Eating healthy is privilege of the rich?

brooke_92606

Agree or Disagree?

Personally I agree, it seems like our grocery bill is higher now that we're making better choices food wise.

http://news.yahoo.com/study-healthy-eating-privilege-rich-040251076.html

PhoenixRising11

TOTALLY DISAGREE!

Yeah the rich can buy more and maybe organic food is more expensive than non organic but that doesn't stop you going out and buying healthier choices than you would normally!
My grocery bill has increased too but so has my health and love for life which is priceless in my opinion.
Stop spending money on eating out or buying junk food and you will be able to buy the healthier stuff on offer for you at the supermarket.

HMonsterX

There's no doubt that eating healthier is more expensive. Frozen meat vs fresh meat. The price difference is quite a lot. As you'd expect. Processed food can be sold cheaper as it has a much longer shelf life than fresh.

Still, if you CAN afford it, its worth it.

brittanyjeanxo

Disagree entirely. There are plenty of cheaper options for "healthy" food. That, and the healthy food really doesn't cost that much more. I think it's just that with processed foods they're incredibly cheap. For instance, I can either pay $1.79 for a head of lettuce, or $1.79 for a whole box of ramen noodles. It's "cheaper" to pick the unhealthy one that will get more meals out of it. My grocery bill has stayed the same, if anything gone down. But that's just my opinion.

dancingj2

I would disagree.

I find eating real food such as fruit, veggies, meat and dairy is less expensive that the pre packages and prepared foods.

Nishka09

completely agree

simplysara9

Disagree -- yes healthier foods are more expensive but they tend to fill you up longer and you eat less... processed foods are cheaper but you tend to eat more of them...

fteale

It doesn't have to be. If you want ready meals then yes, the better ones cost more, but there are plenty of places to buy cheap vegetables, if you are prepared to a) put the time in to cook and b) cut down on your meat consumption (which I believe most people should).

leynak

I thought this was interesting-Of course it's about fast food vs healthy option at grocery stores

http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=what_20_will_buy_at_the_drivethru_and_at_the_supermarket

IggyL

I wouldn't necessarily say it is a privilege of the rich. I do agree that it is more expensive to eat healthy. It has been very difficult for me over the past month being the only income in the household to feed 4 people (2 adults and 2 teens) in a healthy way. We haven't eaten out or spent money on other snacks and stuff, our household bills had to be paid. While there weren't a lot of choices, we managed to stay away from a lot of processed foods (which are much cheaper) and have some fruit. I ended up in the frozen veggie section because I couldn't afford fresh.

martinh78

My shopping bill has gone down.

I come home with 4-6 bags of shopping and it costs me maybe £30-£40.

I used to come home with the same number of bags and spend £50-£60

£3 for a pizza, or £3 for a bag of carrots, a bag of potatoes AND a bag of apples.

The latter lasts longer (meal wise) is much healthier, more filling etc.

hollybearrington

I make-do with what we can afford. stuff that is on sale. Also the way I look at it if family is eating something I know would be bad for my diet I walk away. I know in my head what is and isnt good for me. but if I give in like the other night they were eating chips and I really wanted something salty I gave in and ate 4 chips and I made myself leave afterwards.

randomgyrl

I agree, I have found since I am buying fresh fruits and veggetables, and less processed food I am spending more. I also find that I am going to the store more often because the shelf life on fresh foods just isn't as long.

Hananiah

Disagree...

After eating healthy you won't have to go to the doctor as much. You may not need certain prescriptions anymore. Also, you lessen your chances of having heart attack, stroke, heart disease etc... That can make your medical bills go high.

So, you can buy Easy Mac and Ramon Noodles and save $$ on your grocery bill, but you better stock it away for when you need to get care at the doctor and/or hospital.

mem50

My grocery bill has actually gone down a little. We (hubby & me) eat very little red meat now. I look for the sales. I make more of my own foods. I do a lot with soups. The stock freezes well and when I need it, it's there.

suzieduh

I totally disagree

It depends on where you shop. I can get a box of cherry tomatoes from Sainsburys for £1.50 or from a local market for 39p - no contest. It all depends on where you shop and if you buy in season or not.

trud72

i would normally totally agree BUT....
if you know what you are looking for then you can manage to get round it!

fteale

I spend a lot less on shopping than many people, and eat a lot healthier. Really, cut down on the meat consumption! It's what makes shopping so expensive.

beckyinma

I completely disagree, but I don't consider frozen veggies 'processed' when I need to be able to make them last longer than fresh ones would in my fridge. I am buying less icecream, less processed treats, all I buy from the cereal isle are bran type flakes, shredded wheat, the occasional treat box for my kids, and fiber one bars. milk hasn't gone up, I buy lots of cheese, red meat hasn't gone up in the last few months either, I've cut down on the red meat, and turkey is less expensive, for the same effect in recipes where ground beef is used. our grocery bill may have gone up a tiny smidge (maybe $10/month) but our restaurant/McD's spending has dropped to almost zero.

