Junk food Really Cheaper??

tristahenry

A friend sent this article to me, thought it was really interesting...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html?scp=1&sq=is junk food really cheaper&st=Search

sweetdianachka

OMG i agree completely! I never understand when people say that buying fresh vegetables is so expensive! I just picked up a head of lettuce, a cucumber and a tomato today at the store and when I went to check out it was less than $2.50! A family size bag of potato chips costs that much!

mcdonl

Triple bypass..... $75,000 - $150,000

emilyajones

I didnt read the article but it definetly is. Was watching the news here and they had a segment about unhealthy eating and what its doing to families etc and they interview a few mothers and the mums were saying, "you can buy pizza and chips for like a fiver and thats a meal for all the kids. Why would you spend more and use more time + energy on something healthy?"

Its sad really, because as I found out, a piece of lean meat and veg is both good for you and more delicious than a quick ready meal!

billsica

This really makes sense!! Thanks, I know what my Saturday will be.

"(Why not drink 95 percent neutral grain spirit, the cheapest way to get drunk?) "

ladybg81

Good read. Thank you for sharing!

sweetdianachka

I don't necessarily agree with the author at the end when he recommends treating fast food chains like tobacco companies, but he makes a good point about the cost of food. And yes, many low income families do not have access to the right kitchen or cooking utensils to create amazing meals, but the author even mentions cooking simple things like grilled cheese! Many of the comments below the article also are worth reading too.

feebeast1

Here in the UK, I find fresh fruit and veg loads more expensive that processed food, such as crisps & buicuits; the fact I prefer "exotic" friut, mango, pineapple, passion fruit etc prob doesn't help matters - but to be honest I just don't LIKE apples/pears/oranges. I will pay around £1 for a pineapple or mango, £2 for a punnet of grapes or strawberries - and could get a multipack (6 packets) of crisps for £1 - £1.50! - As for salad... 75p for an iceberg lettuce, £1-2 for cherry or vine ripened tomatoes (the loose ones are just water with no flavour) and £1 for a cucumber... it all adds up! - £3.25 equates to $5.04 BTW

Also, you can pick up processed burgers, sausages, and pies for a lot less (more than half the price sometimes) than if you want to buy fresh unprocessed meat and fish - while buying frozen unprocessed meats/ fish can save money - you will still get the equivilent "junk" foods for a lot less.

AND all the "bargains" - the two for one offers etc are always on crappy foodstuff. You'd be hard pushed to find a BOGOF in the fruit and veg aisle.

Take-away is, however, a different matter. Of course buying a families meal from McDonalds is going to be more expensive than making something at home - any form of eating out is more expensive; Go figure!!! On this basis, I do not agree with this article - if the writer wanted to determine the costs of healthy food against highly processed, high fat foods, he should have compared like for like, been given a budget for a weeks home cooked foods and seen what choices are available to you in the supermarket when all you have to go by is the price-tag, and getting as much as you can for your cash!

curiousmissclay

feebeast1 is right in the UK its terribly expensive I spend about £30 a week on food for me and my bf we dont have anything in our trolley thats deemed junk food but if i went to iceland (UK frozen food store) you could get soooooooooo much frozen crap its unreal 20 chicken nuggets for £1.50.
Even things like reduced fat cheese is twice as much as value chedder and the same goes for seeded bread you can get a white loaf for around 20p in the UK but youd be hard pushed to find a seeded loaf for less than £1.00

tristahenry

Out of curiosity for the UK folks... Do the things that keep you full longer cost more or just "reduced fat" or "diet" labeled foods cost more? I tend not to buy the latter because it grosses me out. I will pay a bit more for whole wheat bread vs. the white stuff because I know it keeps me full longer and won't snack as much later (saving me $ - is how I justify the extra cost).

fallenangelloves

I think the biggest expense it switching over from fat to healthy choices... I hear that from all my friends " I don't have the money to buy healthy foods" and I will admit it was more expensive... At first.... But now that we never eat out I don't find eating healthy to be the more expensive choice!

manderson27

Out of curiosity for the UK folks... Do the things that keep you full longer cost more or just "reduced fat" or "diet" labeled foods cost more? I tend not to buy the latter because it grosses me out. I will pay a bit more for whole wheat bread vs. the white stuff because I know it keeps me full longer and won't snack as much later (saving me $ - is how I justify the extra cost).

Anything purported to be good for you eg Whole grain, wholemeal, low fat, low salt etc is more expensive than its counterpart. So yes in the UK we pay more for the food that is good for you. That can be very pricey if you have a large family and all of you are trying to eat healthily. My husband has slightley high cholesterol and eats the cholesterol lowering spread, a large tub is £3.96 or $6.25 USD The low fat one I buy for myself and my son is around £1.20 and the full fat cheapest stuff is under a pound so there you go. What price for your health? Or how much macdonalds could you get for your kids for the price of a tub of margarine eh?

