Can You Afford to Eat Healthy?
A few weeks ago, my readers voted on whether healthy foods are more expensive and if that's one reason so many people don't eat a healthier diet. Some of the comments were enlightening and there were plenty of readers who just weren't buying it.
We have a little more information to go on now thanks to a new study, Is Price a Barrier to Eating More Fruits and Vegetables for Low-Income Families? by the American Dietetic Association. Some of the interesting facts gleaned from this study:
- The dietary guidelines recommend 9 servings of fruits and veggies a day
- People with higher incomes are more likely to meet these dietary recommendations
- People who make less than $25,000 a year eat only about 5 servings a day
- Low-income neighborhoods often have higher food prices since these neighborhoods often have fewer and smaller supermarkets, which charge more
- Studies show that it costs about 17-19% more to eat healthier choices (e.g., whole-wheat instead of white bread, nonfat dairy, etc.).
- On average, low-income families would have to devote 43-70% of their food budget to meet the fruit and veggie dietary guidelines.
Looking at these facts, it's easy to see why choosing healthy foods isn't always an option. One recommendation is to shop at bulk food stores, which usually have the lowest prices. That's great if you can find one nearby but, for many, the cost of getting there and the time it would take may end up offsetting what they would save.
So, what's the answer? Would lowering prices solve the problem or would people still keep eating the same way? Should we tax unhealthy foods to make them less appealing? Should we educate people on how to budget their money so they can afford healthy foods? Leave a comment and tell us what you think.
Comments
This issue has always been a concern for me, a wife and mother of three who tries to buy as healthy as possible with the budget that we have. Unfortunately, I don’t know that there is a solution to this problem. Taxing cheap, unhealthy food is not the answer–we have enough taxes on necessities like gas. And I honestly believe that people know how to eat right, they simply choose not to. Priorities often lie in other places and many choose to spend their money on things like cable tv, acrylic nails, and cigarettes (how many people have you stood behind in line at the grocery store who bought a carton of cigarettes for $45 and then paid for their food with food stamps?). I believe it is simply a fact of life: a better product just costs more money, and that’s that. You can buy a car for $12,000 or one for $36,000, guess which one is going to have more safety features, be more comfortable, and have better performance? In the end, I don’t mind paying a little more for quality, healthy, nutritious food, even if I need to sacrifice a few items of luxury.
It is easy to eat healthy, Staying away from process fake food may seem cheaper but it is not. In the long run investing in your future to eat healthy
and planning meals can save you money . We are all so ready for quick fixes.
Making high fat foods more expensive wouldn’t be the answer. People have a choice and most of us have chosen to eat the foods that “taste good”. Allbeit true some low-income families would definitely appreciate being able to buy cheaper healthier foods and would do so.
This issue of healthy and affordable food choices is very interesting and has broad social, economic and political implications. Everyone should be concerned for the health and welfare of the citizenry particularly the young, uneducated and financially disadvantaged. Good food choices should be taught at school from the beginning because families are not teaching values.
If we got back to using fresh fruits and veggies even meats that would help. Also how can we ask people to eat better, when what they can afford is cheaper? The foods that are better for us should be the norm not the other way around.
People who don’t believe that eating healthy is more expensive need a reality check.
Another thought is subsidizing healthy food, but that isn’t realistic.
If healthy food prices were lowered, I’m sure some people would still buy unhealthy. But I’d certainly buy more healthy food.
Taxing cheap, unhealthy food would only hurt low income people even more, and have the net effect of putting less food on their tables. If you can’t afford healthy food in the first place, taxing its alternative isn’t going to change the fact that you can’t afford the healthy food.
Eatng healthy = living longer = longer you have to support yourself = more cost. I think Dillan’s point is that it likely also means a healthier, happier life, therefore lower medical costs, but I don’t know of anyone becoming immortal because of how they eat.
Taxing junk food (much like we do cigarettes and alcohol) is not a bad idea, IF it buys us lower prices and more options in healthy foods. With 1/3 of our country obese, apparently people need some control. You could still eat junk food but at least you’d be funding a new road or something. I tend to agree with Laura, but if we suddenly all started eating fruit and nuts, I’ll bet frito-lay would shift their efforts accordingly.
Organically grown food show the acutal price on growing it. Commerically processed foods don’t. Commerical produce food has all the nutrients removed and then add some artifical nutrients and called it enriched. I will take organic food over commerical processed food any day.
