Healthy Eating is Expensive

[KaraCooks]

I've seen this mentioned in 4 threads today and I guess I don't understand it.

When I started eating healthy, cutting out junk, cutting out eating fast food, etc., my food and grocery budget went DOWN significantly. What is it that people are eating that's so expensive that makes them feel that being healthy is expensive?

 

[alphaX]

The normal things which jack your insulin sky high and keep you fat, anything made from grains (pasta, rice, bread...), as well as potatoes, are used extensively as "filler" foods because they are dirt cheap. Same goes for processed meats (hot dogs, sausages, spam, etc), processed "cheese", etc... High GI junk food, all of it.

Start buying chicken breasts, salmon filets, tuna, sardines, sun dried tomatoes, olives, artichokes, fresh vegetables, etc... enough to give you sufficient nutrition per meal, and you will see your food costs rise.

Isn't it ironic that so many poor people are obese? How can poor people afford enough food to get obese? Answer: High GI junk food is really cheap, and it keeps you hooked like a drug, always craving the next fix after each sugar crash.

Yeah, eating healthy (according to my definition) is about 2-3 times more expensive than eating mainstream.

 

[7th]

I spend about 65 to 70 bucks a week to feed myself.

The real question is why do people feel like food is an area where they can go cheap and save money, when in reality it is probably the last area you should short yourself on quality?

Especially in the States where if you are unhealthy it can cost you a fortune.

 

[Cord the Seeker]

I disagree, alphax

Many processed and prepackaged foods may _seem_ cheap, but they are expensive in terms of how much nutrition you get for your money.

Let's look at fast food. For the cost of a McDonald's combo, you can go to the grocery store and bring home a bag full of fresh vegetables, and some whole grains. More food mass, better nutrition.

Ditto for storebought packaged foods. For the price of a package of hot dog weiners, you can easily buy a pound of lean ground beef - much healthier.
Or a few cans of tuna or salmon.

Soda - how much cheaper is water? Infinitely so. Even tea is just a fraction of the cost of soda.

And that "cheap" junk food? Most people don't replace more expensive foods with things like chips and cookies - they eat them on top of their regular meals. Eliminate those and you save a lot of money.

Yes, many good foods are more expensive than their cheap alternatives. But there is no comparison in the amount of nutrition. And eating lazy does end up costing you more in the long run, because a little planning can allow you to put together a healthy meal for a reasonable price.

I may buy more high-quality (and higher-cost) food now, but I can afford to, because I'm not wasting money on chips, pop and super-sized burger combos.
And it is hard to put a price on the health dividends.

One final point - my daughter's school lunches cost just a fraction of what a 'snack pack' or whatever would cost - and everything she takes is healthy food.

 

[meilinrei]

I know a little part of it for me is having stuff go bad on me! That's just a waste of money! But I'm still getting the hang of how often and how much of certain things to buy at one time.
I know in general fruit and veggies aren't terribly expensive compared to other things I used to buy, BUT if you're trying to eat a few servings of each every day you need quite a few on hand for variety and they do add up.... and then we're back at my first issue of getting the right amount so they don't go bad!

I guess because I just started a month ago there were quite a few things I bought which cost a fair bit, but will last a while. For example, I am trying to learn to make tasty (healthy) muffins. So I bought whole wheat flour and splenda and a few other things that I just never had in my house and that really made my one grocery bill ridiculous that time!

Kara, what are you eating that is so cheap when compared to what you used to buy?? I would love to know!

Maybe I just -feel- like healthy eating is more expensive and eventually it'll even out once I get the hang of it and have some staples in my house... but I still tend to agree with alphaX! All the crap-food you shouldn't eat is generally a good deal!

 

[kobusdv]

I had similar problems when starting out to eat more healthy. My grocery budget went up because I was buying fresh food for a week as I used to do. Now I buy more often so that there is less waste and try to plan ahead so that I buy things that can be used in multiple meals.

I think part of my problem was that I just made too much and that is why it seemed to cost more. Now I'm eating healthy and my grocery bill is definitely less than what it used to be. Just a few changes are necessary to help keeping costs down.

 

[Carthonn]

For some people it's cheaper, for some it's more expensive.

For newbies it's expensive but for veterans I think it's cheaper. You begin to get savvy and start to enjoy cooking. I don't eat out nearly as much as I used to and that has caused my lunch budget to decrease from $10 to $3. And that's with healthy eating! Salads are Maaaaaaaaaaaaaad expensive.