servilia

Disagree! My family came to Canada without a whole lot of money but I was an active and healthy kid. We ate meals cooked from scratch (short of growing our own produce and milking our own cow lol) from whole foods and always had fruit and veggies. What we did NOT do is go to fast food every week or eat processed food out of boxes. More people need to learn how to cook and then they can make their own chicken and rice dishes instead of eating junk like chicken rice-a-roni for example.

srp2011

Disagree. Yes, it may be more expensive if you want to shop at Whole Foods for fresh produce and meats, but there are plenty of healthy and inexpensive foods choices. Leaner cuts of meat are usually cheaper (with the exception of ground meat, but compare flank steak to NY strip), frozen veggies are as healthy as fresh and relatively cheap, you can shop for what is in season and on sale for veggies and fruits, hit farmer's markets, etc... Watch for sales on chicken, fish, etc... and stock up. Cook foods in a healthy way rather than loading them up with fats (grill or broil meats rather than fry, steam veggies and don't load up with sauce or cheese or butter). Legumes are a great source of protein and they are cheap.

The whole "I'm poor so I have to eat bad and be overweight" is just a lazy cop out. Certainly if you have more money you have more choices, but that doesn't mean you don't have any choices if you have a lower income level. And the rich also have more unhealthy food options (expensive multicourse restauarant meals??), so it comes down to personal choice. You (general 'you', not directed at OP) can choose to eat healthy, or you can choose to eat unhealthy and make excuses for yourself that no one but you believes.

sarahsmom1

It depends what you have to spend. At this moment I have to go to food banks for the majority of food. That means beans, rice, corn, applesauce, sometimes juice and bread. I have gone the last 2 Fridays to our local pantry CLOSED! Went to the government one yesterday and got a bag of rice and 2 purple onions. Sometimes you get a variety of canned foods. So you need to supplement with fresh veggies, meats etc. You need to watch you ads and be aware of sales use coupons. My daughter just wrote on her blog prettystrong,com about athletes and the reality of what an elite athlete goes through when in training for the Olympics, She is going to try and give help to people on tight budgets and recipes. It is easier for me I don't have kids to feed they are grown.

azsuzi

I would not say its a privilege of the rich, but I do agree that those in poverty cannot afford to eat healthy food. To make meals that will feed their entire family, they must resort to processed foods that can be stretched (hamburger or tuna helper, ramen noodles, mac-n-cheese, etc.) My budget is stretched to the limit keeping us in fresh fruits, veggies and low-fat meats - and we don't buy chips and other snacky processed foods.

fteale

ALSO you need a lot less of healthy food. And once you stop snacking you cut out a huge amount. There's just no way being healthy is more expensive. If you eat the same amount in volume/frequency but change what you eat, that I can see, but much of what people here are doing is simply cutting out the unhealthy bits (tap water is free, after all, so once you stop drinking other stuff you are healthier, and spending less).
I eat the same as I did, but without the snacks. It's FAR cheaper.

servilia

I would not say its a privilege of the rich, but I do agree that those in poverty cannot afford to eat healthy food. To make meals that will feed their entire family, they must resort to processed foods that can be stretched (hamburger or tuna helper, ramen noodles, mac-n-cheese, etc.) My budget is stretched to the limit keeping us in fresh fruits, veggies and low-fat meats - and we don't buy chips and other snacky processed foods.

I couldn't disagree more. Cooking your own is cheaper but a lot of people can't be bothered these days. And I speak from my own experience growing up not from an ivory tower.

fteale

Also, growing your own vegetables is a doodle. You can grow courgettes (zucchini) in a pot anywhere, and one plant will keep you in veg all summer. You can't STOP them growing!

PhoenixRising11

But you don't have to be RICH to spend a little more on your healthier choices. It could be as little as £10-15 a month and you benefit MASSIVELY in other areas.

inlander

Of course this is true. It's cheaper for a family of 3 to eat off the dollar menu at McDonalds every day than prepare three to six well-rounded meals for each family member on a daily basis. I've had to learn to cut my expenses in other areas in order to buy fresh produce/healthy items.

Nancymcgregor

I totally disagree. I don't have much money at all and I feed a family of 6 on fresh veg, meat and fish. I can't afford processed food, it far too expensive for a large family. My kids hate it too.

azsuzi

I would not say its a privilege of the rich, but I do agree that those in poverty cannot afford to eat healthy food. To make meals that will feed their entire family, they must resort to processed foods that can be stretched (hamburger or tuna helper, ramen noodles, mac-n-cheese, etc.) My budget is stretched to the limit keeping us in fresh fruits, veggies and low-fat meats - and we don't buy chips and other snacky processed foods.

I couldn't disagree more. Cooking your own is cheaper but a lot of people can't be bothered these days. And I speak from my own experience growing up not from an ivory tower.

An edit to my post: I do cook my own now and I'm spending way more than I used to.

brittanyjeanxo

Also, even if in your area veggies and fruits are expensive, a lot of places will put discounts on fruits/veg that are close to being over-ripe or fruits/veg that are bruised.