Why is eating healthy so darn expensive?

OK, one last post from me on this topic--since you say you're near NYC, see if there's an HMart near you. It's a Korean grocery chain that we love for produce, usually good quality and very good prices. They also often have good prices on organic milk and eggs. And there's always some tofu on sale.

We have a farmers market that is 2x more expensive than the stores too.

Yeah, I think farmer's markets are different in the US. The ones in my area are a lot more $$ than the grocery store...


But overall, since trying to eat healthier, we've been saving money - the food bills have gone down, not up.

I live in Auckland, New Zealand and food here is generally expensive partially I think due to the small population. Example: I bought bagged baby spinach for $3.30 the other day, and a bag of broccoli slaw was $3.70 for 450g. Milk is another one - 1ltr will set you back $3. The irony being NZ produces a vast amount of dairy and exports something like 95% of it!

I'm a student and so on a budget, but I still eat healthily. Each week I'll probably spend $40-$50 depending on whether I'm picking up fish/meat with that. My advice would be to eat seasonally where possible, and look for specials in the supermarket. Recently we've had bluff salmon at $22 per kilo, so I stocked up on that. I also buy prawns with the tail still on, uncooked as they're half the price. Eggs are great - they're portion controlled and packed full of good stuff, it's easy and cheap to boil a few eggs and have them with a salad for lunch.

In all, I'd say healthy eating isn't more expensive than processed because you get a lot more for your money. Whereas a single pizza/ready meal might be cheap to buy you invariably end up eating and buying more. Most of the time I'll cook dinner and the leftovers will do for lunch the following day. Potatoes are generally always cheap - a baked potato with filling and salad is a great healthy choice and not too hefty on the purse!

I don't find it that much more expensive to be honest. I'm on a super tight budget right now, but even with buying local meat, and mostly organic veggies, I am coming in at around $100/week for myself, my husband, two preteen boys and a baby.
I make almost everything from scratch. I don't buy food with sauce, mixed ingredients etc. I make my own bread, bagels, pita bread, pasta and buns... I make my own sauces as much as possible (peanut sauce, mayo, bbq, misc marinades) so I know what goes into it. I buy dairy, but I really don't eat a lot of it at all (mostly for cost, but also for fat content - I do have keep it around for my growing boys) but I do get plain yogurt for myself and the baby and I add fruit or make smoothies from it.
I have found the best way to save money and keep the food healthy is to eat vegetarian a few times / week... we seem pretty happy with 3 times, one day fish, the others I serve small meat portions in large veggie dishes (stir fry, curry)... I ramp the protein up in our diets by cooking with broth as much as possible.
Veggies are cheap when you eat local and in season. I love the farm market for this... I can fill my fridge for like $20 and that lasts a week.
Fish I get in frozen portions from Costco, I just find it more manageable and cheaper.
I buy a whole chicken once a week - a nice big one from the farm (around $25) this makes one meat centered dinner, two meat accompanied dinners and about 10 cups of broth.
The bulk of my groceries is the junk my kids eat. I have transitioned them to homemade bagels, somewhat whole wheat (locally grown stoneground wheat if you care - lol) and they don't get granola bars in their lunch anymore (we bake muffins or healthy cookies) but they won't give up breakfast cereal and sweetened flavored yogurt
You need to do what works for you, but with a little effort and organization, it's not *that* bad

Where do you live? I'm in new York. The cost of living is a fortune. I easily spend $800 a month on groceries which does not include diapers, paper towel etc. you don't even wanna know what I spend on rent lol

haha it completely depends where you're from. I spend over 600$/month for my boyfriend and myself. Nothing is cheap where I'm from. Damn Island.

Well, potatoes are dirt cheap..

Trader Joe's girl!

Wait, what? I've saved hundreds of dollars a month since I started eating healthy! I'm literally eating less food, so everything I buy lasts so much longer, and some of the meals I make last for 3-5 meals. I freeze a lot of stuff so it doesn't go bad. I also rarely ever eat out now, which saves a ton, but my grocery spending alone has dropped so much.