 

[Cord the Seeker]

For some people it's cheaper, for some it's more expensive.

For newbies it's expensive but for veterans I think it's cheaper. You begin to get savvy and start to enjoy cooking. I don't eat out nearly as much as I used to and that has caused my lunch budget to decrease from $10 to $3. And that's with healthy eating! Salads are Maaaaaaaaaaaaaad expensive.

That's a good point - you do get better at saving money over time as you learn how to eat more effectively.
But I don't think it takes all that long to become a veteran. Maybe a month from changing your lifestyle you should have changed your eating and buying habits sufficiently. Just my opinion.

When you say salads are expensive, I assume you mean restaurant salads?
Because salads are one of the cheapest things my family eats.

And don't forget that as you eat better, and especially around these parts, where most people are trying to lose weight, you are probably eating a heck of a lot less. That alone saves money.

 

[KaraCooks]

Cord has nailed my thoughts here.

I do agree that there is a learning curve to eating healthily. And ... there is a socio-economic issue that I'm not going to get into here because I *do* believe that there are some segments of society for whom the cost of eating healthy is sometimes prohibitive. There are inner city neighborhoods where there is not a large grocery store w/in walking distance or public transportation distance and the availability of fresh food is limited. I'd like to leave those drastic examples out and talk about the general population - I'd say the majority of us on this board. We all have some disposable income (or we wouldn't be on the Internet) and we all have some access to grocery stores and healthy food.

And I'll give the example that led me to this post: someone said their family would eat a large (family sized) bag of Doritos, but that buying healthy food was too expensive. Now at my grocery store a large bag of chips is around $5. For $5 right now I can buy:
5# bag of gala apples (that's about 12 med-small apples)
a whole chicken (that will feed 2 people for 4 meals)
6 bags of various kinds of dried beans, peas, and lentils (and a whole bag of any of those is enough for 10 or more meals)
4 bags of frozen veg (currently on sale at my grocery store, store brand, 4 for $5)
a large container of oats (enough for 42 servings)
a large bag of frozen blueberries which will provide me fruit for 10 breakfasts

I could go on - this is just the stuff that's fresh in my mind because I just got home from the grocery store.

And add to that, think about all the times I ate out, especially for lunch. A prime example is this:
Lunch before healthy diet: 4 out of 5 work days I'd eat out - either buying from the cafeteria downstairs, walking across the street to one of the local restaurants, or going out with friends. At an average of $7 per day (and often more like $10 per day) that was anywhere from $28 to $40 a week on eating out.

Lunch now: I buy a loaf of bread ($2.99), cans of tuna and chicken on sale ($1.50 a can), low fat cheese ($3.99 for a wheel of 8 wedges), and a jar of pickles ($3.99). The loaf of bread will last 2 weeks, as will the jar of pickles. Add a handful of baby carrots or an apple, which is what I eat with lunch every day, and my lunch just dropped to $3.30 per day or $16.5 per week.

-----

I think what a lot of people do is define "healthy" in such a way as to be prohibitive. I think it then becomes another excuse. And I'm not saying people necessarily do it intentionally - I think for a lot of people it's unconscious.

I think the first person who responded to me is kind of a prime example of this. AlphaX said "eating healthy (according to my definition) is 2-3 times more expensive ..."

"According to my definition" is the key. You can MAKE it expensive by putting all kinds of arbitrary restrictions on it. But at it's core, eating healthy doesn't mean all the caveats that most people put on it.
Eating healthy does not mean you have to buy all organic food.
Eating healthy does not mean you have to buy all fresh fruit and veg, even if it's out of season.
Eating healthy does not mean you have to buy gourmet food.
Eating healthy does not mean you have to buy brand names.

If the choice is between eating a bag of chips vs. rice and beans vs. organic rice and organic beans in gourmet olive oil ... the second option is still HEALTHY. And it's far healthier choice than the bag of chips.

And that's where I get frustrated with people who say "I can't eat healthy because it's too expensive." I guarantee that eating healthy can be much cheaper than eating junk - if you learn how.

 

[Carthonn]

That's a good point - you do get better at saving money over time as you learn how to eat more effectively.
But I don't think it takes all that long to become a veteran. Maybe a month from changing your lifestyle you should have changed your eating and buying habits sufficiently. Just my opinion.

