The cost of Healthy Food vs. Junk Food
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Try Aldi grocery stores,( if you have one) they have great prices on fresh fruit and veggies, you'll be surprised.0
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I actually saved about $200 a month buying eliminating junk food. We eat plenty of fruits and veggies (either in season, frozen, or canned) and I cook from scratch. It's much cheaper to eat "healthy" than to eat junk.0
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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!
I utilize my freezer to eliminate wasting food. If you don't own a freezer, then GET ONE.0 -
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!
My budget is $100 a week for a family of four.0 -
As someone doing low carb and struggling with the cost of meat there are times I do eat less than I am supposed to in a day because if I don't there will be no food for tomorrow. That is still healthier than filling up the cart with soda and cheap snacks. And sometimes I even find organic beef on sale, for whatever that is worth to my health. But yes, it is tough, it is backwards, and I support taxes on junk as long as every dime of those taxes goes to making healthy food cheaper.
By the way, most don't know it, but beef is already very heavily subsidized by your tax dollars. If it weren't your average American wouldn't be able to eat it.0 -
Find out what day your grocery store usually pulls the veggies for freshness dates ("use by" or "sell by").
Mine (Kroger) does it every Saturday BUT they mark the stuff down on Thursday -- Sometimes I buy my veg on Friday night when it's on SALE and use it the weekend into early next week.
You could even cook and freeze it in recipes and it's great! Its fun & the savings that makes you get creative/ or buy veg you normally would not.0 -
I agree.0
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I live in the US and junk food is wayyyy cheaper.
Agreed, and anyone who says different is lying through their damn teeth. I think some junk food (namely chips, cereals, and convenience meals) are more expensive, but the majority of it is ridiculously cheaper than fresh veggies and fruits and meats.
I'm sorry, but no one wants to eat dry beans and lentils everyday! Shut up about the damn lentils. (I'm assuming that it's already been mentioned or will be mentioned in the next few minutes, because it ALWAYS is.)
First, I don't appreciate being called a liar, even indirectly, and even on an internet forum.
Second, no-one said you must eat dried lentils everyday. My family eats extremely well, extremely healthy, and without breaking the bank by a long shot.
Third, have you actually tried lentils? I used to eschew lentils as "goddamn hippy crap" until I made lentil soup one day and it was frikking delicious. Now I make it up once every couple of weeks in a twelve serving batch and always have a few servings in the freezer for go-to lunches.
Perhaps you just don't know how to shop well, prepare good meals and minimize waste? I'm not saying that as a dig, there's no shame in it. Everyone has to learn sometime, and it's taken me ten years to figure it out. I'm sure in another ten years I'll be even better at it.
I don't even know what a lentil is. And my husband can't eat beans because he has Crohn's, so nope, none of those. It's just a matter of making things from scratch rather than paying a company to prepare your food for you. It's almost always going to be cheaper to prepare your own food than to pay a company to prepare it.0 -
I live in the US and junk food is wayyyy cheaper.
I agree with you. If you're looking at the really cheap crap then yes! I try to load on fruits and veggies because I can eat more and it does add up quickly!
I've had to find the middle ground. As another poster mentioned I just shell out 20-30 for chicken and then freeze it so it can stretch through a pay check. I think the fresh stuff is the worst as far as cost.
I have started eating more oatmeal and beans because they are good for you and help stretch meals out further. Also, I use a lot of eggs and buy cheese in bulk that way I can spend more on the fresh stuff.
I don't have a garden but I've heard a lot about garden sharing so I think I might look into that this spring/summer.
It is in fact cheaper to buy snack cakes, canned fruit in heavy syrup, and chicken nuggets than whole foods (I know that's what I was eating prior to losing weight and getting healthier).
The health benefits, imo, far out weigh the slight cost bump though!0 -
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.
Eating healthy really isn't all that expensive compared to pre-packaged processed junk foods. If you can't afford to eat healthy, then you really can't afford to eat snack cakes. Those things are expensive for what little bit of food you get! An ounce of cheese and an apple is a much healthier snack than a Ding-Dong and costs about the same.
Frozen pizzas, chicken nuggets, Chef-Boyardee, Fruit Loops, etc. all cost more than their healthier homemade counterparts.
Go to a Walmart or Aldis or a local discount store and buy store brands. 100% whole wheat bread costs about $.10-.20 more than white bread. Yeah, it's not the name brand stuff, but it's healthier. A cheap can of fruit can often cost more than a pound of carrots or whatever other fruits and veggies are in season and you get fewer servings. If canned fruit is really cheaper, then get the no sugar added /canned in juice stuff and canned veggies are okay. Buy frozen or whatever is cheapest at the moment.