But don’t you think that the school system has enough of a burden trying to teach kids about so many life skills that are no longer taught at home? And in the end, people are most likely to follow what they have learned and seen at home. People will eat what they want–you can’t tell me that uneducated and/or underpriveledged persons don’t know the difference between a bag of potato chips and a bag of apples. I agree, EVERYBODY should be concerned as weight issues have become a national epidemic. I just don’t believe that the school system should be held responsible.
Im a single mom and when I have the money I buy healthier foods. Its rare thet I do. I wish I could afford to stock my kitchen with fruits and healthy snacks but I get stuck with things like little debbies. A teacher once demanded students bring healthy snacks only. I told her this is what I can afford and if se didnt like she couldbuy my daughters snacks. She changed her rule, I quess it was too expensive for her too.
Seems like effort is a factor too. There are only so many raw vegetables a person can eat. To get all those veggies in a way that tastes good and that kids will eat too, there is some prep time involved. Many people with low incomes may also have long hours or two jobs, and not want to cook meals from scratch, so they opt for the frozen pizza.
That said, fruits and vegetables are not that expensive if you pay attention to prices and sales. Orange peppers are pretty, but plain green ones cost 1/3 as much. Celery is cheap. Potatoes are cheap, and can be cooked in 5 minutes in the microwave. apples and bananas are not that expensive either. Pretzels are cheap, and a lot healthier than individually wrapped snack cakes. Its not that hard, it just requires a shift in habits, and a little more prep time.
Seems like effort is a factor too. Many people with low incomes may also have long hours or two jobs, and not want to cook meals from scratch, so they opt for the frozen pizza.
Fruits and vegetables are not that expensive if you pay attention to prices and sales. Orange peppers are pretty, but plain green ones cost 1/3 as much. Celery is cheap. Potatoes are cheap, and can be cooked in 5 minutes in the microwave. apples and bananas are not that expensive either. Pretzels are cheap, and a lot healthier than individually wrapped snack cakes. Its not that hard, it just requires a shift in habits, and a little more prep time. (Second attempt to post this message -sorry if it appears twice.)
I am on a fixed income. I find it hard to buy brown wheat and brown pasta instead of white wheat and white pasta. I can’t afford fresh anything. I may have to go back buying 25 lbs of white wheat.
Just saw Ben’s remark:People who don’t believe that eating healthy is more expensive need a reality check.
Sure its a little more expensive, depending on what you get, but take a box of sugared cereal or pop tarts. Those cost, what, $4-$5? Do you know how many potatoes I could buy with $5? Shred them up, saute with some oil and salt and pepper, and have hash browns for breakfast instead. It would cost the same, make more servings, and be more nutritious. Its not more expensive, it just takes a few minutes extra, and since it doesn’t have pink frosting, you might actually have to apply a little discipline to get your kids to eat it.
There are two sides to every story. Yes, healthier foods are more expensive. And yes, “un-healthy” foods are cheaper. The idea is education. Making a meal plan (which you can make healthy dinners for next to nothing) that incorporates healthier options is not too much more difficult. All that is required is a lifestyle change, which is the hardest part. Once a budget is adjusted, I think the benefits would show significantly.
Poverty rules… I am a Medical Transcriptionist and come across over and over again patients who can not afford meds, can not afford needed procedures and can not afford a change in diet. They may be asked to switch to quality protein and veggies but all they can afford is starch. Poverty is what needs to be addressed. Perhaps all those using food stamps can only used them on quality foods. They get quality foods, larger supply of quality foods is then created, price for those foods then go down for everyone. Those at the high end of income need to come down a few notches so that those at the bottom can come up. Warren Buffet, one of the richest person in the world, said that he can not believe he pays so little taxes. One world, one people, time to show we care. chow
I think the problem is the foods that we are to eat should be lowered. For example, just look at canned fruit – you pay more for it with sugar in it then without sugar in it. It doesn’t make sense to me and certainly we do not need any more takes.
I think that eating healthier IS MORE EXPENSIVE! If you look at poorer families, it’s much easier and less expensive to buy ramen noodles and Macaroni and cheese then buy fresh fruit and vegetables. It is a meal for for the whole family rather than just a main ingredient or snack sad to say. If you look at healthier foods, 10 to 1 they are more expensive than the the less healthier foods. Education and help is the key for these families.
We should tax unhealthy foods. it’s user fee, because those who decide to pay for the extra unhealthy fare will be using up our healthcare dollars later (or sooner for some) in life.
We should also be taxing gas more! The lack of taxes on our carbon emmissions is rediculous. There should be exceptions I think, or subsidies for companies to transport fresh fruits, veggies & sustainably/humanely raised meat products.
