Why is healthy food more expensive?

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  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    Because corn and wheat are heavily subsidized.. then processed to make cheap junk for you..... so that Mrs Obama can battle Obesity... when I dunno, it seems like subidizing the very foods that are getting processed, only encourages more processed foods.

    sigh... those foods have been subsidized for decades. it has nothing to do with Obama. I will say putting Monsanto in charge of the FDA was a colossal mistake, but the subsidies are not on him.
  • gpteran
    gpteran Posts: 37
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    Healthy Food IS CHEAP....Fruits Veggies beans and whole grains are not costly ...Tuna chicken and lean beef is cheap!!!

    This is exactly my point... And good point
  • reedkaus
    reedkaus Posts: 250 Member
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    long term, eating healthy and clean will prevent a lot of medical bills. we're too caught up with immediacy. sure, it might cost a little more now, but chances are you're saving money down the road
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
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    well one reason is that the government subsidizes certain things such as corn (very cheap to grow and makes a lot of profit). so corn starch for example, which is extremely unhealthy, is made extremely cheap and companies then use it in a lot of their products. :(

    exactly. it's an example of capitalism screwing the consumer. it's one of the big reasons the US is now ranked behind 27 other nations in life expectancy.

    I think you might be confused about what capitalism is...at least proper capitalism.

    It seems to me it is simple capitalism though. Organic and "health" foods are premium items. There are perfectly healthy foods that are extremely cheap as others have mentioned. If it's hyped as a "health food" it's like heavily marketed and therefore more expensive.
    ---
    You don't need the omega-3 free range happy hen chicken eggs, the organic avocados, the grass-fed and finished beef, etc. You don't need acai berries, pomegranates, green tea, whole wheat pasta, so on and so forth.

    Buy veggies in season and at farmer's markets. Buy meat that is on sale and freeze it. Learn to like beans and rice.
  • Fr3shStrt
    Fr3shStrt Posts: 349 Member
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    It's been stated already, but worth repeating.

    Being healthier will save you $ in the end. No more co-pay for your BP meds, dr bills, hospital visits, etc.

    But a few tips to make it easier on your wallet:
    1. by in bulk (I shop at Whole Foods for this reason, people probably think I'm wealthy going to Whole Foods all the time - I"m not, but shopping in the bulk section is so much cheaper than paying for packaging)
    2. Fruits and veggies are cheaper when you buy them in season, so if you're in the north right now prices on fruits and veggies are higher now than they will be in the summer. You can look for charts on line to see what is in season now and plan your meals based on what is in season. Winter kind of sucks, but I'm noticing kale, cabbage, and mustard greens are in season. These greens are very nutrient dense - you'll probably get a should be able lot of bang for your buck with these guys.
    3. Look for farm markets, food co-ops, get creative.

    Good luck to you. Wishing you lots and lots of success!
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
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    This is a really loaded question, and I could give you a few different answers. Healthy "convenience" foods are the main culprit, especially when labeled "organic." Someone has to foot the bill for the these extra QA processes, and it eventually trickles down to the consumer. I won't get into food subsidies, but that's a factor as well.

    To keep it simple here are some ways to keep your healthy food bill pretty low:

    1. Avoid convenience foods. Pre-packed and washed salad is incredibly expensive, for example. Buy whole heads of lettuce instead, wash, spin dry and store in a zip top bag. This same principle applies to meat, vegetables, pretty much everything. Instead of spending 5 bucks or more on a week's worth of lettuce, you will spend about $1.00.

    2. Look into alternative protein choices. We really don't need to eat meat at every meal. Beans, lentils, tofu, greek yogurt, etc. There are a lot of options out there that are really inexpensive. Beans, the food of poor people everywhere.

    3. Buy your dry goods from the bulk bins instead of off the shelves. I pay about $0.75 a pound for my dry goods, instead of the few dollars here and there from the branded goods. It's a huge money saver.

    4. When there is a sale on lean protein (chicken breast or similar) buy a month's worth and freeze in 2 serving portions.

