The cost of Healthy Food vs. Junk Food

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  • lovelyMYlovely
    lovelyMYlovely Posts: 1,066 Member
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    In a perfect world, a shopping trip would consist of a woman breezing throuh the grocery store adding fruits, veggies, and organic stuff into her cart. Reality is a woman adding snack cakes, white bread, canned fruits, etc., etc. into her cart. because that it all she can afford. In order to eat healthy, you really have to starve to death because the prices make it impossible to purchase more of what you need. I have a family of 5, and it is so much cheaper to buy the bad stuff. They should lower the prices of healthy foods and increase the price of junk food so that it would help us all out.
    but america doesnt do this because the faster people get fat and unhealthy the faster people die.... its sad but true... they have to get rid of us somehow... everyone cant live until 115!! i believe that there are cures FOR EVERYTHING!! but they do not give "regular" people those cures they only give it to people in high command....... anyways.. it sucks but thats life....
  • Pattimomof6
    Pattimomof6 Posts: 5
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    I agree and my kids eat the healthy stuff when I have it. I really am a frugal shopper by force, and have to say no to snacks because of the cost. I buy only things on sale.
  • MeDoula
    MeDoula Posts: 233 Member
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    Until my family moved to SoCal, everything was cheaper and especially healthy food. Now "healthy" kills our budget. I miss Aldi and Lidle in Germany. We would spend maybe 200 for the entire month.
  • downpound
    downpound Posts: 11
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    it is crazy the price to be healthy, i must agree. It is however cheaper to buy fruits and veggies than eating junk food out all the time like we were doing
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    When things were tight, the following were my staples:

    Whole oats - bulk
    Dried beans- bulk
    Brown rice - bulk
    Frozen veggies
    Fresh apples
    Fresh bananas
    Eggs

    Those are my staples right now! This works with my food budget of $20 a week.
  • hdlb
    hdlb Posts: 333 Member
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    I have no idea where you live but in Canada, eating healthy is cheaper.


    This is true for where I live. The cost of food is insane for all food, and organic is not an option here (we can get apples and a few veggies, thats it), but I can buy a bag of chips for $4, or a I can buy a bag of apples for $4. The apples will last longer and be far better for us. A frozen pizza, not on sale, costs almost $10. I can buy a package of chicken legs that will last for 3 meals for the same price. Large Chocolate bar: $2.99 (on sale) 5lbs carrots: $2.99.
  • nmn2
    nmn2 Posts: 123 Member
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    I completely AGREE with you! I'm feeding a family of 4 and it's nearly impossible to shop healthy. I shop sale items and use coupons but it's a huge challenge! I think the people who believe it's as cheap to buy healthy are maybe working with a better budget than some of us others!
  • sbjmorgan
    sbjmorgan Posts: 158 Member
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    I shop at 3 different stores to maximize my food budget, we eat VERY seasonally and we use bulk goods like rice, beans and lentils to stretch our $$.

    Now if you don't like beans and lentils, that's not my problem - but that doesn't mean that eating healthier MUST cost more. That means that your particular preferences are driving up your grocery bill.
  • sbjmorgan
    sbjmorgan Posts: 158 Member
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    I completely AGREE with you! I'm feeding a family of 4 and it's nearly impossible to shop healthy. I shop sale items and use coupons but it's a huge challenge! I think the people who believe it's as cheap to buy healthy are maybe working with a better budget than some of us others!

    I once made a $120 weekly food budget for a family of 11. Try me.
  • Pinkigloopyxie
    Pinkigloopyxie Posts: 231
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    Y'all must not obsessively figure out ounce weights or look at the label for them because most packaged/frozen/chips/cookies/candies are 35 cents or more per ounce. Aldi's artisan lettuce which is like 28oz or something is 13c /oz equivalent.

