Healthy foods ARE more expensive.

SOME healthy foods are more expensive than SOME unhealthy foods. You just have to shop wisely. There are healthy foods besides fresh vegetables.

If fresh veggies are too expensive you can always buy frozen ones - they're great in the winter to throw into a soup, or mix in with pasta. Carrots are usually pretty cheap too - great to just cut up and have with some hummus. It's just a matter of thinking creatively with your food and buying in season. If you find some veggies on sale or something you can always cut them up and freeze them yourself so they're on hand.

Sometimes local stores will have better prices on fresh fruit. There's one store near me where everything packaged from companies is overpriced, but but their produce is high quality and really cheap. Shop around at all of the local stores. Just because there's a Walmart doesn't mean it has the lowest prices. And like others have said, Farmers Markets can be your friend.

Also, make sure you're shopping in season.

Avocados are super out of season, which is why they'd be three bucks, so are mangoes and apples. Vegetables are generally really cheap. Find international stores and they can be very inexpensive. Most Mexican and Asian stores are the best (big stores though, not specialty shops).

It's December. Apples are a fall/winter fruit. They are definitely NOT out of season.

It might just be my city but buying from local, independent shops or farmers markets is always way more expensive. And I live in the 'green capital of the UK' where organic, fair trade, free range, reuse, recycle, blahblah is everywhere haha.
i usually buy my oats/beans/lentils/quinoa/couscous etc. in foreign shops (we have a fair few Polish grocery shops around here as well as Asian and Indian shops and markets). I'm vegan and often eat tofu and other tofu products and they're much cheaper from Asian shops.

Also I don't know if someone's suggested this already but frozen fruits and vegetables is an option, usually they're cheaper, just as good and handy for people like me who usually has to throw veggies away as they go off so quickly and I can't eat it all in time (: I usually get frozen cauliflower, broccoli, peas, green beans etc.

Avocados are super out of season, which is why they'd be three bucks, so are mangoes and apples. Vegetables are generally really cheap. Find international stores and they can be very inexpensive. Most Mexican and Asian stores are the best (big stores though, not specialty shops).

It's December. Apples are a fall/winter fruit. They are definitely NOT out of season.

Depending on where you live. Apples in the Northeast are pretty much on their way out once fall is over. It's far too cold. They're at their prime from September to November.

I grew up surrounded by orchards in New York.

I don't know if anyone mentioned it (thread's TL:DR) but you should go to http://www.bountifulbaskets.org and see if there's a pickup location near you. In addition to the standard veggie / fruit share, in some areas they also offer additional themed veggie packs (Chinese, Mexican, etc.), bread, nuts, etc. I've always gotten more than my money's worth. I've gotten as much as a dozen pieces each of fruits and vegetables for $16.50 total. They try to buy local and in-season produce as much as possible.

Farmers markets are over for the year in Ca. They end now until Mar of next year. The reason produce is so expensive right now is because nothing grown in the northern hemisphere is in season. So summer fruit is being imported from S America... Much more expensive to ship and for you to buy. If Walmart is to expensive try Target. Here in S Ca they are about the cheapest around. Clip coupons and buy sale items.

I'm in Southern California, too, and there are still farmer's markets by me! I know at least the one in Mission Viejo is still running and also Tanaka Farms still has their produce stands open. Though they are both closed for the next two weeks due to Christmas.

We live in Simi so I will check the local markets. I thought that I read that they were done for the year. Thanks.

Frozen fruit and veggies are almost as good for you as fresh and cheaper than out of season produce. Beans, lentils and tofu are WAY cheaper than beef. Try substituting them occasionally.

Agree. Even canned veggies & fruit won't hurt now and then (look for the low sodium labels).

Beans and rice are very cheap and filling. Eggs are another great, inexpensive choice. So are potatoes - regular and sweet. You can buy frozen chicken breasts at Walmart too - they're not bad, especially when you are making casseroles, salads, and such. Pasta is also inexpensive - and there is nothing wrong with eating a serving of pasta.

Check and see if there is an Aldi's near you. They are much cheaper than traditional grocery stores. Look for farmer's markets or visit an ethnic grocery store - they usually have lower prices too.

