Think it's too expensive to eat healthy?

ItsMeRebekah

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.

Don't you think they took the cost of the package and divided it up? Even then, .75 is steep for 4 slices of bread when even a "nice" loaf is at most $4 and the baking potatoes probably came from a 5 lb sack. My friends tried to argue this point with me earlier but to this day we only get "treat" food (meaning convenience foods from trader joe's) when we have extra money for it. You can make it better and cheaper yourself.

of course they did which is why this is misleading. you aren't buying it for that price only. you have to shell out a lot more to get all this. i make everything myself and have gone "clean" and doing so have seen my grocery bill skyrocket.
its more expensive to eat healthy then it is to eat whatever.

bcattoes

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.

If I only had $4 I sure as heck wouldn't waste it on a non-nutirtious small portioned meal like Hamburger Helper. I'd buy a bag of dried beans ($1), and small bag of brown rice ($1) and a large bag of mixed vegetables (if I actually didn't have any spices, which is exceedingly unlikely, I'd buy preseasoned mixed vegetables). Then I'd cook it all in water and have enough healthy food for a few days since the beans will quadruple in size and the rice will double.

Pamela259

when we buy a meal from fast food place it usually around £10 which is about $15USD we can buy carrots 50p $.78 packet of potatoes £1 $1.56 chicken £1.80 $2.81cauliflower £1.00 tin of sweetcorn £0.44 £0.69 thats around £5.00 $7.81usd for a meal thats half the price we could have that dinner twice in a week it is healthier and tastier and doesnt take tat much effort to put these things in a pan to boil?

MooMooooo

Here is the issue as I see it-

If you eat junk food which many argue is 'cheaper' the most unfortunate thing is that it's NOT SATISFYING and IT IS ADDICTIVE.

So even if you save $$ on groceries you're going to lose the savings on buying too much in an effort to satisfy your hunger and cravings.

If I eat toast or beans for dinner - yes, it's boring - but I won't be tempted to overeat. But if I eat at McDonalds I will be tempted to overeat.

That is the issue as 'I' see it.

toxicmikki

Since I've cut out the fast food and have been feeding my family of 5 home cooked healthy meals my grocery bill has definitely gone up, but the fast food bill has gone down. I may still be spending more in the long run even without the fast food in my budget but that's because I'm purchasing things at the market that I didn't purchase before like enormous amounts of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grain breads instead of the less expensive white breads, lean meats, fresh fish, etc. I haven't actually compaired the before and after but that's because even if it is costing me more to feed my family healthy, wholesome meals I don't care. How can you put a price on the health of your family?!? I feel good about the food we are eating now and that's the only thing that matters

ItsMeRebekah

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?

thats not the point. the point is this is misleading. you can not go to the grocery store and get those prices for your "meal" as indicated that you would at mcd's...
i have a family of 4 and there is no such thing as "leftovers" in my house. when dinner is done, there are no more meals to create out of it. i have to cook extra for that...

lgschutt

Yes, I agree......McDonald's here in Dayton, it doesn't cost that at all.......but eating healthier is more expensive than buying junk food. If you are able to plan and be organized and cook? The cost of eating healthier goes down. If your buying pre-packaged food etc..... in ex: frozen meals-yes, its more expensive but you get what you pay for health wise Good luck to everyone out there that is struggling to eat right, exercise and lose but we can succeed!!

gemiwing

If I only had $4 I sure as heck wouldn't waste it on a non-nutirtious small portioned meal like Hamburger Helper. I'd buy a bag of dried beans ($1), and small bag of brown rice ($1) and a large bag of mixed vegetables (if I actually didn't have any spices, which is exceedingly unlikely, I'd buy preseasoned mixed vegetables). Then I'd cook it all in water and have enough healthy food for a few days since the beans will quadruple in size and the rice will double.

I think that's a sensible option

Kara_xxx

I don't think it needs ot be expensive to eat healthy.
Healthy doesn't have to mean weird and wonderful foreign seeds and fruits. I buy fruit & vegetables which are in season, rather than stuff that's out of season. Yes, if you want raspberries in January they will be expensive but that's not essential.

