Why aren't healthier foods priced lower than junk foods?

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  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
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    #1 thing is to not buy pre-packed fruit and vegetables. So if that means going to the supermarket and weighing out loose fruit and veg, do so. You're then not paying for the price of packaging, the fact that it's pre-prepared, washed etc.

    If you possibly can, greengrocers, farmers markets, or travelling markets are fabulous and invariably cheaper.
    Same with butchers and fishmongers.

    Just make sure you ask about the quality of your product, and try to buy things that are seasonal - http://eatseasonably.co.uk/what-to-eat-now/calendar/

    I also make a food diary - or nutrition plan - in advance, and buy things that correlate and stretch out. Unfortunately I only have supermarkets in my area, so planning like this is necessary to avoid waste and to stick to a budget. I cook for two and spend about £50 a week on food, this way.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
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    I don't try to save money on food. I eat what I like so I can adhere to my goals better. Now I might drive an extra forty miles to save 2 cents on a gallon of gas in my Excursion. Hmmm I guess my answer to why would be I dunno.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
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    Let's see I have my receipt from this weekend's shopping nothing real expensive there.

    3 whole chickens - $15 I roast them all on Sunday and now it's quick and easy for stir fry or sandwiches.
    5 lb bag of potatoes - $3
    Lettuce $ 1
    Rice - $ 3
    Mango - $1
    Bananas I eat a lot of bananas so $ 3
    Peanut Butter $ 2
    Ice cream this is where I spent more $ 5
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    Now I do believe that we are all able to chose what to buy, but if a mother is surrounded by her children asking for this sort of food it must be very difficult to keep saying no all the time. I do see some offers on fresh veg, fruit and meat but I can understand why someone who is struggling with money to resort to those things I mentioned earlier which may last at least 3 or 4 meals, instead of buying fresh chicken etc just for one meal. Even on special offers it can cost around £5 for 3 chicken breasts.....and all the time we're being told not to buy battery chicken etc but organic/free range is so expensive. I do buy organic as I can afford to, but there was a time when I was that mother having to provide hot meals on very little income. Do I spend less than £5 on main meals or at least double that....whilst having to pay out for everything else that children need. Some people don't have that luxury to choose.
    If I was a parent that cared about my kids health, that would make it even EASIER to say no.
    Perhaps that's why I'm not a parent :).
    Chicken breast is the most sort of after part of the chicken, of course it's going to be expensive.
    If you're on low carb/high fat, then why go for meat that is expensive because it is LOW fat anyway?
    Lots more options if you don't want lean cuts.
    Or you can generally get lean cuts of turkey or pork pretty cheaply anyway.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    Free market economy.

    Darn those businesses that want to make money so they can support themselves and pay their employees, and also the government that supports that initiative!!

    BTW, I don't know about the UK, but in the US, but as retail places go, grocery stores don't have a huge profit margin. (Relatively speaking)
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    Have you noticed that most buy one get one free and special offers are on junk food and high in fats and sugar? We have an obesity problem in this country and the supermarkets and government are not helping the situation. Food is an addiction just like smoking and drinking, yet the amount of help available is nil in comparison. I've just started getting together with other people who need to lose weight. If the government are not going to support us then people need to get into small self help groups and support each other. I'm not prepared to pay the high prices of weight watchers and slimming world just to weigh in and talk about food when we can do that for nothing. Get like minded people together near you. I only mentioned it last Monday in our area and we have 9 already signed up to meet weekly and we have a FaceBook page called Ibs for £'s. Some of us are raising money for charities by getting sponsors too to give more incentive to slimming. Start a support group near you and write letters to the supermarkets and government asking for them to help the obesity issues that are draining the NHS in the country. Together we can make a difference.

    Some interesting points raised here.

    "Have you noticed that most buy one get one free and special offers are on junk food and high in fats and sugar?"

    Not necessarily. I frequently see offers on fruit and veg. Also, if you go to a local street market, fruit and veg can be MUCH cheaper. Compare the £2 punnet of strawberries I just saw in Tesco to the 90p punnet down the market. Ok the 90p punnet was a bit smaller, but the amount I would get in 2 punnets for £1.80 would trounce the Tesco £2 offering.

    Also, food is a lot cheaper if you make it yourself. If you buy products which are ready made and designed to be healthy, manufacturers always put on what I call the 'health' tax. For example, on a documentary I watched last year, Weightwatchers products were compared against regularly branded alternatives. Crisps by WW contained no more nutrional value than other brands such as Walkers - they just came in a smaller packet, disguised under their nonsense Propoints scheme so they look healthier.

