that he likes for dinner at home) and packed them up and had them ready to go and he won't bother to bring them to work so he "HAD" to stop at McDonalds. He's got it rationalized in his head as to why he has absolutely no alternative...
When he wants to eat healthy he will, but nothing I'm ever going to say is going to change him so I just let him eat what he wants and listen to him complain about how I lose weight and he doesn't. I know I've found out that after years of my own whining about how much work it would be to plan out meals and cook ahead of time and how I'd be bored with what I cooked, etc.... it turns out to be cheaper, easier, and honestly quite delicious. I didn't want to hear it before. I had to really want it before I made the effort to make it happen.0 -
We are on a very, very tight budget this summer. We shop at Aldi. The produce is hit and miss. The lettuce has been great (1.99) and lasts about a week. I also get avocadoes there. We don't typically buy meat there. However, we have some in the fridge right now. Sure, I'd love to buy grass-feed ground beef, but NO way is it in the budget...not right now. As it is, I'm trying to get 2.5 meals out of it. We buy most our baking baking products there and our dairy.
We have a garden. Yellow squash was great, then with all the rain, it rotted. Cucumbers and lettuce--bum crop this year--last year it was plentiful. Our tomatoes are doing great. I have a bunch ripening on the counter and will pick a bunch tomorrow. I really wanted to get 60% of our produce from the garden, it just didn't happen. The rain and cool temps we had hurt the veggies.
I also try and make as many things as I can from scratch. We are almost out of bread, I will probably bake a batch tomorrow. We go a bread outlet as well, but not sure I can get there tomorrow.
Eating healthy is more expensive, IMHO. I manage alright with our budget. I haven't gained any weight.:drinker: and my whole family is drinking a lot more water!0 -
yeah... no. If I want 5 chicken breasts it costs $12-15. There goes half of my budget. A gallon of milk is more than $5.
WELCOME TO BC!
Go to Safeway or Superstore; 4 kg of frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts ~$250 -
Like I've seen others say in this thread, OP has apparently never been poor or fallen on hard times. My husband and I live in a studio apartment in the middle of the city, so no garden for us! My husband lost his job last year and has been nonstop searching for another one, and I'm disabled and cannot work. We survive on food stamps to eat, and we have a fridge about half the size of a normal one. Let me break this down for you.
When I wasn't eating healthy, basically meaning canned pasta and soup for dinner with a cheap generic soda every night and cereal every day for breakfast, we were fine. The food stamps more than covered it, and we sometimes had enough to roll over to the next month. We get ~$300/month for both of us, keep in mind.
Now that we've both started eating healthy - salads, veggies, fresh fruit, cutting out soda - it's increased our bill at the checkout counter dramatically. Usually we are able to make two shopping trips per month and spend about $125 each time. The first time after making the change, we got the checkout counter, and for our first trip of the months' total? $230. Keep in mind I shop at Walmart, a) Because its one of the only stores around here unless you want to get ripped off at Whole Foods, and because b) our car is a gas guzzler and WalMart is the only store close enough where we can pick up everything we need in one go.
So now, because we're eating healthier, we have to only make one trip a month, we usually end up missing a meal a day so we can ration food, and I can't begin to tell you the number of times we've had to knock on our neighbor's door and ask if we can use his fridge space. When we didn't eat healthy, we didn't have to worry about tons of perishables. And have to make this stuff last now for a MONTH.
TL;DR - Try being poor and on food stamps and then tell me healthier food costs less. Because it doesn't.0 -
I don't know about you but eating more veggies and fruits is breaking the bank. It costs around 160-200 bucks for us. Produce is super expensive where I am at.0
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Like I've seen others say in this thread, OP has apparently never been poor or fallen on hard times. My husband and I live in a studio apartment in the middle of the city, so no garden for us! My husband lost his job last year and has been nonstop searching for another one, and I'm disabled and cannot work. We survive on food stamps to eat, and we have a fridge about half the size of a normal one. Let me break this down for you.