Colleagues in my office buy "cheap" microwaveable meals for lunch. But when you see what's in them they are not cheap in terms of value for money... A smidgeon of chicken, some drizzle of sauce, half a potato, seven slices of carrot and 12 peas... That'll be £2.99 please. WHAT????

It's a question of choices and priorities.

I hardly ever drink alcohol and I don't buy stuff like crisps and chocolate from the vending machine like my colleagues do. Instead I can afford fresh fish and free range eggs, free range chicken and good quality fruit & vegetables.

They could too but they chose not to. Choices.

picassoadagio

I love this. My crew and I live on roughly $185 a week for groceries. Most of the things on my list are organic & fresh. So, it's far from expensive, it's all about managing.

TaintedVampyre

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?

Don't know where you live but some of these items you're paying somewhere between 3 to 5 bucks a piece. Sure, make it a combo and you're looking at nearly 10 bucks. So I don't know where you bought your food but it definitely wasn't from Mc****s.

Kybelle132

Im glad I dont know the price of a Big Mac off hand...McDonalds ICKKK!!!

Kara_xxx

They have BOGOS all the time on ice cream and chips,

Yay... get fat twice as quick? :huh:

sherrybaby81

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?

It all depends on where you live. At the McD's I worked at in Canada, a Big Mac meal was almost $8.

madbrewer

You go, Joe! This is excellent.

I became a vegetarian 25 yrs ago when I was a starving college student looking for the cheapest way to eat. A side benefit was that I became clearer-headed and more energetic after about 2 weeks of going veg eating beans and rice as my main dietary staple. Haven't ever looked back, and I eat exceptionally well w/ a small weekly grocery bill.

ashleymm1982

I think eating healthy is more expensive but worth it! We spend about $300 every 2 weeks on food which doesn't include any meat (we bought 1/4 of a grass-fed cow for my husband and kids). Before I started eating better, I spent maybe $150 every 2 weeks on food but we were just eating processed junk that I had coupons for.

Mikkimeow

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?

lol I worked at Mcdonalds for three years, just left about two months ago.

A big mac by itself is 4.50 so for two... 9.00
a cheeseburger is 1.34
a six piece is 4.82
two medium fries are 3.07
two small fries are 2.55
two medium drinks are 3.23
two small drinks are 2.15
which totals at 26.16. Unless you live in the 1960s you won't be paying fifteen for all of that.

poshcouture

McDonald's, Wendy's, BK may be "cheap eats" now but in the long run the medical bills will be killer. I worked for a major health insurance company and I've seen the claims. I'd rather pay the higher cost for quality whole food now rather than the cardiologist later.

madbrewer

and also, who eats dry bread....?

I do. I make my own, and it's really tasty. No need to cover it up w/ anything else--it's a treat all on its own.

jillica

LOVE THIS! I was just thinking about $$$ for healthier food while I was shopping this morning.

My thought was I may be paying more for some healthier foods but because they are better packed with more nutrients that my body needs that I can get away with not eating as much as I did with the cheaper stuff - meaning a HEALTHIER & THINNER me!

itsafrappe

are people in here seriously defending mcdonalds and trying to justify the cost or something. i dont care which is cheaper. if i want my car to run well im going to put good fuel in it not fuel that has been watered down so they can make it cheaper. that ruines your engine. you put s@#$ food in your body and it ruins your body. i dont care if you do exercise all the time. your body needs/deserves healthy food. isnt it worth the money?

Tropical_Turtle

Guess those who complain eating healthy is expensive have never seen Jamie Oliver's food revolution. It is all how you shop, sales, farmers markets, couponing. It is possible.

It just comes down to the fact people are LAZY they do not want to prepare their food, they want someone else to do it because it is EASY. They want the easy way out, hence why our country is FAT!


