Wish fresh veggies weren't so expensive

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  • wellthenwhat
    wellthenwhat Posts: 526 Member
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    I guess expensive is relative. All that cost under $10. Food is generally inexpensive here, but wages are also low. I bought the cheapest for the amount. Frozen is about the same, it was not cut, nor organic. Nothing is really in season here at the moment. (central MO) I have a garden, and come summer I'll be up to my ears in fruit and vegetables, we also can and freeze a lot. but right now it's a hard time of the year to get cheap stuff.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited March 2017
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    wellthenwhat wrote: »
    I guess expensive is relative. All that cost under $10. Food is generally inexpensive here, but wages are also low. I bought the cheapest for the amount. Frozen is about the same, it was not cut, nor organic. Nothing is really in season here at the moment. (central MO) I have a garden, and come summer I'll be up to my ears in fruit and vegetables, we also can and freeze a lot. but right now it's a hard time of the year to get cheap stuff.

    A couple weeks ago it was like that here-I started the 800g veg/fruit challenge and then realized that there were NO good deals that week on produce. Cost me around $25, just for myself, to buy enough produce for me to do the challenge (that was a quarter of my family's grocery budget yikes!). This week is totally different though, because both of the stores I shop at are having some really great deals on fresh produce this week. Crazy how it can vary between one week and another!
  • Lavelle1980
    Lavelle1980 Posts: 367 Member
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    I started growing my own fruit and veggies because the price is high trying to feed a family. I have a small yard, so I started a peach tree. My strawberries and tomatoes are growing in containers on the patio. I'm saving up for a vertical garden tower. It takes up little space and can grow up to 50 vegetables. The price is a little high but it pays for itself in about a year.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    edited March 2017
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    On the cauliflower: there was a HUGE shortage a while ago and prices skyrocketed. (It actually made news headlines in the US).

    Prices vary a lot on what you are buying and where you are buying it. Produce at Price-Rite is way cheaper than at Wegmans in Buffalo for instance. Also, locally grown, in-season produce is going to be way, way cheaper than something they had to truck/ship in from far away. In the Northern US, this means most traditional Northern soup veggies (carrots, beets, turnips, cabbage) are pretty cheap - chop and freeze for a month's worth of soup ingredients. Dried beans, canned diced tomatoes, frozen spinach/collard greens also decently priced. I always buy pre-chopped frozen when I can if available and not much more expensive. Yes- more expensive per calorie than boxed starch & sugar, but still cheap per serving and you will also be getting protein and fiber. In a typical soup dinner for me, ~1/3 of the calories are soup, ~1/3 are crackers (cheap generic saltines), ~1/3 is added handful of meat (chicken/ham/chorizo)(I make sure to get a certain amount of protein daily, especially since I run and weight train).

    I don't do salads...now that WOULD be significantly more money and more time (logistics of managing fresh produce instead of just chopping and freezing).

    (edit: typo fix)
  • unparalleledAF
    unparalleledAF Posts: 45 Member
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    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    For the calorie amount fresh fruit and veg ARE more expensive. I hate how people say they aren't. If I buy some junk food donuts 1.69 (for pack of 6 at 320 cal per doughnut) and box of cereal (1.69 with 12 servings) that would easily last me 2 weeks of 500-600 calorie breakfasts. HOWEVER, if I buy 4 fresh bell peppers (4.00), one lb broccoli (2 bucks), one large tomato (2), I could eat ALL of that in ONE day and it wouldn't even amount to the same calorie amount of "fuel". So YES eating fresh fruit and veg is more expensive than eating junk because you have to buy A LOT more to get the same calorie amount of fuel.

    Junk food doesn't fill me up, though, so I wonder if it really would be cheaper for people like me since we would need to eat more.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    Shop in season, on sale, and see if you can find a fruit market around you. I got lucky with one where I can get everything pretty cheap for the most part.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    I'm a bit of a food snob, but frozen peas and corn are staples for me. I also use frozen okra and pearl onions for occasional recipes. That reminds me, I am WAY overdue for making gumbo this winter.

