True or an excuse?

SergeantSunshine_reused

Do you think that eating healthy is more or less expensive? Do you think people use it as an excuse not to change their lifestyle?

bry_all01

Eating clean should not be more expensive, because you are not buying all the "extras". So, personally I htink its an excuse. I will say, though, I had to increase my food intake quite a bit when I started, so that cost more, but not because the food was healthier...

MrsCon40

I spend way less on healthy food than I do eating junk food take out. I can feed three people for less than $8 if I cook - but Taco Bell will set me back close to $20.

Excuse.

taso42

I never did the math, but I think I'm eating cheaper now simply because I prepare more of my own food and eat out less. Eating out is very expensive compared to home-prepared.

iuangina

I think it is definitely more expensive. Fresh foods spoil very quickly, so it takes a lot money to keep going to the store every week. It's a lot cheaper to buy boxed food and processed meat. That being said, I think a lot of people use it as an excuse because there are simple substitutions that can be made that don't cost too much. For example, buying a bag of apples and oranges don't cost that much. These fruits keep for a long time. You can also buy frozen fruits and veggies that don't cost as much as the fresh stuff and keep longer.

Tujitsu56

I lean towards it being cheaper. Since loosing weight and trying to eat better, I tend to eat smaller portions.

Marig0ld

Excuse, and a lame one at that.

PepeGreggerton

Excuse. Eating less should cost less no?

jacksonpt

Given similar volumes of food, healthy eating is WAY more expensive for me as proven by my grocery bill. Steaks, fish, chicken breast, etc is a whole lot more expensive than frozen pizza.

Faintgreeneyes

I think that a lot of people use it as an excuse to continue with their bad habits. It easier to make excuses then to hold yourself accountable and get up and do something about it.

While pre-packaged food, *CAN* be cheaper then buying fresh things, if you actually buy fruits and veggies, and meat when they are on sale/special and really plan out your meals, you will actually end up saving money, and the other cost saving benefits are less trips to the DR, less down time for being sick/injured, and more energy.

So I think its an excuse- but that's just my opinion :-)

djkshdfd

Depends. If they are not purchasing organic then I think it's an excuse. Now if you are someone who buys only organic, or tries to buy fair trade items....then it may be pricier.

thecrossfitter

Organic? More expensive. Generally clean? It isn't more expensive, but it does take STRATEGY - you have to relearn how to shop. Farmer's markets when option - and checking the fancy grocery store for sales (I seriously got blackberries for 79cent a carton the other day - I bought 6! And they are usually about $3 a piece here!) I check the weekly sales at the upscale store, and supplement with Trader Joe's. I buy 'staples' at Aldi. Aldi is hit or miss, you have to figure out what you like from there and what you don't, but I save a ton of cash when I supplement my shopping there.

I am in grad school, living off of $26,000 a year in Chicago. Seriously - it CAN be done.

So I don't know if it's really an excuse... I think it just takes some strategy. You have to relearn how to shop. And I'll be honest, it takes effort.

exacerbe

Excuse.

I find that cooking at home is extremely less expensive than eating out.

Most fast food, especially dollar menus, scare me. It's like paying someone a dollar to eat plastic.

cmriverside

Excuse. I eat much better when I prepare my own healthy meals. I live alone so it can be difficult to use fresh veggies before they spoil, so I've learned to use frozen or to prepare them in soups and then freeze.

UponThisRock

Depends on how you measure it.

-In terms of $ spent per calorie, unhealthy is probably cheaper.
-However, cooking more and eating out less saves money.
-Long term health care related costs also need to be considered.

IMO, the big picture is: If you live in the United States or any other developed country and you're not eating healthy, it's because you don't want to.

dls06

I don't know about anyone else but I think it's cheaper. You have to make more trips to the store but processed boxed food is so much more expensive.

erickirb

Depends on how you measure it.

-In terms of $ spent per calorie, unhealthy is probably cheaper.
-However, cooking more and eating out less saves money.
-Long term health care related costs also need to be considered.

IMO, the big picture is: If you live in the United States or any other developed country and you're not eating healthy, it's because you don't want to.

Great answer

By the way buying dried beans and legumes is a lot cheaper than frozen chicken nuggets or frozen pizza (@Jackson and iuangina), you don't have to replace the pizza with expensive meat, replace eat out with those items and then it will be cheaper.

Sublog

Do you think that eating healthy is more or less expensive? Do you think people use it as an excuse not to change their lifestyle?

It is more expensive to eat healty then to fill up on a bunch of cheap junk food.

