Think it's too expensive to eat healthy?
Replies
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It can be expensive to eat out "healthy". Places in Chicago like to charge extra for turkey sausage and egg whites.
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that's not much of a salad to go with the chicken0
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That's the problem with our family though, my dad eats for two lol. He isn't massive or anything and burns a lot of it off working from 7 to 5, 5 days a week.
There are also five of us all together and me and my Mom are the only ones that are bothered to eat healthy. My brother lives off of Super Noodles, Microwaveable rice, and junk food. He will eat the roast dinners which we usually have twice a week, but that's pretty much it. If everyone were to eat the same meals everyday then yes it wouldn't cost so much, but I don't think the majority of families have the same meals as each other.
Throughout the week I usually get through a whole Broccoli (not sure what you call a whole Broccoli lol), half a Cauliflower. 1/4 of a bag of Carrots, 500g of lean or extra lean mince, 8 turkey sausages, 21 eggs, 250g of mushrooms, 2 Bell Peppers, 2 or 3 Onions, probably 10 to 12 slices of ham, 500g+ of chicken, about 10 slices of bread, 1/4 tub of mayo, 4 or 5 potatoes, 2 tins of backed beans, a whole lettuce, 4 + bananas, 200g+ grapes, 100g+ pineapple, a tube of cottage cheese, and other stuff that is usually bought that lasts for a few weeks or so like rice.
Now were lucky because my Mom is able to get the majority of the chicken for free from work and other veggies, but other times she's unable to and it all adds up, including what everyone else has. A lot of microwaveable meals are in our house, I might have 1 or 2, but I try to stick to Quorn which I hardly have. Then we got Pizza's, crisps, noodles, enchillada kits, quesadilla kits, cereal, milk, teabags, butter, cheese, salad, spaghetti, pasta, other types of bread.
Not everyone in our house likes the same stuff. My dad prefers to have food that he enjoys, so it's going to be bad for anyone. My brother like I said lives off junk. My sister eats whatever is there. My mom does eat healthy foods, but also eats microwaveable meals. So that's 5 people in our family that eats completely different meals like 5 out of 7 days.
I'm not trying to say you are wrong because I know if everybody ate the same food as you than it would come out cheaper than if everyone had something different. It would be cheaper if you were living on your own and buying foods just for you. I know if I were grocery shopping I would skip most of the crap that is bought and probably save quite a lot. I would buy stuff that I know I am going to eat and I probably would go shopping every couple of days instead of once a week.0 -
Uhhhh
2 Big Macs = 3
1 Cheeseburger = 1
1 6pc nugget = 2.50
2 medium fries = 3
2 small fries = 2
2 medium cokes = 2
2 small cokes = 2
Total cost: $15.50
What, did they leave a $12.39 tip for the guy in the drive through?
maybe it is Canadian?
2 big mac meals = about 15
and chicken nugget happy meal = 5. 25ish
cheeseburger happy meal = 4.50ish
24.75, could be more with taxes??0 -
I guess it depends on where you live and where you shop. A Big Mac Meal here is about $6 to $7 depending on which side of the city you are on. Also, if you shop at a big chain grocery store, it's going to be more expensive than some places like Bottom Dollar.
I've gotten a 5 pound bag of potatoes for less than $5 and that's a lot of potatoes! You can buy frozen chicken for less than $7 a bag that has about 5 or 6 pieces of chicken.
You just have to know how and where to shop. One spice may be expensive, but at least you have it and it will last a long time. Building up my spice rack was expensive, but I haven't had to buy spices in about a year.
Also, I think people use the excuse that they are so busy but don't mind sitting down in front of the TV for two hours to watch their favorite TV show or movie. I don't have cable anymore and while it sucked when I first cancelled it, I've become so much more productive!0 -
Where do you live and shop?!?!? That's ridiculous!
That's normal here. I'm on an Island in the east coast of Canada.
A 10 pound bag of potatoes here, and we grow potatoes, is 10-15$ depending on the potatoes.
A ten pound bag of potatos here is less than $3 american. $800 in groceries would last me and my wife around eight months. The fact that you spend it in one month is insane, you must have a great job!
It is cheaper to eat healthy IF you are willing to put in some work and cook your food, and you don't live on an island where most of the food is imported...