When I wasn't eating healthy, basically meaning canned pasta and soup for dinner with a cheap generic soda every night and cereal every day for breakfast, we were fine. The food stamps more than covered it, and we sometimes had enough to roll over to the next month. We get ~$300/month for both of us, keep in mind.
Now that we've both started eating healthy - salads, veggies, fresh fruit, cutting out soda - it's increased our bill at the checkout counter dramatically. Usually we are able to make two shopping trips per month and spend about $125 each time. The first time after making the change, we got the checkout counter, and for our first trip of the months' total? $230. Keep in mind I shop at Walmart, a) Because its one of the only stores around here unless you want to get ripped off at Whole Foods, and because b) our car is a gas guzzler and WalMart is the only store close enough where we can pick up everything we need in one go.
So now, because we're eating healthier, we have to only make one trip a month, we usually end up missing a meal a day so we can ration food, and I can't begin to tell you the number of times we've had to knock on our neighbor's door and ask if we can use his fridge space. When we didn't eat healthy, we didn't have to worry about tons of perishables. And have to make this stuff last now for a MONTH.
TL;DR - Try being poor and on food stamps and then tell me healthier food costs less. Because it doesn't.
This0 -
Try shopping Wholesale [ex. Costco], and you will get a lot for your money. The markup there is only 15%, which is a lot lower than the likes of Walmart, Target, Fareway, etc; just a thought.0
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This...Like I've seen others say in this thread, OP has apparently never been poor or fallen on hard times. My husband and I live in a studio apartment in the middle of the city, so no garden for us! My husband lost his job last year and has been nonstop searching for another one, and I'm disabled and cannot work. We survive on food stamps to eat, and we have a fridge about half the size of a normal one. Let me break this down for you.
When I wasn't eating healthy, basically meaning canned pasta and soup for dinner with a cheap generic soda every night and cereal every day for breakfast, we were fine. The food stamps more than covered it, and we sometimes had enough to roll over to the next month. We get ~$300/month for both of us, keep in mind.
Now that we've both started eating healthy - salads, veggies, fresh fruit, cutting out soda - it's increased our bill at the checkout counter dramatically. Usually we are able to make two shopping trips per month and spend about $125 each time. The first time after making the change, we got the checkout counter, and for our first trip of the months' total? $230. Keep in mind I shop at Walmart, a) Because its one of the only stores around here unless you want to get ripped off at Whole Foods, and because b) our car is a gas guzzler and WalMart is the only store close enough where we can pick up everything we need in one go.
So now, because we're eating healthier, we have to only make one trip a month, we usually end up missing a meal a day so we can ration food, and I can't begin to tell you the number of times we've had to knock on our neighbor's door and ask if we can use his fridge space. When we didn't eat healthy, we didn't have to worry about tons of perishables. And have to make this stuff last now for a MONTH.
TL;DR - Try being poor and on food stamps and then tell me healthier food costs less. Because it doesn't.
but..
it is very possible to eat whole fruits and veggies but your variety will suck *kitten*.
I am from Texas where food is the cheapest as you can find it. While standard of living will vary from place to place. I spend about 50-80 dollars a week on groceries. minumum
Grass fed steak alone is about 10+ dollars a pound and if I get ground beef I can get it for 3.30 a lb at costco.
Rice can be cheap and htat ground beef can last me for a while. The thing is. The other foods such as a variety of fruits and vegetables are a pain in the *kitten*. If anything it would be best to go to a bulk store and buy fruits and veggies that will last the longest. For the average person it is very expensive. Berries in Texas are pretty pricey along with avocados.
I have and always believed berries and avocados are power foods that no one really gets enough of.
I have never had a low budget. If anything I am fortunate enough to purchase whatever food I want. I know for the average american it is very hard to.