BRB. Tostino's pizza = 800 calories and costs a little over a buck. I can barely buy one lean hamburger patty for that amount. LOL

The dollar menu at most fast food places are really high in calories too. Can't seem to find a grilled chicken sandwhich on any dollar menu.

nicehormones

It is so much less expensive to eat healthy if you cook from home. My boyfriend and I prepare all of our meals at home and go out maybe once or twice a month... We make a lot of stir fries, which are dirt cheap. It's all about finding deals on lean proteins in bulk and loading up on veggies. I love saving money and losing weight by eating delicious food that's good for my body

erickirb

The dollar menu at most fast food places are really high in calories too. Can't seem to find a grilled chicken sandwhich on any dollar menu.

yes, but making a healthy version of foods at home is cheaper than the dollar menu.

vdavis_89

I think its somewhat of an excuse but it is also a little mor pricey. I'm used to buying prepackaged processed foods because its cheap and convienient and fast. As another poster said fresh foods go bad faster so you have to go to the store weekly (which is difficult to do when you work and go to school from 7am -10pm M-F). Paying a higher price money wise is a choice I'm willing to make because it beats the hell out of paying a higher price medically due to my fat @$$ not eating right lol does that make sense?

thecrossfitter

Organic? More expensive. Generally clean? It isn't more expensive, but it does take STRATEGY - you have to relearn how to shop. Farmer's markets when option - and checking the fancy grocery store for sales (I seriously got blackberries for 79cent a carton the other day - I bought 6! And they are usually about $3 a piece here!) I check the weekly sales at the upscale store, and supplement with Trader Joe's. I buy 'staples' at Aldi. Aldi is hit or miss, you have to figure out what you like from there and what you don't, but I save a ton of cash when I supplement my shopping there.

I am in grad school, living off of $26,000 a year in Chicago. Seriously - it CAN be done.

So I don't know if it's really an excuse... I think it just takes some strategy. You have to relearn how to shop. And I'll be honest, it takes effort.

Update: I think I would call it not being educated in terms of HOW to shop for food.

rodneyderrick

It's more of an excuse. The same people that claim eating healthy is too expensive will choke down fast food for either lunch or dinner every single day.

CaptainGordo

It is indeed cheaper (but less convenient) to prepare your own healthy meals.

Here is a great article on the topic: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html

iuangina

How many of you have walked into a grocery store in a poor area of town?

I'm thankful everyday that I have the ability to go to any store that I would like to go to to purchase food. I recently went with a family member to a store located in a poor part of town. All of the products cost more, but especially the produce and fresh meat. For a lot of people going to many different stores isn't an option because they have no transportation. I think if my family was hungry and I had $10. I would purchase the 10 cans of beefaroni that are on sale and can feed us for 2 weeks over a bag of apples and a head of lettuce everytime.

joejccva71

I can't even tell cause on my bulk I'm spending $100 a week in food just for me, and I cook probably 90% of my meals at home.

jacksonpt

For those of you that say eating healhty is cheaper... what is a typical dinner for you? I can't for the life of me see how eating healthy is cheaper.

Healthy: strip steak, sweet potato, skim milk: $10-12
Unhealhty: frozen pizza, chips, beer/soda: $5-$7

ummlovelovesyou

Eating healthy can be expensive.

America wants us to be fat. Thats why they have $1 menus at fast food restaurants and organic and fresh things from the grocery store can burn a hole in your wallet.

:indifferent:

MissFit0101

Well I don't use any excuse, I eat much healthier but i do spend more. Crap food can be REALLY cheap.. like, REALLY.

Some people may use it as an excuse... some people may genuinely not be able to purchase as much healthy food as they like..
Maybe some people (depending on what kind of "healthy food" they choose) have found a way that it is actually much cheaper for them to eat clean...

So you can't really group everyone into one big category.

thecrossfitter

How many of you have walked into a grocery store in a poor area of town?

I'm thankful everyday that I have the ability to go to any store that I would like to go to to purchase food. I recently went with a family member to a store located in a poor part of town. All of the products cost more, but especially the produce and fresh meat. For a lot of people going to many different stores isn't an option because they have no transportation. I think if my family was hungry and I had $10. I would purchase the 10 cans of beefaroni that are on sale and can feed us for 2 weeks over a bag of apples and a head of lettuce everytime.

I lived in a pretty rough area my first year in Chicago. Maybe Chicago is just lucky - their produce stores had GREAT buys. I'm sure it's different everywhere. My transportation is my own two feet every time I go to the store. That said, I DO live in the third largest city in the states so I rarely have to walk more than 1.5 miles to any of them.

bry_all01

How many of you have walked into a grocery store in a poor area of town?

I'm thankful everyday that I have the ability to go to any store that I would like to go to to purchase food. I recently went with a family member to a store located in a poor part of town. All of the products cost more, but especially the produce and fresh meat. For a lot of people going to many different stores isn't an option because they have no transportation. I think if my family was hungry and I had $10. I would purchase the 10 cans of beefaroni that are on sale and can feed us for 2 weeks over a bag of apples and a head of lettuce everytime.

This is when I buy gobs of chicken on sale and freeze it, then cook that all week or even stretch it for two weeks.