When you say salads are expensive, I assume you mean restaurant salads?
Because salads are one of the cheapest things my family eats.

And don't forget that as you eat better, and especially around these parts, where most people are trying to lose weight, you are probably eating a heck of a lot less. That alone saves money.

Yes I did mean at restaurants. It blows my mind when I see a ceasar for $10.

 

[Carthonn]

Cord has nailed my thoughts here.

I do agree that there is a learning curve to eating healthily. And ... there is a socio-economic issue that I'm not going to get into here because I *do* believe that there are some segments of society for whom the cost of eating healthy is sometimes prohibitive. There are inner city neighborhoods where there is not a large grocery store w/in walking distance or public transportation distance and the availability of fresh food is limited. I'd like to leave those drastic examples out and talk about the general population - I'd say the majority of us on this board. We all have some disposable income (or we wouldn't be on the Internet) and we all have some access to grocery stores and healthy food.

And I'll give the example that led me to this post: someone said their family would eat a large (family sized) bag of Doritos, but that buying healthy food was too expensive. Now at my grocery store a large bag of chips is around $5. For $5 right now I can buy:
5# bag of gala apples (that's about 12 med-small apples)
a whole chicken (that will feed 2 people for 4 meals)
6 bags of various kinds of dried beans, peas, and lentils (and a whole bag of any of those is enough for 10 or more meals)
4 bags of frozen veg (currently on sale at my grocery store, store brand, 4 for $5)
a large container of oats (enough for 42 servings)
a large bag of frozen blueberries which will provide me fruit for 10 breakfasts

I could go on - this is just the stuff that's fresh in my mind because I just got home from the grocery store.

And add to that, think about all the times I ate out, especially for lunch. A prime example is this:
Lunch before healthy diet: 4 out of 5 work days I'd eat out - either buying from the cafeteria downstairs, walking across the street to one of the local restaurants, or going out with friends. At an average of $7 per day (and often more like $10 per day) that was anywhere from $28 to $40 a week on eating out.

Lunch now: I buy a loaf of bread ($2.99), cans of tuna and chicken on sale ($1.50 a can), low fat cheese ($3.99 for a wheel of 8 wedges), and a jar of pickles ($3.99). The loaf of bread will last 2 weeks, as will the jar of pickles. Add a handful of baby carrots or an apple, which is what I eat with lunch every day, and my lunch just dropped to $3.30 per day or $16.5 per week.

-----

I think what a lot of people do is define "healthy" in such a way as to be prohibitive. I think it then becomes another excuse. And I'm not saying people necessarily do it intentionally - I think for a lot of people it's unconscious.

I think the first person who responded to me is kind of a prime example of this. AlphaX said "eating healthy (according to my definition) is 2-3 times more expensive ..."

"According to my definition" is the key. You can MAKE it expensive by putting all kinds of arbitrary restrictions on it. But at it's core, eating healthy doesn't mean all the caveats that most people put on it.
Eating healthy does not mean you have to buy all organic food.
Eating healthy does not mean you have to buy all fresh fruit and veg, even if it's out of season.
Eating healthy does not mean you have to buy gourmet food.
Eating healthy does not mean you have to buy brand names.

If the choice is between eating a bag of chips vs. rice and beans vs. organic rice and organic beans in gourmet olive oil ... the second option is still HEALTHY. And it's far healthier choice than the bag of chips.

And that's where I get frustrated with people who say "I can't eat healthy because it's too expensive." I guarantee that eating healthy can be much cheaper than eating junk - if you learn how.

When things are working I think people don't want to break away from it. If the South Beach Diet Bars and Healthy Choice meals are working then they don't want to stray.

 

[Omega]

When things are working I think people don't want to break away from it. If the South Beach Diet Bars and Healthy Choice meals are working then they don't want to stray.

If you want to take that tack there are some pretty expensive items of quality junk out there that would raise the junk price option up. We could compare the prices of a Belgian chocolate junk food option - I have often enjoyed that before I started to lose weight.

I know that before I started to lose weight I used to be much more inclined to eat packaged dinners from such as Marks and Spencers. Now packaged foods actually never felt that they came in a big enough serving size for us and I have often seen us buy 2 packages per person. You compare 2 package "quality store" dinners per person with what I can stir fry using skinless chicken, courgettes, onions, peppers, and I cheat and use a Tesco value sauce which happens to be low calorie. In summer I make it even cheaper because we grow our own courgettes and tomatoes.