My theory is stop making excuses because I eat better than I ever on very little $$ - it is all how you shop.

ajalcazar

As others said before, prices are very different depending on where you go. Where I live, It doesnt even cost $20 to feed my family of 6 at Mcdonalds. On the flip side, I can't even buy 2 chicken breasts for $6 let alone a whole damn chicken. I also agree and disagree with everyone saying that everyone can make time. MOST people can make time on MOST days but choose not too. There are times however when that is just not possible. Being a full time parent/student, working 2 part time jobs, being a cub scout leader and highly invovled with my kids' extra-curriculars, I have a few days a week where I "have no time." But, being that foresight and time management are huge with me, I almost always have a meal prepared beforehand so I do not succumb to the cholestorol filled, heart attack ready deliciousness that is fast food.

LilacDreamer

We typically spend about $160-240 a month on groceries for the 2 of us (my husband and myself) (we live in New Jersey)

that breaks down to $40-60 a week. sure this can change if we need some extras, but I'm an excellent shopper (i always find a bargain)

I try to buy only healthy foods, and organic when it's available and I usually prefer to shop at trader joes and occasionally shoprite.

I'm also going to check out this store that i've heard about called Aldi's (they claim its cheaper)

knk1553

I don't think eating out is any cheaper than eating at home, depending on what you buy. My main thing about eating healthy being expensive is if you look at the price of cheap unhealthy grocery store items. You can get frozen pizza for $1, Ramen for like $.05, Mac and cheese for like $.70, where as you pay a TON more for fresh fruit and produce. I know for a fact that I could shop for super cheap at the grocery store, I know many peopl who can buy 2 weeks worth of groceries for $20 for themselves, however, for myself and my mom for a week, I believe we spent $100ish, granted we had some stuff already and that included stocking up on chicken because it was on sale, but still, its expensive. However, eating out is more expensive. I pack my lunch for work everyday and short of my greek yogurt which is expensive comparatively, I think even including that I spend less than $3 a lunch. My biggest problem is that everything is cheaper in bulk and when you shop for one person you tend to have to buy stuff thats more expensive, and cooking for 1 person is incredibly hard, so a lot of times until recently I ended up eating out, or cooking something frozen. So no, its not super expensive, unless you're shopping at like whole foods or fresh market, but I don't think it should be expensive as it is.

Philis64

Who care what McD cost. Of course it is more expensive if you eat out. But it's all a trade. If I don't buy cookies, I can by good fruit & vegies. If I am eating less in general is should be less expensive over all. And long-term, much cheaper than by-pass surgery.

jodycoady

I just don't know why this has turned into such an argument. Must be all the MCD lovers on here.

bm99

I agree with whoever said that if they only had $4 they would buy beans, rice and frozen veg. You do the best you can with what you have.

Sometimes crap food is cheaper per calorie, but you are totally ignoring nutrition.

CM9178

We typically spend about $160-240 a month on groceries for the 2 of us (my husband and myself) (we live in New Jersey)

that breaks down to $40-60 a week. sure this can change if we need some extras, but I'm an excellent shopper (i always find a bargain)

I try to buy only healthy foods, and organic when it's available and I usually prefer to shop at trader joes and occasionally shoprite.

I'm also going to check out this store that i've heard about called Aldi's (they claim its cheaper)

I live in NJ too.. I'm very curious how you could possibly survive on $40/week on groceries for two people.
I spend at least $25 just on produce for the week.

I''m not cooking or buying anything organic, extravagant or crazy.
For example, this week I made the following dinners:
Chicken breast with balsamic and shallots w/potatoes
Garlic chicken stir-fry with white rice
Griled Pork chops with string beans
Stuffed Cabbage

For breakfast, the husband eats cereal, I have a granola bar.
For lunch, he gets a salad at work, and I bring at turkey sandwhich and chips.

Our groceries are typically about $150/week, I shop with coupons - take advantage of sales when I can, and shop at Shop Rite (the cheapest store around here).

So please, do share with me how you can survive on $40/week for groceries for two people.

DGK12

When I eat healthier food, I buy less crap, and the food I eat tends to be more filling. So people can argue that heathier is more expensive, but get rid of the medical bills, and the junk food cost, plus the benefits of more nutrients, and taking better care of my body....you get my drift.