STOP saying healthy food is more expensive

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  • breeshabebe
    breeshabebe Posts: 580
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    I could get by on 30$ but there wouldn't be alot of variety. For some people, chicken/fish with salads could get a little mundane.
  • LAW_714
    LAW_714 Posts: 258
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    It can be more expensive depending on what you're comparing it to. I used to feed my teen boys and I those $3 all in one boxed dinners. I can't make a healthy meal for 3 people for $3. I'm glad that your grocery bill hasn't gone up but don't assume everyone shopped the same way as you.

    You can't? Rice, beans & scrambled eggs for 3 people would be less than $3.00 if you're buying your beans and rice in bulk (and probably healthier than some sodium laden packaged stuff)

    But then I'd be living off of rice, beans and scrambled eggs. I eat my fair share of scrambled eggs, but I like a little more variety.

    I'm a big proponent of eat whatever works for you. Different people, different tastes, different lifestyles. To each their own.

    That said, I gave up boxed cerals ages and ages ago, not because of any particular nutritional reason but because they are quite expensive per box. I shop on the outter aisle because I enjoy cooking and like making my own meals (and I use a lot less sodium and sugar than the frozen dinners). I've had an herb garden for years so, other than for an annual such as basil, I don't even have to replant the stuff. It's just... there (Parsley even tends to re-seed itself). And I lucked out at a plant sale this spring and got tomato plants for 50 cents each and so far this summer I have picked over 100 grape, cherry, and roma tomatoes out of my own back yard.
  • Siegel15
    Siegel15 Posts: 100 Member
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    Well... I used to eat Atkins. Since starting MFP, I have cut my food bill in half.
    Veg strong, less protein and dairy, more fruit and no junk.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
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    http://timessupermarkets.mywebgrocer.com/Circular.aspx?c=151949&n=4&s=279685869&g=9ec15e22-3e73-41be-aae1-95f9d2b88fbf&uc=5CDA5149


    I shop here. I spent 85 dollars on food, for myself, for two weeks. That included almost no meat, aside from frozen chicken and canned tuna. That 80 dollars got me half a gallon of milk, a pack of tortilla shells, a loaf of bread, two things of instant pudding, strawberries, 3 grapefruits, turkey bacon (cause it was 4 dollars and real bacon was 7), a bag of spinach, lettuce, 3 bags of udon noodles, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, tea bags, frozen garlic bread, two bags of broccoli, two cans of green beans, chicken thighs, and few cans of tuna.

    The fresh stuff alone was over 20.

    You don't live where I live. You don't know what foods costs here.
  • supremelady
    supremelady Posts: 211 Member
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    I see a lot of people saying they "make" a lot of their from scratch and that is fine IF you have the time. $30 is low i went to the store on sunday and just for my fruits this week i spent $25. Location/time/amount of family members have to be considered.
  • mlindenmuth36
    mlindenmuth36 Posts: 35 Member
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    Um yea it is indeed more expensive to eat clean and healthy. I have a family of five here and it would be cheaper and less time consuming to feed my kids pop tarts and chips. I don't. But many people don't have the extra cash to feed their families healthy food all the time. And not everyone grow a garden. Stop judging. Why not donate some of your time to a local for pantry to see how people unlike you live and feed their families.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
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    $30.00? Really?

    Something to aspire to.
  • Sarahonly
    Sarahonly Posts: 36 Member
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    Prices in Canada can be frightening... there's no way I'd feed my boyfriend and I on $30 a week. And as a student, sometimes I do end up cutting corners on my groceries and buying what I can when i can't afford the good stuff, unfortunately.
  • hadrianplott
    hadrianplott Posts: 28 Member
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    I like turtles.

    Lol
  • musicteacher40
    musicteacher40 Posts: 91 Member
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    Oh my...where do you live, cause where I live fresh fruits and Veggies are SO expensive and don't last long in freshness (like 3 days or less) and so that makes it even more expensive... I will buy frozen, but that's still on the high side!

    I can not have a garden where I live as I live a trailer court and it is not allowed...
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    I see a lot of people saying they "make" a lot of their from scratch and that is fine IF you have the time. $30 is low i went to the store on sunday and just for my fruits this week i spent $25. Location/time/amount of family members have to be considered.

    As long as people recognize this is a time and desire choice, not a direct cost/calorie choice, then it's fine.

