Is eating healthy really more expensive?
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I agree that it seems to be cheaper. One of my favorite dinners is lentils with sauteed veggies. Pretty sure it comes out to under $1 for my whole dinner that keeps me full for hours! Compare that to the $4 I used to spend on dinner from fast food places all the time.
However, there is something I do find interesting here. I know a while back people were criticizing people on food stamps for using them to buy unhealthy foods. So a professional chef did a study in which he tried to cook healthy meals with the amount of money people on food stamps were getting. He couldn't do it! Apparently he proved that they really couldn't afford to buy healthier foods. I wish I had the link to the study on hand. Honestly I don't get it!
My aunt gets $450 dollars a month in food stamps for her, her 11 yr old son, and her 7 yr old son. If i had that kind of money for my dad and i, we would be eating GREAT the whole month. Rice and beans are cheap and healthy, potatoes are healthy, and you don't always have to eat meat. Chefs are so used to all the different ingredients they use to make things, that they sometimes don't know how to simplify a recipe to make it budget friendly. I love Jaime Oliver's food revolution becuase these lower income families don't really know how to cook, or some just don't have the time. I work two jobs, and have managed to create meals in about 15-30 mins for a full dinner. You just adapt. Also, it doesn't take much time to look in your local grocery store to see if there are things on sale. I shop at walmart for my groceries, and its 45 mins away, but if i were to shop at my local albertsons we would starve all month long because albertsons is WAY expensive0 -
in the context of eating at home with wholesome cooked meals vs cheap fast food yes its cheaper but when it comes down to it when i'm really super broke my default groceries are mainly pasta and packaged meals because they are cheaper to prepare at home than eating healthier whole grain type of pastas and lots of produce. i will say though that its an expense i'm willing to incur because id rather be healthy than unhealthy paying tons of money on medical bills and bigger clothes.0
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I am spending more, now that I'm eating healthier. I wasn't eating at restaurants a lot before though, if someone was eating restaurant meals and expensive fast food meals a lot, it could be more expensive to eat unhealthy food. I also like having my Vitamuffins now, and my Laughing Cow cheese, which are both a bit expensive. My snacks cost more than unhealthy ones do, but my meals cost less.0
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Fruits don't cost alot.
Chicken don't cost alot. You don't have to just buy chicken breast you know? drumsticks are what 99 cents per lb? chicken legs are like 79 cents /lb?
My typical meals are about 75-90 cents per meal btw
Here in Tasmania, Australia the average price per kilo for apples (and we are the "Apple Isle" so they shouldn't be imported) is...4$ per kilo (2$ a lb). That is about 6 apples. Cherries were 13$ a kilo. Ok bananas are on special for 89c a kilo (45c a lb). But there is no way I'd say our fruit is CHEAP. Nor are vegetables.
Chicken DOES cost a lot. 13$ for a whole 1.6 kilo (5.6lb) bird. Drumsticks are about 5$ a kilo. Thigh meat? averages out at 10$, breast, a lot more. I'm not sure on the exact cost, because they are too expensive for me.
MY meals cost say..on average, about 5-8$ - depending on what t is of course. At that rate, a 5.95 Dominos pizza is actually cheaper.
So while eating healthier might cost more where YOU (generically) live, it isn't the same everywhere. Attacking people who say it is dearer to eat healthily can be way off base.0 -
The way I heard it described was that you can have your food easy, cheap, and healthy - but you can only pick two of the three adjectives. Personally, since I don't have much money, I pick cheap and healthy (raw vegetables, plain meats, etc.) and just do the prep work myself.0
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It isn't always cheaper. I think it depends on how much money you have and how many people you have to feed.
These past few months, we've been struggling a lot to feed my family of 3 on just one income. At times, we really did have to settle for unhealthy, but cheaper things just to get by; e.g. white bread was on sale for $1, compared to whole wheat that was $2 - 3. Every cent counts sometimes.
I think it's stupid to say that eating healthier is cheaper *in all cases*. In some cases, it's just not. If I have to feed my family for a month, but only have $50, buying fresh produce just isn't going to last as long as a bag of white rice or a huge sack of potatoes. And to be honest, when you're that broke, eating healthy is not typically on one's top priority list; it's feeling full and meeting calorie needs in whatever way one can.
This article explains my point a little better. http://www.fatnutritionist.com/index.php/if-only-poor-people-understood-nutrition/0 -
I find planning meals for the week and shopping with a list helps. We mostly cook from scratch and generally find the shopping a little cheaper.
We also shOp at Costco for bulk items like toilet and kitchen roll. We also buy weetabix, tinned tomatoes and tuna/mackerel in bulk too.0 -
Fruits don't cost alot.
Chicken don't cost alot. You don't have to just buy chicken breast you know? drumsticks are what 99 cents per lb? chicken legs are like 79 cents /lb?
