Is it me or is this healthy eating lark expensive??

It can be expensive - if you buy pre-packaged meals, "diet" foods, supplement, shakes etc. Lots of companies take advantage of people who are trying to lose weight and make you pay a premium for single serve, lower calorie meals. I'm pretty convinced that a lot of the space in these meals is taken up by cheap starchy fillers too, you aren't getting the full amount of real food.

But, it doesn't have to be - if you cook your own meals using fruit and veggies in season (or frozen), lean meat or seafood (buy what's on special this week), beans and rice purchased in bulk. This doestake a bit of time, but there are lots of things that you can cook in advance (make a big pot of soup on the weekend for example, or put something in the crockpot before you go to work) so you don't have to buy dinner each day.

I've seen lots of threads listing healthy meals on a budget - if you use the MFP search tool you'll find heaps of helpful info.

Yes, it's more expensive to eat healthy. Fresh fruits and vegetables cost a lot more to buy than fatty processed foods. There have been numerous studies showing that people living below the poverty line tend to obesity because they eat what they can afford. When a fast food burger is cheaper than a head of lettuce, well... for some people that difference in price means eating two meals instead of one.

Yes, it's more expensive to eat healthy. Fresh fruits and vegetables cost a lot more to buy than fatty processed foods. There have been numerous studies showing that people living below the poverty line tend to obesity because they eat what they can afford. When a fast food burger is cheaper than a head of lettuce, well... for some people that difference in price means eating two meals instead of one.

On the surface it may look like fruit and veg are more $$$$ but really they're not. If you worked out per kg a packet of potato chips are around $20 a kg, where something like a kg of bananas are at the moment around $2-3 ( I'm in Australia). I spend around $250 a week on food, my husbands boss spends $300+ a week. And her cupboards are full of lollies, chips, packaged processed snacks. Not to mention the take away they eat every week.

I understand how hard it can be, shopping around, meal planning and buying what's in season does help though. I could spend even less, but fortunate enough that I can spend that little bit extra, but totally get how hard some families are having it out there.

plant a vegetable garden if you have the space! i feast on tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, and strawberries all summer long. all it takes is seeds, water, and sun

talking in terms of US

A typical salad thats loaded with crap making it unhealthy (bacon, dressings etc) $5
A typical salad I make at home: $0.75

Its costing you alot because you're buying healthy foods from stores rather than cooking it yourself. In US a salad is considered to have the biggest profit margin than any other item on any restaurants menu. A salad that would cost them 75 cents get to be sold for $5 while a steak that costs them $15 is sold for $20.

I cook most of my items at home, I'm a single guy and am not chef level cook but I can cook enough to eat healthy and have some variety. Most meals cost me less than a buck, I spend about $100 - $150 on groceries per month, which includes me eating out 3-4 times a month btw. Eating healthy isnt, buying "healthy items" from stores is

Where are you getting a salad that costs £4.95?

I'm in the UK, and I would usually buy
1 big bag spinach leaves (£1)
1 punnet cherry tomatoes (£1)
1/2 cucumber (50p)
1 red pepper (70p)

And that would form the basis of salads for a whole week, adding in something extra each day (a boiled egg, a slice of ham etc)

^^^^ This - I do not live in the UK, but I buy all my salad ingredients fresh, and then assemble my own salad each day......I also keep some of my steamed vegetables (made from raw broccoli, cauliflower, green beans) and add that to my salads......

I buy most of my greens at the local farmers market on a Saturday - and then top up as I need to during the week, so it is not all that expensive in the end of the day (definitely much cheaper than buying pre- made stuff) - and healthier too as I can control the ingredients

Yes, it's more expensive to eat healthy. Fresh fruits and vegetables cost a lot more to buy than fatty processed foods. There have been numerous studies showing that people living below the poverty line tend to obesity because they eat what they can afford. When a fast food burger is cheaper than a head of lettuce, well... for some people that difference in price means eating two meals instead of one.

I'm sorry but the conclusions of such "studies" are misguided at best. Rice and beans are cheap and filling. So are lentils and collard greens. Poor people have been doing a lot with cheap cuts of meats forever and it's all pretty healthy. It's true it isn't easy to get a great variety of fresh foods in the inner city. But there's no chicken and egg mystery to it. It's driven by a very troubled culture.