Problem is if you are too lazy to make the food yourself, McDonald's is cheaper, and many people are too lazy to cook for themselves.0 -
One more thing - with health care costs being what they are in America, its too expensive to be fat!0
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I agree. They have BOGOS all the time on ice cream and chips, but I've never seen a BOGO deal on any type of fresh produce or even on lean meat. (Eating healthy foods is still worth the long-term investment in our health, but it is not cheaper for my family.)i dont care what anybody says. IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE TO EAT HEALTHY.
When can you just buy 4 pieces of bread for .75? and 4 baking potatoes for 2.98? I dont think so.
This is misleading.0 -
First of all, let me say that I've never fed my entire family at McDonald's, nor would I ever.
However, I do think that eating healthy is DEFINITELY more expensive than not.
Before my husband and I started dieting, we were spending at LEAST half of what we're spending now, each week at the grocery store.
We weren't eating fast food before either, I just wasn't make as healthy meals as I am now. I always cooked a meal every night, so that isn't the change in cost.
Healthy food just costs more than non-healthy/more convenient food - not neccessarily fast food.
Eating out "healthy" is also more expsensive - the restaurants always charge extra for egg whites, egg beaters, turkey sausage, etc. but you can get the full fat stuff for cheap.
As for the McDonald's prices, where I live, they are MUCH higher than what is listed in that photo. You can't get a combo meal here for under $7.
The prices of the "healthy" food seem about right, I understand that those larger packages are supposed to last a longer time, but not when you are eating healthy every single day, for every single meal. If I buy a "family pack" of chicken breast for $1.99/lb on sale, that pack will be enough for the two of us for 2 meals. If we wanted to eat chicken breast every night, I'd have to buy 3 to 4 packs, which would be a lot of money! If I bought a whole chicken, that is one meal for us, with maybe a little bit left over. But I know from how much money is left in my bank account every week that it is MUCH more expensive to buy healthy foods every week - enough of them to cook a healthy meal every single day. And no, we're not going to live on rice and beans either, just because it is "cheap".0 -
When we get fast food it's around $18 for 4 of us. I can feed all of us for three full days on that if I bought regular groceries.
Those who complain about healthy food being expensive... shopping for a family is a skill like any other and it must be LEARNED. Cook from scratch and purchase ingredients instead of premade meals, buy in bulk... it'll stretch your dollar farther than you thought possible.
And I live in the middle of the desert. EVERYTHING has to be shipped here.0 -
Take a look at the cost of health insurance and hospital bills. It's too expensive NOT to eat healthy.0
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i dont care what anybody says. IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE TO EAT HEALTHY.
When can you just buy 4 pieces of bread for .75? and 4 baking potatoes for 2.98? I dont think so.
This is misleading.
This.
You can't buy 55 cents worth of salt and pepper. Try buying four slices of bread too- see how the grocery store likes that.
The 55 cents is for the olive oil :huh:0 -
Lol I don't think you understand how this works...You can't buy 55 cents worth of salt and pepper. Try buying four slices of bread too- see how the grocery store likes that.
;D I like comedy what can I say?
Yeah, I do get it. I still stand by the idea that I would like someone to try buying four slices of bread and see how well it goes.
I get the idea behind this topic (which comes up about once a week here- complete with graphic) but it's not factual. The prices of food vary and to use an entire meal at a fast food place for comparison- all it does is let people puff up their chests about how lazy people are nowadays. It's an internet circle.. er... gathering. *koff*
To really make a valid comparison- take a food bill of convenience food vs grocery store whole food for an entire week or at least make it realistic in how people buy food.
If you are poor you can find a dollar for a hamburger but you might not be able to find ten dollars for the 'healthier' options.
This, is my main point- this data is flawed and I wish people would stop using it to have internet circle 'gatherings'.0 -
i dont care what anybody says. IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE TO EAT HEALTHY.
When can you just buy 4 pieces of bread for .75? and 4 baking potatoes for 2.98? I dont think so.
This is misleading.
Bless your heart. You do realize you can use the rest of the bread and the potatoes for other things, right?
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i dont care what anybody says. IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE TO EAT HEALTHY.
When can you just buy 4 pieces of bread for .75? and 4 baking potatoes for 2.98? I dont think so.
This is misleading.
This.
You can't buy 55 cents worth of salt and pepper. Try buying four slices of bread too- see how the grocery store likes that.