I do most of my shopping at Trader Joe's and local fruit & veggie stands. Eat less meat and you'll save tons of money (and your health!). There's no reason to eat a lot of chicken, and red meat is not good for you in any amount. Lentils, beans, quinoa, greek yogurt, eggs, and mountains of veggies.

So irritating. I cannot find even a tiny flaw in what you just said there. May many benefit from your experience.

I actually spent way less money when I started shopping healthy. No idea what you're buying or where you're shopping...

Costco Smart $ Final and local fruit Vegie stands. Know the prices and don't buy high. By low and stock up. Costco has great deals on Frozen Vegie mix. There picked and packed at prime ripe ,so you can't get much healther. I buy Chicken or samon burgers on sale and freeze

I hear ya! I spent $186 at the grocery this weekend.....for just myself! Granted, I bought stuff for the next 2 weeks, but still.......I about died when they tallied it up. But I also bought stuff for 3 meals per day plus snacks....not just dinner. And other stuff like laundry detergent, dish detergent and paper towels. I try not to get too whipped up about it. I AM eating better. And I feel a ton better than when I was eating a boatload of cookies and cakes.

For me the cost of eating healthier has actually balanced out. Where I used to spend $5 on junk food every few days, I now spend $10 on healthy snacks that when portioned right last almost the whole week (ie - crackers, hummus, mini rice chips, fibre 1 granola bars). Plus, now that I'm not eating all the fast food and processed food I find that my food expenses are the same. But, it was not at first. It is an investment. Here is what I did (mind you I'm only shopping for myself):
- Look at the prices for my junk food - and then at veggy's. A cucumber and a chocolate bar cost the same thing, but one lasts longer and is better for me.
- Read healthy recipes books and blogs. This helps me find snacking tips and ways to keep full, not to mention have a blast in the kitchen.
- Patience - once the habits are built in, it gets cheaper. It is an investment at first, but once it is habit it balances out.

Then again, I'm no expert. This is just what has worked for me.

Maybe it seems more expensive because you started eating meat instead of white flour. Meat costs more than wheat. Eating healthily, eating comparable foods, is only more expensive if you aren't cooking.

Sometimes it is, some times it isn't. We purchase all of our meats from a local butcher and its much better for you (all grass fed) and its significantly cheaper. Not to mention I'm all for KEEPING IT LOCAL!

Have you thought about a garden? I know thats seasonal for fresh but we grow tomatoes, corn, green beans, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, zucchini, squash and even raspberries, blueberries & strawberries. Sounds like a lot but its really easy just plant, water and watch it all grow. Then when it starts to roll in you freeze, can or make salsa/spaghetti sauce/stewed tomatoes and so on. Last year we harvested 90 ears of corn, I blanch them and freeze and we enjoy fresh corn on the cob all year long.

How about meal planning? Plan your weekly meals according to sales that offered in your stores. Sure you can coupon, and I use to be BIG time into it. However I won't waste my time with it now, maybe for paper products or diapers but the foods that coupons are offered for are HIGHLY processed and J U N K!!!

One last thing, remember a bundle of bananas is half of the price of a bag of chips. Typically a package of chicken or some filets of fish from the deli are cheaper than frozen entrees. Be mindful of what your putting into your body. "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR"

GOOD LUCK!!

For veggies I'd see if there's a farmers market type setup nearby you since Spring is here. Generally it seems like I spend half as much on fresh veggies there compared to from the grocery store. Plus, most have a section for veggies that are almost ready to go bad that's even cheaper. Buy those up and freeze them yourself. During the winter months I go with frozen veggies from the grocery store, particularly Birds Eye brand which seem to be slightly better in my opinion.

As far as fish is concern, Wal-mart has super cheap frozen fish. WAY cheaper than buying fresh. My personal favorite is Swai. Big planks with low calories!

I rarely use coupons anymore since they don't make many for healthy products. I have found that if I go grocery shopping early in the morning I have a better chance of finding meats on sale. Also, I buy the bigger pkgs since they are cheaper by the lb and I break them up into smaller amts when I get home and freeze them. Try to competitor shop. It takes more time, but Walmart is not the only place that does it now. Shop places like Aldi and Save-A-Lot. Not all of their products are great, but a good bit of them are. Don't get discouraged. There are ways to get around the high prices, but you have to take the time to do so.