Where I've found eating healthier to be expensive is on the time front. It takes time to plan healthier meals and make sure that enough food is on hand so that we're not tempted to run out for a quick meal of "cheap" fast food. It also takes time to look over the sale ads and plan our weeks/months based on these, but it's worth it. Most of our lunches and dinners come out to about $1 - $1.50 per serving. We buy a lot of boneless, skinless chicken breasts when they are on sale very cheap and use it in a lot of meals; we do the same with lean ground beef. When canned or frozen veggies are on sale really cheap, we buy a ton.0 -
A lot of the problems lie within the grocery stores themselves. They only purchase fresh produce that is visually appealing, thus 1/3 of the crop gets tossed out because it has been deemed 'unworthy' based on superficial means alone. There may be a brown spot on an apple, a misshapen onion, an extra eye or two on a potato etc. Most of the time, all of these 'unappealing' products are perfectly fine to consume... But yet it all goes to waste. Of course the farmer can eat from that pile or rejects, but really you can only do so much.
So, imagine when 'organic' farmers (which are ironically in high demand) are trying to sell to these bigger grocery stores. Their product usually has many more blemishes etc, since it isn't sprayed heavily with pesticides to avoid these from occurring. But of course, the standards for attractive food is the same. That is why they are so much expensive; more, if not most, of their crop is being tossed. So understandably, prices are much higher as they can't afford to sell things as cheap as their non-organic counterpart.
Sad thing is, if these restrictions were merely on the freshness rather than the appearance of our local produce... Buying fresh and healthy foods would be dirt cheap.0 -
I agree, and I always will...I'm not sure that most of the people on here understand when some people say "junk" food is cheaper, they mean JUNK food.
When I say cheap food I am talking about ramen for 10 cents, a whole (totinos type) pizza for 1.00, a box of mac n cheese for 35 cents, a pack of bologna for 1.00, white bread for 90 cents, a bag of pasta and a can of tomatoe sauce for 1.39, a pack of hot dogs for 65 cents, generic canned soup for 49 cents, fake cheese slices are 89 cents, generic chips and snacks (a whole bag/box) for 1.29, 2lbs of chicken nuggets for 3.00, 16 oz sugar cereal for 1.00, generic rice a roni or hambuger helper for 1.00, and less quality meats are always cheaper....I could go on but you get my drift.
There is NO way your beans and chicken are cheaper for my family of 6 than thost things! Some people do not understnad what being poor is..0 -
Part of learning to eat healthy is learning portion control. Yes, we now spend more upfront for meat since we started purchasing our meat from a local butcher. To get a cheaper per pound price for ground beef we have to buy 10 lbs. In the past I would divide that up into maybe 4 packages making 4 meals for 2 people... occasionally a couple more people. Now, I divide that 10 lbs into 20 1/2 lb packs because we only need 4 oz of meat per person for a healthy meal. That's 20 meals for 2 rather than 4 (maybe 5) meals for 2 out of the same amount of meat. I bought a chuck roast last week. In the past that would have been one meal. I had the butcher cut it in half. It became 2 meals prepared and once I weighed out a proper portion, 1/2 the original roast became 6 servings.0
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It's a real debate on costs of fresh or whole foods, vs. packaged or convenient foods. My take on this is two fold. Healthy foods, and healthier life. If it's healthy and in a package (i.e. canned fruit packed in its own juice, or fresh frozen skinless chicken breast), that's a great way to get around the expensive issue. Also, I take advantage of every 2 for 1 sale I can. So if I have 10 lbs of chicken in my freezer, that means I probably won't have to buy any the next shopping trip.
Since I am more conscious about my health and have now lost a significant amount of weight, I also watch my portions. I watch how I bring my groceries home and how I immediately store these foods so I can get the biggest bang for my buck. Even though I am single, I buy many things in bulk and freeze in individual serving sizes so I don't have to waste any excess I won't eat right away.
I find I save quite a bit these days. I go to the store only twice a month. I go with a list and don't impulse buy. And I stay away from as much sugar, salt and additives as possible. Even if you may think it is a bit more expensive to keep this kind of goal, the benefits far outweigh the cost. My HEALTH! This is my reward, my shinny star on my report card.
As a result, not only do I save on my groceries by eating more sensibly, I also have saved in my healthcare costs. My doctor bills are way down. My medications are down from 7-10 prescriptions a month down to only 2 (and almost ready to go to only one scrip). I can walk better. My chronic back pain is not a big deal any more. My hypertension is so under control, and my type 2 diabetes is now in remission.