    "Food is an addiction just like smoking and drinking, yet the amount of help available is nil in comparison"
    Government has spent millions on schemes such as Weightwatchers (I hate WW so think this is a scandal). Smoking and drinking has been grossly taxed. Food hasnt. In fact, it has only been considered on fatty and sugary foods that tax should apply.

    "Start a support group near you and write letters to the supermarkets and government asking for them to help the obesity issues that are draining the NHS"
    Supermarkets have dramatically reduced salt in their products over the last decade or so. Furthermore, the labelling required regarding nutritional information has been made to increase.

    Regarding the NHS, I would go to the extent that medical help such as bariatric surgery should be taken away for the sake of being obese. This is like giving a liver to an alcoholic, when resources are limited, with no guarantee that it would actually work.

    Calling food an addiction is a get out clause. A lot of obesity complaints are driven by sentimental reasons, and why I accept that for example, bereavement, can understandably lead people to going off the rails, the way to lose weight and defeat obesity is to be tough with ones self. If you put on the weight, it is up to you to lose it. No amount of sob stories will ever work without productive action, however difficult a task losing weight is.
  • sunseeker100
    sunseeker100 Posts: 90 Member
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    wow this is an emotive issue :P
  • sunseeker100
    sunseeker100 Posts: 90 Member
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    Now I do believe that we are all able to chose what to buy, but if a mother is surrounded by her children asking for this sort of food it must be very difficult to keep saying no all the time. I do see some offers on fresh veg, fruit and meat but I can understand why someone who is struggling with money to resort to those things I mentioned earlier which may last at least 3 or 4 meals, instead of buying fresh chicken etc just for one meal. Even on special offers it can cost around £5 for 3 chicken breasts.....and all the time we're being told not to buy battery chicken etc but organic/free range is so expensive. I do buy organic as I can afford to, but there was a time when I was that mother having to provide hot meals on very little income. Do I spend less than £5 on main meals or at least double that....whilst having to pay out for everything else that children need. Some people don't have that luxury to choose.
    If I was a parent that cared about my kids health, that would make it even EASIER to say no.
    Perhaps that's why I'm not a parent :).
    Chicken breast is the most sort of after part of the chicken, of course it's going to be expensive.
    If you're on low carb/high fat, then why go for meat that is expensive because it is LOW fat anyway?
    Lots more options if you don't want lean cuts.
    Or you can generally get lean cuts of turkey or pork pretty cheaply anyway.

    Agreed on the chicken breast, I don't eat it now, but still know how much it costs.
  • SamanthaD1218
    SamanthaD1218 Posts: 304 Member
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    Not this one again. If you shop around prepare you own food avoid things like ready meals eating healthier foods is no more expensive. It just takes people to actually cook their own food and no cooking your own healthy meals doesn't tajke an age just google and there are plenty of cheap quick healthy meals that can be done. The problem though is people want the work done for them.

    Exactly! Since I started bringing my own meals to work and not buying junk or fast food, I have saved SO MUCH MONEY! Example - this Sunday I made a big batch of brown rice and black beans to bring in for lunch to eat with spinach. The brown rice was about $2.00 for a two pound bag. Two cans of black beans was $2.50. The bag of spinach was about $3.50. So the total comes out to $8.00, which provides five days of healthy lunches. That's $1.60 a day - think you can find something nearly as satisfying in the junk food aisle for that much? And those are grocery store prices - go to a farmer's market or a smaller store and you'll find even better prices.
  • SashleyA
    SashleyA Posts: 122 Member
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    Ummm what? LOL

    You need to buy from a growers market and then you will understand how cheap it is to eat real fresh food.
    I think the issue is the people eating garbage like maccas think its a cheap quick fix compared to eating a healthy premade fresh meal but it's actually cheaper to go and get your own food and make it.

    I use to make the excuse all the time.. "Oh but rich people can afford to be fit" It's a load of poop. I have a jar of all the money i have saved eating healthier and i have enough to buy a semi pro camera and a holiday which i'm doing in march. People really need to get off their behinds and look for cheap deals, cook their own foods, and start going to places which sell these cheaper food and buy in bulk. You can also lose weight eating unhealthy foods...Cals in and out. I lost my first 20lbs eating mei goreng.

    It really isnt that much more expensive to buy and cook and eat healthy. The priceyness comes from organic and conflict free foods. I buy those items day old and on clearence. Durring the summer I can get fresh veggies right from the farm stands. Think about spending 10 - 15 bucks at McDonalds for two people then take that money to the groceries store and you can double the food you get and it will be much better quality and healthier.

    A bag of chips costs 3 - 5 dollars. I can get a five pound bag of potatoes for that price and make my own chips that will be lesser in calories, preservative free, and tastier!

