Why is eating healthy so darn expensive?

VoodooLuLu

I hear you hun! i'm lucky I have a father in law that goes hunting he fills up my freezer and thanks to that we will have food for the whole week to feed the 5 of us (really broke right now)all we need is beans or rice or potatoes and we have our dinner!!!!

MassiveDelta

I actually spent way less money when I started shopping healthy. No idea what you're buying or where you're shopping...

same here

QFT

nekoface

I found that cooking from scratch, harvesting my leftovers and freezing things cuts down the overall cost. You can freeze lots of stuff including bread, ginger, spinach, herbs, roast chicken, etc. then pick at them throughout the week. A whole roasted chicken feeds the two of us for 3 days and the stock can be frozen and used for soup. 'Fresh frozen' veg is cheap and so are tins of sardines and dried beans etc. When I was little and we were running out of money at the end of the month my family ate mostly things like rice and sardines, or stir-fries from frozen vegetables and chicken breasts - cheap but reasonably healthy meals.

How to freeze herbs:
http://www.thekitchn.com/freeze-herbs-in-olive-oil-173648

XXXMinnieXXX

Do you have Aldi near you? They have 6 things for 49p each week. This week was broccoli, onions, carrots, parsnips then 2 other veggies. It's got to always bulk up on those and I corporate them. If you don't have Aldi you should have something similar. I also found a local meat outlet. I get all my meat from there.. It's much cheaper. Got to look around and find out where is cheapest. If you are anything like the old me you'll save money on takeaways or buying junk so it'll even out. Buy what's in season and incorporate a a little more time for good shopping into your week. I also use the local pound stores or we have a store here called home and bargain. I also use the local market. Pays to shop around.

Zara :-)

nicole_andan

I think it really depends where you live. From the prices you are quoting, it's a hell of a lot more expensive to buy groceries here in the UK e.g. 1 whole (cheap) chicken would be $7, a loaf of bread $3, a 150g punnet of berries is no less than $5 and 2 small fillets of salmon are $8. I've really had to cut back on the healthy food I enjoy but I have been able to get the same nutrients I need from cheaper options or going to the shop at 8pm when things are being marked down.
The only fruit I buy now is apples, cause their the cheapest, I take a multivitamin every day to counteract the lack of variety of fruit (yes, the cost of the multivitamin does work out much cheaper than buying fruit). I buy tinned sardines instead of fresh fish for omega 3, the only meat I buy is turkey because it's about half the price of chicken and all the veg fresh but marked down (no freezer). We also do not have a coupon culture in the UK, but it's easy to find bargains if you go looking for them and are willing to make many substitutions on your list. Making a long list of things is a way to spend a lot of money too, go to the store and buy what's on offer then make meals around that.
You can make a pack of beans and lentils with some spices stretch very far and they are very cheap and nutritious.

^^ This this this!!!! Fresh fruit and veg based on my 5 a day for just myself cost £30 for the week!

carrieous

the biggest expense IME is meat. So i only buy meat when it is on sale, and i freeze it. Its perfectly fine to go meat free every once in awhile

1223345

I'm reading people saying they've never seen coupons for unprocessed foods. I have a kroger in my state and I always get coupons from them for frozen bags of chicken, frozen vegetables, fruits & vegetables. I get all kinds of coupons. I do get lucky to get non kroger coupons for unprocessed foods that I use at walmart. Its all about looking around for those coupons.

I know right? I have clipped more coupons for salad, or fruit, also frozen vegetables, eggs, nuts, peanut butter and the like. I don't find these coupons hard to come by. I also get a good many for fresh meat. Sometimes it may be from the grocery store, but I have also clipped coupons for fresh chicken out of the news paper.

MagicalLeopleurodon

Thats why i grow my own veggies and will be raising.chickens soon

morgycg

In the US healthy food is expensive because only 1% of all government subsidies given to farmers go towards fresh produce. The vast majority just go to corn production, which is why high fructose corn syrup is in all junk here. If the government started subsidizing the cost of healthy food, it would be a lot cheaper. Additionally, due to global warming, severe weather like droughts and fires has affected crops, making less available, and therefore the cost rises. The cost also goes up when gas prices increase since it costs more to ship the food.

lwagnitz

....Really?

