Why is it cheaper to eat unhealthfully...

when people talk about how cheaply they shop in supermarkets, they should also take into account the very low quality food they are purchasing -

Factory-farmed animals, raised in deplorable conditions, jacked up on steroids and antibiotics;
Genetically modified vegetables, doused in pesticides;
Fruit, also heavily sprayed and grown with toxic chemicals, that is shipped around the world using vast amounts of gas and oil;
Milk from cows so sick (from a corn-based diet that spawns E. Coli) that the cows die from illness constantly;
Fish raised in farms that are swimming in pollutants and chemicals designed to keep them alive just long enough to get to your table;

etc.

The result is foods that LOOK like food, but are depleted of much of their nutrition, carry dangerous pathogens from the illnesses that close contact, stress, untreated injuries, forced growth (why chicken thighs are so big), and horrific conditions in general cause, and, in the case of produce, are sprayed and treated with cancer-causing chemicals.

Cheap food isn't cheap!

alarmism at its best.

Its not nearly as bad as you are making it out to be.
Can you please show me some evidence that milk, chicken breast, and non-organic vegetables will cause all this harm?

when people talk about how cheaply they shop in supermarkets, they should also take into account the very low quality food they are purchasing -

Factory-farmed animals, raised in deplorable conditions, jacked up on steroids and antibiotics;
Genetically modified vegetables, doused in pesticides;
Fruit, also heavily sprayed and grown with toxic chemicals, that is shipped around the world using vast amounts of gas and oil;
Milk from cows so sick (from a corn-based diet that spawns E. Coli) that the cows die from illness constantly;
Fish raised in farms that are swimming in pollutants and chemicals designed to keep them alive just long enough to get to your table;

etc.

The result is foods that LOOK like food, but are depleted of much of their nutrition, carry dangerous pathogens from the illnesses that close contact, stress, untreated injuries, forced growth (why chicken thighs are so big), and horrific conditions in general cause, and, in the case of produce, are sprayed and treated with cancer-causing chemicals.

Cheap food isn't cheap!

now what is your point? ::scratches head:: so where do YOU buy YOUR food? Do you grow it all? Go to a local farm, pick your own produce? the reality is that we are basically at the mercy of the people producing the food in these ways so i don't understand what your overarching point is--what are we to do about this "cheap food?"

when people talk about how cheaply they shop in supermarkets, they should also take into account the very low quality food they are purchasing -

Factory-farmed animals, raised in deplorable conditions, jacked up on steroids and antibiotics;
Genetically modified vegetables, doused in pesticides;
Fruit, also heavily sprayed and grown with toxic chemicals, that is shipped around the world using vast amounts of gas and oil;
Milk from cows so sick (from a corn-based diet that spawns E. Coli) that the cows die from illness constantly;
Fish raised in farms that are swimming in pollutants and chemicals designed to keep them alive just long enough to get to your table;

etc.

The result is foods that LOOK like food, but are depleted of much of their nutrition, carry dangerous pathogens from the illnesses that close contact, stress, untreated injuries, forced growth (why chicken thighs are so big), and horrific conditions in general cause, and, in the case of produce, are sprayed and treated with cancer-causing chemicals.

Cheap food isn't cheap!

^^^^^^^^Who watched food inc.?

When I eat mostly crappy, processed foods, I tend to eat more frequently because they don't keep you satisfied - I suspect that it's due mostly to the high-carb/low-fiber/low-protein. A diet like that consists largely of fat & simple carbs.

When I eat mostly whole foods & spend a little more on healthier stuff, it keeps me satisfied much longer. It's easier to control my portions & avoid grazing mindlessly throughout the day. IMHO it does not cost more to eat healthy because I don't have to eat as much. And you can't put a price on the health benefits of eating better-quality food.

Spending $$ to eat healthy & feeling better > Spending the same amount of $$ just in smaller chunks to eat like crap & feel like crap

It's not - I can eat for a week on a little over $40 all in buying fresh fruit and veggies, milk, eggs and bread. On weeks where I buy meat it rounds $50 but that is a far cry fromwhat it would cost to pack myself full of unhealthy choices, fast food and skipped meals.

Even buying for the family (when I go back to my parents) I can keep a family of four adults (all over 24) happily fed for under $150 a week - and that is splurging on steaks etc. Again a far cry from what it would cost to eat unhealthy.

A little pricey, BUT we had a terrible drought this year. Expect a lot of prices to go up everywhere around the states.

This right here. The drought in the midwest will and is impacting the price of all crops which will in turn drive up the costs of food, fuel, etc. There is a mandate that a certain amount of the corn crop go to fuel, which reduces the amount available for human consumption just by acreage alone, then add in the small return due to the drought. Changes in weather and issues in other parts of the world also impact pricing here, like when there were massive wildfires in Russia a couple of years ago that devistated their wheat harvests, it drove up the price of wheat in the US.
The prices of produce vary so much due to the season, weather and where the stores purchase their supply. (Hint: Ask your local grocery store produce guy if they ship their stuff in from a warehouse hours away, or if they buy from local farmers. You may be suprised.)

The US also has a problem with living paycheck to paycheck for a lot of people, in addition to the "food desert" issues where there just isn't quality grocery items available. Yes, if you can afford $50 to buy chicken, beans and rice for multiple meals, you should do it. However, what about the people that have $5 to feed themselves for the day? That dollar menu becomes mightly temping. Not saying its right, but its part of reality.

