Eating Healthy is too expensive!!!!

prettyfitchick

I feel you on this subject and whole grain bread 4 bucks a loaf of white bread 1.50 but there are list of foods that are healthy and cheap like tuna for example very lean meat for less

lace0211

Hello there! When I FIRST started this I was scared like you are per the money and even now I don't have a job and at the store yesterday Hubby was like, Lace, this WHOLE list is for YOU, brie, goat cheese, nuts, ect, it can get expensive! I have been trying to keep my diet on the Eat Clean Diet. So, what I have been doing, is picking out a few things I want to try, and doing it that way, I just love the magazines and cookbooks and want to try everything, but we have a budget! Another thing I do, is gradually, I have about 5 different flours but then came with time, so do it slowly, pick a few meals and go that route, and slowly add your staples. When you compare to so many other things, The Eat Clean diet is really inexpensive, use farmers markets, costco, or grow, we have several tomato plants and they recently have been doing amazing and I don't have to shop for those! Just my three cents but really, do what is on sale, build slowly and you can do this, granted, the sad part of life is to eat unhealthy is cheaper, sadly it is but you can make changes even if you have to do it a bit at a time.... Lace:happy:

Just_Dot

Another thing you can try is to find stores that have grains in bulk. Healthy and less expensive.

dad106

Try to buy in bulk(IE Chicken breasts, ground turkey/beef etc) You can freeze them for a few months, and then only cook what you need.

Also a crock pot is awesome.. throw some meat, frozen/fresh veggies in there and some seasoning and then let it cook all day. By the time dinner rolls around, you got a meal and you didn't need to spend hours cooking it.

Third tip, make extra and then just re-heat the left overs. My mom and I will cook like 4 chicken breasts or pork chops at one time, and then just eat half or all of one when we get hungry. Takes like 30 seconds to zap in the microwave, and if you've got frozen veggies then you also have a side.

Also, i don't know if you have a walmart super center by you but you can find whole grain bread for about half of what it would cost at the normal grocery store. Same goes for greek yogurt and sometimes frozen veggies.. a lot cheaper there.

StarGeezer

I totally get your frustration. Trying to find good quality, low-cost produce in some areas is really difficult. With the economy in the toilet and many of our farm areas undergoing drought, flood, or any number of disasters (natural or otherwise), it's jacking the cost up like crazy. Mine isn't so much due to lack of time to fix these types of foods, but more to cost and availability.

It is true, to an extent, however -- from a "risk/benefit analysis" standpoint, better to pay a bit extra now and be fit, than to await health issues, increased medical costs, etc. It's a matter of prioritizing, and actually carving out the time to prepare those meals. And I'm talking to myself here as well. All too often, I just take the path of least resistance and go with something quick. I need to practice what I preach.

bens_mommy

http://www.daveywaveyfitness.com/nutrition/the-thousand-dollar-menu-why-fast-food-isnt-really-cheap/

Also, take a look at where you're shopping. I recently learned that shopping at a farmer's market can be much cheaper than your average grocery store, and the quality of the produce is MUCH better. I'm a fan of Sprouts (it's a 20 minute drive, versus the Fresh and Easy around the Corner, Pavillions around the corner, or Wal-Mart a few blocks down, but it's SO worth it).

Iridivine

Organic pre packaged food is expensive. But Vegetables, Quinoa and rice and beans are so cheap! With a little prep time you could be eating on the cheap and getting a more nutritious meal than whats available in the frozen food section. Involve your kids, that way you get a little help and they can learn about preparing healthy foods too!

CrazyDaisysMommy

I feel that way sometimes, but if you're strategic, you can do it on the cheap and save yourself some time. My husband recently bought 8 different types of seasoned can beans to see which ones he likes. We make a big pot of rice and mix it with seasoned beans. so for $1-$2 we get a couple of meals out of a low fat, high protein dish. Then to mix it up, one day, I'll dice up some left over chicken and heat it together. Another day, I'll mix it with some scrambled eggs, cook up some frozen spinach, add a dollup of sour cream, and YUM!. I always have a side of chopped tomatoes with salt and pepper on them. My husband likes to grill up some veggies to mix in. I'm also a huge sweet potato fan: bake a bunch and have them hot or dice up the leftovers into a salad. Again, yum!

rabbit99_47203

I've found preparing my protien once a week is the easiest. Making a menu is key. For instance if one day I want to have a turkey burger I will go ahead and fix the rest for taco salad the next day. It's done at the same time and all I have to do extra is put it in storage. Make a full bag of chicken on the weekend. Bake it or put it in the crockpot, you can use some for baked chicken that night, shred some for fajita's or sandwiches. And I freeze it than I can just reheat it in a skillet for a stir fry. If I make meatloaf I make them into patties instead of the actual loaf, than it is already in portion size and I can make extra and freeze them for the rest of the month. And I love the steamables vegetables. They are healthy, quick and easy. I've actually been spending less when it comes to food. But that is cutting out the cost of going out to eat and some of the things at the store that we used to eat are to exspensive if you look at the portion size verses the price. And any vegetables that I do have to cut up I do as much for the whole week as I can. If I have to spend time in the kitchen I want it to be as little as possible. So I try to spend one day a month and prepare as much and freeze as I can. Than it's a quick reheat and your done. I also try to only go to the grocery store once a month. It takes a bit of planning but it's worth it.

tristahenry

Deep breath. It will get easier as you get more accustomed to shopping for a healthier menu. I didn't notice where you live so I don't know what your options are but I can share what works for me.

