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But eating right is so expensive...
Replies
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I process folks at the local food pantry and it brings home to me each week how tough some folks have it. Imagine first that you only have a few hundred dollars coming in a month, you are already living in someone's basement or old trailer for the lowest rent you can find, you don't have a car or access to public transportation and your cupboards are bare. You have been looking for work but even the part-time, minimum wage job you had disappeared. In the US, the sequester means your food stamps were just cut to $30 or less a MONTH. These are the people I deal with every Monday afternoon during my volunteer stint.
They don't have many choices and they can only return to our organization once every thirty days. Some of the people I see are young, some old. Some healthy, some sick. I see people with severe handicaps, both physical and mental. Yesterday there was a victim of a drunken driver who had suffered a traumatic brain injury. These are the people that come to the food pantry.
Yesterday, one client said, no, he didn't have trouble with utility bills because he no longer lived somewhere with utilities. He lost his job; he lost the roof over his head. Although some of the people I see are overweight, many are thin, some painfully so. Sometimes they have cancer or degenerative bone disease, worked hard all their lives and have been wiped out by medical expenses. These are the people I see each Monday afternoon.
So, yes, I do believe you can eat very healthily as well as you can eat junk IF you have access to good food at reasonable prices and the knowledge to cook the healthy food. The people I see on Mondays may not have access to a pot to boil beans or the knowledge of how to do it. No one gives them salt and pepper to make the beans palatable. One mentally handicapped gentleman yesterday asked me what he could do with the bag of dry beans someone gave him. I explained how he could cook them in his crock pot like potatoes. He didn't have a stove. He really didn't know and had no one to tell him. He'd had the beans for a year.
So, it isn't easy. How healthy could you eat if your TOTAL income were $700 a month and $30 in food stamps?
That must be sad to see some of the people who are down and out. I used to work at a public Hospital and saw alot of the same. If you suffer a brain injury it is tough to function , and you become a different person. You are a good person to serve the public like that!
but I think the OP was not posting about people who are in that situation, she was making a statement that you have to spend more to eat healthy. I don't agree with that 100%, some of the healthiest foods are not expensive, just .....boring? When they ask the oldest people what they ate to live to 110 it is usually fish and rice, peppers and etc.0 -
First, it's important to define eating healthy because that is different for everyone. I think eating healthy is getting your proper ratio of protein, carbs, fats, vitamins, and minerals while staying around your daily caloric intake needs. I do not define eating healthy as buying organic produce, GMO free meats, whole wheat pasta, no frozen stuff ever, etc. It's not necessary to buy any of that stuff in order to get proper nutrition.Just because you can access healthy foods, doesn't mean everyone can. Lower income areas have less access to healthy foods...It is definitely more expensive to eat fresh fruits and vegetables than processed/junk foods especially if you do not shop at big box stores like WalMart of Costco which I do not.
No one is getting fat or succumbing to health problems by choosing frozen vegetables with a longer shelf life over fresh produce.
Btw, many of the ones that market themselves as local joints are also owned by mega companies.I switched to a plant based diet a month ago, no dairy,eggs, meat, cheese, fish or chicken and thought I'd have lower bills at the grocery store but just the contrary. I was spending about 40-50 a week and the last 4 weeks I've spend over 70-80 each week. Produce is expensive, if you want fresh, In my neck of the woods a small bunch of kale is $4, 3 small sweet potatoes cost me almost $5, a bag of oranges was $6. it adds up pretty fast. But on the other hand I can't put a price on how much better I feel physically & ethically so I'll keep forking out the dough
So again, the only way eating healthy costs more is if you are sticking to TV dinners or you are buying snooty organic products. And the solution to that is A) learn to cook and stop buying overpriced produce. Again, my dinner tonight cost less than half of the average fast-food combo per person and came in at under 650 calories: Sausage and peppers with a side of baked ziti.0 -
Healthy eating on a budget: http://nutritionfacts.org/video/eating-healthy-on-a-budget/0
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Honestly the issue isn't so much affording food...it's having the time to prepare it. As someone who works 60 + hours a week and has other responsibilities outside of work (who doesn't?!) I just don't always have the time to prepare meals which means I often turn to fast food, frozen dinners etc but I have learned how to fit this into a healthy life style0
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I don't know where you guys live, but around here healthy foods are a lot more expensive.0
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OP - I couldn't agree more.
