The "eating healthy is expensive" myth

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  • channa007
    channa007 Posts: 419 Member
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    I reject these charts because they do not accurately represent the price of groceries where I live.

    I understand the basic premise of your point but, in CA a jar of peanut butter is about $5 for example and other items are more expensive as well. And we're not talking organic.
  • Goal_Seeker_1988
    Goal_Seeker_1988 Posts: 1,619 Member
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    Buying and cooking @ home is def. way cheaper than eating out.
  • i_am_losing_it
    i_am_losing_it Posts: 310 Member
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    These prices on healthy and non healthy stuff are far less expensive than current prices, would be interesting to see an updated one.
  • channa007
    channa007 Posts: 419 Member
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    I reject these charts because they do not accurately represent the price of groceries where I live.

    I understand the basic premise of your point but, in CA a jar of peanut butter is about $5 for example and other items are more expensive as well. And we're not talking organic.

    Meant to say I agree with this person's response.
  • SinkTheBismarck
    SinkTheBismarck Posts: 133
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    Our bill has gone down. We not only spend a lot less eating out, our bill has gone down. We eat what is in season. We make a trip to McGavin's directly and get the loaves that are on $12 for 10, which if you get their early you can stock up on Dempsters 12 grain, Ancient grains, flax, etc. Our average savings is probably close to $100/month at least. Planning, Ad Matching, and buy in bulk. When making a meal, make two to three times the amount and freeze the extra meals. Some of the savings comes from the fact we eat a lot less than we used to.

    About the same here!!! :-) I'm happy it's working that way for you too. I personally will NEVER go back to my old habits.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    I WISH eating healthier was less expensive, but it is definitely not for me.

    Just today I went shopping for a few items, I bought:

    A loaf of bread.
    Two salmon fillets, two tilapia fillets.
    Mayonnaise.
    A package of chicken cold cuts.
    2 1/2 lbs of honeycrisp apples.
    Cost: $43.

    My budget was $51, didn't think I'd actually get near it. :S
  • RHeishman
    RHeishman Posts: 32
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    The way I see it is like this.

    Does it cost more to eat healthier? Yes, in some areas it is more expensive. Fish for example. Salmon is expensive, but we all know that Salmon is a very important part of our diet. It has the essential Omega 3 fats that we need.
    Some fruits, like blueberries can be very expensive. But blueberries have essential anti-oxidants.

    Sure, it's cheaper to go to McDonalds and buy a double cheeseburger and a supersize soda.

    But lets look at the end results. Eat healthier, have lower health bills later in life. Eat fatty foods and live on a poor diet and you will pay for it down the road. Disease like Diabetes, bone issues because of weight, heart issues.

    One way or another you are going to pay. So I would rather pay a little more now, eat right, live healthier, and lessen my chances of having health issues when I grow older.
  • shalinimunjal
    shalinimunjal Posts: 192 Member
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    Walmart tends to be the cheapest among grocery stores around here. I find these prices are pretty in line with what I pay for produce *in season*. Corn on the cob - you can find them 4-6 for a dollar in season. Bananas are regularly 46 cents. Wheat bread is usually $3-4 rather than $2.50 but you CAN find it on sale. I found some recently in Whole Foods for $2.50!! Can't beat that.
    As for stuff like bags of beans and rice, you will save even more if you buy in bulk. I buy 20lb bags of basmati rice for under $20 regularly and that lasts forever. I cook brown rice for me but family wants basmati.
    Also - if you make your own breads you can cut down on buying bread. I made banana bread this week that was *amazing* and I used up 3 overripe bananas so saved them from going waste. It was YUM. I plan to try zucchini bread next.

    Bottom line - Cook from scratch, eat in season, buy in bulk and freeze wherever possible!!
  • Goldenbast
    Goldenbast Posts: 227 Member
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    I noticed that the healthy stuff was rather low in the pictures...I immediately noticed the fresh ears of corn....25 each...right now at Walmart they are .58 each...bit of a difference. I had to switch healthy for my husband and had to start from scratch because he can't have a lot of sodium...our food budget has gone through the roof...but I feed 7 people, three are teenagers, one is a 10 year old eating machine and a 21 year old besides me and my hubby the 'old' people. I have found some ways to save money, but do take a bit of effort:

    I do all my shopping at wal-mart and use their price matching to full advantage. Each Wednesday I look at all the local food store ads and list what I usually buy and at what sale price. Then I use a recipe site to plug in the ingredients and find interesting meals then further plug those meals into the site's menu planner for the week, then it exports to a printable shopping list that I take with me to Walmart along with my list of sale items....then I price match everything. I have saved an incredible amount doing this. (unfortunately this seems to annoying the cashiers a ton heh)

    One other thing I have noticed is sales trends....things seem to routinely go on sale and sometimes they go on different sales...for example whole chickens at wal mart are usually .98 a pound, or .95/lb if bought in a 2 pack....sometimes they go on sale for .89, sometimes .69 and every now and then .59...in cycles. You can keep what is called a price book....start listing food you buy routinely when it is at the lowest price and note the store and date....soon you will start to see the trends and can even predict them.