    5. Eat fruits and vegetables that are in season. Supply vs. demand. When the supply is plentiful, it's going to cost you less. You should be eating lot's of citrus fruits, winter squashes, and leafy winter greens right now.

    6. Keep a well-stocked pantry. Stock up on healthy non-perishables when you find them at a good price.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    You don't need the omega-3 free range happy hen chicken eggs, the organic avocados, the grass-fed and finished beef, etc. You don't need acai berries, pomegranates, green tea, whole wheat pasta, so on and so forth.

    here we go... *closes eyes and crosses fingers*

    those foods you listed are actually better for you than their hormone and GMO-laden counterparts, which are cheaper BECAUSE they're hormone and GMO-laden and raised in horrific conditions.

    so basically what the government is saying is "eat what we give you (subsidies) or pay more money to be healthier"

    that doesn't seem right...
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    A salad costs 4 dollars. You can buy a burger for 1.

    Repurchase value - a bag of fruit has to be eaten and rebought much faster than a bag of cookies.

    Convenience - you pay either way - time or money. I have little money and a picky eater bf whose tastes (running towards the unhealthy side) leave me with even little (read: none) money to buy separate food for myself. So what I do manage to procure takes extra time to make.

    I'm a bit resentful of the costs, as well. I have no health insurance to be grateful to save on, so that's a moot point for me. Does absolutely nothing for my morale.

    Slog through. It can kind of suck, but it is worth it. That is what I keep telling myself.

    (Though water IS cheaper. I cannot deny that and have saved ten dollars a week between me dropping out the soda entirely.) That's been enough to buy oranges and a bag of nice bread in it's place. I don't know about healthier, per say, but it's better and tastier than soda.
  • crazybookworm
    crazybookworm Posts: 779 Member
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    Take advantage of your Farmers Market! I go every Saturday and stock up. I can get a 10lb bag of potatos for $1. 4 Baskets of Strawberries for $5, Grapes for .89 cents a pound, Banana's for .39 cents a pound...The list goes on! Also, take advantage of your Bulk Barn(is that just Canadian) or local Bulk Store. That's where I get all my cereals, oats, pasta, rice, etc.

    I am a frugal shopper and I am able to get all(and a lot of!) my healthy must haves for less!
  • aminer31
    aminer31 Posts: 54 Member
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    I was just shaking my head at the store last night! So expensive! It is sad that I can buy a snickers bar cheaper than I can buy an apple!!!!
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
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    Because corn and wheat are heavily subsidized.. then processed to make cheap junk for you..... so that Mrs Obama can battle Obesity... when I dunno, it seems like subidizing the very foods that are getting processed, only encourages more processed foods.

    sigh... those foods have been subsidized for decades. it has nothing to do with Obama. I will say putting Monsanto in charge of the FDA was a colossal mistake, but the subsidies are not on him.

    Uh,.. thanks for the history lesson son. I'm well aware of the history of farm subsidies. I still find it ironic that the GOVERNMENT is so heavily subsidizing the very foods that are most commonly processed while the first Lady's pet project is obesity.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    After finding worms in my brussel sprouts, I say bring ONNNN the poison. I never buy organic, and I use the bag of frozen chicken breasts. It can be expensive if you let it, but there are definitely more economical choices if you think outside the box.


    Hahaha. I remember the first time I bought organic kale. I washed it, cooked some of it and put the rest back in my refrigerator. I then went to wash a dish thinking it had a piece of kale in it. And then the "piece of kale" began to move. I freaked out. Turns out it was a completely harmless cabbage looper. Just wash your produce well. The bugs won't harm you but the poison will...
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    LoL, you make a point. Growing vegetables is in my blood. Many people just do not realize that organic = bugs. I often tell people if they buy a head of organic lettuce and don't find a bug, it prob isn't really organic. (Things at grocery stores labeled organic is 1 thing bc of regulations but there are people who sell at farmer's markets who will market as organic due to increased value). the only way to really know for sure that your produce is organic is to grow it yourself....but i don't think ppl want to accept this.
    After finding worms in my brussel sprouts, I say bring ONNNN the poison. I never buy organic, and I use the bag of frozen chicken breasts. It can be expensive if you let it, but there are definitely more economical choices if you think outside the box.

