Why is eating healthier so darned expensive??

epj78

Here are some tricks I do:

- Buy lean meat in bulk when on sale. Then bring home and freeze individually.
- Buy fruits and veggies when in season/on sale (again freeze when you can). For example, right now, I buy a lot of apples and clementines. I was surprised strawberries were on mega sale last week - so I stocked up and froze some. Frozen veggies are just as good for you as fresh - watch for sales and coupons and stock up!
- Yogurt - as mentioned above, buy in the big container, not the individual ones - better for the environment too that way
- Nuts, buy in bulk and then just package out
- Oatmeal - can't get much cheaper for a nutritious breakfast
- Love the farmer's market - but I live in the north so it's only open for a few months of the year. Nothing grows here until early April at the very, very, very earliest
- Plant a garden. Square foot gardening is a great resource if you have limited space

I guess that is about it for me. My grocery list isn't very varied. But, it gets the job done for me. I grew up on meat and potatoes so I don't need very much variety.

erickirb

My question would also be, are you sure you are eating more healthy? Or are you buying diet food. Diet foods in 99% of cases are not healthy (100 cal snack pacs, granola bars) Unhealthy food marketed to dieters. Low cal does not equal healthy.

freerange

I haven't took the time to figure it out, but I know I'm spending less. I don't hardly ever eat out anymore, bringing my own home cooked meals to work for lunch, has got to save 50$ a week or close to it. Last time I bought a whopper meal from Burger King it cost something like 8$ I can eat lunch all week if I bring it from home for that.

michelegbowman

I completely agree with you. This is the reason poor people are more likely to be fat than the rich.


I can get 10 snickers for a dollar or I can buy just one navel orange. Oranges spoil and snickers don't.

Soda is cheaper than milk.

Organic fresh fruits are outrageously expensive.

Tuna in a can is healthy: low fat and loaded with protein but filled with mercury. Other meat choices are more expensive.

It's a whole other reason for being unhealthy -- it's definitely more expensive to purchase healthy food.
****But here is my solace...I keep telling myself that healthy food is cheaper than insulin and diabetes and that being thin feels better than eating fun food.****

kittytrix

I don't think it's so expensive. It's actually cheaper for me. Try to hit some of the independent chain grocery stores instead of the Von's and Ralph's. We have a Ranch Market which is mostly Hispanic and their produce prices are super cheap.

I am also going to start gardening to grow some of my own veggies and fruits.

Try to always buy produce that's in season. If you don't, you will be paying way more.

sassyg

People here bicker and moan about it being sooooo expensive to eat healthy blah blah blah but I just don't buy it.

1kg of frozen fries is $3, 1kg of plain potatoes is about $1.80
a 150gm bag of potato chips is about $2, 1kg of applies is about $2
yes... milk is about $2.80 a litre, while coke is about $1.80 for a 1.5 litre, but WATER is free

The REAL problem is that people are just too lazy to prepare food - its easier to throw some fries in the oven than peel and chop potatos. its easier to open a bag of chips than wash and cut up an apple...

NOT saying YOU'RE lazy because I don't know you BUT are you purchasing foods as close to their natural state as possible? processing, packaging, marketing, all adds $$ to the cost.