Pangui

Since changing our diet to a whole foods plant-based diet, we have saved a fortune in food bills. Not purchasing cheese, milk, meat, processed foods, sodas and wine reduced our food bills dramatically. We buy beans, rice and potatoes in bulk and it is very affordable. When you offset these savings against the cost of fresh fruits and veggies (even organic for some), those healthy foods don't look so expensive after all.

Oh, and now that my husband can eliminate all his heart medications, we are saving a bundle in prescription drugs as well. 50% of the population are on prescription drugs. Most of those drugs could be eliminated with a better diet.

The true cost of cheap processed food is hidden in your health expenses.

bossmodehan

I definitely agree that they should have compared like for like if you are comparing the nutritional values of what you can get for your money....but i think the real comparison here is two different lifestyles: one where healthy choices are integral, and one where instant gratification is key.

i'm a uk student and between my boyfriend and i, we spend about £30-40 a week, mostly in cheaper shops like aldi(!), and i love to cook and to know that i'm doing my body a favour! if i loved to cook but didn't care so much about the nutritional quality i'd be spending a bit less i expect, but i don't know of anyone who really fits that criteria. my fellow students who don't care or understand about the effect of making better choices, also do not enjoy cooking or shopping and head straight for a takeaway pizza which costs way more!

fudgebudget

Someone who lives in NY like this author is the beneficiary of a popular local fresh food culture with easy and cheap public transportation to make it all even more accessible. I can go to the farmers market once a week in Santa Fe where the prices are jacked up as high as the local grocery stores, and that's pretty much my "cheap" option. Produce here costs literally twice as much for me here than it currently does in the town where I grew up.

I don't eat tons of processed foods, but holy crap do I pay for it. It is cheaper for my boyfriend and I to make a trip to Subway than it is to buy those same sandwich ingredients at the store. By a long shot.

Kikilicious84

Someone who lives in NY like this author is the beneficiary of a popular local fresh food culture with easy and cheap public transportation to make it all even more accessible. I can go to the farmers market once a week in Santa Fe where the prices are jacked up as high as the local grocery stores, and that's pretty much my "cheap" option. Produce here costs literally twice as much for me here than it currently does in the town where I grew up.

I don't eat tons of processed foods, but holy crap do I pay for it. It is cheaper for my boyfriend and I to make a trip to Subway than it is to buy those same sandwich ingredients at the store. By a long shot.

But wouldn't you be able to make more than one or even two subs?

tristahenry

It seems like this article really brings to the conversation that this cannot be a blanket statement. Obviously there are some MAJOR inconsistencies in the US as to price and availability. Then add in the UK and the comparison is even more skewed. For me, I live in a very rural south jersey town, I have to drive about 20 minutes to get to a grocery store that doesn't sell expired foods and public transportation is non-existent. I have to ride my bike and plan on a long ride or drive. But I do have the luxury of a VERY inexpensive farm for fresh fruits, veggies & lunchmeats. For my family of two I can buy 3-4 pounds of sale meat and stretch that out for the whole week but it does require I spend time preparing and cooking. I am also a coupon nerd so I make sure I get the best bang for my buck when I spend on things like TP, deodorant, etc.

fudgebudget

But wouldn't you be able to make more than one or even two subs?

Let's say I like bell peppers, onions, spinach, and tomatoes on my sub. The last time I went to the grocery store that would have cost me $1.50 per bell pepper, about $1 for an onion, $4 for baby spinach, and $3 for a couple of tomatoes. That's already over $8 just for the veggies, and the tomatoes are only going to make 2 sandwiches, maybe 3. If I want any sort of deli meat on my sandwich, I'm looking at $3.50-$4 for a half a pound of turkey/ham/etc. Then bread on top of it - if I get something that's whole wheat then I might find something for $3 on sale. That's $16.50, for 3 sandwiches before I have to go back for more vegetables, and I don't have the benefit of varying them for different vitamin/mineral contents.

This isn't even at something like a Whole Foods, this is just Albertsons or Smiths. A half a pound of deli turkey at my Whole Foods runs $7. I also haven't added in any extra costs for things like sauce or cheese.

I can go to Subway and buy a 6" ham sub for $3.79 and put as many veggies as I want on it.

ckspores

I always found that buying fresh, whole foods ended up being cheaper in the long run, especially if you buy in-season and stay away from things that are more expensive due to environmental issues like drought, flood, etc. Also, buying local at farmers markets (mainly in the summer and fall) can be much cheaper than grocery store shopping.

The biggest contributor though, was the plain and simple fact that I am eating less so I buy less. Less of processed stuff or less of fresh stuff is still less food. That, I have found, is what has done the most good for my checkbook.