    So so so true! My micro biology professor always jokes about how stupid it is that we call foods organic. Just get him started on the topic and he'll spend hours going on and on about how ridiculous it is and what a waste of money. By the way, the soil they use to grow organic vegetables is not completely organic. Did you know that the fertilizers they use contain coffee grounds and other substances that were not grown organically so there for it is not truly organic in that respect.
  • Thesoundofwolf
    Thesoundofwolf Posts: 378 Member
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    Check this out, my favorite article about eating healthy on the cheap-

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/10/11/how-to-eat-healthy-without-breaking-the-bank/
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    After finding worms in my brussel sprouts, I say bring ONNNN the poison. I never buy organic, and I use the bag of frozen chicken breasts. It can be expensive if you let it, but there are definitely more economical choices if you think outside the box.


    Hahaha. I remember the first time I bought organic kale. I washed it, cooked some of it and put the rest back in my refrigerator. I then went to wash a dish thinking it had a piece of kale in it. And then the "piece of kale" began to move. I freaked out. Turns out it was a completely harmless cabbage looper. Just wash your produce well. The bugs won't harm you but the poison will...

    cabbage looper? Thats extra protein. You mean you didn't eat it? LOL what a waste of good lean protein lol
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    I just bought 6lbs of chicken and 7lbs of brocc for under $20
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
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    After finding worms in my brussel sprouts, I say bring ONNNN the poison. I never buy organic, and I use the bag of frozen chicken breasts. It can be expensive if you let it, but there are definitely more economical choices if you think outside the box.


    Hahaha. I remember the first time I bought organic kale. I washed it, cooked some of it and put the rest back in my refrigerator. I then went to wash a dish thinking it had a piece of kale in it. And then the "piece of kale" began to move. I freaked out. Turns out it was a completely harmless cabbage looper. Just wash your produce well. The bugs won't harm you but the poison will...

    Bugs are high in protein, and I found (out of laziness) they don't taste that bad.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    Take advantage of your Farmers Market! I go every Saturday and stock up. I can get a 10lb bag of potatos for $1. 4 Baskets of Strawberries for $5, Grapes for .89 cents a pound, Banana's for .39 cents a pound...The list goes on! Also, take advantage of your Bulk Barn(is that just Canadian) or local Bulk Store. That's where I get all my cereals, oats, pasta, rice, etc.

    I am a frugal shopper and I am able to get all(and a lot of!) my healthy must haves for less!

    I can almost fill my grocery cart at my local farmers market for about $60. My husband was shocked when I took him with me one day. He thought I was making it up. Now he doesn't tease me anymore when I go. Now he says go save me some big bucks lol
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
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    Don't be too angry Iceman. I recently went shopping with my mom. She likes to go to this hispanic market where the "less then middle class" go. My mom is from Ecuador and we've been here like 50 years but she still gravitates to these little supermarkets that are not national health "whole" food chains if you know which one I mean. I was blown away by the low low prices of these fresh veggies and fruits as swell as the poultry and red meats. I've gone to the chain healthy "whole" food supermarkets and they are expensive. Now I know they promote and push organic but if one is just starting out to eat right organic is not that much of a concern. I mean if your now avoiding DEEP FAT FRIED foods your off to a good start if your going fresh veggies and fruits even if they are not organic or bought at those big chain stores. Hope that helps.

    That reminds me! Go to your local ethnics shops, you can get stuff cheap! I can get pounds of spices at the indian store for dollars, while ounce of spices at the grocery store costs many dollars. Asian stores sell fish relatively cheap, etc.
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
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    Because the junk is highly subsidized, directly and indirectly via subsidized fossil fuels. Knowing that, and all the things I know about food politics, makes me want to avoid those foods even more.

    Honestly, I spend less now because I eat less. I eat a high fat diet so that i don't have to "fill up". I choose nutrition dense foods not low calorie, high volume.

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