How much does good food cost?

thavoice

I grocery shop for 2 people.. When we were eating unhealthy (processed junk, etc) a trip to the grocery store would cost us around $70-$80 per week. Now that we eat healthy (fruits, veggies, etc) a trip to the grocery store costs us $90-$100 per week. So not much of a difference to us, but to someone with a very limited budget I could see how that could make a huge difference.

ETA: We live in the US. Michigan, to be specific.

Just to ask...when you eat unhealthy......do you also eat out more often or delivery?
I have found that maybe getting groceries may be a little bit more when you are buying "healty" food, but when you are on a health kick you also dont seem to stop and eat junk at fast food places, gas stations, going through a carryout and buying a pop, etc.

Just one thing to also think about.

Achrya

Hi,

I was wondering now and then why people complained about the costs of dieting..
Now a new fried wrote that he has to pay 3 dollars for an apple?!?!?

Well, I really hope it is not like this everywhere...
I live in Italy, and I lived in the UK, and the food is by no means as expensive as that...

So, my questions, out of curiosity... how much does "good" food cost where you live?
Fresh fruit and vegs, chicken and pork meat, legumes, potatoes, rice...

Do you really find that eating healthy is more expensive than not?

This is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to people who want to lose weight, go on a diet, etc when they wonder about the high price of 'healthy food.

I have yo yo'd over the years. I am not proud of it, but it has happened. I master losing weight buy eating better, eating less and exercising. It is just maintaining that has killed me. I am giving it one more go around.

When people complain and say they cannot lose weight because it is too expensive...that is complete BS.


YOu can easily lose weight, and gain more $$ in your bank account. It really goes hand in hand. People dont need to go out and buy fancy "healty" food to lose weight.

When I lose weight I make $$$$$.
I spend sooo much less on food. How? Because you eat less. MUCH, MUCH, MUCH less fast food, much less drinks. much less eating out, much, much less $$ spend when you eat less/healthier

I don't know about where you live but in Hawaii, where I live, I without a doubt spend less when I grab fast food. Food is expensive, far more expensive than on the mainland, but fast food prices remain fairly consistent with what they are on the mainland.

That aside, not everyone who gains weight eats fast food so for some what you experience just isn't the case.

rml_16

People complain because you can get a chicken sandwich from McDonalds for 1/3 the cost of you to make it yourself.

I could make a chicken sandwich for the same amount of cheaper than McDonald's sells them. I suppose there are places in the world where it's more expensive, but I've lived in three states and four cities and haven't found that to be the case any of those places.

IsabellaGiano

Hi,

I was wondering now and then why people complained about the costs of dieting..
Now a new fried wrote that he has to pay 3 dollars for an apple?!?!?

Well, I really hope it is not like this everywhere...
I live in Italy, and I lived in the UK, and the food is by no means as expensive as that...

So, my questions, out of curiosity... how much does "good" food cost where you live?
Fresh fruit and vegs, chicken and pork meat, legumes, potatoes, rice...

Do you really find that eating healthy is more expensive than not?

I'm interested to know where in the UK you lived, because it is incredibly expensive. As is everything in the South East of England.

Nottingham... I bought mostly from Tesco, or Salinsbury though, that I know are not the best choices.. but I was happy with how much I spent, and the quality I got. And since I'm Italian, beleave me, the quality IS important to me!

petefromguelph

1 meeeeeelion dollars! Seriously though, lots of great answers already in this thread. Good luck!

AsaThorsWoman

Apples huge bag of the best of the best $7.00

Real Butter $2/ lb or less

Pork $1.70-$2.49/ lb

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $1.99/ lb

Whole chicken $0.99/lb

Legs / thighs $1.29/lb

Bananas $.60/ lb

Iceberg lettuce head $1

Cheese $1.99 / 8oz

Sausage $1/ lb

Eggs $1.59/ dozen

beaches61

I feed a family of for for an average of $150 to $200 a week, sometimes a little more when we have seafood. Cost has not gone up significantly since we started eating healthier, since our diet isn't that different -- I'm just eating less of things I used to eat more of, and in particular eating less junk.