Add to this that before - I actually tended to eat out more and if we are comparing restaurant prices with what I can cook - there really is no comparison on price.

 

[bvilleh]

I really don't know why people think eating healthy is expensive. Might be they have already categorized it into healthy foods = special foods, which then is ideal to that it must cost more then they bargain.

 

[San2]

I actually agree to a certain extent, the healthier options can be more expensive.

Example:

Chicken breast 500 gr (17.6 Oz),£ 5.00 -
minced beef (high fat content), 500 gr, £ 0.99
cheap microwave meal, £ 0.99

So for my £ 5.00, I would get 2.5 kg of fatty minced beef, enough for burgers for a week. Or 5 microwave meals, which would last for the week as well.

Even worse when it comes to fish, 500 gr of salmon are about £ 8 - 10. I love fish, but unless I find an offer, the only fish I get is canned tuna. I tried going for the fish from the 'reduced' shelf last week, and I am still struggling to keep food down at the moment. Not a good idea.

White rice, 500 gr bag, £ 0.69 - Brown rice, 500 gr bag, £ 1.99 (both supermarket's own label)

White bread, 1 loaf, £ 0.45 - Multigrain bread, 1 loaf of the same size, £ 1.49

You get the idea.



Granted, it doesn't go for everything. If I buy 5 bars of chocolate, it'll cost me about £ 6.50. For that, I can get a bunch of bananas (£ 1.00), some apples (£ 1.00), nectarines (£ 1.00) and usually some berries, if I get them on offer.

That said, blueberries and raspberries are between £ 2 - 3.00 for a small pack, which lasts me two days. Not a lot, if you think about it.

Water - would be nice if I could drink the tap water here, but I can't. It's full of chlorine, and has a horrible smell, a mix of chlorine and mould, to it. Even a water filter couldn't get that stuff to taste even remotely like water. And the cheap stuff out of the supermarket tastes exactly the same, so in all actual fact, my water is more expensive than my husband's Pepsi.

I have to say that since I tried to start eating healthier, my grocery costs have gone up significantly, but mainly because I have to buy my healthier options on top of the junk that I have to buy for the rest of the family. That's something that needs to be taken into account, people who have a family that might not be interested in the 'rabbit food' (his words, not mine) at all.

And another problem for me is that I can't buy any fruit or vegetables in large quantities, and even if I buy a smaller amount, half of it goes bad before I can eat it. I don't have the time to go shopping every other day for fresh stuff, so I am spending a lot of money on things that go into the bin after 3 or 4 days, which annoys me to no end.

But yeah, I can imagine that if you only have to go shopping for yourself, or if you have a family that agrees with the healthy options, after a short while you would be able to save some money. But in a less ideal situation, which is probably the case for the majority, the healthy stuff will go on top of everything, and strain the budget.

 

[alphaX]

I think what a lot of people do is define "healthy" in such a way as to be prohibitive. I think it then becomes another excuse. And I'm not saying people necessarily do it intentionally - I think for a lot of people it's unconscious.

I think the first person who responded to me is kind of a prime example of this. AlphaX said "eating healthy (according to my definition) is 2-3 times more expensive ..."

"According to my definition" is the key. You can MAKE it expensive by putting all kinds of arbitrary restrictions on it. But at it's core, eating healthy doesn't mean all the caveats that most people put on it.
Eating healthy does not mean you have to buy all organic food.
Eating healthy does not mean you have to buy all fresh fruit and veg, even if it's out of season.
Eating healthy does not mean you have to buy gourmet food.
Eating healthy does not mean you have to buy brand names.

I will give you some examples of what I mean. Prices are in euros, rounded up to the next 5 cents..


Pasta and sauce (lunch)
--------------------
500g box of pasta - 1.50
400g jar of tomato and olive sauce - 2.00
(parmesan on hand)
--
3.50 feeds 4-5 people


Macaroni and ground beef casserole (dinner)
----------------------------------
400g bag of macaroni - 0.50
400g ground beef (15% fat) - 3.00
1 large onion - 0.50
3 eggs - 0.50
7dl milk - 1.00
(some spices on hand)
--
5.50 feeds 4-5 people


Greek Salad and sardines
-------------------------
3 large tomatoes - 2.00
1 large cucumber - 1.50
1 large red onion - 0.50
200g feta cheese - 3.00
200g jar of calamata olives - 2.00
50g jar of capers - 1.00
2 cans of sardines - 3.00
(herbs, spices, and olive oil on hand)
--
13.00 feeds 4 people


Chicken breasts and vegetables
------------------------------
4 skinless chicken breasts - 8.00
500g broccoli - 1.50
500g cauliflower - 1.50
1 jar plain dijon mustard - 2.00
(and some olive oil on hand)
--
13.00 feeds 4 people


The first two examples are very common as entire meals for the average person, and they are dirt cheap. The second two examples are the types of meals I eat everyday, and they are not cheap.

