Eating healthy is expensive...

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TeachTheGirl
TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
in Food and Nutrition
...or so they say.

I remember saying this to myself as an EXCUSE for why I should eat a dollar menu cheeseburger instead of something that would be better for me. I lied. I realized today while cooking dinner for my family...I know why I don't want to eat healthier...

...because it would be a drain on my TIME. As I washed and peeled vegetables and then parboiled and then baked them...everything seemed to take forever. But I knew the end result would be worth it. I looked back on some of the times I tried to justify getting fast food instead of making something nutritious for my family and there was only one reason why I would do that - because I was LAZY.

Learning to be a better me is learning when to put aside whatever crap is going on and actually make time to make a good meal for me and my family. My pocketbook doesn't mind the expense, my 'personal time' can suck it up and my diet can feel SO much better about the choices I'm making.
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Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,049 Member
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    Yay. You're right. And just think, you burned a couple calories peeling and dicing and cooking and washing up.

    I can eat homemade meals for $5 a day. So much tastier and better for me.

    Good job!!
  • Queen_JessieA
    Queen_JessieA Posts: 1,059 Member
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    It certainly CAN be expensive. I shopped just for a salad the other night and it was $21! For a salad for my family! Of course, it was a main meal but it got pricey!

    But well worth it :)
  • leighann881
    leighann881 Posts: 371
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    Making Sunday a prep day has been a huge help for me. I plan out dinner and slice and dice all my veggies and bag them. So really... it's not so time-consuming.

    You're right. Eating right is about making the effort. I personally know that I don't have the will power to put together a whole foods dinner from scratch after work... so I plan and plan and usually I end up only standing at the stove for 10 minutes and then VOILA dinner!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I save a lot of time by eating healthy at Taco Bell, Subway, and McDonald's quite often ;)
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
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    Yup. You have the REAL reason nailed. Thank you for saying it. Shopping, preparing, cooking takes time away from the couch and TV.
  • dianatogo
    dianatogo Posts: 37
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    I have to remind myself the true cost of "cheap, fast" food. Kind of that "junk in, junk out" attitude. The right fuel might cost a bit more and take some planning, but isn't it worth it?
  • vlmay1955
    vlmay1955 Posts: 100 Member
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    You need to check out some cookbooks like Sparkpeople and Cook This, Not That. They specialize in fast and easy meals. Cooking Light also has a fast meals cookbook. It doesn't have to take along time to eat healthy!
  • leighann881
    leighann881 Posts: 371
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    I wasted a lot of money at first when I started changin ghow we ate because I shopped like I did before... threw a bunch of stuff in my cart with no plan. Now I shop once a week for specific meals. Before I was tossing out money from fresh foods that had spoiled.

    21 dollars for a salad??? What did you put in it??? Pine nuts can be expensive but they last me a whole month usually.
  • foraubs
    foraubs Posts: 263 Member
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    Know what else are expensive? Funerals.
    Healthy eating all the way!
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,804 Member
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    Honestly the food costs more but here is the difference, I have stopped eatting out at resturants, thus saving money in the long run. as for prep time, we make large meals on the weekends and then eat on the leftovers all week.
  • crazybookworm
    crazybookworm Posts: 779 Member
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    I take full advantage of my Farmer's Market. I go every other Saturday and spend no more than $50. That gets me 4 tubs up unsalted nuts(almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, dried cranberry) Butternut and acorn squash. 5 tubs of Strawberries($5 for 5) 4 tubs of Blackberries, 4 tubs of blueberries, Spinach, field greens, sweet potatoes, melons, kiwi, lemons, apples, bananas(.29 cents a pound) carrots, brocolli, cauliflower, oats, granola, grapes...The list goes on, and I have yet to go over $50!
  • Queen_JessieA
    Queen_JessieA Posts: 1,059 Member
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    I wasted a lot of money at first when I started changin ghow we ate because I shopped like I did before... threw a bunch of stuff in my cart with no plan. Now I shop once a week for specific meals. Before I was tossing out money from fresh foods that had spoiled.

    21 dollars for a salad??? What did you put in it??? Pine nuts can be expensive but they last me a whole month usually.

    Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, boiled eggs (tho, those were free courtesy of my Mama's free range chickens), grilled chicken breast, mushrooms, blue cheese, turkey bacon....that was about it!

