STOP saying healthy food is more expensive

What the OP has failed to account for is that prices on food, particularly produce, dairy, and some meats/seafood, can vary wildly in different locations. Processed packaged foods tend not to vary quite as much.

This.

So op, I take it you have researched food cost in different parts of the world (or maybe just the US)? If you haven't then this post was pointless. NOT EVERYBODY LIVES WHERE YOU LIVE! Why is that so hard for people to understand. In my area there is a big difference in the cost of fresh veggies compared to processed foods and no it is NOT cheaper.

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.

You are incredibly self-righteous, OP--for all of the reasons the pages of responses your post has garnered.

Grow a garden? Do you know how many of us live in apartments with no yard?

Do you know how many people on MFP may not even drive or have the option to shop at a produce stand or a farmer's market (or perhaps have never seen one in their lives)?

What about people with families? For all I know, you and your husband may be my parents' age and if you're like them, they eat half as much in their old age as they used to.

Honestly, your entire attitude and tone reeks of condescension and smugness. Bully for you if you can get veggies and fresh foods cheap. Brag about what a great shopper you are if you must, but don't lecture the rest of us on what we do to get by.

I hope the 8 pages of responses to your clueless attitude about what life is like for the rest of us gets the point across.

ADDENDUM: I just looked at your profile page. You are 23 years old. I wouldn't have wasted this much ink if I knew that you were so young and so inexperienced with life.

Thank you!! I hate hearing that argument. I can pull out my receipts from recently and a year ago and show them the difference! Yes, organics and naturals are often more expensive than the regulars, but fresh produce and real food are WAY cheaper than the processed crap... *sigh*

EVERYBODY DOESN'T LIVE WHERE YOU LIVE! Venture out of you little world sometime, you might learn something about how life is for other people. Or you can can stay up there on your high horse with the OP.

My food bill is a lot higher than it used to be, especially because I am trying to eat organic wherever possible. So for me, the higher price tag is truth. It is worth the investment in my health to me though.

I'm not buying organic apples or $30 steaks. I'm making healthy choices of bags of apples and babies carrots over $4.00 bags of chips and cheese whiz. There are plenty of ways to have produce during the entire year by canning/freezing while the items are in season. I am just tired of people's excuses on why they make unhealthy choices.

OP, who says that you have to pay any attention to other people's choices? Just pay attention to your own, how about?

When you eat the way you should as an adult, you don't need to eat a HUGE amount... I'm not talking about growing teens or families. I'm just saying that the normal suburb living young adult with potentially a spouse could afford to not eat chips and soda pop and instead eat a much more sustainable diet... a dinner for 2 adults at mcdonalds can be over $15... I can make 3 dinners with $15 that are delicious and nutritious. So sorry that ya'll would rather feed yourselves microwave dinners and juice boxes.

Wow, OP. You are really something. Oh that's right. You're a 23 year old know-it-all.

So sorry that ya'll would rather feed yourselves microwave dinners and juice boxes.

You can keep your self-righteous fake apology. We are not amused.

For the inner-city crowd, we have whats called "food deserts," where produce is hard to find that isn't wilted and usually costs way more than in the suburbs. We purposely drive to the suburbs to shop, but most people downtown certainly cannot afford to do that, especially if they are on WIC or something that encourages buying "processed" and calorie-dense foods.

Plus, $30? Unless I'm living off carrots, I don't see how that's possible anywhere.

I feel like it's more expensive at the time but it goes a long way. We bought some fruit at costco yesterday which cost a little more but the quality is better, and we were able to freeze like 75% of everything meaning it's going to last a lot longer so the next two grocery trips should be a little cheaper but granted probably not a lot cheaper cuz that's just how life works haha. That's my opinion anyway. I also try to base our weekly meals off of whats on sale and what we have left in the cupboards. It works for about a month then we're out of almost everything and have to bulk shop again. I think there are win and lose items especially because they come in so many different verieties like organic vs. not and like regular rice vs. instant rice. You've just gotta be able to spent a little more time finding deals and preparing meals.

For those who say healthy food is too expensive; is it more expensive then the doctor? Because you will spend more time being sick and at the doctor (and missing work/kids missing school) if you eat unhealthy then if you pay up front for healthy and eat better.

But ultimately it is your decision to make. We choose healthy up front and skip on doctors.

Ha miss work? Because I am sick lol. That would be awsome!

For those who say healthy food is too expensive; is it more expensive then the doctor? Because you will spend more time being sick and at the doctor (and missing work/kids missing school) if you eat unhealthy then if you pay up front for healthy and eat better.

But ultimately it is your decision to make. We choose healthy up front and skip on doctors.