First off...im not sure that "unhealthfully" is a word...but, as the subject states: Why is it so much cheaper to eat crap than it is to buy healthy foods and prepare them yourself? You can go to McDonalds and buy a cheeseburger and fries for a lot cheaper than going to the grocery store and buying foods to make a meal. It just aggravates me...

and apples are 1/4 of the price or maybe even less then raspberries- at least where I live. So 3 handfuls of berries is $4 and a boat load of apples is $4. Damn... its cheaper to eat - wait- what? $4 worth of McCrap against a bag of apples. the argument for cheap eats is an excuse. Since it takes less food to fill you when you eat right and you need to refill hours later after mcPoops- I think its cheaper to eat a hearty meal of goodness- STAY FULL til next meal - and since you wont be having heart attacks, knees replaced and all the other crap sicknesses that come with fat- its kinda cheaper to be healthy and eat healthy for LIFE.

when people talk about how cheaply they shop in supermarkets, they should also take into account the very low quality food they are purchasing -
(snip)

Cheap food isn't cheap!

now what is your point? ::scratches head:: so where do YOU buy YOUR food? Do you grow it all? Go to a local farm, pick your own produce? the reality is that we are basically at the mercy of the people producing the food in these ways so i don't understand what your overarching point is--what are we to do about this "cheap food?"

where I live, there are a lot of Farmer's Markets, so I can get cheap organic produce there. I buy local, in-season produce.

I garden, and there is a HUGE movement out there support backyard gardening nowadays - look it up!

I'm an omnivore, so I can't really get high-quality meat for cheap, unfortunately. I bite the bullet there.

I never go into supermarkets, with the exceptions of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.

Depending on where you live, your results may vary

I am originally from CA...I am away for school...the East Coast sucks *kitten*! seriously. I don't eat any fresh fruit/veggies because they are largely unavailable. It's not by choice, it's just my reality. I suspect many people have similar problems.

Not sure where you are - but Im on the east coast and while it may not compare to CA - Id have no clue- I cant believe you cant find fresh produce. I have been up and down the coast this summer- from Main to the Carolinas and berries, melons, apples , advacados and so much more have been plentiful. No farmers markets?- even in the middle of the NYC the farmers spread the wealth. Organic markets? All summer I had fresh fruit and am sad to see it go. Ask around your town- you're missing something - hopefully someone can help

You can go to McDonalds and buy a cheeseburger and fries for a lot cheaper than going to the grocery store and buying foods to make a meal. It just aggravates me...

This is really funny to me, because I think McDonalds is pretty expensive for what it is.

I can buy a 16 oz bag of frozen french fries for $1.99. Less if I bought potatoes and sliced them. A 12 pack bag of hamburger buns is $1.99. If I buy the "big pack" of ground beef, it's about $1.99 a pound. A pound of cheese is about $3.99. Ketchup is $1.99 a bottle.

So the dollar menu fries could cost about a quarter if you made them at home. A quarter pound cheeseburger would cost about $.75 at home, and with a lot more meat than a dollar menu McDouble. So we're already at half the price of McDonalds, and that's not even touching the insane markup on soft drinks.

I'd need to eat at least two McDoubles and a small fry to feel remotely satisfied at McD's. That's three bucks and minimal nutrition. Most of the meals I cook at home cost less than $3 a serving, are delicious and healthy.

I've found that it's cheaper... I bought a $12 pack of organic chicken which is enough for at least 4 meals. I would've spent that on ONE large meal of fast food.

This is true!! It takes research and planning, but it's actually more cost effective to eat healthfully.

I completely agree with this.
Produce is expensive - at least here in NJ. Farmer's markets are only in more rural areas.. the "farmer's markets" around here are still expensive.
"low fat" anything is MUCH more expensive than full fat items.
Sure a bag of rice may be cheap, but people don't live on rice.
Fresh LEAN meats are very expensive - more expensive than the fattier ones. (and rarely on sale here).

It is much cheaper to buy a pack of 80% lean ground beef than it is for a 93% lean ground beef.
It is much cheaper to buy a gallon of whole milk versus a gallon of skim milk.
It is much cheaper to buy prepackaged foods like Mac & Cheese and hamburger helper, than it is to buy a bunch of fresh fruits and veggies.

Some of you are saing "it is cheaper to eat healthy because you have less medical bills and don't need medications, etc".
A) I was eating unhealthy for 33 years and I didn't have any extra medical bills or take any medications. That may be a long term result, but that has nothing to do with how much we spend on FOOD on a weekly basis.

I completely agree that I'd rather pay more to eat healthy than not, but It is very true that the healthy foods are more expensive.
I'm tired of hearing that I should be buying in bulk, using coupons, shopping sales, etc. I do all of that, it is just a fact, that the healthier foods cost more money. Period.

$20 of veges and chicken will go a lot further at the supermarket than at MacDonalds.

YAY someone who thinks like me!!! :bigsmile:

make your own you know whats in it and you eat healthy!

When I visited America I found that grocery stores overcharge by a lot. $1.50 for a single green pepper? Yeah, ok, I got a 4-pack for $1.29 at home (Canada) yesterday! :grumble:

WOW! Where the in Canada did you get that? OMG, a 4 pack of peppers is 6.99 here in Ontario (not even organic), & if you buy them individually it's approx., 2.50 per pepper.

I have found that overall the food in Canada is higher in price.

I think it depends what you buy, and where you shop. Organic meat and fish are quite expensive, but things like pulses and veggies are pretty cheap, especially if you buy them from the market and not all packaged up in plastic from the posh supermarket.

I do think that special diets can be expensive, though. Gluten-free bread and pasta, for instance, are ruinously expensive compared to the regular versions.

I figure I can pay the price of healthy food at the cash register now, or I can pay three to four times as much at the doctors office in a few years. Choice is pretty easy for me.