So for those who debate the expenses of fresh healthy foods vs. junk foods, think of this... Healthy foods, healthy body, healthier life and a much happier me.0 -
I've told lots of people that you either spend the money on good food now or on medical bills later.It's a real debate on costs of fresh or whole foods, vs. packaged or convenient foods. My take on this is two fold. Healthy foods, and healthier life. If it's healthy and in a package (i.e. canned fruit packed in its own juice, or fresh frozen skinless chicken breast), that's a great way to get around the expensive issue. Also, I take advantage of every 2 for 1 sale I can. So if I have 10 lbs of chicken in my freezer, that means I probably won't have to buy any the next shopping trip.
Since I am more conscious about my health and have now lost a significant amount of weight, I also watch my portions. I watch how I bring my groceries home and how I immediately store these foods so I can get the biggest bang for my buck. Even though I am single, I buy many things in bulk and freeze in individual serving sizes so I don't have to waste any excess I won't eat right away.
I find I save quite a bit these days. I go to the store only twice a month. I go with a list and don't impulse buy. And I stay away from as much sugar, salt and additives as possible. Even if you may think it is a bit more expensive to keep this kind of goal, the benefits far outweigh the cost. My HEALTH! This is my reward, my shinny star on my report card.
As a result, not only do I save on my groceries by eating more sensibly, I also have saved in my healthcare costs. My doctor bills are way down. My medications are down from 7-10 prescriptions a month down to only 2 (and almost ready to go to only one scrip). I can walk better. My chronic back pain is not a big deal any more. My hypertension is so under control, and my type 2 diabetes is now in remission.
So for those who debate the expenses of fresh healthy foods vs. junk foods, think of this... Healthy foods, healthy body, healthier life and a much happier me.0 -
If you shop what is in season this is helpful. Also you will find that once you stop eating the cheap stuff and start eating the good stuff your appetite will decrease. This is because your blood sugar is not plummaging. Also when your looking a veggies, buy frozen. Not the kind that has seasoning added, because you can do this for yourself with near the cost. Good luck.0
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I just finished reading your healthy food vs junk food. Congratulations! You have lost a wonderful amount of weight and cut back on meds. I am so in agreement with you and love the fact that you are proof that eating healthy is so much better then eating junk.0
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Can of spinach w/added sodium. $.89. Fresh spinach 2.99 for an equivalent amount.
White refined rice $1.49 pound. Whole grain rice (brown is not whole grain) $3.99 pound.
"Fresh" Unfrozen Chicken breast. $5.99 lb. Frozen processed chicken with water and salt added $4/lb.
Lean 90% ground beef is $5.99/lb. Pink 75% ground beef is $3.99.
Low sodium hamd or turkey lunch meat $7.99 a pound!!!! Bologna $3.49/lb.
Running shoes $99. Heart surgery. $133,355.
This is Indiana.0 -
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.
The store I shop at is cheap.
I just got a:
Bag of baby carrots 88 cents
4 Large Vine Tomatoes - 1.10 a lbs
2 cucumbers for $1.00
a head of cauliflower - $1.25
3 heads of broccoli - 1.20 a lbs
a bag of three organic romaine hearts - $1.25
Eggs are fairly cheap aren't they?
Healthy eating is cheaper for me. This will last me a while.
Buy in bulk (not even like Costco, but like where can go scoop and weigh your oats, grains, lentils)
Use coupons
Buy in season
Buy local or use a farmers market or co-op
IMO processed foods cost more. There's been breakdowns of a healthy grocery trip and not, and how long they both last.
There's that whole opinion of only shopping the perimeter of the grocery store. The aisles are full of junk normally.0 -
Buying "good" food can seem quite expensive compared to, say, mac and cheese, but when you think about how many meals you get out of them, it's reasonable.
When I'm not buying healthy food and cooking it, I either eat out or buy packaged frozen meals - both very expensive!
On Biggest Loser last week they had to spend $10 each per day at the grocery store to practice buying healthy food on a budget. That actually seemed a bit high to me. I spend about $100 for a week's groceries for two people. While that seems like a lot at one time, and it's a huge part of my monthly budget, that's a little over $7 per day per person. I eat 6 meals a day, so that ain't bad.
The challenge for me is buying just the right amount so I don't have to make several more trips to the store AND I'm not throwing away spoiled food. I hate to waste it.
I absolutely skimp on non-food items (generic household cleaners, don't go to Starbucks, don't have cable TV, buy clothes at thrift stores, etc.), but I like to get good quality food.
If I had a family of four on my current income, it would be tough no matter what. I'd buy more frozen veggies instead of fresh, more rice and beans, I guess. Good nuts and dried fruit are very pricey, I guess I'd have to skip them. Good pasta sauce with low sugar and low sodium is more expensive than the other kinds, etc. I really sympathize for those on limited incomes with kids.0
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