ProudMomoftwo

:flowerforyou: We buy at Aldis here & in bulk.
We are a family of four and I cook 99.5% of the meals myself. We rarely eat out or eat convenience/.pre-packaged type foods. I find we save a lot of $$ this way.
If you buy canned food, rinse them before putting in a dish or eating to help reduce the sodium.
When baking, substitute applesauce for oil to make it moist and healthier.
Buy eggs in bulk too and hard boil some for a quick, high protein snack. Nuts are also wonderful but more expensive.
Oatmeal is cheap (in the large container) and can be a great bfast, or snack or late night treat. It can also be added to ground beef for hamburger patties, meatloaf, and cookies.
Freeze whenever possible. It is a lifesaver.
USE those fruits and veggies in your crisper so they don't go bad. Bananas can be frozen and used for smoothies and for banana bread.
We all love using up the peppers in homemade chicken fajitas & quesadillas & chicken burritos and half of one makes me full and doesn't ruin your calorie intake.
Buy the raw veggies in the big bag ( like the cabbage head for cole slaw, the big lettuce head/bundle for salads and sandwiches, big bag of carrots for pot roasts & stews & soups & snacks). All you have to do is slice or shred them yourself. Makes them go a lot farther.
Get creative - cooking doesn't have to be dull or boring.
I cook things ahead and freeze meals, breads, meats, dairy etc...
Yes, we garden and buy food in season and on sale whenever possible too.
We only go to Aldis about every other month and we are a family of four and all good eaters.
Hope that helps some

MichelleB69

I'm kind on the fence with this one...I think it depends on what you buy and your locale; I'm in WY and we only have Super Walmart and Albertson's to choose from and neither of their produce sections are anything to squeal about...most of the time, it looks like we got whatever is left over after the truck delivered. But I did shockingly pay $1.44 for one green pepper the other day!!! I was a little miffed about that; who expects one freakin' pepper to be that much?

I tend to do a biweekly shop at Costco (1.5 hrs away). Milk is 1/2 the price ($3.44 for 2 gals, rather than $3.58 for 1 gal here) and their produce is much better.

I would also suggest checking out "Bountiful Baskets" to see if it's in your area. For $15 you get a TON of fresh produce. You don't get a choice of what you get, but you can "preview" that weeks offerings on their website to decide whether or not you want to place your order. It's also a good way to experiment with fruits/veggies you haven't tried before and if it's too much produce for you, see if you can get a friend to go halves with you

After seeing my dad's bill for a quad bypass 2 years ago, I consider it an investment in my health. I'm willing to forgo other things if necessary, in order to eat cleaner.

Painten

I think it's true, healthier stuff is loads more expensive. Brown rice and whole wheat pasta is about 50p more a pack and is NEVER on offer. the white stuff is on offer all the time after being cheaper in the first place.

Basic veggies like carrots and onions are cheap but things like broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce etc are more expensive and you can't just eat a cauliflower on it's own you need to have something with it. A cauliflower is about £1.80 here i can buy a whole pasty for that much and not need to buy anything to have with it, but a pasty is junk.

I can buy a couple of processed chicken escalopes with bread crumbs and cheese in for just under £2 but 2 Chicken breast are about £3 and i'm talking the basic chicken not corn fed free range stuff.

Chelle_D

Well, the deal is it's me and my two little men that are bottomless pits. Perhaps it's just me, but I've actually found the processed foods to be much more cost effective than buying the ingredients and making it myself. Then again, perhaps it's just the items I have on my menu! I tend to be a nut when it comes to cooking and enjoy making elaborate dishes. Nevertheless, excellent tips everyone, and I'll start paying better attention. Perhaps it's just the store I went to at the time.

God bless!

atomiclauren

Processed foods are waaaay cheaper than anything else - they're engineered to be and they sell well... :grumble:

Alas, our grocery bill has gone up a little bit but due in part to buying more expensive packaged/portioned items for when we just don't have the time to make meals (Amy's and so on). I will add that in addition to absolutely trusting the brands I buy, they do taste waaaaay better than others (like Amy's vs Lean Cuisine, etc).

I'll second (or third or fourth) buying in season produce and locally - farmers markets, co-ops, whatever - if it's fresh and local, take advantage of it! We also try to grow on our own, but the volume's rather...small :blushing:

baisleac

Try going to local farmers markets and buying produce from them. It's always cheaper for me!

This. And see if you having any local co-ops or farm share programs. Buy grains in bulk. Buy healthy meats (if omnivore) when they're on sale and freeze. Berries are cheap during the summer and freeze well too (single layer on a cookie sheet "flash" freezes them to keep nutrients and they don't stick together).