Food prices can vary dramatically depending on where you live, though. I live in South Carolina (USA)

SezxyStef

Speaking from the point of view of an American living in a major city I'd say food isn't THAT expensive. Seriously, go to Walmart people. Boneless/skinless chicken breast is $1.99 a pound. Boneless/skinless thighs are $2.50ish a pound. Buy frozen veggies for $1-2 for a small bag or $5.00 for a huge bag. Get fresh veggies dirt cheap at the farmers market. Buy canned veggies for $1 or less a can.

Yes, eating organic range free fancy named chickens tended to buy virgins who bathe only in the purest water shipped in on a golden 747 direct from the North Pole gets to be expensive. Otherwise no.

That's not the case in Canada tho...our chicken breast (boneless/skinless) are 20 for 4...if not on sale.

Frozen veggies big bag is 10$ and I wont even go near dairy products....try spending 4$ on 1/2 gallon of milk and 5$ on a pound of butter...

ETA: I don't complain though about the cost of food for an excuse not to lose weight...I shop smart and when stuff is on sale I buy 2 or three...and freeze it. But as I said to feed myself, my son and my husband it is on average 200$ a week...

brittany2188

I grocery shop for 2 people.. When we were eating unhealthy (processed junk, etc) a trip to the grocery store would cost us around $70-$80 per week. Now that we eat healthy (fruits, veggies, etc) a trip to the grocery store costs us $90-$100 per week. So not much of a difference to us, but to someone with a very limited budget I could see how that could make a huge difference.

ETA: We live in the US. Michigan, to be specific.

Just to ask...when you eat unhealthy......do you also eat out more often or delivery?
I have found that maybe getting groceries may be a little bit more when you are buying "healty" food, but when you are on a health kick you also dont seem to stop and eat junk at fast food places, gas stations, going through a carryout and buying a pop, etc.

Just one thing to also think about.

That's true. I didn't factor that into the cost. Generally, we were eating food from the grocery store during the week, and eating out on the weekends. We still eat out on Saturdays now that we eat better, but mostly it's food from the grocery store.

sweetpea03b

My hubby and I usually spend about $75-$100/week on groceries... we eat a lot of sea food and high quality cut meats... fresh fruits but we mostly use frozen veggies because of the spoiling factor. We eat very little bread, pasta, rice, etc. and we are pretty much dairy free. We are in North Carolina (USA). We also very rarely eat out.

thavoice

Hi,

I was wondering now and then why people complained about the costs of dieting..
Now a new fried wrote that he has to pay 3 dollars for an apple?!?!?

Well, I really hope it is not like this everywhere...
I live in Italy, and I lived in the UK, and the food is by no means as expensive as that...

So, my questions, out of curiosity... how much does "good" food cost where you live?
Fresh fruit and vegs, chicken and pork meat, legumes, potatoes, rice...

Do you really find that eating healthy is more expensive than not?

This is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to people who want to lose weight, go on a diet, etc when they wonder about the high price of 'healthy food.

I have yo yo'd over the years. I am not proud of it, but it has happened. I master losing weight buy eating better, eating less and exercising. It is just maintaining that has killed me. I am giving it one more go around.

When people complain and say they cannot lose weight because it is too expensive...that is complete BS.


YOu can easily lose weight, and gain more $$ in your bank account. It really goes hand in hand. People dont need to go out and buy fancy "healty" food to lose weight.

When I lose weight I make $$$$$.
I spend sooo much less on food. How? Because you eat less. MUCH, MUCH, MUCH less fast food, much less drinks. much less eating out, much, much less $$ spend when you eat less/healthier

I don't know about where you live but in Hawaii, where I live, I without a doubt spend less when I grab fast food. Food is expensive, far more expensive than on the mainland, but fast food prices remain fairly consistent with what they are on the mainland.

That aside, not everyone who gains weight eats fast food so for some what you experience just isn't the case.

