Calorie Quality

_Juggernaut_ · May 2015

Something I've recently run into is that nutrient dense food tends to be more expensive than less healthy options; especially if you eat out. I've gotten do a place where that isn't such an issue anymore, but I realize that money may be a factor for some people. There is a choice of getting enough to eat so that you're not hungry or getting enough nutrient dense food, but still being hungry.

So my question is if faced with that choice, how do you make it? Is there some balance? And if you've encountered this, what tips might you have?

TimothyFish · May 2015

If you don't eat out, that certainly isn't true. Processed food is expensive. When comparing menu items from the same restaurant, I'm also not so sure that is true. But if you're comparing sit-down restaurants to fast food restaurants, keep in mind that a meal at a sit-down restaurants may have twice the number of calories you would get at a fast food restaurant. If you eat half of it, then eat the rest at a different meal, you may find that it is cheaper than buying fast food twice.

Sarasmaintaining · May 2015

I eat fast food all the time and I use the dollar/value menus a lot. I have no problem eating fast food, keeping costs down, and meeting my dietary goals

257_Lag · May 2015

I have pondered this myself. Speaking purely of calories I think a good argument can me made that processed food is cheaper per calorie.

If I was hungry, broke, and fund $5 on the sidewalk I could get 467 calories in a Big Mac for $4.49. If I went to the market I don't think I could buy 467 calories of fruit and vegetables for $4.49

lemurcat12 · May 2015

You could get WAY more than 467 calories of rice and beans for $4.49. (Yes, I'd consider them "processed" but most things are.)

Obviously if you are homeless that does you little good, but why is that the measure?

Fruit and veggies vary so much in price that they are hard to use in these kinds of comparisons.

Last time we did this comparison I priced out whole potatoes, chicken, and broccoli as cheaper than chips, if believe, based on whatever measure was then being used.

cwolfman13 · May 2015

Don't eat out. You can eat very well and on the cheap cooking at home.

Francl27 · May 2015

Sarasmaintaining wrote: »

I eat fast food all the time and I use the dollar/value menus a lot. I have no problem eating fast food, keeping costs down, and meeting my dietary goals

Meeting micronutrients from the dollar menu is doubtful though... it seriously lacks fruit and veggies.

Honestly I don't eat out much for that reason... the healthy meals often end up being $15 or something, while the 1500 calorie stuff is like $7... sad really.

257_Lag wrote: »

I have pondered this myself. Speaking purely of calories I think a good argument can me made that processed food is cheaper per calorie.

If I was hungry, broke, and fund $5 on the sidewalk I could get 467 calories in a Big Mac for $4.49. If I went to the market I don't think I could buy 467 calories of fruit and vegetables for $4.49

4 bags of frozen veggies is like $4 here (store brand stuff). Get a bag of broccoli, a bag of cauliflower, a bag of mixed veggies and a bag of peas and you're actually pretty close to your 467 calories. And it will be WAY more filling than a Big Mac... although obviously you can't eat that 'on the go'.

gothchiq · May 2015

Eggs are a cheap source of good protein. Dried beans provide protein and carbs, and are cheap. Sometimes produce is marked down for quick sale. Chicken is cheap and it gets marked down too. Sometimes frozen vegetables in big bags are really cheap. Bananas are cheap. Baking your own bread is cheap. This is how I got by in graduate school back in the day.

cwolfman13 · May 2015

257_Lag wrote: »

I have pondered this myself. Speaking purely of calories I think a good argument can me made that processed food is cheaper per calorie.

If I was hungry, broke, and fund $5 on the sidewalk I could get 467 calories in a Big Mac for $4.49. If I went to the market I don't think I could buy 467 calories of fruit and vegetables for $4.49

I could easily make a meal for $4.49 or less that would be over 467 calories and be perfectly heatlhy. Why do you think it all has to be fruit and vegetables? 467 calories of fruit and veg would be a tall order in RE to volume. There's way more to proper nutrition than fruits and veg.

When I was a student, rice and beans were definitely a staple. I could buy raw beans for less than $1 per Lb...a couple Lbs of beans could easily last me a week. Rice is dirt cheap. Other staples included whole chicken and eggs and I would buy other meats on sale...there's always a sale. Also, tougher cuts of meats are cheaper and fattier doesn't necessarily mean it's unhealthy in the proper context. My vegetable staple was cabbage and occasionally some broccoli. The only fruit I really ate was apples...they're cheap.

gothchiq · May 2015

... and I still almost never eat out, though nowadays I can usually afford beef and strawberries and what not. Eating at restaurants or fast food joints is more expensive and/or less nutritious/more fattening than cooking for myself in almost all situations. Plus, I need that money to feed my kitties! For work, I pack lunches. Usually things that I pack will keep fine 'til noon, but if not, then I put a reusable ice pack in there just to be safe. Coupons, sale ads, asking the store manager when they mark down the meat.... lots of ways to save so that you can get around having to eat cheap junk.

SuggaD · May 2015

I disagree that it is more expensive. Will you be able to buy organic foods and expensive cheeses, probably not, but I could eat quite well on very little.

SnuggleSmacks · May 2015

Taco Bell is a great place to eat as long as you don't mind the salt. Plenty of protein choices, lots of veggies included, and a little dairy. And some fairly low-cal options.