    One other way you can save tons is by making things from scratch..but this is super labor intensive. Here is an example of what I do:

    Take those packs of burritos, chimichangas, etc...they are frozen in packs of 8 for generally around $3, so that is .50 a burrito (and a ton of salt) If you were to make these and freeze these yourself:

    bag of pinto beans: $1.29
    3 packs of soft taco size tortillas: ($1.59) $ 4.77
    1 yellow onion: $.75
    1 jalapeno: $.05
    1 med. bag of fine shredded fiesta cheese: $4.38
    total: $11.24

    You use the onion and jalapeno (seeded and diced) with a dash of cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper with the beans in a crockpot...makes fat free and low sodium VERY tasty beans.

    You can make 30 burritos and still have cheese and beans left over, and they are MUCH healthier and only cost about $.37 each...(plus they are a bit bigger) but keep in mind you still have a ton of beans and cheese left after wrapping and freezing the burritos...I usually buy some chicken, shred it up and make a huge pan of spanish rice (cheap if you make from scratch) and then get more tortillas and wrap up chicken/rice/beans and cheese for more healthier options and save a TON of money.

    There are a ton of ways to do this if you have the time and don't mind having to make stuff from scratch.
  • msunluckythirteen
    msunluckythirteen Posts: 335 Member
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    My cost is about the same, but I also take steps to ensure that it would. I joined a produce co-op that goes year round and is extremely cheap. I buy meats on sale and freeze, freeze, freeze. I shop on the day they mark the meats down also. You can ask the butcher at your supermarket what day that is. As long as you freeze the meats immediately they are fine to use. I shop at Aldi's for most of our staples and frozen fruits. I buy large amount of frozen vegetables when they go on sale at our local supermarket for $1.00 a bag. I buy frozen fruit to us for my smoothies and oatmeal. We eat a lot of chicken breast and white fish like tilapia which are cheaper in my area. We don't eat much processed or packaged food, just mostly condiments. I buy my rice at Walmart cheapest place I have found. We also have a huge garden and this year it is even bigger. We plan to can, freeze and dehydrate the extra veggies. I make my own spice blends like taco seasoning or ranch dressing mix. I buy large containers of plain yogurt and then mix fruit and natural flavorings like vanilla. I also have spreadsheet with regular prices for items I buy a lot so if something goes on sale I can check it against the sales ad. I also try to plan meals around what I have in the freezer or sales ads.
    There are ways to cut cost on eating healthy, it is just takes some effort.
  • sar123bear
    sar123bear Posts: 81
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    Bump for my topics :)
  • ericgAU
    ericgAU Posts: 271
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    The myth that `junk food' is cheap is one that is espoused by those vested interests that want you to shovel down as much of that crap as possible. For a family of 6, to go to the `golden arches' would cost easily over AU$60 and I can guarantee you that one of us (more likely my 12 yo son - cant seem to fill him these days) will want more food.

    Dont believe the hype and the propaganda spread by those huge multi national companies that their food is inexpensive or much less healthy. There is plenty of other options that go along way to filling you up that are significantly cheaper than the sort of money you pay at fast food joints.

    An example: 1 roast chicken, lettuce, tomatos, onion, wholemeal wrap bread, avocado and you have delicious chicken salad wraps that would cost AU$25 at the most. It aint hard people.
  • ChelleBalady
    ChelleBalady Posts: 204
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    Love this post!!!!
  • ChelleBalady
    ChelleBalady Posts: 204
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    Agreed
  • MelMena
    MelMena Posts: 152 Member
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    My expense went DOWN..but a lot of my old expense was from constantly eating out.

    THIS!

    Typical weekly grocery bill pre-lifestyle change: $100-150 per week - and I was famous for throwing out stuff that went bad. *hangs head in shame*
    BUT we spent AT LEAST $250 a week eating out!! Lunch for hubs and I was easily $20 a DAY, kids were total $10 a day. $1000+ a MONTH eating out!!!! Disgusting.:sick:

    NOW weekly grocery bill: $150-200 MAX - cooking at home every night, everyone gets a packed lunch Eat out once per week MAX - $75
  • EmCarroll1990
    EmCarroll1990 Posts: 2,849 Member
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    Sorry, but this doesn't seem right. Those prices are definitely off for where I'm at.
  • korsicash
    korsicash Posts: 770 Member
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    I live in a TINY town and ALL our food is expensive! So it doesn't really matter. I eat healthy any way it is worth it!
  • SinkTheBismarck
    SinkTheBismarck Posts: 133
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    I live in a TINY town and ALL our food is expensive! So it doesn't really matter. I eat healthy any way it is worth it!

    Great attitude!!! :-)
  • AmyJo54915
    AmyJo54915 Posts: 103
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    I reject these charts because they do not accurately represent the price of groceries where I live.


    Ditto.
  • jenng38
    jenng38 Posts: 105
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    when people at work or school start talking to me about how expensive it is to eat healthy, I always say before I started this plan I would go to wendy's and spend around $8 for a "value meal" medium sized. And that fed me for about maybe 20 mins. I spend $3.99 on a package of organic baby spinach that feeds me for a whole week. I'm sorry, but I don't see any value in eating cheaper unhealthy foods. I agree with the post :)

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