I shop for two adults, one whom is an incredibly picky eater used to the McFlubbers and Taco He!! meals. I spend $25 biweekly on fresh veggies, fruit and lunchmeat at my local farm market. I always buy whatever is in season at the time and if that means I need to learn how to use a new ingredient that's all the better. I just enriched my life. I supplement my meals with whatever is on sale that week at the local grocery store, same thing goes here regarding new ingredients. I focus on buying beans, healthy grains and low fat dairy. I have stopped buying prepackaged snacks & cereals unless I have a coupon for that item. In general, my rule is that is if it's not good for me and my hubby I must wait for a coupon to buy it. I make double portions of nearly everything and re-purpose all leftovers to resemble a new meal for my picky eater or my own lunch. Soups are incredibly nutritious and filling; I make refrigerator stew (my great-grandmother named this one) weekly and freeze the leftovers for quick defrost meals.

I realize that not all people are cooks so this suggestion may not work for you. When I plan on having pasta for dinner, I have the process of mixing, resting, rolling and cutting homemade whole wheat pasta dough down. I can get it done while the pot of water boils. This takes a bit of practice but once you get it down it's totally worth the effort and the benefit is that it takes less to to cook than the dried stuff from the box with all the preservatives.

Leola2011

It makes a difference what you consider "healthy". Sure, it's cheaper to buy a gigantic slab of ground beef that is 70% fat than it is to buy 5 pounds of 93% fat ground beef. That's just the way it is. But if you're looking to get items that are specifically found in health food stores that are just as processed and packed with sodium as "regular" food, you really aren't doing yourself any favors.

It might help if you start preparing your food as if you were feeding more people. That way, you have plenty of leftovers for lunch and quick bites between errands. I've found that preparation is paramount!

Also, there are TONS of healthy homemade recipes that you can prepare in under 20 minutes that are tastier than the convenience alternative. I love making my own pizza, for example.

I feed a family of 8 (9 when everyone is in the same place) and spend a small fortune on groceries. But I've learned that oatmeal and cream of wheat (not the packets) is far more thrifty than cold cereal and milk. And healthier! Frozen veggies don't have the sodium that canned veggies do, and a crock pot should be a mandatory appliance in every home!

And here's something that a lot of parents don't want to hear. Sometimes we do ourselves undue damage by being overscheduled. We want the kids in all sorts of extracurricular activities because we think it'll make them more well-rounded and enriched. But being overscheduled is not good for the family unit and sometimes it's better to say 'no' to some things if it means being able to say 'yes' to family face time and better emotional/physical health.

CakeFit21

So, on September 20, 2005 my father had massive stroke following quadruple bypass surgery. For 25 years he didn't listen while the doctors begged him, (after multiple cardiac "incidents") to eat healthier and exercise more. When he finally "left" the hospital 25 days later his hospital bills totaled more than $350,000 dollars. Although, to me that number is meaningless. He actually paid the ultimate price for unhealthy, lazy eating, he paid with his LIFE.

I mean this with the utmost love and compassion-- get it together. Your family needs you to eat healthy. They need to eat healthy too. Please read all of the helpful comments here and make a plan. MFP is here to help you. You CAN do it if you make it a priority.

FitMissVicky

For me it's the time crunch more than the money, but I totally get the frustration, especially if you have wee ones with their own desires and preferences that might conflict with your desire to eat healthier. But remember that teaching them healthy eating habits will only benefit them in the long run, and maybe they won't need to struggle as much as we do to change our poor eating habits.

Ultimately it is cheaper to make meals from scratch than to buy ready-made and overly-processed stuff. And better for you. and probably less loaded with sodium and preservatives.

some suggestions
1) breakfast cereal is expensive and probably not very good for you anyway as even the "healthy" ones are loaded with sugar and sodium. Toast and cheese, fruit and yogurt, eggs and nuts are good healthy choices that don't take a lot of time to make

2) your crockpot is your friend. Double recipes so you can freeze half.