My health and that of my DD is worth more to me now than a toasted cheese sandwich.0 -
I switched to a plant based diet a month ago, no dairy,eggs, meat, cheese, fish or chicken and thought I'd have lower bills at the grocery store but just the contrary. I was spending about 40-50 a week and the last 4 weeks I've spend over 70-80 each week. Produce is expensive, if you want fresh, In my neck of the woods a small bunch of kale is $4, 3 small sweet potatoes cost me almost $5, a bag of oranges was $6. it adds up pretty fast. But on the other hand I can't put a price on how much better I feel physically & ethically so I'll keep forking out the dough
We have really increased our intake of produce for our family of five over the last year. My wife does the budgeting and you are spot on, if you're going to buy produce it's going to cost more. Don't delude yourselves.
We spend more on food, but the cost of not eating well is too high!0 -
Depends on healthy.
Yeah, on a per-pound basis vegetables might not be that expensive. On a per-calorie basis they are. When I ran out of money I wasn't eating much other than homemade baking powder biscuits and dried beans (not exactly the most healthy diet) and occasionally potatoes if they were on sale simply because of how cheap they are.
I'm really happy to be employed now and able to afford things like chicken and vegetables again.0 -
@armadillolabr and others, Thank you! I live in a very small town that has a grocery store and a Wal-Mart. Our Wal-Mart is even VERY limited in "good food". To get to anything other than these 2 places, I have to drive roughly 45 minutes, which doesn't bode well for fresh food in 100 degree heat.
Now, for those saying that eating "healthy" is cheaper than eating not healthy, I give you this: One box of whole wheat pasta which will make MANY meals = $1.29, to which I can add nearly ANYTHING and make a meal for me and my son. Bag of Romaine lettuce - $3, which I need many other things to add to and will also usually go bad within 3 days.
Now, to the one who listed the black beans and blueberries and such. You just TRY serving those to a teenager and watch the look you get. Besides, who in the HELL is going to just eat a pot of black beans. Oh sure, I could but then nobody would want to be near me the next day.
Face it. Cheap food is unhealthy but it lasts and it's easy to work with for a family on a VERY restricted budget. A package of bologna and a loaf of bread will feed us for days, or those horrible little bags of Ramen will last forever, but you take a batch of fresh produce and a package of meat, even if it's on sale or clearance, is going to end up running us around $20 for a meal. Yes, even hamburger where I live is $3.99 a pound or higher.0 -
@armadillolabr and others, Thank you! I live in a very small town that has a grocery store and a Wal-Mart. Our Wal-Mart is even VERY limited in "good food". To get to anything other than these 2 places, I have to drive roughly 45 minutes, which doesn't bode well for fresh food in 100 degree heat.
Now, for those saying that eating "healthy" is cheaper than eating not healthy, I give you this: One box of whole wheat pasta which will make MANY meals = $1.29, to which I can add nearly ANYTHING and make a meal for me and my son. Bag of Romaine lettuce - $3, which I need many other things to add to and will also usually go bad within 3 days.
Now, to the one who listed the black beans and blueberries and such. You just TRY serving those to a teenager and watch the look you get. Besides, who in the HELL is going to just eat a pot of black beans. Oh sure, I could but then nobody would want to be near me the next day.
