Costing a lot more money to eat healthier! :(
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Why would you feed your family unhealthy food and then make separate food for yourself? Make one meal for everyone. Don't fall for the hype that you need to eat special magical expensive foods to lose weight. Just eat food you can afford at a calorie deficit.5
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Skyblueyellow wrote: »Where is this that fresh fruits and vegetables cost less than processed foods? A lb of apples is 2.95/lb. The same lb of boxed mac n' cheese is $1. A bag of mandarin oranges are $6.99. Even iceberg lettuce is well over $1/lb! Zucchini? That costs $2/lb this time of year. I live in a highly agricultural area as well. Cucumbers (.68/lb) and broccoli are super affordable right now so we eat a lot of that. Five lbs of potatoes is $4.99.
In the winter in a cold climate I rely on frozen vegetables. We shop sales for our protein and plan meals around those sales. For my family of 4 (my boys are 6 and 7) I spend about $130-140 a week, and that doesn't include things like dog food, tissues, shampoo, etc. To be totally transparent I could spend less if I wanted to but I enjoy eating and, well, I like what I like!
I think that this is highly regional. If you can't afford it, use canned/frozen veg to bulk up meals. No need to buy separate foods. Yes, there are some foods that are bought that only I eat, some that only the kids eat, and some that only hubby eats just because of snack preferences. For example, I do LCHF and enjoy salami and provolone roll-ups for a quick snack at night and no one else touches salami.
It will depend on location and available stores but I only buy fresh produce when it's on sale and then I supplement with frozen. I also make my menu plan around what's on sale and walk into the store with cash and a plan of action lol.
This week at Aldi and Meijer I got (fresh and on sale)-
-5lbs clementines $4.88
-5lb russet potatoes $1.29 *
-3 containers of raspberries $3.75
-pint blueberries $1.59
-2 containers of blackberries $2.58
-2lbs red seedless grapes $2.78
-bag mini sweet peppers $2.50
-bag of spinach $1.49
-3lbs apples $2.99
-and then I bought several bags of frozen Californial Blend vegetables for $1 each
I don't buy it unless it's cheap
*kicking myself for not getting a couple more bags since potatoes store well, so I'm going to try and get back to the store yet this week and buy more!
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I do cook different meals for me and my family and it can get costly. What I do is buy my meat in bulk when on sale, batch cook and freeze my meals. This usually saves both time and money. As far as vegetables, I try buy in season and whatever is on sale.2
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I've found that eating healthily can actually be cheaper. For example, this is what I'm eating for the week:
Breakfast: eggs ($2 for dozen) or "lean" breakfast burritos (on sale for $1.65 each, bought three)
Lunches and dinners: chicken salads consisting of grilled chicken breast ($1.99/lb * 4.5 lbs, around $9), spring mix lettuce (big box for $5), feta (on sale for $2), hummus (on sale for $1.50)--these will last me about 5 days.
When the chicken salads run out, I have a couple lean cuisines (on sale for $1.75 each)
My entire grocery list for the week was about $40, which I think is totally reasonable and on par with cost for less healthy alternatives. It's all about what you buy!
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Some stuff does cost more. My almond milk is more expensive that regular milk. I was never a junk food eater but I guess if you compare a bag of no name potato chips to a head of cauliflower that was $5.99 last time I shopped yeah it can seem expensive. I find that buying whatever fruits and vegetables are is season ( not necessarily the ones you were going to get ) can help. Whatever isnt in season I look for deals in the freezer section. A lot of stores will price match too. No more bringing flyers -just download the app- I use Flipp and go to it. Also we tend to waste food- buy only what you need and that will save. I buy lots in bulk and then portion it out in bags/containers.2
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I always buy veggies that are on sale. The hispanic stores here have various vegetables at great prices. I can buy zucchini 4 lbs for a dollar, cucumbers 10 for $1. I peruse the sales. My fallback is always the big bag of coleslaw mix for about $4. I cook a half a bag and it lasts me for a week. Then again, I live alone and I also belong to a weight loss program that provides my meals for me.1
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Some stuff does cost more. My almond milk is more expensive that regular milk. I was never a junk food eater but I guess if you compare a bag of no name potato chips to a head of cauliflower that was $5.99 last time I shopped yeah it can seem expensive. I find that buying whatever fruits and vegetables are is season ( not necessarily the ones you were going to get ) can help. Whatever isnt in season I look for deals in the freezer section. A lot of stores will price match too. No more bringing flyers -just download the app- I use Flipp and go to it. Also we tend to waste food- buy only what you need and that will save. I buy lots in bulk and then portion it out in bags/containers.
