Costing a lot more money to eat healthier! :(

Totally with @kommodevaran on this one. Plus the family can eat what ever you, can't they?

For cheap and health I recommend Cooking on a bootstrap and Budget bytes
It is an absolute myth that healthy food = expensive.

Weight loss is about calories not type of food. You can eat the same food as your family. All you have to do is reduce portion sizes of higher calorie stuff. Fill your plate with more vegetables. Have more meatless meals. Bake or grill instead of frying foods. Serve chicken instead of beef. Soup is a good dollar stretcher.

Low budget friendly foods where I live are oatmeal, tuna, whole chicken or chicken thighs, dry beans, lentils, rice, pasta, bread, peanut butter, eggs, potatoes, carrots, apples, ground turkey, cabbage, onions, canned tomatoes, frozen vegetables

dutchandkiwi wrote: »

It is an absolute myth that healthy food = expensive.

That entirely depends on where you live, and there have been studies that prove it absolutely does cost more to eat healthy, particularly in food deserts. That being said, if someone has the time to prep and cook meals and doesn't live somewhere where healthy foods are out of reach, cost or distance-wise, then it is absolutely possible to eat healthy for less, particularly if you buy lots of things in bulk.

kazminchu wrote: »

When I eat healthier, I save money. Fresh vegetables are cheaper than processed foods. I guess if you go for the branded "Healthy" options that are marketed specifically at slimmers, then they can be expensive. But the staples to make low calorie, healthy meals are often cheap. Try looking for bulk deals and stock up on things if you have space to store them.

And frozen veggies are even cheaper than fresh

crzycatlady1 wrote: »

kazminchu wrote: »

When I eat healthier, I save money. Fresh vegetables are cheaper than processed foods. I guess if you go for the branded "Healthy" options that are marketed specifically at slimmers, then they can be expensive. But the staples to make low calorie, healthy meals are often cheap. Try looking for bulk deals and stock up on things if you have space to store them.

And frozen veggies are even cheaper than fresh

Yep! I buy mostly frozen veggies these days because I don't have to worry about them spoiling if I'm gone for a few days. Plus, they're tasty, super-nutritious, and quick to micro-steam.

I save money I've noticed because I don't eat out nearly as much as I used to but if I do eat out the portions last through 2 or 3 meals. I even buy better quality meats and veggies at the store now and I still spend less. Last week the grocery store had a sale on fresh organic Salmon that brought the price down below the farm raised kind. For me, meal prepping also has saved considerable money.

Where is this that fresh fruits and vegetables cost less than processed foods? A lb of apples is 2.95/lb. The same lb of boxed mac n' cheese is $1. A bag of mandarin oranges are $6.99. Even iceberg lettuce is well over $1/lb! Zucchini? That costs $2/lb this time of year. I live in a highly agricultural area as well. Cucumbers (.68/lb) and broccoli are super affordable right now so we eat a lot of that. Five lbs of potatoes is $4.99.

In the winter in a cold climate I rely on frozen vegetables. We shop sales for our protein and plan meals around those sales. For my family of 4 (my boys are 6 and 7) I spend about $130-140 a week, and that doesn't include things like dog food, tissues, shampoo, etc. To be totally transparent I could spend less if I wanted to but I enjoy eating and, well, I like what I like!

I think that this is highly regional. If you can't afford it, use canned/frozen veg to bulk up meals. No need to buy separate foods. Yes, there are some foods that are bought that only I eat, some that only the kids eat, and some that only hubby eats just because of snack preferences. For example, I do LCHF and enjoy salami and provolone roll-ups for a quick snack at night and no one else touches salami.

Skyblueyellow wrote: »

Where is this that fresh fruits and vegetables cost less than processed foods? A lb of apples is 2.95/lb. The same lb of boxed mac n' cheese is $1. A bag of mandarin oranges are $6.99. Even iceberg lettuce is well over $1/lb! Zucchini? That costs $2/lb this time of year. I live in a highly agricultural area as well. Cucumbers (.68/lb) and broccoli are super affordable right now so we eat a lot of that. Five lbs of potatoes is $4.99.

In the winter in a cold climate I rely on frozen vegetables. We shop sales for our protein and plan meals around those sales. For my family of 4 (my boys are 6 and 7) I spend about $130-140 a week, and that doesn't include things like dog food, tissues, shampoo, etc. To be totally transparent I could spend less if I wanted to but I enjoy eating and, well, I like what I like!

I think that this is highly regional. If you can't afford it, use canned/frozen veg to bulk up meals. No need to buy separate foods. Yes, there are some foods that are bought that only I eat, some that only the kids eat, and some that only hubby eats just because of snack preferences. For example, I do LCHF and enjoy salami and provolone roll-ups for a quick snack at night and no one else touches salami.

It will depend on location and available stores but I only buy fresh produce when it's on sale and then I supplement with frozen. I also make my menu plan around what's on sale and walk into the store with cash and a plan of action lol.

This week at Aldi and Meijer I got (fresh and on sale)-
-5lbs clementines $4.88
-5lb russet potatoes $1.29 *
-3 containers of raspberries $3.75
-pint blueberries $1.59
-2 containers of blackberries $2.58
-2lbs red seedless grapes $2.78
-bag mini sweet peppers $2.50
-bag of spinach $1.49
-3lbs apples $2.99

-and then I bought several bags of frozen Californial Blend vegetables for $1 each

I don't buy it unless it's cheap

*kicking myself for not getting a couple more bags since potatoes store well, so I'm going to try and get back to the store yet this week and buy more!