My typical meals are about 75-90 cents per meal btw
Here in Tasmania, Australia the average price per kilo for apples (and we are the "Apple Isle" so they shouldn't be imported) is...4$ per kilo (2$ a lb). That is about 6 apples. Cherries were 13$ a kilo. Ok bananas are on special for 89c a kilo (45c a lb). But there is no way I'd say our fruit is CHEAP. Nor are vegetables.
Chicken DOES cost a lot. 13$ for a whole 1.6 kilo (5.6lb) bird. Drumsticks are about 5$ a kilo. Thigh meat? averages out at 10$, breast, a lot more. I'm not sure on the exact cost, because they are too expensive for me.
MY meals cost say..on average, about 5-8$ - depending on what t is of course. At that rate, a 5.95 Dominos pizza is actually cheaper.
So while eating healthier might cost more where YOU (generically) live, it isn't the same everywhere. Attacking people who say it is dearer to eat healthily can be way off base.
Well, for you its different,....i'm talking about people in my area. I li
ve in a county where a lot of the country's produce comes from (in cali)....we have farmers markets even in my little tiny town, and we have a farmers market 45 mins away. But like someone said earlier, when there is a will there is a way, they have those pots now where you can grow veggies/fruits on your porch or even window seal. One day soon id like to grow a pot garden(not cannibus, but tarrocatta) so then i can just pay for the water and seeds and be good to go for the season0 -
I think a calorie is a calorie no matter where it comes from.
Mark Haub's study is a perfect example of that.0 -
It isn't always cheaper. I think it depends on how much money you have and how many people you have to feed.
These past few months, we've been struggling a lot to feed my family of 3 on just one income. At times, we really did have to settle for unhealthy, but cheaper things just to get by; e.g. white bread was on sale for $1, compared to whole wheat that was $2 - 3. Every cent counts sometimes.
I think it's stupid to say that eating healthier is cheaper *in all cases*. In some cases, it's just not. If I have to feed my family for a month, but only have $50, buying fresh produce just isn't going to last as long as a bag of white rice or a huge sack of potatoes. And to be honest, when you're that broke, eating healthy is not typically on one's top priority list; it's feeling full and meeting calorie needs in whatever way one can.
This article explains my point a little better. http://www.fatnutritionist.com/index.php/if-only-poor-people-understood-nutrition/
Contrary to popular belief, white rice and potatoes aren't bad for you....white potatoes actually have tons of potassium in them, and serve their health purpose as well.0 -
Well, I don't think it's very healthy to eat white rice and potatoes without balancing it out with fruit and other vegetables. That's all I meant. Because I haven't been able to afford anything more, my diet has basically been potatoes, white rice, and bread. The amount of carbs I've consumed has been unbelievably high as well.
Oops... meant to quote dumb_blondes_0 -
My old idea of eating healthy was super expensive. My ideas have changed. Now I sit my kids down and they make a list of all the fruits, veggies and lean meats they want. I make it a point to spend half of my grocery budget on fresh fruits and veggies. We come home and clean everything and pput it in containers which takes an hour and a half or so. Then its ready to go. I told them the challenge is to eat it all before anything goes bad. We have to check and see what needs to be eaten first and thats how we plan our meals. I have been able to trick my husband into eating better too. Its sort of a game and it is so much less expensive than eating out of buying prepackaged stuff. On top of that we are getting really creative on how to make our family favorites out of the healthy stuff.0
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Fruits don't cost alot.
Chicken don't cost alot. You don't have to just buy chicken breast you know? drumsticks are what 99 cents per lb? chicken legs are like 79 cents /lb?
My typical meals are about 75-90 cents per meal btw
Here in Tasmania, Australia the average price per kilo for apples (and we are the "Apple Isle" so they shouldn't be imported) is...4$ per kilo (2$ a lb). That is about 6 apples. Cherries were 13$ a kilo. Ok bananas are on special for 89c a kilo (45c a lb). But there is no way I'd say our fruit is CHEAP. Nor are vegetables.
Chicken DOES cost a lot. 13$ for a whole 1.6 kilo (5.6lb) bird. Drumsticks are about 5$ a kilo. Thigh meat? averages out at 10$, breast, a lot more. I'm not sure on the exact cost, because they are too expensive for me.
MY meals cost say..on average, about 5-8$ - depending on what t is of course. At that rate, a 5.95 Dominos pizza is actually cheaper.
So while eating healthier might cost more where YOU (generically) live, it isn't the same everywhere. Attacking people who say it is dearer to eat healthily can be way off base.
Attacking people? Where did I made any attacks...?
And I can appreciate your point. You're right, I didn't thought of regional values. However, I have lived in Asia, Europe and US. In all of those regions, eating healthier (again, doesn't mean organic and all that crap. Simply eating home) was much healthier than eating out.
For me, eating at home means less than a $1 a meal which is fairly cheap. Thats between 4-5$ per day for a single man.