Meanwhile, the cost of eating healthy depends entirely on where you shop/eat out. I'm fortunate enough to have access to Trader Joe's, BJ's Warehouse and Audi's, plus several small farmers markets. But also, I can eat a very healthy meal at the Mediterranean Deli or the Indian buffet, and lots of nearby restaurants have very good salad bars along with grilled meats and real veggies (asparagus, green beans, snap peas, sweet potatoes, etc.)

Again, if you don't mind the salt, you can find grilled chicken almost anywhere, even McDonald's (although maybe not so tasty).

SnuggleSmacks · May 2015

Also wanted to mention, for those in the States, there's an app called Retale which will show you the sales circulars for all the nearby stores, including but not limited to grocery stores. Basically any store which puts sales papers in your local newspaper will show up on this app. It's a great way to plan your shopping and menus by comparing what's on sale.

TimothyFish · May 2015

257_Lag wrote: »

I have pondered this myself. Speaking purely of calories I think a good argument can me made that processed food is cheaper per calorie.

If I was hungry, broke, and fund $5 on the sidewalk I could get 467 calories in a Big Mac for $4.49. If I went to the market I don't think I could buy 467 calories of fruit and vegetables for $4.49

Consider this: 10 lbs (30 servings) of potatoes is $3. That $3 will only buy two servings of French Fries.

257_Lag · May 2015

I didn't think about rice and beans because they have never been part of my diet but you are all right. Same with eggs. Now, let's assume you don't have a stove... just kidding.

kommodevaran · May 2015

I see the ususal strawman got here too - comparing price of "healthy" food to "unhealthy" by amount of calories; when problem number one is that the "unhealthy" food provides too many calories! Of course it will take more food to provide 2000 calories from low calorie food, than from calorie dense food. Noone is supposed to eat only vegetables, fruit and lean meat. We should eat grains, butter, oil, eggs, nuts, which are both healthy and calorie dense, AND the occasional burger. Most of those believing in these myths think that "health foods" and "organic", beef and asparagus, is the only way to go. Noitisnt! Ordinary foods from the supermarked is just fine. Just get a variety of foods from all food groups. Buying in season and avoiding waste is also important.

To make a useful comparison, one should look at what gives the most nutrients for your dollar/pound/yen.

DeguelloTex · May 2015

257_Lag wrote: »

I have pondered this myself. Speaking purely of calories I think a good argument can me made that processed food is cheaper per calorie.

If I was hungry, broke, and fund $5 on the sidewalk I could get 467 calories in a Big Mac for $4.49. If I went to the market I don't think I could buy 467 calories of fruit and vegetables for $4.49

I could get 1000 calories of chicken breast and two pounds of strawberries.

sherbear702 · May 2015

In the long term, it's probably cheaper to buy groceries in bulk and prepare your food than it is to buy fast food. Let's say every day for lunch you go to [insert favorite fast food] and probably spend $6 - $8 per day. That's $30 - $40 a week, just on lunch. Now lets think about what we can buy at the grocery store for $40. Wheat bread, lunch meat, cheese, veggies, protein bar, ect...whatever "healthy" foods you choose. It's a matter of choosing convenience over a prep time. You can buy quality wholesome foods, you just have to put the time and effort into fixing it into something edible.

girlviernes · May 2015

sherbear702 wrote: »

In the long term, it's probably cheaper to buy groceries in bulk and prepare your food than it is to buy fast food. Let's say every day for lunch you go to [insert favorite fast food] and probably spend $6 - $8 per day. That's $30 - $40 a week, just on lunch. Now lets think about what we can buy at the grocery store for $40. Wheat bread, lunch meat, cheese, veggies, protein bar, ect...whatever "healthy" foods you choose. It's a matter of choosing convenience over a prep time. You can buy quality wholesome foods, you just have to put the time and effort into fixing it into something edible.

And actually the time I think can end up fairly equitable. I cook maybe 1-2 times per week (batch method). So that is about 3 hours per week of shopping and cooking. Then I don't need to spend the time during lunch or dinner going to a place (at least 15 minutes for even the quickest option, au bon pain). So that is at least 30 minutes in savings every day.

jgnatca · May 2015

First of all, nutrient dense is not automatically unhealthy. I include in this list fatty foods like nuts, avocado, and oils. You have to watch portions, but they are very good for you.

Second of all, not all nutrient dense foods that are very filling are automatically more expensive. For instance, there's the whole family of beans and lentils. There are cheaper cuts of meat too.

_Juggernaut_ · May 2015

I live in a small town of less than 10k people. We have A grocery store and a couple of your typical fast food places (a McDonalds and a Dairy Queen). Eating healthy here is not an easy task. It has taken some time, but I've learned the tricks to stretching your money to have a more nutritious diet. I don't always do it, but I've figured that part of it out. I didn't specify "healthy" because its such a relative term. I used nutrient dense because it would include the healthy fats and oils and such.

There was a time when I would try and use the excuse of lack of money to account for my poor choices when buying food. I would have $30 to spend on food and would blow it on processed crap that would fill me up, but really have little to no nutritional value. It was only through self reflection and a more than swift kick in the @$$ that I began to stop lying to myself. I also figure if I've had this problem, so has someone else. Perhaps a better question to ask than the one I asked before would be, "If you've faced this hurdle, how did you overcome it? And what advice would you give to others going through it right now?"

MakePeasNotWar · May 2015

I actually looked up a few cheap staples for another thread today, and found you could make a 1 cup serving of beans (bought dry and soaked), 1 cup of rice from a 5 lb bag, and an 85g serving of frozen mixed veggies for $0.53

Calorie Quality

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