Face it. Cheap food is unhealthy but it lasts and it's easy to work with for a family on a VERY restricted budget. A package of bologna and a loaf of bread will feed us for days, or those horrible little bags of Ramen will last forever, but you take a batch of fresh produce and a package of meat, even if it's on sale or clearance, is going to end up running us around $20 for a meal. Yes, even hamburger where I live is $3.99 a pound or higher.0 -
First, it's important to define eating healthy because that is different for everyone. I think eating healthy is getting your proper ratio of protein, carbs, fats, vitamins, and minerals while staying around your daily caloric intake needs. I do not define eating healthy as buying organic produce, GMO free meats, whole wheat pasta, no frozen stuff ever, etc. It's not necessary to buy any of that stuff in order to get proper nutrition.Just because you can access healthy foods, doesn't mean everyone can. Lower income areas have less access to healthy foods...It is definitely more expensive to eat fresh fruits and vegetables than processed/junk foods especially if you do not shop at big box stores like WalMart of Costco which I do not.
No one is getting fat or succumbing to health problems by choosing frozen vegetables with a longer shelf life over fresh produce.
Btw, many of the ones that market themselves as local joints are also owned by mega companies.I switched to a plant based diet a month ago, no dairy,eggs, meat, cheese, fish or chicken and thought I'd have lower bills at the grocery store but just the contrary. I was spending about 40-50 a week and the last 4 weeks I've spend over 70-80 each week. Produce is expensive, if you want fresh, In my neck of the woods a small bunch of kale is $4, 3 small sweet potatoes cost me almost $5, a bag of oranges was $6. it adds up pretty fast. But on the other hand I can't put a price on how much better I feel physically & ethically so I'll keep forking out the dough
So again, the only way eating healthy costs more is if you are sticking to TV dinners or you are buying snooty organic products. And the solution to that is A) learn to cook and stop buying overpriced produce. Again, my dinner tonight cost less than half of the average fast-food combo per person and came in at under 650 calories: Sausage and peppers with a side of baked ziti.
I think we should be friends :flowerforyou:0 -
I live in a very small town that has a grocery store and a Wal-Mart. Our Wal-Mart is even VERY limited in "good food".Now, for those saying that eating "healthy" is cheaper than eating not healthy, I give you this: One box of whole wheat pasta which will make MANY meals = $1.29, to which I can add nearly ANYTHING and make a meal for me and my son. Bag of Romaine lettuce - $3, which I need many other things to add to and will also usually go bad within 3 days.
Romaine lettuce has next to no nutritional value. It's just a filler for salads, which are usually topped with very fatty, calorie dense dressings. I would personally recommend anyone who is trying to lose weight to just avoid salads altogether.Now, to the one who listed the black beans and blueberries and such. You just TRY serving those to a teenager and watch the look you get. Besides, who in the HELL is going to just eat a pot of black beans. Oh sure, I could but then nobody would want to be near me the next day.
I don't particularly find a side of beans appetizing, but if that's the veggie of the night then that's what the kid eats. I wouldn't say eating just a can of beans for any meal is healthy, though.Yeah, on a per-pound basis vegetables might not be that expensive. On a per-calorie basis they are.Honestly the issue isn't so much affording food...it's having the time to prepare it. As someone who works 60 + hours a week and has other responsibilities outside of work (who doesn't?!)
Also, one of the things I do is throw a baked potato in the oven, go on a 2-3 mile run, come back and finish cooking the rest of my meal which takes another 10-15 min.0 -
to tell you the truth, its actually cheaper than buying processed foods. I homecook everything and buy vegies and fruits in quantity and freeze them or keep them prepackaged in my fridge. I am saving way more money now while feeding my hubby and me healthier foods. You are so right about the medical benefits as well.0
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Honestly the issue isn't so much affording food...it's having the time to prepare it. As someone who works 60 + hours a week and has other responsibilities outside of work (who doesn't?!) I just don't always have the time to prepare meals which means I often turn to fast food, frozen dinners etc but I have learned how to fit this into a healthy life style
It would actually surprise me if you don't spend more time in a fast food outlet que or waiting for your frozen dinner to heat up.
Healthy meals don't have to be time-consuming to prepare.
I can do a vegan pasta sauce in the time it takes for pasta to cook. (8-11 minutes).
I can do a vegetarian stir-fry in about ten minutes.
