Think it's too expensive to eat healthy?

jesspi68

I also think an issue with that graphic is the choices that were made. The healthy meal is fine, but if I'm really strapped for cash I can get a McDouble and a Value fry for $2 per person. That's $8 for a meal, and drink water. There's the problem I have. If I was going to eat garbage fast food it would most likely be off the dollar menu because I am strapped for cash, and so yea, it absolutely costs me more to eat healthy.

Kara_xxx

I don't know about prices in the US but in the UK no one could possibly argue that eating healthily is more expensive than McD junk food.

My farmers market does a big bag of vegetables for £2 (about $3).

If you don't have a farmers market you will have a Tesco near you where most of the time they do "3 for the price of 2" for veg. I bought a bag of carrots, a bag of potatoes and a huge savoy cabbage for a little over £2 again.

For £4 (about $6) you can buy a whole chicken, or £3.50 even if you don't care what kind of life it's had.

A whole chicken, a bag of carrots, a bag of potatoes and a cabbage = £6 / $9. I can make 3 days worth of food from that, never mind one take out meal.

abbeyl11

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?

Even with your math the meals in this post are cheaper Just thought I'd point that out since you were quick to put a jab in there for someone who is trying to help people.

stephanj

You realize prices are different all over right?

That first healthy meal would be 3 times that where I'm from.
Chicken is 13$ a pound here on a good day.
Romaine lettuce is 4-5$
2L of Milk is 5$
Whole grain bread 5$ a loaf 4 on a good day.
Fish and seafood is insanely expensive.

For myself and my boyfriend to eat healthy all month it's about 800$

This!

Plus, a pl of local strawberries at my farmers market is $4, the ones flown up from Cali are $2.50. Free Range eggs in the supermarket are $3.50 and up, the ones I buy at the neighborhood farm stand are $4. Where I live, local farm-grown foods are a luxury, not a cost saving.

amuhlou

Regardless of what a big mac meal costs in what city, there's other costs that the infographic doesn't account for. Namely, healthcare costs in the future for those on the McD's diet vs cook at home.

stephanj

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.

Did you really just ask that? It's the only island IN Canada and its right across from you.

Nova Scotia is connected to the mainland. You have many more means of obtaining produce and other bits. For example, trains. PEI doesnt have these and it's a major source for transporting goods. Any trucks crossing the bridge to our Island pays upwards of $80-$100. I just relocated back here from Ontario and its almost double the cost for groceries than it was there for the same thing. If its healthy or organic, expect to pay 3-4x more.

OK, I am from Vancouver Island, the "other" island in Canada. Everything is more expensive here, it has to get shipped on the ferries. We get your PEI potatoes, when local aren't available I buy them because I like to buy Canadian lol.

My groceries for a super healthy family of four are $200-$250 a WEEK. That's 30-35 a day. We go through ten pieces of fruit alone per day.
I could feed us all for $10 a day but it would be nothing but starchy carbs, for example Oatmeal for breakfast. Ramen for Lunch. Rice or Pasta for dinner, some beans. Currently we eat whole grain cereal or smoothie for breakfast, protein filled sandwich for lunch with veggies, lean protein and veggies for dinner. and Yogurt and fruit for snacks, endless endless yogurt. Thinking of buying a cow and making my own....
I always get all riled up on this topic, lol, because trust me I have sat down with the flyers and a calculator thousands of times to see if I could save money, and I keep coming to the same conclusion....it costs me more to eat healthy.

terriosgood

Reguardless of where you live, lean chicken breast is much more expensive than leg/thigh quarters. 96% lean ground beef is a lot more than the 73% lean. 2% cheese is higher than the regular kind. High fiber whole wheat bread is almost $3 a loaf. The store brand white sandwich bread is a little over a buck. It costs less than $5 for my 17 year old daughter and I both to eat McDonalds for lunch. Yes, healthy eating is very expensive for us!

meshashesha2012

in the short term, it's cheaper to eat unhealthy. that's why so many people choose it because many people arent in financial circumstances where they can think too much ahead .

if i only have $30 to spend , i doubt i'm going to spend $20 on gas to run around the city to buy $10 worth of food, especially since that's gas i'd need to get to my job.

in the long term we all know it's cheaper to eat healthy. the problem is not everyone has the time or financial resources to run around looking for the best deal. i live in the hood of oakland. i can go multiple places to eat healthy because i'm single, no kids and have a relatively good paying job. these circumstances would be completely different if i were like some of the other women in my neighborhood who are single moms with low paying jobs and strapped for time

k8blujay2

It may be more expensive to eat healthy in the short run.... that is until your health starts failing and you end up with heart disease, diabetes, and/or cancer and then have to pay for the doctors visits, hospital stays, medications and other various treatments.... Yeah, I would rather spend the extra money on real food than $100 a pop for multiple medications and the like...