I think many people make illogical comparisons like a burger to a head of lettuce and get confused. What you'll end up spending on the day or the week is far more important than a specific meal or snack or food item. Healthy meals are usually much more filling and stick to your ribs longer.

Still a McDonalds meal is what like $8 or 9? (haven't been in a while.) I don't live in the inner city and can easily do a fine cut of of veal, pork, beef, chicken breast or a great cut of fish and sauteed veggies or small salad for half that. Order off the dollar menu instead? Fine. You'll be hungry in a hour and end up buying an extra meal or two's worth of junk. The burger is cheaper? Only if you can't add.

If you cook like grandma or great grandma did you'll do very well on a budget. If you buy pre-packaged or cooked foods understand you are paying a premium for that convenience. Crap food isn't nearly as cheap as some people claim.

Elle408, if you're wasting food you're not planning well. Just keep it simple. Stick to simple meals like seared meats, sauteed veggies, salads, etc. I'm a bachelor vegetarian who doesn't have much time for cooking or veg prep with a normal sized fridge and I almost never use frozen veggies and never waste fresh food unless I'm sick or have unexpected travel. I also don't go to the market more than twice a week. Take another look at your strategy.

I think it's definitely more expensive in terms of cooking for one and trying to buy fresh produce that has a short shelf life. To try and eat 5-8 fruit and veg portions a day means constantly having to visit the supermarket. A massive bag of spinach is about £1.20, and would last about two weeks if it didn't go slimey after 3 days, but it does so I have to throw out 2/3rds of the bag and go and get more. Same with bananas, huge bunch of about 10 for £1.40, but after 3/4 days they're turning black and you're left with 6 bananas to throw away. The list is endless with this sort of stuff! As i'm only cooking for myself, and I stick to strict portion sizes, I find that I'm constantly running out of good, fresh food because I've had to throw most of it away.

My food budget per week is about £20 (I'm a student) and it does help to buy frozen veg, and have a good look for offers, then buy those that can be portioned and frozen. Doing this though means i'm pretty much eating the same thing every day. I don't have the freezer or fridge space to prepare loads of meals to freeze so that's not an option. I'm also out of the house for at least twelve hours a day and don't have a fridge facility at college, so any food i take to be eaten needs to be able to be held in a bag, along with books and pens and not melt or go off or soggy, which discounts most of the healthy salads and sandwiches right away!

Since I got one here on a shelf in the local grocery store I am thinking you can find one there or buy it online. I got a frozen lunch box for less then 10 dollars US money. It has the frozen gel packs built into the bottom, top and sides. Every night I just wipe it out and put it in the freezer and it is ready to keep my food cold all day long. I bought the really cheap disposable gladware to pack my meals in. That helps a lot bcuz like you both I dont have a place to keep my food cold. It is pretty roomy and I can pack a whole days worth of food and it keeps it just the right temperature. Hope that helps. Also. Here you dont have to buy a whole bunch of bananas. Sometimes I just buy one. Also with the lettuce and greens. If you take the spinach out of the bag, rinse it and put it in a large plastic bowl with a lid or square tub, with layers of paper towel in between. You put a layer about an inch or so and then a moist paper towel then another layer and so on and take it out of the bag it will stay fresh and crisp for more then a week. I also buy ALOT of frozen veggies for when the fresh veggies run out. We never throw rotten produce away. If a banana goes to ripe which is rare in my house but sometimes it happens my daughter just puts it in the freezer. When we collect a few like 4 or 5 she lets them defrost on the counter in a bowl and we make banana/zucchini bread. She says freezing the bananas breaks the cell walls and they are mushier and have a stronger banana taste and I think she is right let me know if you have any more questions or need more ideas.

I'm also out of the house for at least twelve hours a day and don't have a fridge facility at college, so any food i take to be eaten needs to be able to be held in a bag, along with books and pens and not melt or go off or soggy, which discounts most of the healthy salads and sandwiches right away!

I work full time, 20 miles from home, and am of the out of the house for 10-12 hours a day. Chuck in four dogs to exercise and a fairly active social life.....and I can still plan and shop for £30 a week, three meals a day