And despite the number of people decrying healthy food as expensive - my experience (30+ years) is that they are, on average, cheaper.
kind regards,
Ben0 -
it doesn't have to be.. don't buy into the gimmicks of "fat free" or "sugar free".. you can get can goods of vegies at the dollar store or sav a lot or walmart. Sometimes you get lucky and get them two for a dollar. YOu can start looking at recipe ideas for cheap and easy to make on youtube and facebook. You can keep making little changes every week to your diet and meal plans. IF you buy bigger packages of meats then you will save more money. THen get some freezer bags from the dollar store and separate it. Buy bigger things of ham and slice it yourself. Then make up some packages in baggies and put the extra in the freezer. Grow your own herbs.. seeds aren't that much and you can put them in your window. It is more about planning and catching the sales at the stores than buying into processed foods that automaticly cost you double. Just pay attention to the nutrition info and buy generic when you can. I save so much money now just because we aren't eating out or buying already made stuff. You can do it.0
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hey think about investing in a crockpot.. all you do is throw things in it and it does the work for you. You can even do it at night then turn it on before you leave. Get one that turns off when done cooking then you can come home to yummy food that only needs to be heated up for a few. Food doesn't have to take time. Unlike my mom, who loved to cook, I like to save money and get out of the kitchen as fast as possible. The time it takes to look at these message boards is the time it takes to jot down a meal plan for the week allowing for any obsticles like work or going out, etc. Then you can not be stressed about what you are eating and how long it might take.0
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A lot of people don't know how to cook, therefore they just get the premade things. Which are not healthy.
Eating cheap healthy can be time consuming. Not only do you have to make the food, you have to figure out where to get it. When we were a poor college student family on a single income, I did spend a fair amount of time going from store to store to get the best deals. Some stores where WAY more expensive than others. Where I am Yokes sells walnuts for $12 a pound, while Winco has them for $6. Flour, everything, is way more - and if that was my only store I would probably be eating mostly carbs.
But, with the ability to shop around some, I can get way more bags of groceries than I could at say Whole Foods for the same amount of money. Maybe it is not always organic, or name brand, but it is mostly healthy.
There are some healthy ways of eating that are probably more expensive. Paleo/Primal do put an emphasis on grass fed meat and no grains. THAT is pricey. If I eat store brand meat, yeah, maybe not as good for me, but still pretty healthy until I can afford to do better. (Or have my husband get that elk to put in the freezer.)0 -
I still think that is a bit of a cop out. I have been on all sides of the economy throughout my life and sugared cereals, chips and packaged bars are just as pricey as bulk buy oranges and apples. Turkey is still a good buy and so are bulk items like rice, beans and potatoes. There are a number of options including Aldi stores and coupon strategies. I agree groceries have gone up but I don't buy the argument that you can buy a bunch of junk easier than whole ingredients and food. What I do think is an issue is that many people don't know how to cook from scratch. If they did, costs would be lower.0
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Exactly what I am saying. A 12 pack box of ramen noodles costs like 3.99, or you can buy a can of black beans and a can of diced tomatoes for a buck each at a any dollar store, walmart or savalot or aldi,etc and then get a 99 cent roll of frozen ground turkey. Walah you spent less, added more proten and fiber into your diet and had a vegie and even have left overs. Just saying. It can be done with creativity and trying what works for you.0
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Just because you can access healthy foods, doesn't mean everyone can. Lower income areas have less access to healthy foods...
Not where I live. I apologize if New Zealand doesn't have a walmart on every corner, and judging by what other people are saying, it's not true for them either.
And it's not BS, it's fact. Care for some light reading?
http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/123312/2/gillespie - current.pdf
http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/why-are-low-income-and-food-insecure-people-vulnerable-to-obesity/
http://www.stfm.org/fmhub/fm2010/April/Andrew280.pdf
http://www.foodsystems-integrity.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Making_Healthy_Food_More_Accessible_for_Low-Income_People.28645148.pdf
http://www.foodsystems-integrity.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Making_Healthy_Food_More_Accessible_for_Low-Income_People.28645148.pdf0
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