EmCarroll1990

Yeah, this is soo off base. Yes it is more expensive to eat healthy, but for me, it's worth it.

bcattoes

Whether it's more expensive to eat healthy or unhealthy mostly depends on your shopping ability and your food preferences. You can spend a lot or a little eating either way.

But saying you eat crap because you can't afford not to is just another excuse unless you are at the mercy of a food bank or homeless shelter or in some other way have no control over what food you eat.

k8blujay2

Where I live a loaf of 100% Whole Wheat bread is at least 30 cents cheaper than white bread.... a gallon of milk is cheaper than soda... per serving, buying a big bag of store brand pasta, a package of cheese, a some ground beef (even the leaner varieties) is cheaper than buying hamburger helper... and a pound of bananas is cheaper than buying 1 candy bar. I spend around $200-$300 a month on relatively healthy (it would be more if I bought all organics or something) food for 3 people.

grubb1019

I really don't think many people are that busy, everyone used to have time to cook before we started spending so much time sat in front of screens. It is now that we have to fit in internet time, TV watching etc, that we no longer have time for the real stuff.


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fogey

Agree with this 100%!!

leah379

It seems to me that most of you aren't looking at the big picture. The picture doesn't say an entire loaf of bread is that price, its saying 4 slices of bread is that cost. You have to break down the prices. Buying a 10 pound bag of potatoes might be 5 bucks but if you break it down to the cost of 4 potatos in that bag--thats what you have! Of course the prices are going to vary depending on where you live and what store you shop in. But over all, you are going to spend more money on a one time meal at McDonalds than you could spend on 2-3 meals buying from the grocery store. And as a few people have said previously, the cost of diabetes meds and cholesterol meds and blood pressure meds are going to far outweigh the cost if you eat healthy.

k8blujay2

I really don't think many people are that busy, everyone used to have time to cook before we started spending so much time sat in front of screens. It is now that we have to fit in internet time, TV watching etc, that we no longer have time for the real stuff.


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fogey

Agree with this 100%!!

Some how my grandmother got food on the table for her family of 5 back in the 60's and 70's before the prevalence of microwaves, slow cookers and prepackaged meals like Hamburger Helper.... and she worked full time. If she could do it, then I can do it to.

tishad58

It seems to me that most of you aren't looking at the big picture. The picture doesn't say an entire loaf of bread is that price, its saying 4 slices of bread is that cost. You have to break down the prices. Buying a 10 pound bag of potatoes might be 5 bucks but if you break it down to the cost of 4 potatos in that bag--thats what you have! Of course the prices are going to vary depending on where you live and what store you shop in. But over all, you are going to spend more money on a one time meal at McDonalds than you could spend on 2-3 meals buying from the grocery store. And as a few people have said previously, the cost of diabetes meds and cholesterol meds and blood pressure meds are going to far outweigh the cost if you eat healthy.

...don't forget lost wages from increased ill health, not to mention these fat girl clothes I have on. :sad:

byebyeluvhandles

I totally agree w/you leah379. You have to break it all down and for the price of a fast food meal, you can buy ingredients to make a few meals.

I haven't been to McDonalds in a long time, but they have gotten very pricey. The last time I went there, my total was over $15 just on a meal for 2 people.

leslisa

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.

It depends on where you live and how you shop. I definately can buy 4 pieces of bread for 75 cents and 4 baking potatoes for $3. And the McDonalds is dead on, too. And if I go to a warehouse store I can usually cut that cost down, too.

michellesz

Yeah, this is soo off base. Yes it is more expensive to eat healthy, but for me, it's worth it.

Ditto

shanice_22

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?

is that right? here in the UK we would get 2 meals for that price.... :S

Where in the UK are you lol? I'm in the UK too and two medium meals is about £8


In terms of eating healthy being cheaper, it's not always the case. In terms of frozen food and tinned food, these obviously aren't as healthy as fresh food but last longer so are cheaper than buying fresh food all the time as it's not getting binned. Obviously though, some of this food can still work out healthier than McDonald's.

When it comes down to it though, it varies from person to person and family to family, as everyone's income is different so eating consistently healthy is easier for some people and harder for others.