Eating Healthy is too expensive!!!!

tresmom08
tresmom08 Posts: 11
edited October 2 in Food and Nutrition
I hate that eating healthy makes my grocery bill higher than buying the cheap unhealthy stuff. My kids love quick meals and it seems that thats all I have time for these days. Between girl scouts, school meetings, church, work, and homework I have no time to do anything. Let alone house chores that are a must....and trying take care of my "wifely duties"....Ughhhhh!!!! I'm so discouraged..don't mind me.
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Replies

  • Fairysoul
    Fairysoul Posts: 1,361 Member
    Well I look at it like this, a little more money now for no hospitalization or multiple doctor visits in the future..In the end it would be cheaper to just eat healhty. I know it's pricey, but it benefits, trust me I see it all the time.
  • acaudill042106
    acaudill042106 Posts: 108 Member
    Frozen vegetables! They're healthy, pretty inexpensive and they last...no throwing anything out. I have 3 kids....so I totally get the whole budgeting thing. Frozen vegetables are my best friend.
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    Just think of it as saving money in the long run on Healthcare. Lol
  • acaudill042106
    acaudill042106 Posts: 108 Member
    AND......it's WAY cheaper buying GOBS of frozen veggies than GOBS of crap like pizza rolls and junk.
  • kaitlynnesmommy
    kaitlynnesmommy Posts: 166 Member
    Just remember that you have to take some time for yourself! This adventure is making you a healthier person so you can be super Mom, super sexy wife and a happier person. It is more expensive, not going to lie. Do you have a crock pot? You can make dinners and there and they can be ready between all of the exciting things in your day...best of luck!
  • Your vent is completely understandable. We all go through times like this - and that's when I remind myself that eating healthy now and exercising is going to be the reason why I won't need a walker/oxygen/hospital later on.

    It is worth it! Just sometimes overwhelming. You gotta take some time to plan and prepare ahead of time and work it into the crazy schedule and it'll become habit.
  • Well I look at it like this, a little more money now for no hospitalization or multiple doctor visits in the future..In the end it would be cheaper to just eat healhty. I know it's pricey, but it benefits, trust me I see it all the time.

    This to the millionth power. Invest in your health now, your interest will grow, and you will prosper. Don't invest in it at all for a quick meal, and you will being paying for it later anyway.
  • voluptuous_veggie
    voluptuous_veggie Posts: 476 Member
    Quit whining. Instead, figure out a solution. What are you buying that is so expensive? I eat all organic, whole foods, nothing processed, and I spend between $85-$125 a month to feed two people and a cat that gets all homemade food. Buy local, it's cheaper. Don't buy "health" diet-foods...they really aren't that great for you and they're expensive. Stick to local fruits and vegetables...even frozen veggies, bulk grains and beans and lean meats...find one day a week to give yourself time to prep meals. It's possible, you just have to spend some time reconfiguring. We're all busy people with a lot going on in our lives...the less time we spend complaining about it will give you more time to do something about it instead.
  • Yes, frozen veggies are awesome. Also- hit up your local farmers' market if available. So much cheaper than the grocery store and you can meet the person who grows your veggies!

    Keep at it. Eating healthy decreases hospital bills and makes you feel good. Make it a priority.
  • Feels better to get a little venting in!! I get where you are coming from. It's a bit overwhelming at times and I keep thinking it'll be better when this or that is done but it never seems to be better. Keep plugging along, you can do it! You are worth the investment of time and money put towards a healthy you!
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Frozen veggies, whole wheat pasta, and beans are good things that aren't costly. The shame is that a McDouble has many more calories for the money.
  • SallieBeige
    SallieBeige Posts: 341 Member
    Frozen vegetables
    And beans!
    And do you have a fresh vege store near you? - some vegie-market places sell really cheap veges (although, in Summer I go for salads - keep well in the fridge and no cooking at all :)

    Good luck! I remember a life with young children ... hectically busy!
  • Just_Dot
    Just_Dot Posts: 2,283 Member
    Look up recipes for freezer meals. That way you can take days when you do have time, make a bunch of meals, pop them in the freezer, and then you have healthy stuff that's ready to go. My husband and I are both teachers, we're both in grad school, we both coach, and we have 2 kids, so I know where you are coming from.

    Also, just buy fresh veggies and fruits that are in season, they're less expensive. If you have a Costco or Sam's membership, you can get great deals of fresh veggies and fruits in bulk, then you can blanch and freeze those as well.
  • supertracylynn
    supertracylynn Posts: 1,338 Member
    Weight Watchers has a magazine with 15-minute healthy, low cal meals.

