Getting frustrated over the cost of healthy eating?

Nuts are just a rip-off, I agree.

i find it costs less to eat fresh food. processed / prepackaged foods cost more per serving than making the same thing yourself.

all meat is 'processed' byt he very fact it is taken off the animal, so if you're spending extra money on something that claims not to be, just go to the regular grocery store. i buy frozen chicken, beef, pork, fish (not the breaded kind, regular frozen fish).

you can also get frozen veggies (not in sauces or anything). and use what you want as you need it. i generally prefer fresh but in the winter especially, frozen is usually more cost effective.

i eat rice and pasta in moderation, and both are cheap. bags of apples, oranges, grapes and bananas are relatively inexpensive.

you do not have to get the more expensive organic versions of foods, as it makes little, if any, nutritional difference.

SizeTenByTeatime wrote: »

Nuts are just a rip-off, I agree.

Nuts are expensive, but a serving size is 1/4 cup, so it goes a long way. They are also calorie dense, so I limit my daily intake of nuts.
I have been doing this for almost 4 years now. My grocery bill is less than what it was before I joined MFP. Using the guidelines for serving/portion sizes was an eye opener. My use of overly processed foods is minimal. We rarely eat out. I use mostly fresh fruit, veggies, meats. Some frozen fruits and vegetables, and low sodium canned beans, and canned water packed tuna. We don't have a cow, so dairy products are processed, but again, stick to portion size. I cook from scratch. Doing a lot of cooking on the weekend for the coming weeks meals. I use no prepackaged convenience foods. It really is less expensive, this way, at least for us.

A few suggestions for you:

1. Buy frozen meat and fish - no difference in nutritional value but for comparison 1kg Frozen chicken breast fillets are £4 in Asda whereas fresh is £3.50 for 500g, almost twice the price.

2. Add some frozen veg instead of all fresh, again no difference in nutritional value but up to half the price.

3. Switch to a cheaper supermarket if you don't already use them. I do almost all my shopping in Lidl and Farmfoods with occasional trips to Asda for certain things (other supermarkets are available).

4. Decide what is most important to you - good food at a good price or food ethics. A barn raised chicken egg tastes no different to a free range one from a shop (home kept free range are definitely tastier though) but will be up to 20p cheaper per half dozen. I understand and accept that some people like their food to be organic and well raised but to me it comes down to price pure and simple.

Following those principles my weekly shop averages £20 to £25 (single male preparing all his own food - no prepackaged or convenience).

I also suggest frozen veggies over fresh. "They" (no I don't have sources materials at my finger tips, so nobody ask) are finding that frozen veggies may be more nutritious than fresh. They are frozen quickly after harvest where as fresh are stored and may travel for days before reaching the stores, losing nutrients the whole time.

Plus frozen is considerably less expensive. For example right now cauliflower is $2.10 for 1/2 of a tiny head, It is $2.60 for 500g frozen.

clafairy1984 wrote: »

i dont like to buy frozen meat and fish, as often pumped full of water, meaning you actually get less for your money. My Dad used to work in a eat proccessing factory, and was a fisherman for a while, and he's told me so many stories of what they do to the meat/fish before it's frozen.

I agree. A lot of sodium added to frozen chicken/turkey as well. Fresh is better, but it is more expensive unless you can get it on sale.