    Unfortunately, I don't buy a whole lot of nuts. My youngest is deathly allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. I will buy a container every now and then and eat some while he is at school, but the smell sets him off, so we avoid it while he is at home!
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
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    yup, and when i really don't feel like preparing food, and start considering what I can get that's fast and easy, I remind myself that I am worth the time, and I waste more time than that every day doing much less important things.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    I save a lot of money eating healthy foods because I get fuller faster eating lean proteins and fresh veggies/fruits...meaning I tend to eat less volume of food and what I buy lasts longer, or I just end up buying less. I can devour frozen pizzas and such in one sitting, but can't eat as much healthy food. Also, as someone else mentioned earlier, I don't go out to eat nearly as much which saves a lot of money as well. So does not spending money on drinks. Water from my faucet is free, lol.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,049 Member
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    I wasted a lot of money at first when I started changin ghow we ate because I shopped like I did before... threw a bunch of stuff in my cart with no plan. Now I shop once a week for specific meals. Before I was tossing out money from fresh foods that had spoiled.

    21 dollars for a salad??? What did you put in it??? Pine nuts can be expensive but they last me a whole month usually.

    Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, boiled eggs (tho, those were free courtesy of my Mama's free range chickens), grilled chicken breast, mushrooms, blue cheese, turkey bacon....that was about it!

    But you didn't use it all on one meal. And the salad fed several people, even if you used 1/3 of that stuff. So, spread out the cost over the actual number of meals.
  • Queen_JessieA
    Queen_JessieA Posts: 1,059 Member
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    I wasted a lot of money at first when I started changin ghow we ate because I shopped like I did before... threw a bunch of stuff in my cart with no plan. Now I shop once a week for specific meals. Before I was tossing out money from fresh foods that had spoiled.

    21 dollars for a salad??? What did you put in it??? Pine nuts can be expensive but they last me a whole month usually.

    Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, boiled eggs (tho, those were free courtesy of my Mama's free range chickens), grilled chicken breast, mushrooms, blue cheese, turkey bacon....that was about it!

    But you didn't use it all on one meal. And the salad fed several people, even if you used 1/3 of that stuff. So, spread out the cost over the actual number of meals.

    Actually, that was for one meal. It was our main :) It fed my family of 5. Yes, cheaper than eating out. Not my cheapest meal on eating at home, tho. Not complaining. It was great!! But it was pricey. So, yes, it can be expensive eating healthily at home :) The only thing we didn't eat all of was the turkey bacon. And that was only because I didn't cook it all.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    Calorie for calorie, even without taking into account preparation time, it is more expensive to eat healthy. But oh well, at least I don't feel all fat and awful and half dead anymore. Totally worth it.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    A dollar cheeseburger is usually less than a quarter pound, so let's do the math for 2 oz. this also assumes that a dollar burger only has ketchup, no veggies.

    1 lb. turkey burger @ 2.98/lb = .37 for 2 oz.
    2.50 per pack of sandwich thins = .31 each

    That is .68, leaving you .22, plus local tax, to dress your burger.
  • judydelo1
    judydelo1 Posts: 281 Member
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    One way to help defray the cost of organic produce, chicken, eggs is to grow it yourself. We have 2 acres which gives us enough room for several gardens, a greenhouse, henhouse, many fruit trees, and 200+ berry bushes. You don't have to be this ambitious, but if you start growing at least part of what you eat you will save money. I know this adds to the amount of labor it takes to prepare meals . . . but it is very satisfying and there is nothing like home grown veggies, etc.
  • macphisto23
    macphisto23 Posts: 3 Member
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    I take full advantage of my Farmer's Market. I go every other Saturday and spend no more than $50. That gets me 4 tubs up unsalted nuts(almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, dried cranberry) Butternut and acorn squash. 5 tubs of Strawberries($5 for 5) 4 tubs of Blackberries, 4 tubs of blueberries, Spinach, field greens, sweet potatoes, melons, kiwi, lemons, apples, bananas(.29 cents a pound) carrots, brocolli, cauliflower, oats, granola, grapes...The list goes on, and I have yet to go over $50!

    Where is this farmers market??!! Nuts are insanely expensive where I live($8 lb) - as are blueberries and blackberries

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