    As for scheduling:

    FLYlady.net

    You got this!
  • birdlover97111
    birdlover97111 Posts: 346 Member
    Sounds like you need to start putting YOURSELF first...Perhaps you need to whittle down your commitments..That is what I finally had to do....It's fine that your family prefers processed meals, but in the long run it's best that they eat more healthy...It's true that some processed foods are cheaper, however, you don't have to buy all organic and if you shop the sales, you can get fresh ingredients for less...Good luck on your journey..!!... :flowerforyou:
  • valeri223
    valeri223 Posts: 15 Member
    Try coupons (if you have the time) :) They help me out a lot.
  • theginnyray
    theginnyray Posts: 208 Member
    I agree, but I think there can also be a happy medium.
    Since you are really busy, have you considered making meals in the crock-pot instead of some of the boxed/frozen meals?
    My other suggestion would be intense meal planning (chart every meal - breakfast, lunch and dinner) and also making a larger meal that can be eaten the next evening too.
    Good luck!
  • cocolo89
    cocolo89 Posts: 1,169 Member
    i always make home cooked meals. if you think about it, frozen meals aren't that cheap at all. when you cook yourself you have enough to last a whole week if you make it in large quantities. so if you multipy the cost of the frozen food by how many people eating and how many days a week you eat, it will come out more expensive. and it's soooo much healthier!
  • Marquettedominos
    Marquettedominos Posts: 107 Member
    I eat for around $7 a day. And it is mostly fresh veggies, fruit, and raw cashews/nuts. My diary is open to all to look at. I eat almost the same stuff everyday with few exeptions.
  • jlikennedy3
    jlikennedy3 Posts: 15 Member
    I completely understand... between football for my oldest kid, work, church, and attempting to stay up on the house work there is no time for cooking! If you have more than 1 kid, which I have two, the price for groceries and everything else is outrageous. What I do is when I am able to finally cook a meal, I make sure to make enough for 2 meals. That way we can eat it that day and have leftovers for the next. My husband would rather have a home cooked meal any day so he does not complain about leftovers at all. Then when time does not premit cooking and we have to go out to eat, I make sure to eat light.
  • prettyfitchick
    prettyfitchick Posts: 502 Member
    I feel you on this subject and whole grain bread 4 bucks a loaf of white bread 1.50 but there are list of foods that are healthy and cheap like tuna for example very lean meat for less
  • lace0211
    lace0211 Posts: 53 Member
    Hello there! When I FIRST started this I was scared like you are per the money and even now I don't have a job and at the store yesterday Hubby was like, Lace, this WHOLE list is for YOU, brie, goat cheese, nuts, ect, it can get expensive! I have been trying to keep my diet on the Eat Clean Diet. So, what I have been doing, is picking out a few things I want to try, and doing it that way, I just love the magazines and cookbooks and want to try everything, but we have a budget! Another thing I do, is gradually, I have about 5 different flours but then came with time, so do it slowly, pick a few meals and go that route, and slowly add your staples. When you compare to so many other things, The Eat Clean diet is really inexpensive, use farmers markets, costco, or grow, we have several tomato plants and they recently have been doing amazing and I don't have to shop for those! Just my three cents but really, do what is on sale, build slowly and you can do this, granted, the sad part of life is to eat unhealthy is cheaper, sadly it is but you can make changes even if you have to do it a bit at a time.... Lace:happy:
  • Just_Dot
    Just_Dot Posts: 2,283 Member
    Another thing you can try is to find stores that have grains in bulk. Healthy and less expensive.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Try to buy in bulk(IE Chicken breasts, ground turkey/beef etc) You can freeze them for a few months, and then only cook what you need.

    Also a crock pot is awesome.. throw some meat, frozen/fresh veggies in there and some seasoning and then let it cook all day. By the time dinner rolls around, you got a meal and you didn't need to spend hours cooking it.

    Third tip, make extra and then just re-heat the left overs. My mom and I will cook like 4 chicken breasts or pork chops at one time, and then just eat half or all of one when we get hungry. Takes like 30 seconds to zap in the microwave, and if you've got frozen veggies then you also have a side.

    Also, i don't know if you have a walmart super center by you but you can find whole grain bread for about half of what it would cost at the normal grocery store. Same goes for greek yogurt and sometimes frozen veggies.. a lot cheaper there.
  • I totally get your frustration. Trying to find good quality, low-cost produce in some areas is really difficult. With the economy in the toilet and many of our farm areas undergoing drought, flood, or any number of disasters (natural or otherwise), it's jacking the cost up like crazy. Mine isn't so much due to lack of time to fix these types of foods, but more to cost and availability.