3) Menu planning and making stuff the night before can help the time crunch and the lure to the quick-but-unhealthy options

4) always keep healthy snack options on hand, especially for the kids. Keep cut carrots and celery in water in the fridge, nuts, soynuts or pumpkin seeds for protein hit, greek yogurt

CrazyDaisysMommy

I just had to laugh. After I left my last comment I was thinking about my childhood. We grew up pretty poor, and my mother struggled to manage the family meals. I was always so embarrassed when friends would come over because we never had any "good food," like frozen pizzas or McDonalds or twinkies...We always had apples and bananas in the fruit basket on the table, and sometimes oranges. We always had a salad with dinner that was usually lettuce and tomatoes. We always had vegetables on our plates--she always bought frozen, but we ate them anyway. Mom and Dad shopped the sales, bought chicken in bulk and froze a lot of it. She would take it pieces out of the freezer in the morning, and then throw them in the oven when she got home from work. Mom would make a meatloaf if there was a sale on ground beef and that would last a couple of days. Mom always made very simple meals and a couple nights a week were left over nights where the meal was comprised of leftovers from other days. I'm going to have to call my Mom and give her some kudos for all her hard work!

ennaejay

Stick with us, listen to all the good advice you've gotten, and keep ranting while you're working at it -- but keep working at it! Take care of yourself so you can keep taking care the loved ones around you.

Prepare ahead of time. Buy in bulk when possible. Have a small pantry or chest freezer for canned/dried/frozen goods that you can quickly pull together simple, hearty dishes. Make lists. I have lists of inexpensive but nutritious foods that we eat on a regular basis. We stretch our meats (think using your ground beef in a huge pot of chili, instead of making a 4-lb meatloaf), or using your chicken in a chicken pot-pie or chicken pie with lots of vegetables in a whole-wheat, milk, and butter sauce (think a cheap-o homemade cream-of-chicken soup instead of a dollar a can!). You CAN do this, you just need a little encouragement and a "try, try again" mentality.

Eating healthy is NOT too expensive, but it does take a lot of work. It doesn't come overnight, but it DOES come. Have a calendar, make a menu of things to cook, and then make a ****load all at once so you have leftovers for another night, save yourself some time and energy! You don't have to be a slave to your budget or your kitchen, but with a little forethought and patience with yourself, you can make it happen.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

I make a lot of soups and stews and such to stretch my healthy dollar. I find the exact opposite because now we go through less of the expensive proteins and more veggies while making sure our proteins have a high impact.

dumb_blondes_rock

so ummm....my dad and i are REALLY poor.....like kind of almost dirt poor lol.....we have about 100 dollars a month to go shopping with, sometimes 150.....what i do is look at ALL the sales newspapers that come in the mail to see when chicken and meat is going to be on sale....i stock up and spend about 60 dollars on meat alone, because our family is a typical american family that HAS to have meat with dinner. When i get home, i measure out the meat to a 5-6 ounce serving......if you eat the correct serving amounts, youd be suprised at how much it saves you. My dad and i used to eat a whole breast each, now we share one. I take a bag of meat out in the morning before i go to work and let them sit out all day to thaw(trust me. it won't go bad)

Next i spend a few bucks on the staple items needed....canned beans, tomatos sauce, cheeses, bologna or hotdogs, egg substitutes, etc. I buy these things at the cheap discount grocery store. Also corn tortillas are healthy for you, because its a whole grain....so we have grilled tacos a lot....a big huge bag of corn tortillas will cost you like 2.89

So after i buy the things i need i keep the rest of the money to buy veggies and fruits to last the week, maybe a week and a half....but i go to the grocery store once a week, to get the veggies so they won't spoil in the fridge, Trust me, it seems inconvenient, but when you are only going to one section and you know what you are getting, you can go in and out really fast.

At dinner, we always have at least one veggie, most times two, and a grilled something......to grill a chicken breast or a steak on the stovetop takes about 15 mins TOPS, and while those are cooking you can be cooking the beans and veggies at the same time. So after the meat is done, i let it rest and clean up all the dishes that ive used, which isn't too much....by the time im done doing that, the meat has rested enough that its now time to eat.....all within 20-30 mins......EVERYONE has 20-30 mins that they can cook.....think of the tv you watch, or how much time you spend on the internet.,.....you can cut some time away from those things to cook a healthy dinner.

Lesliecs

So, on September 20, 2005 my father had massive stroke following quadruple bypass surgery. For 25 years he didn't listen while the doctors begged him, (after multiple cardiac "incidents") to eat healthier and exercise more. When he finally "left" the hospital 25 days later his hospital bills totaled more than $350,000 dollars. Although, to me that number is meaningless. He actually paid the ultimate price for unhealthy, lazy eating, he paid with his LIFE.

I mean this with the utmost love and compassion-- get it together. Your family needs you to eat healthy. They need to eat healthy too. Please read all of the helpful comments here and make a plan. MFP is here to help you. You CAN do it if you make it a priority.

That is it in a nutshell..... we think it can't happen to us, but it can and it does.

bmqbonnie

It's not, really. Buying fresh ingredients for a bunch of meals is much cheaper than buying a bunch of processed ready to go stuff, in the long run. Your grocery bill on a given day may be higher but they will last you much longer. Beans, rice, chicken, eggs, etc aren't expensive. Buy what you can in bulk.

Leola2011

Sometimes it's about retraining your taste buds. Convenience foods are loaded with salt and sugar, which is why so many people prefer them over healthier options.