Open your eyes OP and please stop being snobby0 -
Reasonable Quality Steak: $26.99 a pound
Potato Chips: $3.99 a bag
Just sayin!
Yep. Sorry to disagree with the poster, but eating healthy (i.e. organic, locally-grown produce, grass-fed beef, quality dairy, etc.) is way more pricey. In California I spend $100/week if I'm lucky for the two of us (and my boyfriend doesn't consume meat!)
If you go to Walmart and buy cheap, non organic, factory farmed, huge industrial foods (and foods based around lots of soy and corn) then yes, it'll be cheaper.
I guess it all depends on what you consider "healthier," OP. To this person I have just quoted, I am in California too and I feel your pain. My family eats all organic produce---mostly local (plus we grow our own)---and we only eat pastured animals and animal products. So grass fed beef, truly free-range chickens, raw milk from grass fed cows, etc. We buy very little processed food and when we want baked desserts I make them from scratch. But you get what you pay for. Our milk alone is $14.99/gallon and I still spend a ton at the farmers' market, even though it's "supposed" to be cheaper. We're a family of 4 including a 2 and 4 year old. I plan my meals and shop according to my meal plans, and still I spend between $250-500 a week on food. It is our biggest expense by far. We are not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but we make good food a priority. We've had to sacrifice some things to afford it but it's worth it to us. We look at it as an investment in future health. But to each their own. Our lifestyle is not for everyone and I wouldn't dream of pushing it on anyone else; I spend many hours in the kitchen every day and not everyone has that luxury. So I say live and let live.
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Eating healthy with adequate protein is expensive.0
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I agree that eating healthy doesn't have to break the bank ... BUT it does depend on where you live, how much time you have available to cook, and your level of creativity in the kitchen.
I'm fortunate to live on the west coast of Canada, where family farms, and their corresponding produce markets, abound. Mid-summer it's not surprising to get two full grocery bags of produce for around $15. Then I get creative. I don't have a lot of money, so this is the type of thing I do to make healthy food on a budget:
- To a pound of lean ground chicken ($2.50), I extend it with oat bran, mushrooms, onions, grated zucchini and/or chopped spinach (2-3 cups of whatever was a good deal) ... and end up with about 8 healthy chicken burgers. No reason this couldn't be done with hamburger too.
- Or I'll cook a $1 head of cauliflower, toss it and the water into a blender, return to the pot and add half a can of coconut milk (about 75 cents) ... and end up with 4-5 2-cup servings of really delicious soup for $1.75.
- A friend just gave me a smoked trout, so I turned part of it into another fabulous soup, with onions, frozen chopped spinach, and a half a can of coconut milk.
- Instead of spending a lot of money on fresh or frozen juices, pick up a $2 bottle of lemon juice and make tons of lemonade.
- Freeze all leftover meat bones and make a delicious and very nutritious bone broth, which can be eaten on its own, or used to make other things such as soups, sauces and gravies.
These are just a few ways I've found to eat healthy without taking out a mortgage.
LOVE!! I'm going to try those chicken (turkey) burgers!! Thanks for sharing your recipes!!0 -
When I shop for healthier foods, I definitely spend more money. It's more expensive to buy fresher items.
Actually, in many cases. frozen food has more nutrients than fresh. "Fresh" food has often ripened while sitting on a truck. Frozen foods are generally picked at peak and then immediately frozen to maintain taste (as well as micronutrients).0 -
Try shopping Wholesale [ex. Costco], and you will get a lot for your money. The markup there is only 15%, which is a lot lower than the likes of Walmart, Target, Fareway, etc; just a thought.
Nearest one of these to my location is about 3 hours away
Just wanted to pop in and say, yes it costs more, for me anyway; yes it's worth it; not complaining (too much) but it could be that this is part of the reason I got fat. I was always buying food on a budget.
PS I don't have cable and my cell phone is work issued so I don't pay for that either. Cost of living in my area is a good bit higher than 10 years ago and wages haven't increased that much.0
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