Are you subbing dairy milk because you're lactose intolerant? Otherwise almond milk isn't any healthier than dairy milk and yeah it's more expensive (I pay $2-$2.50 for a gallon of dairy milk vs $2.50 for a half gallon carton of almond milk for my lactose intolerant child).0 -
It will depend on location and available stores but I only buy fresh produce when it's on sale and then I supplement with frozen. I also make my menu plan around what's on sale and walk into the store with cash and a plan of action lol.
This week at Aldi and Meijer I got (fresh and on sale)-
-5lbs clementines $4.88
-5lb russet potatoes $1.29 *
-3 containers of raspberries $3.75
-pint blueberries $1.59
-2 containers of blackberries $2.58
-2lbs red seedless grapes $2.78
-bag mini sweet peppers $2.50
-bag of spinach $1.49
-3lbs apples $2.99
-and then I bought several bags of frozen Californial Blend vegetables for $1 each
I don't buy it unless it's cheap
*kicking myself for not getting a couple more bags since potatoes store well, so I'm going to try and get back to the store yet this week and buy more!
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I LOVE ALDI and a store we have called Marks shop the same way and cut my food bill in half..
This year 20x30 garden and learning how to store for the winter
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If you're swapping prior purchases for groceries (eating out, movie snacks, cafe, etc) , then it should all at least cancel out.0
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My solution has been:
-buy as much frozen as possible and when it goes on sale stock up
-watch online for coupons (green giant does a lot) and you can save a few bucks that way
-buy bulk (amazon depending on the product is good)
-watch those fliers to price match
-try to match up with the families meals (if they are having chicken, potatoes and broccoli I just make extra veggies for myself and skip the potatoes)3 -
Michael190lbs wrote: »
I LOVE ALDI and a store we have called Marks shop the same way and cut my food bill in half..
This year 20x30 garden and learning how to store for the winter
Aldi is seriously amazing! My local one has also gone crazy with their new organic/'healthy' line and the prices on those items are really great as well! I'm not into the whole 'organic is best' thing, but I admit I'll buy it over the regular option when it's similar price lol. It cracked me up though because my daughter picked out a box of macaroni and cheese from there yesterday and it was organic-seriously, who do they think they're kidding
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I find the wide array of cheaply-priced gourmet junk food & cheese to be too tempting at Aldi, so I rarely shop there. Upon entering, one is promptly met with amazing belgian chocolate and gourmet cookies..and finally sub-$3 800ish calorie wheels of camembert (that I could polish off in about 5 minutes).0
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In my area, Price-rite is pretty good for getting the most out of your money, without being too small and limited in what they have (like some of the other smaller discount grocery stores). They also have an aisle of latin food ingredients that is missing from Aldi's or Save-a-lot.1
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kayleexbabeex wrote: »I'm buying two seperate shops, one for my family and then my own food shop which is a lot more healthier and low calorie/fat free things, it's costing a bomb todo this and it's draining my purse
anyone else find this?
It sounds to me like you're paying a premium for processed food goods that are marketed as "heatlhy" from a special shop...
Go to the store...see all those whole foods...buy those and cook with those and eat those. The only "health food" that I eat that is remotely expensive is fish...but I love salmon and cod.8 -
The stuff about food deserts is accurate. This can mean that within say, your zip code, there is absolutely no place you can go to buy fruits and vegetables. There have also been plenty of instances where the prices are higher in low-income neighborhoods. People who don't have cars or who are dependent on public transportation have fewer choices and have to pay the higher prices.
Now I don't live in a food desert (although I work in a pretty arid environment) and I have a car. I am finding that after having adjusted portion sizes and gone through a readjustment in how/what I cook, I'm not spending more than what I was before. In some cases, I spend less.