    I'll break it down.
    > Under 10c an ounce, very cheap veg, grains
    > 11-15c an ounce, usually fancier fruits and veggies
    >16c-22c an ounce is usually the price for meats and low end/cheap brand packaged foods
    > 22c-30 fancier meat, fancy produce like poms and winter citrus, organic grains, breads, butter, pb, some cheese
    > 30c + convenience meals, fast food, junk food, frozen family meals , really fancy meay/deli/cheeses

    Most ice cream is under 10c an ounce, it's crazy. So chips and things really are not cheaper if you compare weight/volume to price, and that's not even considering quality if food and actual edible portions compared to entire weights.

    But the lower priced stuff generally always needs to be cooked, and most people won't always have the time to do that, plus most people arent willing to give up their chips/crystal light/oreos.

    But what you have to realize is how incredibly, insanely more expensive a bag of doritos is compared to a 2lb bag of carrots or 3lbs of apples. Cheap food is cabbage, onions, potatoes, carrots. I then buy slightly more expensive green peppers, green onions, celery, and mushrooms. Fruit is cheapest apples, bananas, and blueberries/citrus if on sale.

    Luxury items for me are bacon/pb/butter/cheese. Beans and grains like barley and bulgar as well as lettuce/bok choy are generally my filler foods, and it's cheap.

    You can eat well, and you can eat cheaply, and you CAN eag a LOT, but you will basically have to cook everything all the time, and give up anything with a recognizable name brand.

    I really recommend bulgar. 1/2 cup dry is 300 cals and it expands to about 4x the size with cooking. Great with 1/4 cup cheese, green onions, and garlic. Being forced to be really frugal for the past few months made me really learn how much of a ripoff nutritionally and amount wise frozen/prepared stuff is. But you have to put in that extra effort to prepare everything.

    I gotta add I shop at walmart/trigs/copps/aldi's/coop/kwik trip/big lots/asian food store/farmer's market and I pretty much know the prices of everything I eat in any store so I always know if a sale isnt really a sale compared to another store and general comparison prices of most anything I find worth it to buy all around town which is knowledge that takes time and effort to acquire.

    In the end eating healthier is like going without a car, it might be cheaper and healthier, but it takes a hell of a lot of more time to make plans and get to anywhere.
  • RobynC79
    RobynC79 Posts: 331 Member
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    You know, I used to say exactly what many people here are saying 'It's WAY cheaper to buy healthy food!", but have since learned it's extremely different depending on where you live.

    For example, in Houston where I live most of the time, I can buy produce and whole foods far cheaper than I can buy the equivalent amount of processed foods.

    I spend my summers on Cape Cod (for work, not for vacation...), and the price of the same fresh fruits and vegetables is outrageous - I took a photo of a sign that said "oranges - $1.00". As in, $1.00 EACH!!! I can buy oranges for around $3.00 per bag (8-10 pieces) in Houston. Everything fresh and perishable is between 2x and 4x more expensive on the cape, whereas boxed goods are only slightly more. It is far cheaper for me to buy processed boxes of crap compared with my normal food items.

    So - just because for you it might be cheaper/more expensive to buy healthy/unhealthy food, this isn't a universal truth that means everyone disagreeing with you is doing it wrong.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    It would be interesting to see the actual choices.

    My partner buys chicken breast chunks to heat up and eat when I am not home to cook. They cost about $5/ pound, which we would never spend on chicken. Rotisserie chicken is the same price, and you end up with more meat. Even when we get BOGO coupons, they come out to just slightly under what we pay for organic chicken tenderloins, we could get whole chickens for much less.