    I grow my own kale April - Nov, and this time of year have to buy it. I could buy the $11 a pound baby kale in the plastic tubs, but get the $4/# full leaves and cut it up myself. (It would be less if I didn't insist on organic.) Frozen organic kale is also about $4/lb and I keep it on hand for smoothies in case I run out of fresh. Works great in stews as well. Again, much less if not organic.
  • Butts_Boys_and_Burgers_ohmy
    Butts_Boys_and_Burgers_ohmy Posts: 83 Member
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    Do you have access to a local farmers market?
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    Lounmoun wrote: »
    try2again wrote: »
    Lounmoun wrote: »
    wellthenwhat wrote: »
    I made myself a delicious carrot/broccoli/cauliflower cooked veggie combo and had some for breakfast. But for what it cost me I could have bought 3 huge bags of sugar cereal that would last me several months vs a week. It's sad. :D

    I went shopping last night. (Kansas, Walmart, winter)
    I bought a large bag (2lb 1.5 oz) of a chocolate puff cereal with marshmallows for $5.98. That bag is 32 servings.
    I also bought vegetables and some fruit (not organic). I spent about $28 on vegetables and fruits for a family of 3 humans plus 2 guinea pigs. Some will last us a few weeks and some will be used up in a week.
    The cereal is cheap per serving ($.18) but 1 large meal of vegetables would not cost the same as 3 big bags of cereal.

    3 lb bag of fresh apples $5.54
    3-5 lb (?) bag of fresh potatoes $3.67
    16 oz bag of fresh parsnips $2.68
    Bag of fresh oranges $4.97
    26 oz bag frozen broccoli $1.98 (8 servings)
    16 oz bag frozen spinach $1.44 (6 servings)
    Fresh cherry tomatoes $2.98
    4 fresh bell peppers $3.52

    I didn't buy fresh carrots or cauliflower this week. An old receipt from January has a bag of whole carrots at $1.48.
    Frozen and canned vegetables and fruits can be cheaper than fresh in winter. Investigate those.

    Ultimately it is a choice of how you want to live and what it is worth to you.

    This perplexes me, being as how we're both in the midwest. I'm in IA, and here the apples would be about $3, potatoes on sale for $2 or less, oranges for about $3.50, & green peppers .50. This week, I got asparagus for .99 a bunch, cauliflower for 1.99, kale for .99, and strawberries for 1.29/lb.

    Even so, I don't want fruits & veggies all the time and don't understand the OP's either/or scenario.

    It is what I actually paid for those items this week. I haven't compared prices to other stores in nearby cities or states. I'm not sure why things are priced differently-Different varieties costing different amounts? Produce coming from different places to IA vs. KS. Different taxes on fuel, etc affecting cost of doing business in different states passed on to consumers? Less competition being the only store selling fresh produce in town? Walmart/Kansas just being *kitten*?
    We get better deals at the farmer's market in summer.

    Are 3 big bags of cereal cheaper than 1 large meal of carrots, broccoli and cauliflower at your stores? Because it would not be from mine.

    I also don't think you need to eat just sugary cereal or just vegetables even on a budget. Eggs, dry beans, lentils, rice pasta, oatmeal, chicken thighs, powdered milk, tuna, peanut butter, frozen vegetables, canned vegetables and fruits are all decent budget food choices in many locations.

    Lol... I wasn't accusing you of anything, @Lounmoun, just making an observation! ;) I was just surprised that our small-town grocery store (the only one for miles) would have better deals than other places with (presumably) more competition. Feeling pretty happy to live where we do right now. :)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    crzycatlady1 wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Are you in the US? I've heard cauliflower is (or was, some months ago) expensive over there. Pick produce in season, or frozen. You're not supposed to overdo it, either. 3 100 grams servings of vegs and 2 servings of fruit per day is enough. Oh, and avoid "organic" if "not organic" is cheaper. And precut will be more expensive.

    I don't really think you wish vegetables weren't so expensive. Vegs aren't expensive. But you prefer other foods? You can have a little of each, and your taste preferences can change and adapt to what you expose them to. Learn to cook.