Think about it though. In my grocery store, to buy a bag of potato chips, it would probably cost me $3.99. I could buy 5 oranges for that. Or a pork tenderloin. Or a head of cauliflower and a head of broccoli.
If you have access to ethnic grocery stores, you can often buy spices much more cheaply. I also find bulk departments useful for that.
Try to buy seasonal produce. If you have access to a good farmers' market, you can save more too.
I notice a lot of people buy produce that's been washed and cut up. Sometimes I'm willing to do that because it's such a pain to prep the food myself (cauliflower rice and butternut squash, I'm looking at you), but it's almost always substantially cheaper to buy it and do the prep yourself. With chicken, if you buy the kind with the skin on and the bone in, it's almost always cheaper than skinless, boneless and it's the work of minutes to remove the skin and bones if you absolutely feel compelled to do so.2 -
The poorer I am, the healthier I eat. :laugh:
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crzycatlady1 wrote: »Skyblueyellow wrote: »Where is this that fresh fruits and vegetables cost less than processed foods? A lb of apples is 2.95/lb. The same lb of boxed mac n' cheese is $1. A bag of mandarin oranges are $6.99. Even iceberg lettuce is well over $1/lb! Zucchini? That costs $2/lb this time of year. I live in a highly agricultural area as well. Cucumbers (.68/lb) and broccoli are super affordable right now so we eat a lot of that. Five lbs of potatoes is $4.99.
In the winter in a cold climate I rely on frozen vegetables. We shop sales for our protein and plan meals around those sales. For my family of 4 (my boys are 6 and 7) I spend about $130-140 a week, and that doesn't include things like dog food, tissues, shampoo, etc. To be totally transparent I could spend less if I wanted to but I enjoy eating and, well, I like what I like!
I think that this is highly regional. If you can't afford it, use canned/frozen veg to bulk up meals. No need to buy separate foods. Yes, there are some foods that are bought that only I eat, some that only the kids eat, and some that only hubby eats just because of snack preferences. For example, I do LCHF and enjoy salami and provolone roll-ups for a quick snack at night and no one else touches salami.
It will depend on location and available stores but I only buy fresh produce when it's on sale and then I supplement with frozen. I also make my menu plan around what's on sale and walk into the store with cash and a plan of action lol.
This week at Aldi and Meijer I got (fresh and on sale)-
-5lbs clementines $4.88
-5lb russet potatoes $1.29 *
-3 containers of raspberries $3.75
-pint blueberries $1.59
-2 containers of blackberries $2.58
-2lbs red seedless grapes $2.78
-bag mini sweet peppers $2.50
-bag of spinach $1.49
-3lbs apples $2.99
-and then I bought several bags of frozen Californial Blend vegetables for $1 each
I don't buy it unless it's cheap
*kicking myself for not getting a couple more bags since potatoes store well, so I'm going to try and get back to the store yet this week and buy more!
I'm incredibly jealous lol. Where do you live (roughly)? A bag of spinach here is nearly $6, grapes are $4.99/lb and a pint of blueberries is $5. Unless I pick them in the summer, then they're free!
I tend to buy a lot of frozen veggies (Presidents Choice has FANTASTIC frozen veggies), and then I buy whatever fruits and veggies tend to be on sale. Sometimes, they seem more expensive than junk food, but really they do more than one meal, so they turn out to be the same cost or cheaper. 0 -
addicted2cola wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Skyblueyellow wrote: »Where is this that fresh fruits and vegetables cost less than processed foods? A lb of apples is 2.95/lb. The same lb of boxed mac n' cheese is $1. A bag of mandarin oranges are $6.99. Even iceberg lettuce is well over $1/lb! Zucchini? That costs $2/lb this time of year. I live in a highly agricultural area as well. Cucumbers (.68/lb) and broccoli are super affordable right now so we eat a lot of that. Five lbs of potatoes is $4.99.
In the winter in a cold climate I rely on frozen vegetables. We shop sales for our protein and plan meals around those sales. For my family of 4 (my boys are 6 and 7) I spend about $130-140 a week, and that doesn't include things like dog food, tissues, shampoo, etc. To be totally transparent I could spend less if I wanted to but I enjoy eating and, well, I like what I like!