I dont know about Hawaii, never been.
My general point in this though when people complain that eating healthy and losing weight is just too expensive.
Most people can go to the grocery and get a week's worth of food, even healthier food, and spend much less on food than those people who eat out often. The obesity epedemic for some many people also drains their pocket books with the high prices of eating out/ordering in.
Case in point this past weekend. My wife just wanted to get breakfast for all of us at McDonalds or BK. $3-$4 a person it would cost. Instead I made some good breakfast, for a fraction of the cost, for the whole family.
Same thing for dinner. Chicket breasts on the grill, vegetables and a side salad...bought it all at the local market and it came to much less than what you could really get at even a fast food restaurant.

My main point is this.....people who say they cannot lose weight because it is too expensive to buy healthy food are just full of it.

greenmonstergirl

I added up what I ate in a week when I was fat...eating out at fast food places (even off the dollar menu usually but not always) compared to what I pay out now for good food.

Junk food costs more, sorry but it did for me! My food bills are definitely lower now.

Acg67

Hi,

I was wondering now and then why people complained about the costs of dieting..
Now a new fried wrote that he has to pay 3 dollars for an apple?!?!?

Well, I really hope it is not like this everywhere...
I live in Italy, and I lived in the UK, and the food is by no means as expensive as that...

So, my questions, out of curiosity... how much does "good" food cost where you live?
Fresh fruit and vegs, chicken and pork meat, legumes, potatoes, rice...

Do you really find that eating healthy is more expensive than not?

This is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to people who want to lose weight, go on a diet, etc when they wonder about the high price of 'healthy food.

I have yo yo'd over the years. I am not proud of it, but it has happened. I master losing weight buy eating better, eating less and exercising. It is just maintaining that has killed me. I am giving it one more go around.

When people complain and say they cannot lose weight because it is too expensive...that is complete BS.


YOu can easily lose weight, and gain more $$ in your bank account. It really goes hand in hand. People dont need to go out and buy fancy "healty" food to lose weight.

When I lose weight I make $$$$$.
I spend sooo much less on food. How? Because you eat less. MUCH, MUCH, MUCH less fast food, much less drinks. much less eating out, much, much less $$ spend when you eat less/healthier

I don't know about where you live but in Hawaii, where I live, I without a doubt spend less when I grab fast food. Food is expensive, far more expensive than on the mainland, but fast food prices remain fairly consistent with what they are on the mainland.

That aside, not everyone who gains weight eats fast food so for some what you experience just isn't the case.

I dont know about Hawaii, never been.
My general point in this though when people complain that eating healthy and losing weight is just too expensive.
Most people can go to the grocery and get a week's worth of food, even healthier food, and spend much less on food than those people who eat out often. The obesity epedemic for some many people also drains their pocket books with the high prices of eating out/ordering in.
Case in point this past weekend. My wife just wanted to get breakfast for all of us at McDonalds or BK. $3-$4 a person it would cost. Instead I made some good breakfast, for a fraction of the cost, for the whole family.
Same thing for dinner. Chicket breasts on the grill, vegetables and a side salad...bought it all at the local market and it came to much less than what you could really get at even a fast food restaurant.

My main point is this.....people who say they cannot lose weight because it is too expensive to buy healthy food are just full of it.

Well yeah, since you can eat any sort of food and lose weight.

jimwon953

I live next door to an Aldi supermarket so I shop daily. An average shop costs less than a £10 ($17) and I buy mainly veg, fruit, salmon, chicken, soup, household stuff, things for the boy (juice, kellogs winders, fromage frais, macaroni cheese packets, frozen pizza, pickle, cheese, bread), tea, sugar, spread, passatta, pasta, rice, chorizo and some jars of sauce and condiments.

I have a what I consider to me a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and veg so I don't think there is a high cost associated with eating a healthy diet. All of the things I buy are far more expensive in other UK supermarkets though, so it's really beneficial to use the low cost ones like Aldi and Lidl.

mycupyourcake

I spend about $350/ mo on Paleo for myself, my daughter and my boyfriend.