    Except that 10 serves of fruit and vegetables are now recommended. 800 grams in total of vegetables and 200 grams of fruit. The reason most countries haven't adopted these recommendatios is because they know that most people are already not getting enough. I don't think many people around the world are overdoing vegetables, if that is even a possibility
    That's just crazy. I believe I eat plenty already, I enjoy that my diet is well balanced; I think more vegetables would make it hard for me to get enough energy. I'm also thinking of the adverse effect of this recommendation - the more difficult goal, the more people will feel that they are failing. And people who feel that they're failing, are not prone to make good decisions. If the intention is better public health, I would think emphasizing the recommendations that have big impact on health, and giving recommendations that are possible to reach in practice (not just in theory), will be most effective.

    Yes, yes it is. And if you want to join the rest of us crazies who are actually doing the 800g veg/fruit challenge (10 a day), the more the merrier :D

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10521320/10-a-day-800g-veggie-fruit-challenge-participants-check-in/p1

    I'm in! I got 250 grams of fruits and veggies yesterday and plan to double that today.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    crzycatlady1 wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Are you in the US? I've heard cauliflower is (or was, some months ago) expensive over there. Pick produce in season, or frozen. You're not supposed to overdo it, either. 3 100 grams servings of vegs and 2 servings of fruit per day is enough. Oh, and avoid "organic" if "not organic" is cheaper. And precut will be more expensive.

    I don't really think you wish vegetables weren't so expensive. Vegs aren't expensive. But you prefer other foods? You can have a little of each, and your taste preferences can change and adapt to what you expose them to. Learn to cook.

    Except that 10 serves of fruit and vegetables are now recommended. 800 grams in total of vegetables and 200 grams of fruit. The reason most countries haven't adopted these recommendatios is because they know that most people are already not getting enough. I don't think many people around the world are overdoing vegetables, if that is even a possibility
    That's just crazy. I believe I eat plenty already, I enjoy that my diet is well balanced; I think more vegetables would make it hard for me to get enough energy. I'm also thinking of the adverse effect of this recommendation - the more difficult goal, the more people will feel that they are failing. And people who feel that they're failing, are not prone to make good decisions. If the intention is better public health, I would think emphasizing the recommendations that have big impact on health, and giving recommendations that are possible to reach in practice (not just in theory), will be most effective.

    Yes, yes it is. And if you want to join the rest of us crazies who are actually doing the 800g veg/fruit challenge (10 a day), the more the merrier :D

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10521320/10-a-day-800g-veggie-fruit-challenge-participants-check-in/p1

    I'm in! I got 250 grams of fruits and veggies yesterday and plan to double that today.

    Great! The ongoing thread (what I linked), is over in the challenge section :)
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 1,049 Member
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    fresh fruits and veggies are very expensive where i live- in NY- I grow a garden and try to can a lot of my own but I can't grow oranges here, it's to cold. I do grow tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, and squash and can/freeze it. I'm looking into a spliced apple tree that has 4 varieties, starting with an early fruit and ending with a late fall fruit. Has anyone every planted one of those?
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
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    kenyonhaff wrote: »
    Yeah guys, this can be a real issue with families in poverty at least in the US. Or, even if not in abject poverty, there are "food deserts" where there is a store, but no access to a lot of fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables (think Family Dollar). It's easy to criticise, but if money is tight in the budget food that's expensive, perishable, and the kids whine about eating it anyway are often the first to get cut.

    The problem is education and demand, stores can only stock what will sell. Between frozen and canned, you can readily get your veggies across the US, even in Family Dollar. FD will never look like whole foods, who must probably waste a lot of perishable themselves.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
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    unparalleledAF wrote: »
    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    For the calorie amount fresh fruit and veg ARE more expensive. I hate how people say they aren't. If I buy some junk food donuts 1.69 (for pack of 6 at 320 cal per doughnut) and box of cereal (1.69 with 12 servings) that would easily last me 2 weeks of 500-600 calorie breakfasts. HOWEVER, if I buy 4 fresh bell peppers (4.00), one lb broccoli (2 bucks), one large tomato (2), I could eat ALL of that in ONE day and it wouldn't even amount to the same calorie amount of "fuel". So YES eating fresh fruit and veg is more expensive than eating junk because you have to buy A LOT more to get the same calorie amount of fuel.