I think that this is highly regional. If you can't afford it, use canned/frozen veg to bulk up meals. No need to buy separate foods. Yes, there are some foods that are bought that only I eat, some that only the kids eat, and some that only hubby eats just because of snack preferences. For example, I do LCHF and enjoy salami and provolone roll-ups for a quick snack at night and no one else touches salami.
It will depend on location and available stores but I only buy fresh produce when it's on sale and then I supplement with frozen. I also make my menu plan around what's on sale and walk into the store with cash and a plan of action lol.
This week at Aldi and Meijer I got (fresh and on sale)-
-5lbs clementines $4.88
-5lb russet potatoes $1.29 *
-3 containers of raspberries $3.75
-pint blueberries $1.59
-2 containers of blackberries $2.58
-2lbs red seedless grapes $2.78
-bag mini sweet peppers $2.50
-bag of spinach $1.49
-3lbs apples $2.99
-and then I bought several bags of frozen Californial Blend vegetables for $1 each
I don't buy it unless it's cheap
*kicking myself for not getting a couple more bags since potatoes store well, so I'm going to try and get back to the store yet this week and buy more!
I'm incredibly jealous lol. Where do you live (roughly)? A bag of spinach here is nearly $6, grapes are $4.99/lb and a pint of blueberries is $5. Unless I pick them in the summer, then they're free! I tend to buy a lot of frozen veggies (Presidents Choice has FANTASTIC frozen veggies), and then I buy whatever fruits and veggies tend to be on sale. Sometimes, they seem more expensive than junk food, but really they do more than one meal, so they turn out to be the same cost or cheaper.
I'm in Michigan 0 -
crzycatlady1 wrote: »addicted2cola wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Skyblueyellow wrote: »Where is this that fresh fruits and vegetables cost less than processed foods? A lb of apples is 2.95/lb. The same lb of boxed mac n' cheese is $1. A bag of mandarin oranges are $6.99. Even iceberg lettuce is well over $1/lb! Zucchini? That costs $2/lb this time of year. I live in a highly agricultural area as well. Cucumbers (.68/lb) and broccoli are super affordable right now so we eat a lot of that. Five lbs of potatoes is $4.99.
In the winter in a cold climate I rely on frozen vegetables. We shop sales for our protein and plan meals around those sales. For my family of 4 (my boys are 6 and 7) I spend about $130-140 a week, and that doesn't include things like dog food, tissues, shampoo, etc. To be totally transparent I could spend less if I wanted to but I enjoy eating and, well, I like what I like!
I think that this is highly regional. If you can't afford it, use canned/frozen veg to bulk up meals. No need to buy separate foods. Yes, there are some foods that are bought that only I eat, some that only the kids eat, and some that only hubby eats just because of snack preferences. For example, I do LCHF and enjoy salami and provolone roll-ups for a quick snack at night and no one else touches salami.
It will depend on location and available stores but I only buy fresh produce when it's on sale and then I supplement with frozen. I also make my menu plan around what's on sale and walk into the store with cash and a plan of action lol.
This week at Aldi and Meijer I got (fresh and on sale)-
-5lbs clementines $4.88
-5lb russet potatoes $1.29 *
-3 containers of raspberries $3.75
-pint blueberries $1.59
-2 containers of blackberries $2.58
-2lbs red seedless grapes $2.78
-bag mini sweet peppers $2.50
-bag of spinach $1.49
-3lbs apples $2.99
-and then I bought several bags of frozen Californial Blend vegetables for $1 each
I don't buy it unless it's cheap
*kicking myself for not getting a couple more bags since potatoes store well, so I'm going to try and get back to the store yet this week and buy more!
I'm incredibly jealous lol. Where do you live (roughly)? A bag of spinach here is nearly $6, grapes are $4.99/lb and a pint of blueberries is $5. Unless I pick them in the summer, then they're free! I tend to buy a lot of frozen veggies (Presidents Choice has FANTASTIC frozen veggies), and then I buy whatever fruits and veggies tend to be on sale. Sometimes, they seem more expensive than junk food, but really they do more than one meal, so they turn out to be the same cost or cheaper.
I'm in Michigan
Even when I convert your prices to Canadian, It's still less! Pfft, I need to move somewhere further south... You know, for the food prices, not the sun/warmth or anything...2
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