The Price of Health?

ali106

I was worried that others would think I was being silly when I posted on this topic. So thank you for sharing how it is going for you so far. It almost seems like there are many "levels" of eating??? I kind of saw more than just three...but interesting..


Quick junk munch - usually opting for quick food solutions, going out to eat and prepackaged foods

Middle of the road - few treats, cooking at home

Healthy nuts - using fresh, organic, all natural ingredients

lol I'm inbetween middle of the road and healthy nuts....
I love to go as organic as I can...but sometimes its just soooo expensive and not available...but if I could I would.....and since I'm dreamin'.....lol...I'd get one of those amazing chefs from the food network to make my meals....:bigsmile:

lessertess

I think it depends on your definition of healthy and also on the level of need you have for convenience.

For example: a pound of fresh tomatos is more expensive than the same weight in canned tomatos. The canned tomatos can still be considered healthy but they have a higher sodium level and have lost some of their nutritional value. Still, they are a better choice than no vegetable at all. Frozen vegetables seem to be a pretty good choice, they don't have a lot of sodium and have retained their nutritional values. But they do cost more than canned. It is a fact that frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are cheaper than fresh. I don't think they're a bad choice, they're just not the best choice. If you are on a budget, you make do.

A plate of spaghetti is a cheap dinner for a family of 4. You can stretch your protien out further in the sauce and create a meal that is very filling. Not an unhealthy meal but probably not as healthy as a lean meat, fresh vegetables and a high fiber carbohydrate. I think most families on a budget rely heavily on carbohydrates like pasta, potatos, rice and bread to stretch a meal further. (and the whole grain versions are much more expensive). This is also the basic college student diet.

Fast food is a cheaper option. If you average out the cost of purchasing the hamburger, bun, condiments, and toppings; factor in the time and energy (yours and cooking) to make a burger, the $1 menu looks like a great deal. The nutritional value is so poor that you might as well eat cardboard but, you can't deny that it's cheaper.

I pay more for convenience. A head of lettuce is pretty cheap, but I'm single and can seldom eat all of it before it goes bad. So I pay more for bagged lettuce that is already washed. I'll also, occassionally pay more for prewashed or cut vegetables and fruit since they take less time, and usually come in smaller portions. For example, I'll by precut celery because I just can't use even the smallest bag before it goes bad.

When I first started this program my food bills almost doubled and a lot of that was being thrown out. As I've been in it longer I've figured out how to reduce costs and just buy what I need for the week.

Although, if anyone knows how to keep fruits and berries fresher longer, I'd appreciate it. I may start another thread. I loose more strawberrries because they get fuzzy. It's annoying.

PrincessLaundry

My neighbor and I buy some of those things together. Watermelon we split, berries when they are a bunch we split, she shares her green beans with me, I share my wine with her. I works out great for us!

When I lived in Cali near my parents, my Mom and I did this also. We would buy the bigger bag and split it often. It takes a good friend to do this with, but when you can, it helps!