    Junk food doesn't fill me up, though, so I wonder if it really would be cheaper for people like me since we would need to eat more.

    Well, it depends how you define "cheaper". Initially it is cheaper to eat junk food, but obesity can easily cause or exasperate diseases, injury and such causing a lot of expense.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Theo166 wrote: »
    kenyonhaff wrote: »
    Yeah guys, this can be a real issue with families in poverty at least in the US. Or, even if not in abject poverty, there are "food deserts" where there is a store, but no access to a lot of fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables (think Family Dollar). It's easy to criticise, but if money is tight in the budget food that's expensive, perishable, and the kids whine about eating it anyway are often the first to get cut.

    The problem is education and demand, stores can only stock what will sell. Between frozen and canned, you can readily get your veggies across the US, even in Family Dollar. FD will never look like whole foods, who must probably waste a lot of perishable themselves.

    Some Family Dollars have added produce sections. One of my sisters gets most of her produce at Family Dollar -- when I went shopping with her, I was seriously impressed by the variety, quality, and price of the produce. I'm sure all stores aren't that great, but hers was fantastic.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
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    I find the expensive part of fresh vegetables is having the variety I want but also them not going bad in my fridge so I buy frozen bean and carrot mixes and the only "fresh" veggies I keep on hand is romaine lettuce, tomatoes and onion and occasionally broccoli.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Theo166 wrote: »
    kenyonhaff wrote: »
    Yeah guys, this can be a real issue with families in poverty at least in the US. Or, even if not in abject poverty, there are "food deserts" where there is a store, but no access to a lot of fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables (think Family Dollar). It's easy to criticise, but if money is tight in the budget food that's expensive, perishable, and the kids whine about eating it anyway are often the first to get cut.

    The problem is education and demand, stores can only stock what will sell. Between frozen and canned, you can readily get your veggies across the US, even in Family Dollar. FD will never look like whole foods, who must probably waste a lot of perishable themselves.

    Some Family Dollars have added produce sections. One of my sisters gets most of her produce at Family Dollar -- when I went shopping with her, I was seriously impressed by the variety, quality, and price of the produce. I'm sure all stores aren't that great, but hers was fantastic.

    The Dollar Tree stores in my area haven't done fresh produce yet, but they've started carrying bags of frozen fruit/veg for $1 each. The veggies I can get for the same price elsewhere, but that's a really good price on frozen strawberries, blueberries, mango etc. Great for smoothies :)
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited March 2017
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    th1nr wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    kenyonhaff wrote: »
    Yeah guys, this can be a real issue with families in poverty at least in the US. Or, even if not in abject poverty, there are "food deserts" where there is a store, but no access to a lot of fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables (think Family Dollar). It's easy to criticise, but if money is tight in the budget food that's expensive, perishable, and the kids whine about eating it anyway are often the first to get cut.
    "Food deserts" is blown out of proportion. Not eating healthy is a lot more about not being able/willing to plan meals, never having learnt how to shop and cook, and fear of trying new things or choosing the path of least resistance. Oh, and constantly being told about food deserts and how expensive healthy food is.

    It's definitely NOT blown out of proportion. Not having a car can make even a couple of miles insurmountable. I currently live in a city and rely on public transport. Technically there are many grocery stores within a five mile radius but all require at least a mile of walking. It's very time consuming so I can't go every week and walking carrying two weeks of groceries is difficult. I mean I can do it because I'm young and energetic but someone older, busier, or who has to shop for more than one person would really struggle.

    We just moved from a college town and it was the norm to see college students pushing carts down the sidewalk with groceries-either the ones you can buy, or they just took them from the store (you'd see carts lined up in front of the apartments, which was kind of funny lol). This is the style that most of them use and I have something similar for when I go to the farmers market in the summer https://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-Deluxe-Rolling-Utility-Shopping/dp/B001DZ4QTC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1489424775&sr=8-3&keywords=grocery+cart.

    Back in the day, when my oldest was a baby, I didn't always have a car so I'd push the stroller to the grocery store and strategically place groceries in it. You do what you got to do :)

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