    It is true, to an extent, however -- from a "risk/benefit analysis" standpoint, better to pay a bit extra now and be fit, than to await health issues, increased medical costs, etc. It's a matter of prioritizing, and actually carving out the time to prepare those meals. And I'm talking to myself here as well. All too often, I just take the path of least resistance and go with something quick. I need to practice what I preach.
  • http://www.daveywaveyfitness.com/nutrition/the-thousand-dollar-menu-why-fast-food-isnt-really-cheap/

    Also, take a look at where you're shopping. I recently learned that shopping at a farmer's market can be much cheaper than your average grocery store, and the quality of the produce is MUCH better. I'm a fan of Sprouts (it's a 20 minute drive, versus the Fresh and Easy around the Corner, Pavillions around the corner, or Wal-Mart a few blocks down, but it's SO worth it).
  • Organic pre packaged food is expensive. But Vegetables, Quinoa and rice and beans are so cheap! With a little prep time you could be eating on the cheap and getting a more nutritious meal than whats available in the frozen food section. Involve your kids, that way you get a little help and they can learn about preparing healthy foods too!
  • I feel that way sometimes, but if you're strategic, you can do it on the cheap and save yourself some time. My husband recently bought 8 different types of seasoned can beans to see which ones he likes. We make a big pot of rice and mix it with seasoned beans. so for $1-$2 we get a couple of meals out of a low fat, high protein dish. Then to mix it up, one day, I'll dice up some left over chicken and heat it together. Another day, I'll mix it with some scrambled eggs, cook up some frozen spinach, add a dollup of sour cream, and YUM!. I always have a side of chopped tomatoes with salt and pepper on them. My husband likes to grill up some veggies to mix in. I'm also a huge sweet potato fan: bake a bunch and have them hot or dice up the leftovers into a salad. Again, yum!
  • I've found preparing my protien once a week is the easiest. Making a menu is key. For instance if one day I want to have a turkey burger I will go ahead and fix the rest for taco salad the next day. It's done at the same time and all I have to do extra is put it in storage. Make a full bag of chicken on the weekend. Bake it or put it in the crockpot, you can use some for baked chicken that night, shred some for fajita's or sandwiches. And I freeze it than I can just reheat it in a skillet for a stir fry. If I make meatloaf I make them into patties instead of the actual loaf, than it is already in portion size and I can make extra and freeze them for the rest of the month. And I love the steamables vegetables. They are healthy, quick and easy. I've actually been spending less when it comes to food. But that is cutting out the cost of going out to eat and some of the things at the store that we used to eat are to exspensive if you look at the portion size verses the price. And any vegetables that I do have to cut up I do as much for the whole week as I can. If I have to spend time in the kitchen I want it to be as little as possible. So I try to spend one day a month and prepare as much and freeze as I can. Than it's a quick reheat and your done. I also try to only go to the grocery store once a month. It takes a bit of planning but it's worth it.
  • Deep breath. It will get easier as you get more accustomed to shopping for a healthier menu. I didn't notice where you live so I don't know what your options are but I can share what works for me.

    I shop for two adults, one whom is an incredibly picky eater used to the McFlubbers and Taco He!! meals. I spend $25 biweekly on fresh veggies, fruit and lunchmeat at my local farm market. I always buy whatever is in season at the time and if that means I need to learn how to use a new ingredient that's all the better. I just enriched my life. I supplement my meals with whatever is on sale that week at the local grocery store, same thing goes here regarding new ingredients. I focus on buying beans, healthy grains and low fat dairy. I have stopped buying prepackaged snacks & cereals unless I have a coupon for that item. In general, my rule is that is if it's not good for me and my hubby I must wait for a coupon to buy it. I make double portions of nearly everything and re-purpose all leftovers to resemble a new meal for my picky eater or my own lunch. Soups are incredibly nutritious and filling; I make refrigerator stew (my great-grandmother named this one) weekly and freeze the leftovers for quick defrost meals.

    I realize that not all people are cooks so this suggestion may not work for you. When I plan on having pasta for dinner, I have the process of mixing, resting, rolling and cutting homemade whole wheat pasta dough down. I can get it done while the pot of water boils. This takes a bit of practice but once you get it down it's totally worth the effort and the benefit is that it takes less to to cook than the dried stuff from the box with all the preservatives.
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