The 55 cents is for the olive oil :huh:
*GIANT BOW*
Begging your pardon ma'am.0 -
Healthy food will never taste as good as junk food to me. *shrugs*
I barely eat fast food now, but I'd take it over 'healthy' food any day.0 -
I agree. They have BOGOS all the time on ice cream and chips, but I've never seen a BOGO deal on any type of fresh produce or even on lean meat. (Eating healthy foods is still worth the long-term investment in our health, but it is not cheaper for my family.)i dont care what anybody says. IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE TO EAT HEALTHY.
When can you just buy 4 pieces of bread for .75? and 4 baking potatoes for 2.98? I dont think so.
This is misleading.
I actually just took advantage of a BOGO sale on family packs of Chicken breast, and there are always BOGOS on steaks and london broil at my grocery store.. never saw one for Produce though.0 -
Regardless of this arguement, you can't put a price on your health.0
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Lol I don't think you understand how this works...You can't buy 55 cents worth of salt and pepper. Try buying four slices of bread too- see how the grocery store likes that.
;D I like comedy what can I say?
Yeah, I do get it. I still stand by the idea that I would like someone to try buying four slices of bread and see how well it goes.
I get the idea behind this topic (which comes up about once a week here- complete with graphic) but it's not factual. The prices of food vary and to use an entire meal at a fast food place for comparison- all it does is let people puff up their chests about how lazy people are nowadays. It's an internet circle.. er... gathering. *koff*
To really make a valid comparison- take a food bill of convenience food vs grocery store whole food for an entire week or at least make it realistic in how people buy food.
If you are poor you can find a dollar for a hamburger but you might not be able to find ten dollars for the 'healthier' options.
This, is my main point- this data is flawed and I wish people would stop using it to have internet circle 'gatherings'.
Packaged, premade meals are more expensive than meals made from scratch.0 -
I wanted to add on to my previous post. We (the two of us) spend about $150 each week on groceries.
I always buy meat in bulk packages - chicken breast, lean beef, ground turkey, etc. I also usually try to buy some kind of seafood.
We also stock up on the essentials - rice, beans, pasta, potatoes, canned tomatoes/sauce, chicken broth, bread, milk, cheese, eggs, etc.
A lot of our money is spent on fresh produce because it is VERY expensive - bell peppers, broccoli, string beans, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc.
Then there are all the little things like cereal, granola bars, lunch meats, seltzer/bottled water, etc..
Trust me, I bargain shop like crazy - I always use coupons, I know how to shop. I try to stock up on the stuff when it is on sale, rather than just when I need it. The healthier food is just much more expensive!0 -
Where do you live and shop?!?!? That's ridiculous!
That's normal here. I'm on an Island in the east coast of Canada.
A 10 pound bag of potatoes here, and we grow potatoes, is 10-15$ depending on the potatoes.
What island would that be? Move to Nova Scotia, our prices are half what you are currently paying.0 -
Take a look at the cost of health insurance and hospital bills. It's too expensive NOT to eat healthy.0
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I think it also depends on what you consider "healthy". I refuse to shop organic in the grocery store. I've seen those prices and if that's how you're shopping it doesn't surprise me at all that you'd spend a fortune.0
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Lol I don't think you understand how this works...You can't buy 55 cents worth of salt and pepper. Try buying four slices of bread too- see how the grocery store likes that.
;D I like comedy what can I say?
Yeah, I do get it. I still stand by the idea that I would like someone to try buying four slices of bread and see how well it goes.
I get the idea behind this topic (which comes up about once a week here- complete with graphic) but it's not factual. The prices of food vary and to use an entire meal at a fast food place for comparison- all it does is let people puff up their chests about how lazy people are nowadays. It's an internet circle.. er... gathering. *koff*
To really make a valid comparison- take a food bill of convenience food vs grocery store whole food for an entire week or at least make it realistic in how people buy food.
If you are poor you can find a dollar for a hamburger but you might not be able to find ten dollars for the 'healthier' options.
This, is my main point- this data is flawed and I wish people would stop using it to have internet circle 'gatherings'.
Packaged, premade meals are more expensive than meals made from scratch.
My point is- sometimes it's easier to come up with a lower price point than to buy enough to make a healthy meal. Depends on the meal and we can't make a blanket statement and expect it to hold water for everyone.
Hamburger helper- 1.99
Beef- 2.00
You don't have to use anything but water. It may call for more but you don't have to.
3.99
Pasta- 1.00
Spices 1.00 (assuming all you buy is cheap chili powder)
Flour- (need some sort of thickening agent) 1.99 (assuming non-bulk purchasing)
Beef- 2.00
5.99
In this case- prepackaged is cheaper.