Shop at regular grocery stores (not Walmart) and check out their flyers - when something is on sale, stock up and freeze the extra. You can get great deals on meat and veggies. Learn about what is in season and buy that. For example, I live in Indiana. Strawberries are obviously not in season right now....they cost about $3.50-$4 for a container. I buy them occassionally for my daughter, who loves them, but we don't have them as often as we do in the summer, when I can get them for $1 a container. But, apples are much cheaper right now - I can get them for $1.50 a pound. So we are eating more apples. You just have to do some research about what is available each season.

Also, remember that you don't have to go "over the top" healthy. Just try to do a little better each week. If you and your dad go into this with an attitude of "all or nothing", you'll be sure to fail. But if you just try to stay under your calorie goal, eat more "healthy" foods and try to make better choices, you'll see the results you are looking for.

Also, remember that you don't have to go "over the top" healthy. Just try to do a little better each week. If you and your dad go into this with an attitude of "all or nothing", you'll be sure to fail. But if you just try to stay under your calorie goal, eat more "healthy" foods and try to make better choices, you'll see the results you are looking for.

^^^This is GREAT advice!!

Between vitamins, supplements, and clean food I spend $60/week. Yes I've actually calculated this out. That's about $8.60 a day, or $2.80 per meal (3 meals).

Edit: on sale days/weeks, I make out like a bandit. Especially when chicken is buy-one-get-one (or just half-off), that's $20 in chicken for $10, big savings there

It takes a LOT more work, but we've started spending an hour or so every week when the sale ads come out for all our local grocery stores going through those. We have a list of what we need, and another list of what we want in addition to that, and we check the 3 stores that have ads posted online with their weekly sales and make a spreadsheet of what costs how much where.

Once we have that, we go to the local big box store which *usually* has the lowest prices on pretty much everything. If what we want/need is least expensive there, we get it. If it's more expensive there than it is at one of the other stores, we drive to that other store for it. Some weeks we have to hit 3 and 4 stores to get the best prices (they're all within a few blocks of each other, and less than a mile from our house, luckily.) Other weeks we find all but one or two items at our main store.

Just the other night we managed to get food for all meals for 3 people (including a 12 pound Christmas ham and all the trimmings for Christmas dinner - also one of the 3 people eats enough for 3 people since he's a male looking to gain weight/muscle) for $150. That's $50/week for 3 people (adults), or just under $17/person per week. Yes, we'll have to go back in a couple more times to get the fresh fruits/veggies, but we're also blessed to live somewhere with a farmer's market not far from the house that opens every weekend where we can get awesome local produce for a fair price, because they only sell what's in season.

Nearly 3 bucks a pound for APPLES?? In Nevada? Where do you shop? I get frustrated with $1.99lb for them here in California, but often get them for less when the store has them on ad. Most stuff in California is higher priced than elsewhere, but maybe not produce? Although a lot of apples are shipped down from Washington state, can't imagine that would make them more expensive in Nevada over California, but who knows.

Costco is a great place to get some produce, and things like eggs & meat. A lot of cost up front, but the meat keeps in the freezer (and those chicken tenders thaw out so fast - great for quick lunch), and eggs will keep for a good long time - can't beat their price for 2 dozen eggs. Best price on bananas, too, and avocados, but you get a lot of them. Avocados will keep will in the fridge (they are 5 or 6 bucks for 5 avocados), but the bananas always ripen before I can eat them all - so then I make banana bread. Still worth the super cheap price ($1.39 for 3lbs last time I looked).

Shop around - there have to be better prices out there.

Go to local farmers markets. Grow your own vegitables. look up quick easy healthy recepies so you can plan your meals without impulse spending on groceries. Tv dinners will not make you full. You need full home cooked meals that you can feel proud of and stay healthy at the same time.

Not everyody has access to farmers markets or has a place to grown their own vegetables - especially if living in a big city.

Some people, based on their geography, are going to pay more for fresh produce and healthy food. That's reality. There was a thread a while back from someone in Nunavut, AK who said that melons were about $10USD each up there.

Look into a co-op such as Bountiful Baskets, they try and get healthy food at a fraction of cost. It has helped me tremendously! good luck, and remember what you spend in food you save in medical later on!!