Why is healthy eating so expensive?

LosingTheInches
LosingTheInches Posts: 47
edited September 23 in Food and Nutrition
Ok so basically, my parents live in Florida, and i live in their house in Canada. I just started, about a month ago, learning about healthy eating, and I am quite enjoying lots of healthy foods, however, I basically live off gift cards for grocery stores, my dad will give me a $100 grocery card every once in a while to buy my groceries with, and wow! that doesnt last very long when you buy fresh fruits/veggies/etc etc. anyways, what im really trying to get at here is that i cant afford to buy all this fresh food!! is there an option for me to get my nutrients without having to spend all this money? Im pretty picky with fruits and veggies. Are the frozen ones really bad for you?

Replies

  • NightOwl1
    NightOwl1 Posts: 881 Member
    No, frozen fruits are vegetables aren't bad for you. In fact, they're quite good for you. There are also a lot of healthy foods that aren't fruits or vegetables that are affordable.
  • wpij25
    wpij25 Posts: 161
    fresh/raw is expensive, and frozen/steamed is better for you than canned. :happy:
  • littlelioness
    littlelioness Posts: 57
    I've read before on suite101 that frozen blueberries are still just as good for you. They're yummy in yogurt, or on cereal. You probably get this all the time...but isn't EVERYTHING more expensive in Canada?
  • fitnesspirateninja
    fitnesspirateninja Posts: 667 Member
    I try to buy fresh as much as possible, but I use frozen a lot, too. Frozen fruit are great for smoothies! My staples are broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, blueberries, and pineapple. I've always got those in the freezer.
  • LosingTheInches
    LosingTheInches Posts: 47
    I've read before on suite101 that frozen blueberries are still just as good for you. They're yummy in yogurt, or on cereal. You probably get this all the time...but isn't EVERYTHING more expensive in Canada?


    hahaha, yes. yes it is. my step sister sometimes will cross the border and do my grocery shopping for me in buffalo. but you can only do so much.. no fresh stuff and no dairy. *sigh*
  • jennyfair24
    jennyfair24 Posts: 273 Member
    We tend to buy things in bulk when we find a sale...especially fruits and veggies, but also things like cheese. We have one of those ziploc vacuum sealers (its less than $3) and the vacuum seal bags (also around $3). Once we get it home we clean it and then put it in those bags, vacuum seal them and they last a lot longer. They can be frozen as well. Helps stretch the food dollar :smile:
  • CarolHudson11
    CarolHudson11 Posts: 372
    Frozen veggies are good for you, as well. You can do it - make the best choices you can make and still be able to afford to eat. And don't forget that there are other foods that aren't expensive that are still good for you. :smile:
  • katerinab
    katerinab Posts: 107
    Most frozen veggies and fruits are frozen JUST as they are picked with minimal processing (some things are sliced, pitted, etc, but usually no cooking is involved with processing), so they retain their nutrients, so they are a great alternative to fresh. Some people prefer the taste of fresh, but I like the convenience of frozen, and the taste of frozen is FAR yummier to me than the taste of canned (with the exception of corn, in my opinion - I think canned corn tastes better).

    We like to have lots of varieties of frozen veggies on hand so we can be sure to have a serving with every meal.
  • hummzz
    hummzz Posts: 385 Member
    To cut down on my fresh fruit and vegetable bill I shop with the local produce man. His family farms the fruits and veggies themselves and come around in a truck with oh so good produce. Better than the grocery store in taste by far! I get a small box of whatever I like for $20. I get all that I need and in any combination I like. Maybe there's a guy like that in your neighborhood or try a small mom and pop store. Might not take a gift card, but if he sends you a Visa/Mastercard gift card you may be able to use it with them and also support small business.
  • jimmydeanbakker
    jimmydeanbakker Posts: 333
    I buy a ton of fresh veggies, cut them up, put them in freezer bags, and then freeze them. I buy a bag of apples, oranges, pears, and grapes about once a week. I eat that stuff all the time. It's expensive, but fried food will kill me.
  • swisspea
    swisspea Posts: 327 Member
    Hi, I live in northern Ontario (from Toronto though), and there are lot's of options out there! I'm a student, so budget it really important to me as well. Are you shopping at No Frills? Check out the sales for the frozen fruits and veggies. There are also lots of veggies that are pretty cheap, high in nutrition, but low in caloric value. Check out canned beats, fresh cabbage, fresh lettuce, frozen peas, canned tomatoes, frozen fruit, and lot's more. Check out the flyer for the week, and get a healthy sale item. If it is a really good deal, buy extra and freeze it, I do that all the time. Definitley watch out for canned foods, there is a lot of salt, so limit that. This time of year is also really good for squash! This is my favourite budget food, and there are lots of recipes out there.

    Eating healthy IS more expensive than eating unhealthily. It's very true, you just kinda have to search around.
  • hslobar
    hslobar Posts: 12
    You can also try dry peas and beans. You can soak them overnight and boil them. It takes some planning ahead, but it's really cheap. We use chick peas like this to make batches of hummus. Also eating things that are in season tends to be a little cheaper.
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    Are you buying in season and short term (so that you can use all your veggies?). I've found that after a few weeks of getting my "routine" down, my grocery shopping budget has dropped significantly (about 15$ a week). My grocery list looks like this (in case you want to steal anything for your own use):

    1 bag baby carrots $3
    1 bag baby spinach $3
    1-2 onions $1
    1 green and 1 red pepper $2
    1 additonal veggie that is on sale $1
    Total: $10

    1 Ralph and Charlie Drink $3
    2 apples, bananas or kiwi $2.50
    Total: $5.50

    .75 lb Chicken $4
    .5 lb Fish $3
    1 box Hillshire farms deli turkey $2.50
    Total: $9.50

    1 bag sandwich thins $3
    1 loaf of cinnamon raisin bread $3 (freeze- should last 2-3 weeks)
    Total $6

    1 Dozen Eggs $2
    3-4 Greek Yogurt $7
    1 Sabra Hummus $2.50
    Milk $2
    Dove Chocolate bar $2
    1 bag of pretzels $1.50
    Total: $17

    Rough Total: $50 -- and thats for a rather heavy week/with snacks tossed in

    Idk- that doesnt seem like that much to me (and I'm in NYC, I'm sure some things are cheaper by you if you are out of the area).

    How much do you usually spend?
  • MrX8503
    MrX8503 Posts: 67
    Healthy foods are expensive because:

    1. It costs more to produce
    2. Less people buy them
    3. Junk food is subsidized
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