Eating healthy is privilege of the rich?

There's no doubt that eating healthier is more expensive. Frozen meat vs fresh meat. The price difference is quite a lot. As you'd expect. Processed food can be sold cheaper as it has a much longer shelf life than fresh.

Still, if you CAN afford it, its worth it.

I would disagree.

I find eating real food such as fruit, veggies, meat and dairy is less expensive that the pre packages and prepared foods.

Disagree -- yes healthier foods are more expensive but they tend to fill you up longer and you eat less... processed foods are cheaper but you tend to eat more of them...

I thought this was interesting-Of course it's about fast food vs healthy option at grocery stores

http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=what_20_will_buy_at_the_drivethru_and_at_the_supermarket

My shopping bill has gone down.

I come home with 4-6 bags of shopping and it costs me maybe £30-£40.

I used to come home with the same number of bags and spend £50-£60

£3 for a pizza, or £3 for a bag of carrots, a bag of potatoes AND a bag of apples.

The latter lasts longer (meal wise) is much healthier, more filling etc.

I agree, I have found since I am buying fresh fruits and veggetables, and less processed food I am spending more. I also find that I am going to the store more often because the shelf life on fresh foods just isn't as long.

My grocery bill has actually gone down a little. We (hubby & me) eat very little red meat now. I look for the sales. I make more of my own foods. I do a lot with soups. The stock freezes well and when I need it, it's there.

i would normally totally agree BUT....
if you know what you are looking for then you can manage to get round it!

I completely disagree, but I don't consider frozen veggies 'processed' when I need to be able to make them last longer than fresh ones would in my fridge. I am buying less icecream, less processed treats, all I buy from the cereal isle are bran type flakes, shredded wheat, the occasional treat box for my kids, and fiber one bars. milk hasn't gone up, I buy lots of cheese, red meat hasn't gone up in the last few months either, I've cut down on the red meat, and turkey is less expensive, for the same effect in recipes where ground beef is used. our grocery bill may have gone up a tiny smidge (maybe $10/month) but our restaurant/McD's spending has dropped to almost zero.

Disagree. Yes, it may be more expensive if you want to shop at Whole Foods for fresh produce and meats, but there are plenty of healthy and inexpensive foods choices. Leaner cuts of meat are usually cheaper (with the exception of ground meat, but compare flank steak to NY strip), frozen veggies are as healthy as fresh and relatively cheap, you can shop for what is in season and on sale for veggies and fruits, hit farmer's markets, etc... Watch for sales on chicken, fish, etc... and stock up. Cook foods in a healthy way rather than loading them up with fats (grill or broil meats rather than fry, steam veggies and don't load up with sauce or cheese or butter). Legumes are a great source of protein and they are cheap.

The whole "I'm poor so I have to eat bad and be overweight" is just a lazy cop out. Certainly if you have more money you have more choices, but that doesn't mean you don't have any choices if you have a lower income level. And the rich also have more unhealthy food options (expensive multicourse restauarant meals??), so it comes down to personal choice. You (general 'you', not directed at OP) can choose to eat healthy, or you can choose to eat unhealthy and make excuses for yourself that no one but you believes.

I would not say its a privilege of the rich, but I do agree that those in poverty cannot afford to eat healthy food. To make meals that will feed their entire family, they must resort to processed foods that can be stretched (hamburger or tuna helper, ramen noodles, mac-n-cheese, etc.) My budget is stretched to the limit keeping us in fresh fruits, veggies and low-fat meats - and we don't buy chips and other snacky processed foods.

I would not say its a privilege of the rich, but I do agree that those in poverty cannot afford to eat healthy food. To make meals that will feed their entire family, they must resort to processed foods that can be stretched (hamburger or tuna helper, ramen noodles, mac-n-cheese, etc.) My budget is stretched to the limit keeping us in fresh fruits, veggies and low-fat meats - and we don't buy chips and other snacky processed foods.

I couldn't disagree more. Cooking your own is cheaper but a lot of people can't be bothered these days. And I speak from my own experience growing up not from an ivory tower.

But you don't have to be RICH to spend a little more on your healthier choices. It could be as little as £10-15 a month and you benefit MASSIVELY in other areas.

I totally disagree. I don't have much money at all and I feed a family of 6 on fresh veg, meat and fish. I can't afford processed food, it far too expensive for a large family. My kids hate it too.

Also, even if in your area veggies and fruits are expensive, a lot of places will put discounts on fruits/veg that are close to being over-ripe or fruits/veg that are bruised.