In other cases it's not cheaper.
No amount of chatter will convince me otherwise from my own experiences. Anecdotal but valid all the same for my life. It's not always about being lazy- sometimes it really is you only have five bucks- not ten.0 -
Uhhhh
2 Big Macs = 3
1 Cheeseburger = 1
1 6pc nugget = 2.50
2 medium fries = 3
2 small fries = 2
2 medium cokes = 2
2 small cokes = 2
Total cost: $15.50
What, did they leave a $12.39 tip for the guy in the drive through?
I don't know where you live, but these prices are MUCH lower than the McD in our town. One Big Mac is nearly $3. But even for $15.50, I could cook a healthy meal at home with bigger portions.0 -
So the "salad" basically consists of just lettuce?
and also, who eats dry bread....?
Meh, I sure couldn't eat it the way it's pictured :P
I'd personally turn it into one big salad, make croutons out of that bread, and throw the chicken right on the salad or something.
I love my salads, but I don't consider plain lettuce one, lol.
Does anyone really eat this way?0 -
My point is- sometimes it's easier to come up with a lower price point than to buy enough to make a healthy meal. Depends on the meal and we can't make a blanket statement and expect it to hold water for everyone.
Hamburger helper- 1.99
Beef- 2.00
You don't have to use anything but water. It may call for more but you don't have to.
3.99
Pasta- 1.00
Spices 1.00 (assuming all you buy is cheap chili powder)
Flour- (need some sort of thickening agent) 1.99 (assuming non-bulk purchasing)
Beef- 2.00
5.99
In this case- prepackaged is cheaper.
In other cases it's not cheaper.
No amount of chatter will convince me otherwise from my own experiences. Anecdotal but valid all the same for my life. It's not always about being lazy- sometimes it really is you only have five bucks- not ten.
Why would you need to add $1.99 worth of flour to thicken a pasta dish?? Pasta creates starchy water which can be used for thickening. And without that, the price is about the same. And, of course, you'll have some pasta and spice leftover for another meal. Or, you could take that $1.99 and buy a bag frozen mixed vegetables to mix in,use the entire box of pasta and have about 3 times as much food as you'll get from the box of Hamburger Helper, leaving leftovers for the entire family's lunch tomorrow for only $1.99.
Or, even better, skip the ground beef, and use the $2 to by a can of black beans and a can of chopped tomatoes, mix those in and have even more nutritent and bulk.0 -
Trust, in NYC, that Mickey D's meal is gonna run you easily over $30
But everything else is expensive as well... I cook at home at least four nights a week, and can definitely get a bigger bang for my buck at the supermarket... but at least here, the cost difference isn't nearly that vast... just sayin'0 -
My point is- sometimes it's easier to come up with a lower price point than to buy enough to make a healthy meal. Depends on the meal and we can't make a blanket statement and expect it to hold water for everyone.
Hamburger helper- 1.99
Beef- 2.00
You don't have to use anything but water. It may call for more but you don't have to.
3.99
Pasta- 1.00
Spices 1.00 (assuming all you buy is cheap chili powder)
Flour- (need some sort of thickening agent) 1.99 (assuming non-bulk purchasing)
Beef- 2.00
5.99
In this case- prepackaged is cheaper.
In other cases it's not cheaper.
No amount of chatter will convince me otherwise from my own experiences. Anecdotal but valid all the same for my life. It's not always about being lazy- sometimes it really is you only have five bucks- not ten.
Why would you need to add $1.99 worth of flour to thicken a pasta dish?? Pasta creates starchy water which can be used for thickening. And without that, the price is about the same. And, of course, you'll have some pasta and spice leftover for another meal. Or, you could take that $1.99 and buy a bag frozen mixed vegetables to mix in,use the entire box of pasta and have about 3 times as much food as you'll get from the box of Hamburger Helper, leaving leftovers for the entire family's lunch tomorrow for only $1.99.
Or, even better, skip the ground beef, and use the $2 to by a can of black beans and a can of chopped tomatoes, mix those in and have even more nutritent and bulk.
I think you're missing my point. What do you do if you only have four dollars? Not six for the homecooked option? We can sit and talk scenarios all day- it keeps missing the point I am making. Sometimes you only have enough for the cheaper option at the outset- whether or not you can make more from a meal cooked at home is moot if you can't pay for it.0 -
If you live in a state with sales tax your meal is gonna be more expensive. Just saying0
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