No one said too expensive, just more expensive. I drop 100+ a WEEK to feed my husband and I (more when we stock up on meat for the month), and I do it with minimal grumbling but it is NOT less expensive than the way we used to eat.

I thought my poor man was gonna cry the first week we switch up our eating habits. It was a 20-30 dollar increase, easy. We do it, it is what it is, no one is saying its not worth it. But its more expensive.

I live in an agriculture state, so I agree (in this area) with the OP. It's way cheaper/more cost effective for me to buy healthy whole ingredients (produce, flour, butter, eggs) than to buy prepackaged meals. I've found, in my area, that the processed/prepackaged foods are a resource drain and I avoid them as a whole. I also shop 'smart,' so to speak. I shop the sales, I patronize the store that gives me an extra discount for being a college student, I stock up on things when they're cheap for future use. But I also have a reasonable budget for food, currently which helps.

HOWEVER...

I've been on the other side of the fence too. I lived in a non-agriculture state with VERY high cost of living. I had little to no money for food, I was single and pretty well ineligible for social assistance and I had no car to shop in the cheaper areas. I could only afford ramen and tuna fish. The occasional splurge on a hamburger was a once a month occurrence. So yes, eating healthier in that situation would have been much more expensive. But, I didn't wail about 'eating healthy' being expensive, my issue was that living AT ALL in that area was too expensive. If I had had cheaper rent, lower utilities, and freedom to shop around... eating healthy would have been feasible but certainly not less expensive than eating ramen every day.

The key to healthy eating is looking objectively at what challenges you face. That's not just cravings and habit, but funds, logistics and knowledge. You have to make the best of your situation... you have to learn to cook different recipes and understand the fundamentals of cooking so that you can improvise. You have to cut out potato chips and ice creams and anything else extraneous. If you have the ability to grow a garden, grow one. If you don't, grow some herbs in your windowsill... when I was on the ramen diet I would boil the noodles and add my own herbs... it was better for me than the packet it came with. There are always options (even on a ramen diet), you just have to be willing to look for them... and it's not always going to be easy.

not only is healthy food expensive but breakfast is the most important meal of the day

I love how some believe that everyone in the world drives or has access to farmer's markets.

I live in Montreal. I don't drive as my vision doesn't allow it. I went grocery shopping this weekend. It took me 4.5 hours round trip. I had to go to two places to get everything on my list. It cost me just over 100$ for ingredients for lunches and 16 dinner portions. I cook my own dinners for the most part.

There are two farmer's markets. It would take me as long to get to them. Forget about actual farms for me.

This is reality for many people and so I can understand. Thank god you don't need to eat only whole food to lose weight!

but you have to think about more than just weight loss. diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and other more or less severe chronic illnesses are directly linked to super processed junk. i wonder if heart disease is more or less expensive than a bag of apples?

Did we ever get the actual grocery list (what was purchased) for $30?

I'm pretty confident I could make 28000 calories with a decent macro mix, low degree of pre-processing, and vegetables for that amount. As in, meals that most would consider "healthy". But not how the OP is doing it.

I love how some believe that everyone in the world drives or has access to farmer's markets.

I live in Montreal. I don't drive as my vision doesn't allow it. I went grocery shopping this weekend. It took me 4.5 hours round trip. I had to go to two places to get everything on my list. It cost me just over 100$ for ingredients for lunches and 16 dinner portions. I cook my own dinners for the most part.

There are two farmer's markets. It would take me as long to get to them. Forget about actual farms for me.

This is reality for many people and so I can understand. Thank god you don't need to eat only whole food to lose weight!

but you have to think about more than just weight loss. diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and other more or less severe chronic illnesses are directly linked to super processed junk. i wonder if heart disease is more or less expensive than a bag of apples?

And what you don't seem to realize it sometimes those considerations are luxuries people can't afford -- they're just trying to get through the week with a place to live and food -- any food -- to eat. On one hand it's great that so many people don't seem to have a freakin' clue about where some of us are coming from but on the other it's pretty infuriating to read posts like this.

have you looked in to wellfare? seriously not a joke. access to food is a basic human right, and if you are literally starving because you cant afford to go to the grocery store, then you probably qualify for food assistance and should take advantage of it. i work for people w/ these issues. i can serve a meal for $2.13 that is completely from scratch and full of nutritous fruits and veggies. the people im talking about arent living on the streets starving to death (if they were starving to death i doubt they would be on a website dedicated to helping people lose weight). the people im talking about are eating mcdonalds instead of a more nutritious alternative arguing that they are only doing it because it's cheaper, which is not true in the short or long run. im saying that people who complain that nutritious food is more expensive are just making excuses and rationalizing their poor choices.