Beans= $1
1lb bananas = 47 cents
1lb apples= 1.50
Rice = $1
Celery = $1
Tortillas= 47 cents
1lb chicken= ~2lb

Chips= ~4-5$ a bag (half filled with air)
Cookies= ~3-4
Meal @ Mcdonalds= 4-5$

eep223

This popped up in my newsfeed this morning. Some great ideas in there. http://greatist.com/health/44-healthy-foods-under-1

Inshape13

We go to the farmers market near us that is in an ethnic area and caters more to Asian and Mexican customers. They do have processed foods, but they are minimally available. I can often find blueberries and strawberries for .99 a container and avocados for .50 each so it is worth it to drive further and stock up. They also offer meats in the full size which puts ribeyes at 5.99/lb or tenderloin for 7.99/lb when they weigh around 8lbs each so I stock and freeze. Same works with chicken leg quarters in bulk which is $27 for 40lbs.
If you have an Aldi they are great for produce and ethnic markets can be your best friend along with pick your own once they come in season.

nekoface

....Really?

Beans= $1
1lb bananas = 47 cents
1lb apples= 1.50
Rice = $1
Celery = $1
Tortillas= 47 cents
1lb chicken= ~2lb

Chips= ~4-5$ a bag (half filled with air)
Cookies= ~3-4
Meal @ Mcdonalds= 4-5$

That is not how much things cost in my area. 6 bananas cost me £1.29.

aitchfourex

Cheap foods contain tons of corn, usually in the form of HFCS. Since corn is by far the most subsidized crop in existence, and HFCS being inherently terrible for you, it's not a surprise that the healthier options are more expensive.

Swiftivy18

I can feel your pain. I went grocery shopping yesterday and mainly purchased fruits and vegetables. I had anticipated on spending a little more than usual, but I was still shocked at what it turned out to be. My goal is to stick with the fruits that are in season.

lwagnitz

....Really?

Beans= $1
1lb bananas = 47 cents
1lb apples= 1.50
Rice = $1
Celery = $1
Tortillas= 47 cents
1lb chicken= ~2lb

Chips= ~4-5$ a bag (half filled with air)
Cookies= ~3-4
Meal @ Mcdonalds= 4-5$

That is not how much things cost in my area. 6 bananas cost me £1.29.

And how much does it cost for a bag of chips there?
3.5 banans is approximately 1 lb. So cut 1.29 in half, and there is your lb. And 1.30£=$1, so it's closelythe same...
And how much does it cost for a bag of chips there?

bethlaf

if you're in the US, here is a hint, the Dollar tree, yes "where everything is a dollar"
the last 3 weeks they have had bags of frozen blueberries and strawberry/rasp black berry blends for 1.00 , for a 12 oz bag,

and freezing doesn't hurt them ,
and for blueberries, well

my kids have COMPLETELY switched off popsicles etc for fresh frozen fruit as a snack ,

it works and they love it , and its fruit, so i dont have to limit them ,
if they manage to snack through a bag in one day its ok...
we also make yogurt pops, i bought the pop containers from the dollar tree, got 4 dozen of them , so i dont have to whip it up every day, and 1 bag frozen blueberries
1 32oz container yogurt,mixed together and frozen , equals a happy bunch of littles...

bethlaf

here is another, when was the last time you looked at how much a bag of chips weighs??? most bags are between 9-12 oz, less than a lb, and generally 1.00 a bag, making them well over the price of a lb of potatoes, or bananas or apples ...

lwagnitz

if you're in the US, here is a hint, the Dollar tree, yes "where everything is a dollar"
the last 3 weeks they have had bags of frozen blueberries and strawberry/rasp black berry blends for 1.00 , for a 12 oz bag,

and freezing doesn't hurt them ,
and for blueberries, well

my kids have COMPLETELY switched off popsicles etc for fresh frozen fruit as a snack ,

it works and they love it , and its fruit, so i dont have to limit them ,
if they manage to snack through a bag in one day its ok...
we also make yogurt pops, i bought the pop containers from the dollar tree, got 4 dozen of them , so i dont have to whip it up every day, and 1 bag frozen blueberries
1 32oz container yogurt,mixed together and frozen , equals a happy bunch of littles...

I've been trying to find those popsicle containers EVERYWHERE! I never thought to look there :blushing:

megsmom2

Healthy food can be more expensive, but doesn't have to be. What makes the difference is time. Time spent in planning, shopping carefully and in actual prep and cooking. You cant just throw a frozen dinner in the microwave...unless it was something you made yourself, most of the time. Also, your initial investment in the basics of a stocked pantry may be a little higher, but beans and grains and other staples are cheap to keep stocked, so if you're careful about what you buy for fresh items and meats, it can be done. I don't think eating healthy is likely to be cheaper...but it doesn't have to be a bank breaker either.