STOP saying healthy food is more expensive

I honestly just bought $30 worth of fresh veggies, whole grain bread, meats, milk and cheese. I know it will last my hubby and I at least an entire week....

I calculated how much it would cost to get mac and cheese and chips and soda and crappy foods, I could get about the same amount of food, but a bag of chips goes so fast and it's not filling and makes you feel uber icky. I know that if I bought $30 of junk food, fast food, quick meals - I would not be able to sustain more than a few days between two people.


So, please stop with the excuses that eating healthy is too expensive. Grow a garden, pack some carrots, stay up an extra 10 mins to prepare a meal for the next day. Jeepers Creepers, quit complaining and research what groceries you have locally and what seasons good food comes in season/what freezes for winter when fruits and veggies go up in price.

Depends on how you compare it. Calorie for calorie, I guarantee you that "junk food" as you have labeled it, is cheaper than "healthy food". Also, when comparing equal foods, such as a regular apple, to an organic apple, the organic food is always more expensive.

Op says she bought $30 worth of fresh veggies...not all on the list for $30...ah well OH and from what I am reading, OP did not say she is comparing organic to fresh, cause guess what...fresh is not always organic and you pay! pay! pay! for the organic label.
I agree too that fresh, home grown is good but fresh from the grocery store, farmers market etc...is just as good if that is all you have available to you. I personally have found as well it is way cheaper than canned and pre processed foods and hey if you are handy and have the time, you too can and freeze your own veggies and fruit. I do eat both fresh and processed but really watch what I eat that is canned or processed and try so hard to eat mostly local but as I am in Alberta Canada, in winter it is harder to get fresh local veggies but we have to do what we have to do....fresh, no matter what you say is cheaper than junk food for you, your health and your wallet most times but mostly it is so much better for your healthy weight!!!

It can be more expensive depending on what you're comparing it to. I used to feed my teen boys and I those $3 all in one boxed dinners. I can't make a healthy meal for 3 people for $3. I'm glad that your grocery bill hasn't gone up but don't assume everyone shopped the same way as you.

You can't? Rice, beans & scrambled eggs for 3 people would be less than $3.00 if you're buying your beans and rice in bulk (and probably healthier than some sodium laden packaged stuff)

$30 for 2 people for a week?! Where do you live?! I spend around $50 on produce every week for my family of 4. $60 on protein, and then you have to add in the dairy and bread items. I buy only items that are on sale (except bananas - they never go on sale!) & use coupons when I can find them, and I still spend around $150/week for 2 adults and 2 small kids. Definitely would be cheaper to live on chicken patties & Kraft mac & cheese.

Agree! I also try and find the sales, but you know what? Produce is expensive where I live, organic or not. I can get 2 meals out of box mac and cheese for $1. A pint of blueberries is $3, and I go through that in 2 days. Guess you live in the cheap part of town OP.

I honestly just bought $30 worth of fresh veggies, whole grain bread, meats, milk and cheese. I know it will last my hubby and I at least an entire week....

Congrats, I have 3 growing kids. They'd eat through that about 2 hours.

Around here, fresh meat and produce is quite expensive. While fresh food is more expensive than the cheapest crap, but it's also more expensive than a lot of midrange stuff.

Basically, we've cut back on a LOT of carbs, which means it's now filled with fresh protein and produce. Carbs are very cheap. Thus, it costs a lot more.

Ever notice there are a TON of coupons for cereal, chips, cookies, boxed pasta/potato meals but NO coupons for fresh meats, fruits/veggies or dairy. This is why eating healthy costs more. You cant get discounts on these items.

Reasonable Quality Steak: $26.99 a pound
Potato Chips: $3.99 a bag

Just sayin!

Amen!!

Buy the whole filet at Costco and you're eating filet mignon at $12.50 a lb......

$30 for 2 people for a week?! Where do you live?! I spend around $50 on produce every week for my family of 4. $60 on protein, and then you have to add in the dairy and bread items. I buy only items that are on sale (except bananas - they never go on sale!) & use coupons when I can find them, and I still spend around $150/week for 2 adults and 2 small kids. Definitely would be cheaper to live on chicken patties & Kraft mac & cheese.

Touche.

I was amazed how much cheaper is was for me to make some of my own food from scratch, instead of buying it already made (i.e. processed). For example:

1.) I save $350/year on chili AND I get to make it to taste. It did mean investing in a canner (pressure cooker) so that I wasn't always cooking.
2.) The ingredients in my whole wheat honey bread (yep.....know that honey is as bad as sugar relative to glycemic index) cost me about $0.45 per loaf. The same loaf of great bread in the store would cost me upwards of $3 to $4.

There will be those who are willing to pay through the nose for "convenience". Processed, ready to eat (micro it maybe) food is often not as healthy.

No pain (work), no gain ($ & health).

Do you take personal responsibility.....or do you let a food processor (food company) decide for you?

$30 for 2 people for a week?! Where do you live?! I spend around $50 on produce every week for my family of 4. $60 on protein, and then you have to add in the dairy and bread items. I buy only items that are on sale (except bananas - they never go on sale!) & use coupons when I can find them, and I still spend around $150/week for 2 adults and 2 small kids. Definitely would be cheaper to live on chicken patties & Kraft mac & cheese.

Agreed. Even when stuff is in season, our grocery bill for 2 adults and one hungry 3 year old every two to three weeks is $150-200 with most of it being produce, meats, cheeses, LOTS of eggs, and some form of bread (pitas, bread loaf, tortillas, etc). It is cheaper to buy processed foods in almost all cases. Farmers markets help lots, but they don't have everything we need. We are lucky enough to be able to (barely) afford good quality food :happy: .Delaware is a big produce state and it is still pricey. :ohwell:

talk about a stinky house giving 3 boys beans and eggs repeatedly. :laugh:

It isn't cheaper. Periodically you can find good deals, but overall it isn't cheaper. And gardens OMG have you ever planted a garden. Soil, fertilizer, seeds, super expensive. And that is if something even grows.

When you are feeding HUNGRY BOYS you come back with the whole veggies and rice and let me know how that goes. :laugh: Because they will eat all of it and then ask for more and junk food. They are never ending eating machines.


Let me add: If I was only feeding myself and my husband it might be doable. But it isn't cheap for a family, you can't afford to buy seperate foods for each individual. People shouldn't use it as an excuse, no matter how valid it may be. You can portion control yourself to weight loss with junk food as well. And you can incorporate healthy foods when they are at a managable price.
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