In Australia prices seem to be high and since I've never lived there, I won't comment about that however, I showed the prices that're in US. chicken isn't very expensive. Heck even boneless/skinless chicken is about 3$ per lb which tbh isn't all that high compared to red meat0 -
Yes, it is. I grew up in a really poor environment and my mum cooked all our meals from scratch every day but the one thing she couldn't afford to give us was quality proteins and "fancy" foods like salads. She also couldn't afford to cook something new or imaginative in case her three kids wouldn't eat it, and you know how conservative kids are. Meals were always based around a large quantity of stodgy carbs with a bit of flavouring from bacon or onion or something: satisfaction came from feeling full, but it didn't help our waistlines.
As an adult, I could spend a lot less on food than I do, but it would spending more time shopping for food and preparing food. I work two jobs so this would mean cutting into the limited amount of me time I have. I have a lot of interests outside losing weight and i don't want to sacrifice them for what i see as essentially a body-maintenance issue - my mental health is important too! Convenience food (Waitrose and Marks and Spencer's ready meals), prepared organic salads, good cuts of free range steak and chicken and free range eggs get me through the week... I seem to have strayed slightly from my original point, but I hope you get what I mean.0 -
It actually is more expensive ** UP FRONT** to purchase whole, nutritious foods and make your meals from scratch Think about it like this, to make a pot of beef stew - assuming you have nothing on hand - you have to buy the meat, the vegetables - potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, celery, flour, beef broth (assuming you don't have bones to make it!) herbs and spices this is going to cost you at LEAST $20 for a family of four with left overs OR you can pay $3-5 for a couple name brand cans of high calorie, high fat, high sodium processed beef stew with no left overs.
PER SERVING whole, fresh foods are cheaper, it's the upfront cost that gets people. And when you are poor trying to make food stamps or a limited budget stretch it's easier to go with the cheap processed foods.0 -
Cheaper to eat healthy IMO.
I batch make food and I'm always saying to my husband that it's sooooo cheap to make it. Meat would be the only expensive thing in it but I use 2-3 chicken fillets when I make a batch of something with chicken in it.
Eating healthy is cheaper.0 -
Ooh nice website, thanks! I found it a little dearer in the fact that my usual meat shopping included lots of mince (low grade cause it's cheaper) and sausages - I've had to rethink that of course to allow for leaner whole meat or premium low-fat mince. But really the fact is that it's cheaper than constant doctors' visits because I'm sick or new clothes because I'm too fat for my old ones, and SO cool to have an excuse to eat nicer meat! I prefer nice meat, but it IS dearer, so before now I just didn't let myself splurge on it. Now? I HAVE to have it because the other rubbish is not good for me. Also some other things like fat-free yoghurt, sugar-free fruit spread etc can be dearer but they aren't essential to happiness. Anyway, the amount I was spending on McDonalds, Beer and Pizza???? Yeah, it's cheaper eating well! A 6" sub is always less than a quarter pounder!0
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It really depends on what you are calling, "eating healthy." If you are just cutting calories then eating healthy is not really anymore expensive, but if you are taking healthy beyond merely calories then it can get more expensive. Buying organic fruits and vegetables are more expensive but cuts down on the amount of chemicals you are ingesting. I like fish, especially salmon; wild Alaskan salmon is healthier for you (and a little less calorie dense) than it's farmed Atlantic counterpart but it is also more expensive as well. There are many other foods where if you are trying to eat healthy beyond merely calories, it can get expensive.
That said, most of the time that excuse is used it is merely in relation to calories and I came to find out it is pretty much hogwash (It was an excuse I used to use).0 -
There is never going to be a simple answer to this - I think eating healthy can be cheaper, but that assumes that you have the education, resources and time to shop and cook well. So, for some people it's just not going to happen. And to be honest, I think a lot of people aren't looking for that option - the easy fast food route looks good to them.
I live in Australia (Perth) and while some things are certainly more expensive here (I've never seen chicken breasts cheaper than $9/kg, usually you would pay abouy $14/kg or about $6/pound) you can get reasonably priced fruit and veggies if you shop around. For example, I can shop at the supermarket and pay upwards of $4-5/kg for apples, or I can go to my local market and get them for $1.79 or so at most times of the year.
The prices are all relative though, so I still think it is better value to buy chicken and veggies and rice and make my own soup or chicken casserole and it's going to be cheaper, healthier, more filling and much more tasty that a Lean Cuisine.0 -
It is definitely more expensive to buy food here (junk and fresh) in Australia. As an example, chicken is usually $10-12 per kg (that's about $5-6 per lb for the metricly challenged). A lot of our food is 50-100% more expensive here which is painful at times.
I think it comes down to scale. As someone said earlier, filling your fridge and cupboard with healthy food is expensive up front - but it works out about even or perhaps a bit cheaper in the long-run. There are also ways of eating healthier that can minimise the costs such as buying snap frozen vegetables instead of fresh (last longer so less wastage, and still very good nutritional value).
I think if you have a larger family eating healthier is more viable too. The cost of preparing 4-5 meals at home from fresh ingredients is almost always cheaper than takeaway in my experience. Just economy of scale.0
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