 

[Mary2009]

hi:
Yes is true I buy fresh food imagine 1 broccoli $3.00 I need every day for make my extracts juices 1 broccoli, 1 carrot, 1 apple, half of cucumber, some grapes that is only for 1 glass of juice. I need work hard just for buy good food.

 

[KaraCooks]

Greek Salad and sardines
-------------------------
3 large tomatoes - 2.00
1 large cucumber - 1.50
1 large red onion - 0.50
200g feta cheese - 3.00
200g jar of calamata olives - 2.00
50g jar of capers - 1.00
2 cans of sardines - 3.00
(herbs, spices, and olive oil on hand)
--
13.00 feeds 4 people


Chicken breasts and vegetables
------------------------------
4 skinless chicken breasts - 8.00
500g broccoli - 1.50
500g cauliflower - 1.50
1 jar plain dijon mustard - 2.00
(and some olive oil on hand)
--

See and this is the EXACT thing I'm talking about. Those things that I've highlighted in red are luxury items - they're not necessary for healthy eating.

Why do you have to have GREEK salad - why not just a regular salad with low-fat shredded cheese? That's also healthy. Healthy does NOT = gourmet.

Why do you have to put expensive dijon mustard on your chicken breasts and veggies. Why not a sprinkle of red wine vinegar instead? Or regular mustard with some spices on hand mixed in? For that matter, why do you have to buy skinless chicken breasts. You can save money by buying a whole chicken or even by buying a package of already cut up chicken and removing the skin yourself.

You can't compare a plain jane macaroni and beef casserole with a boneless/skinless chicken breast dish with gourmet mustard and then claim that eating healthy is too expensive.

 

[Omega]

And no-one I know in Greece bothers with capers or sardines in their Greek salad (horiatiki). Come to that they grow the olives themselves so they pay nothing for the olives or olive oil...

 

[Cord the Seeker]

And personally, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with the aforementioned pasta and sauce or beef casserole meals. There was nothing pre-packaged or processed in there.
If you make your pasta sauce by starting with plain tomato sauce instead of a premade pasta sauce, then adding some spices and vegetables to taste, then you are even better off, as premade sauces generally have a lot of additives.

Pasta is not inherently evil or bad for you, particularly if you cook it al dente, which gives it a lower GI. The main problem with pasta is what people put on it, which is often unhealthy fat.

I don't know about the rest of you, but when I cook ground beef I strain the fat off as it cooks. It may still have some fat, but it doesn't have added sodium, preservatives or whatever. I don't see where people think ground beef is a horrible unhealthy choice.
(Mind you, I also buy organic, non-medicated grassfed ground beef, which costs $3.50 - $4.00 per pound, but that's still not too bad, considering that 1 pound feeds my family of 3 for 2 days.)

I'll throw in a pasta suggestion that my family often enjoys, is very healthy, and is dirt cheap.
Toss the cooked pasta with some chopped (and possibly steamed, depending) vegetables in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and wine vinegar, add some crumbled feta (or even just some shredded cheddar or whatever), and there you go. Cheap, nutritious, healthy.

Skinless chicken is generally much more expensive than buying chicken with skin and removing the skin yourself, as Kara says. Do a little of the work yourself and save money. Buy a whole chicken and save a lot more.

Random tidbit - a friend of mine, curious, bought regular ground beef and lean ground beef to see which was more cost-effective. After cooking both and straining off the fat, the regular ground beef actually gave more meat for the money than the lean did.

 

[alphaX]

And no-one I know in Greece bothers with capers or sardines in their Greek salad (horiatiki). Come to that they grow the olives themselves so they pay nothing for the olives or olive oil...

I don't put sardines in my salad, I just eat them in addition because they taste good.

Capers, they add a lot of flavor. I spend a lot of time in Greece and at least in the remote area I am in, there are always capers. Could be a local thing, who knows. In any case, they pack a lot of flavor.