    Yup, this. When I was broke in college, I could live off of about $40 a month in food if I didn't eat out by buying bulk lentils, beans, rice, and frozen veggies for the basis for a bulk of my meals (for the record, I lived in one of those midwest rust belt towns, so things were REALLY cheap). It's all about preparation.
  • TheCredibleHuIk
    TheCredibleHuIk Posts: 26 Member
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    Ridiculous topic.

    Sugar and High fat foods are not why we have an obesity problem.

    We have an obesity problem because you don't know when enough is enough.
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
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    Lidls veg is often British, too (presumably because it is 'budget' and it costs less than importing it). They also do a better job than the big supermarkets in offering British meats.
  • Papillon22
    Papillon22 Posts: 1,160 Member
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    I wouldn't completely disregard what the OP is saying. After all, living in an environment that doesn't support healthy living does have an impact on people. If not, how come in places considered to be food deserts (poor neighborhoods with only corner stores like 7eleven) obesity rates are higher? A lot more could be done in this regard. Good job, OP, on doing something about it.
  • TheCredibleHuIk
    TheCredibleHuIk Posts: 26 Member
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    I wouldn't completely disregard what the OP is saying. After all, living in an environment that doesn't support healthy living does have an impact on people. If not, how come in places considered to be food deserts (poor neighborhoods with only corner stores like 7eleven) obesity rates are higher? A lot more could be done in this regard. Good job, OP, on doing something about it.

    I could eat foods only from a 7eleven and not gain weight, what is your point? Your ignorance astounds me.
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
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    Eh, better ingredients cost more = higher price.
    If I'm buying packaged foods I don't buy things with fake colors or flavors which are cheaper to produce, so since I buy things with more expensive ingredient the end cost is higher.
    I used to be a Formulation Chemist for Personal Care Products and I ran into this all the time from companies.
    "Make me a lotion" I make the lotion. "Great, we LOVE the lotion, now make it cheaper but make it feel the same way". So I would have to replace all the nice good things in it for cheap crap. And even the mid stuff like Bliss and Sephora doesn't cost that much per ounce. And they mark it up like hella.
    Shop at Farmers Market. I eat healthy and my boyfriend doesn't. I spend less on more food than he does.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    I wouldn't completely disregard what the OP is saying. After all, living in an environment that doesn't support healthy living does have an impact on people. If not, how come in places considered to be food deserts (poor neighborhoods with only corner stores like 7eleven) obesity rates are higher? A lot more could be done in this regard. Good job, OP, on doing something about it.

    I could eat foods only from a 7eleven and not gain weight, what is your point? Your ignorance astounds me.

    Many 7elevens have better options than some of the corner stores in areas I've been stuck in.
    I applaud the efforts of private organizations that work towards bringing more variety and better options to people who live in food desert areas.
    Those areas aren't good places to raise kids.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Start a support group near you and write letters to the supermarkets and government asking for them to help the obesity issues that are draining the NHS in the country. Together we can make a difference.

    Alternatively, participate in the economy and buy from other places.

    I have an organic veg and fruit box delivered every week, fairly low cost and reasonably locally sourced. I can also source meat from there, with solid provenance on the product so I can be confident around the animal welfare aspect.

    It's not the role of the government to dictate buying patterns,
  • andiechick
    andiechick Posts: 916 Member
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    I agree it can be more expensive to buy healthier food and we don't all have the luxury of being able to shop at Farmer's markets or just nipping to Lidl or Aldi, however there are ways around it but I do think people should stop being so quick to judge about people's abilities to get to these places.

    I've found a greengrocer in a neighbouring part of my city who is happy to deliver fruit and veg to your door and he promotes it through facebook so its worth looking for something like that. I also keep bags of frozen veg in the freezer (which is a damn sight healthier than veg that has been left lying around for days) and you can pick these up for around £1 each. Great for a quick mid-week meal if you can't get to the shops.

    Every 2-3 weeks I buy a ham joint when the meat is on offer in the supermarket and boil it up to make a big pan of broth with leeks, carrots, swede, barley and split peas and some of the meat then the rest goes into sandwiches for my husband and children for a couple of days afterwards
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    I wouldn't completely disregard what the OP is saying. After all, living in an environment that doesn't support healthy living does have an impact on people. If not, how come in places considered to be food deserts (poor neighborhoods with only corner stores like 7eleven) obesity rates are higher? A lot more could be done in this regard. Good job, OP, on doing something about it.

    Yes, but why is it that when something goes wrong it is ALWAYS the governments fault. Isnt the clearly obvious detrimental effects of diabetes and other obesity related diseases enough to incentivise people about their health? If it isnt, then why should the tax payer fund it? The taxpayer already funds enough people as it is...
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    Ah, the formula to success: find someone else to blame for your problems.

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