    Snack cakes are cheaper than what?
  • mattysmom
    mattysmom Posts: 82 Member
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    It's not really that much more..and it can be cheaper. I work in a grocery store (Kroger, Fry's Ralphs depending on where you live) and they have crazy good sales every week on fresh produce and meat. And BTW canned veggies are like 48 cents a can, and canned fruit is a $1 a can. I find frozen fruit to be more expensive than fresh. If you buy them fresh on sale then freeze them yourself it will save you lots of money. Buy meat in bulk when it's on sale. I never eat beans or lentils so that is not all you have to eat if you dont have alot of money. It's all about hitting the sales and planning ahead. Get the ads plan your meals according to the produce & meat sales, then shop. Ignore the center asisles except for beans and rice if you want. I have a family of 4 (and my husband eats at least 2 serving a dinner every night) we pack all off our lunch and eat 99% of meals at home ALL HOMEMADE and I spend like 400-450$ a month on grocerys. I can quote prices on stuff all day. Proceesed food costs ALOT. remember I do this for a living....All day long i'm checking to make sure prices ring correctly in our system. For example 1.5 pounds of processed frozen chicken nuggets cost 7.99$ fresh chicken is 1.99lb right now. You could get 8lbs of fresh chicken or one bags of nasty nuggets....A 8 pack of lil' debbie snack cakes is 1.29$ you could get 2.5 lbs of bananas for the same price. It's all about the choices you make.
  • lisamarie2181
    lisamarie2181 Posts: 560 Member
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    I think it has A LOT to do with where you live and what fruits and veggies are in season. I have a family of 5 and we eat off of $300 a month. Lean meats, turkey and chicken, lost of fruits and veggies, plus all the snacks and extras that come with having little kids.

    You have have HAVE to shop sales, discounts and coupons. Do not be brand loyal, and buy with in season. Sometimes it means going a few months without having your favorite thing just to save a few bucks. Also don't just shop at one store, you have to look for sales at stores near you.

    Also being able to do Math is very important. Sometimes something looks like a deal but it's really not compared to another store. It's possible to shop healthy, but once a person finds out that it takes work, they don't want to try.

    Also if you are paying attention to serving sizes and eating those serving sizes you will be going threw A LOT less food!

    I agree I think it does matter what part of the world you are at. I live in the Chicagoland area, and I eat mostly all wholesome homemade dishes and I have been spending less than I did when I was going more in the aisles. When I do go in the aisles for things it raises my bill. A can of beans can be around 1.50 or so, where I can get a bag (160z) of beans for the same price or a few cents more and get way more servings.

    I find that a lot of people also find it way cheaper because they don't really cook. When you cook dishes, you usually get quite a few servings out of them as opposed to boxed things that may have four servings and usually very small servings because of what they contain. When I make home cooked meals, I get a lot of servings and pretty hefty ones at that.

    I agree with a lot of others, it all comes down to planning and shopping smart. Veggies and fruit that are not in season are going to be more money, I do tend to spend more on them in the winter months. Check the sales at the stores around you, see if you can get any kind of coupons, they do really help though I know there are not too many for fresh stuff, but there usually are sales at one store or another throughout the week.

    Good luck to you!! :flowerforyou:
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 639 Member
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    They should charge less for fruits and veggies, seeing as how they rot if not eaten within a timely manner. Brownies and stuff like that will keep for a long time and only cost like $2. Insanity.

    I see where you're coming from with fruits and veggies going bad. How often do you go to the grocery store? If you're willing to go once every 7-8 days.. apples, oranges, tomatos, celery, cucumbers and many many other vegetables will last that long without going bad. Just buy your main staples so when you run out of fresh veggies it can be a "quick" run in to restock on fresh stuff. Try googling "budget healthy recipes"... there are TONS of sites and blogs out there with moms that have huge families who have put together great lists of nutritious meals on a budget.

    For dinners its very easy to eat healthy on a budget if you buy frozen vegetables and chicken. As for snacks during the week, you can always replace brownies and sweets with whole grain crackers and cheese sticks. Maybe some peanut butter with the crackers or celery, yogurt is good as well.

    Like some others, overall I will have to respectfully disagree because I believe as long as you put forth the effort to be diligent in writing out a healthy menu/grocery list that fits within budget, and sticking to it, its very do-able.

    Good luck!
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 639 Member
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    I completely AGREE with you! I'm feeding a family of 4 and it's nearly impossible to shop healthy. I shop sale items and use coupons but it's a huge challenge! I think the people who believe it's as cheap to buy healthy are maybe working with a better budget than some of us others!

    I once made a $120 weekly food budget for a family of 11. Try me.