    If someone is looking for cheap food and ends up with packaged chips, that's a massive failure of a financial decision.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    Ever notice there are a TON of coupons for cereal, chips, cookies, boxed pasta/potato meals but NO coupons for fresh meats, fruits/veggies or dairy. This is why eating healthy costs more. You cant get discounts on these items.

    Nope it's always new products too. They dont offer reduced rates on any fresh groceries.
  • dellaquilaa
    dellaquilaa Posts: 230 Member
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    Before I started eating better, I would coupon for my groceries. I was able to keep my bill to about $50/mo for just me (excluding meat purchases). I could get 6 large bags of peanut M&Ms for $1 or 20 high-sugar yogurts for $3. I had gotten 25 microwavable Healthy Choice soup bowls for a few bucks one time, and a similar deal on frozen dinners. And free potato chips and crackers anytime I wanted. But that food was mostly just garbage.

    Since I've been eating healthier (and I'm by no means even all that healthy, I just actually eat fruits and veggies now), my grocery bill probably runs $140/mo for just me. But I didn't bust my butt in college to have to pinch pennies later and skimp on healthy foods so I'm perfectly fine with the hike in my bill. I just rarely eat out anymore, and that offsets a lot of the cost.
  • ouiouilezizi
    ouiouilezizi Posts: 36
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    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.
  • doowop713
    doowop713 Posts: 268 Member
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    It can be more expensive depending on what you're comparing it to. I used to feed my teen boys and I those $3 all in one boxed dinners. I can't make a healthy meal for 3 people for $3. I'm glad that your grocery bill hasn't gone up but don't assume everyone shopped the same way as you.

    You can't? Rice, beans & scrambled eggs for 3 people would be less than $3.00 if you're buying your beans and rice in bulk (and probably healthier than some sodium laden packaged stuff)

    What kind of meal is rice, beans, and eggs? and with teen boys?! Psh. She is right, especially for the majority of Americans right now. Idk where everyone else is from, but I've grown up on Ramen noodles, hot dog mac n cheese, and pb&j's on nasty white bread and a soda. We weren't living a very lavish life. Some people are in different SES than OP and those of you on her side. Obviously I am doing much better now because I am old enough to work and help support our home, but some folks just don't have the means to raid the produce section, buy an expensive *kitten* canner/pressure cooker/juicer/extra freezer/ etc. Apartments don't have places for gardens or chickens. Some don't even have balconies *gasp!*. Lots of folks working two and three jobs literally don't have time to cook. They throw something in the microwave and they are off to their other job.

    Just sayin' y'all.:ohwell:

    No offense:flowerforyou:
  • VegKate
    VegKate Posts: 55 Member
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    I don't know about a heathy typical diet, but being a vegetarian has definitely saved me a lot of money. Meat is expensive, beans are super cheap.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Everything is relative, I cook most of my own meals and my grocery bill is much much higher than $30 a week
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
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    OP you are comparing apples to bunnies here. When people go on a health quest they very likely change a whole lot of things. The big thing is they eat fewer calories. You can't compare the cost of 3000 calories to the cost of 2000 or less calories or whatever the drop was. Most people drop at least 500 calories a day, some just drop a couple hundred and exercise more. So, what your body needs changes or you become more aware of what you really need. My food costs are about the same. But, I am eating 1000 calories or more less a day. I was gaining weight before, so that isn't a drop in TDEE calories it's a drop in total calorie intake. So point is calorie for calorie healthier foods can cost more.
  • geekette411
    geekette411 Posts: 154 Member
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    Reasonable Quality Steak: $26.99 a pound
    Potato Chips: $3.99 a bag

    Just sayin!

    Amen!!
    Whoa! Is that gold plated unicorn steak? Angus rib-eye in my area is $9 on sale. I'm glad I live in the cheap seats!
  • ncmedic201
    ncmedic201 Posts: 540 Member
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    It can be more expensive depending on what you're comparing it to. I used to feed my teen boys and I those $3 all in one boxed dinners. I can't make a healthy meal for 3 people for $3. I'm glad that your grocery bill hasn't gone up but don't assume everyone shopped the same way as you.

    It's easier to buy and prepare the boxed meals, but I doubt it's less expensive than buying comparable macro sources in bulk. It's your life and choices, but rice, beans, frozen veggies, a chicken in bulk are extremely cheap. If you're interested in a calorie/dollar comparison, you do have options.

    Even in bulk you would be hard pressed to feed on $1 per person. Chicken alone would probably cost that much. I don't buy those foods anymore because my budget allows for better items, but there's limited fruits, veggies and meats that you can purchase that would be that cheap.

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