Dang, how much is ya'll monthly expense?

How is this even possible? I have a family of four and we spend 1,000 to 1200 a month on food. I buy all our milk, butter and yogurt organic. Our eggs are cage free. Our chicken is organic. Fish is wild caught only. Beef and lamb, usually grass fed. Fruits and veggies not organic (aside from bell peppers and berries).

What do you eat for only 350 a month? can't be grains and beans as it is paleo.

AsaThorsWoman

I find Walmart to be very expensive. I like grocery stores and Sam's for food, then Walmart for household goods.

Rocbola

Eating healthy is CHEAPER than eating poorly. Rice and beans are incredibly cheap. Vegetables are free for half of the year, due to gardening. Fruit can be pricey off season, but it's cheap in the summer. In America, we are spoiled. We have such great distribution networks bringing produce from South and Central America. Our produce is some of the least expensive in the world.

Around here, a fruit tree costs about $25US. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

rak173

I live in the Bay Area and do most of my shopping at a grocery store and farmers markets. I do not find eating healthy to be expensive. I always buy what is on sale and in season.

The meat (beef, chicken, lamb) at the farmers markets is SUPER awesome but expensive, so I buy most of my meat at the grocery store. I buy most produce at the farmers market and most of it is organic. I roughly spend $300/month for my partner and I on meat, produce and other staples such as yogurt, bread, milk, cheese, etc.

thavoice

I grocery shop for 2 people.. When we were eating unhealthy (processed junk, etc) a trip to the grocery store would cost us around $70-$80 per week. Now that we eat healthy (fruits, veggies, etc) a trip to the grocery store costs us $90-$100 per week. So not much of a difference to us, but to someone with a very limited budget I could see how that could make a huge difference.

ETA: We live in the US. Michigan, to be specific.

Just to ask...when you eat unhealthy......do you also eat out more often or delivery?
I have found that maybe getting groceries may be a little bit more when you are buying "healty" food, but when you are on a health kick you also dont seem to stop and eat junk at fast food places, gas stations, going through a carryout and buying a pop, etc.

Just one thing to also think about.

That's true. I didn't factor that into the cost. Generally, we were eating food from the grocery store during the week, and eating out on the weekends. We still eat out on Saturdays now that we eat better, but mostly it's food from the grocery store.

And that is one thing people dont think about often. They see their grocery bill go up and complain and think it is too expensive to eat healthy, but wont bat an eye to grab food out routinely and I am not just talking about dinner. Lunch is a huge issue as well. Most spend way too much $$$ eating out, and to "get the best value" many places offer way more food/calories than what we need in a day.

Tedebearduff

I think people say that it is expensive cause they actually start going out and buying their own food, where for the most part they are accustom to having their parents pay for it. When you go from spending $0.00 a week to over $100 well it feels expensive… but anyways here are my thoughts

Where in the world: Canada, Ontario, Toronto

This is really dependent on where you shop and if you are a smart shopper.
I can go to No Frills and get asparagus for $1.99lb or
I can go to Loblaw’s and get it for $5.99lb (not kidding)
if I go to Whole Foods it’s probably $6.99lb and then $8.99 for Organic. (not 100% on the Whole foods prices haven’t been for a long time)

Meat
Chicken at No Frills is around $13-$18 at times outside of sales, this averages about 5 pieces or so not sure about weight.
Wal-Mart $9… all the time … 5 pieces but weight changes per pack (I check the weight since it’s a streamlined price)
Loblaw’s / Sobeys $20 +
Whole Foods (organic) it’s almost double what you’d pay at Sobeys or Loblaw’s, I looked at the prices once and laughed.
Costco is always good too
I’ve seen in the US huge club packs of chicken for like $8…. I wish we had those prices and size here!

Not sure what else to say, I get most of my chicken from Wal-Mart or Costco … Personally I rather have the steroid injected chicken … hoping to get some gains from it