    Impressive! You should maybe blog some of your recipes or what worked... seriously. Maybe make a community post? :)
  • IrishChik
    IrishChik Posts: 464 Member
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    Thats completely untrue. Healthy food is cheaper. I dont know where this myth comes from and thats what it is.. a myth. Veggies are cheap so unless you are buying a fancy steak they will stay cheap. However, junk food tastes better.. I agree with that... but don't try to tell me its cheaper. Mcdonalds especialy is extremely expensive, where did they come up with this "cheap" idea

    I think the problem is that when people think of "healthy" they are looking at the light, lean, low-fat, and fat-free versions of stuff - which are more expensive. It's also not the healthiest option. Most of these items are loaded with sugar and sodium to make up for the lack of fat flavor. Some fat is ok in a diet. So, getting fresh produce for a week and lean meat (chicken, pork) really isn't that expensive if people would stop buying this frankenfood stuff and eat whole, real foods.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    Thats completely untrue. Healthy food is cheaper. I dont know where this myth comes from and thats what it is.. a myth. Veggies are cheap so unless you are buying a fancy steak they will stay cheap. However, junk food tastes better.. I agree with that... but don't try to tell me its cheaper. Mcdonalds especialy is extremely expensive, where did they come up with this "cheap" idea

    I think the problem is that when people think of "healthy" they are looking at the light, lean, low-fat, and fat-free versions of stuff - which are more expensive. It's also not the healthiest option. Most of these items are loaded with sugar and sodium to make up for the lack of fat flavor. Some fat is ok in a diet. So, getting fresh produce for a week and lean meat (chicken, pork) really isn't that expensive if people would stop buying this frankenfood stuff and eat whole, real foods.

    I think you hit the nail on the head here. Eating "healthy" convenience food is more expensive for sure. Eating healthy, home prepared food can be cheaper than unhealthy convenience food, if you are prepared to put in the effort, do a little planning, and shop well. Unfortunately in today's convenience driven society no one believes they have the time. I personally see it as a matter of priorities - I choose to prioritize food preparation over other areas of my life like watching television or playing video games.

    At the end of the day "I don't have time" really means "I choose to spend my time doing something else".
  • lisamarie2181
    lisamarie2181 Posts: 560 Member
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    Thats completely untrue. Healthy food is cheaper. I dont know where this myth comes from and thats what it is.. a myth. Veggies are cheap so unless you are buying a fancy steak they will stay cheap. However, junk food tastes better.. I agree with that... but don't try to tell me its cheaper. Mcdonalds especialy is extremely expensive, where did they come up with this "cheap" idea

    I think the problem is that when people think of "healthy" they are looking at the light, lean, low-fat, and fat-free versions of stuff - which are more expensive. It's also not the healthiest option. Most of these items are loaded with sugar and sodium to make up for the lack of fat flavor. Some fat is ok in a diet. So, getting fresh produce for a week and lean meat (chicken, pork) really isn't that expensive if people would stop buying this frankenfood stuff and eat whole, real foods.

    I think you hit the nail on the head here. Eating "healthy" convenience food is more expensive for sure. Eating healthy, home prepared food can be cheaper than unhealthy convenience food, if you are prepared to put in the effort, do a little planning, and shop well. Unfortunately in today's convenience driven society no one believes they have the time. I personally see it as a matter of priorities - I choose to prioritize food preparation over other areas of my life like watching television or playing video games.

    At the end of the day "I don't have time" really means "I choose to spend my time doing something else".

    I have to agree. "diet" foods are marketed this way so you buy them and that is how they sucker you in. If you go for the all natural foods in their whole state, much cheaper. Does take some cooking and preparing though, which you can turn into convenience by freezing servings or just packaging some for other meals during the week.
  • chadgard
    chadgard Posts: 102 Member
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    I once made a $120 weekly food budget for a family of 11. Try me.

    Impressive! You should maybe blog some of your recipes or what worked... seriously. Maybe make a community post? :)

    I agree! It would be a great service to the community to share! That's very impressive.

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