Make it $6 a gallon for Doritos to truck their stuff from one side of the country to the other. But if you’re moving fresh veggies, fruits or healthy lean meats maybe only $3 per gallon.
There… I’ve fixed the obesity & global warming in one fell swoop!
Get to work, legislators!
(ya right lol)
Good point on the effort/convenience issue. One of the biggest reasons, too, is that low-income families are unable to purchase healthy foods is availability, which lends itself to cost. In urban and rural areas where there is more poverty there is also less access to grocery stores, transportation, etc. Corner markets in many urban areas are more often liquor/convenience stores which carry only junk foods. Produce that is available to low-income areas is rare, which drives up the prices for what are generally lower quality goods. I’ve seen the research and I’ve seen the reality.
Regarding the purchase of potatoes instead of pop-tarts…i agree that potatoes are better, but still not great for you. Pretzels are like potato chips. We’re being told that we need to keep simple carbohydrates to a minimum. However sweet potatoes are very good for us…but they cost many times more than the white. Also, whole grain items tend to cost more for a variety of reasons as does tofu and fish and other lean meats vs. hamburger and hot dogs. Currently my husband and I are trying very hard to eat healthfully – but it’s at the cost of paying off debt, building a savings, starting a family, getting a house, etc… all additional values that our society holds dear…but our priorities have had to shift towards health. I am grateful for having that choice to make in the first place because six months ago I did not.
Education is important, but access is the most important. Taxing bad food is just silly. Tax the producers, maybe. The pushers are the problem. But really people just need to step in and say…I already have billions of dollars…why don’t we not pay me this year and bring our prices down…or wait a minute, why don’t i take those billions of dollars, buy out some of those liquor stores and do whatever it takes to set up viable markets?
I know for my husband and I. That it does stop us from buying alot of things.We decided a year and a half ago to eat healthier foods. But buying them is not always the case. The price of something has stopped us more than one. We find ourself buying the same stuff over and over. So why don’t they lower the prices a little. They keep saying to eat healthy. So why can’t they work with us some too.Lower the price of healthy foods and I will buy more.
Healthy food is EXPENSIVE. Just look at the prices for fresh fruit and vegetables! I am a Senior citizen on a very limited ,fixed income. I also go to Weight Watchers and try to eat healthy but the prices stop me from buying a lot of fresh food many times. Why doesn’t the grocery/food industry make the price of fresh foods more reasonable? I think all they care about is the money they make not people being able to afford fresh food.
Has anyone looked at how much is cost to have a heart attack? You CANNOT afford to not eat healthy! (Sorry for the double negative) I know what it is like to have financial troubles, but I value my health more than cable, internet at home, or going out to movie.
some have said that they value health more than cable, internet at home, and going out to a movie…guess what, there are people out in the real world that don’t have those things and still can’t buy some of the fresh fruit and veggies they need…I’m a single mom and I get a haircut maybe every other month if I’m lucky and I buy fresh fruit and veggies when I can and try to have a couple of veggies or a veggie and fruit at every meal…I rarely buy meat of any kind and when I do I can only afford hamburger. Real world is low income high fresh fruit and veggies don’t equal.
The reason processed, unhealthy food is cheaper is because of the subsidies that the big food corporations get. Just taking those out would level the playing field.
In India, for example, fresh whole wheat flour is the cheaper and more common flour used as compared to the “enriched” flour. Are we saying that people in the US are poorer than those in India and thus cannot afford the healthier whole food option?
I love the idea of taxing unhealth foods! The money raised from the taxes should directly go to low income families to be used for the purchase of health food.
people choose to eat unhealthy, i’ve been at both ends poor and high income and i always chose to eat unhealthy, untill now. you can even eat healthy at Mcd’s & wendys if you want to. and dont tell me about not being educated every person has a T.V. and at least the three basic channels. and all those fat teens are more educated than all of us. there is no excuse.
Great points by all … my points are the same BUTT what stands out are: CHANGE in lifestyle, A LITTLE more prep time (MAKE the time), and educating our chldren to the pros and cons of healthy/nutritous vs non foods. LEAD by example.
I am a Social Security Receiptient living in the Silicon Valley of California. I would love to have 5 servings of Fruit a day, but at 7 to 9 Dollars for a 6 oz box of BlueBerries, or $5.00 for a 6 ox box of rasberries that is very difficult. Well I go from Store to Store to see what the Apples and Pears cost to see if I can affort to buy one. This is not sour grapes (no pun intended) but a fact. Yes my social security would go further if I lived in another state, but I have chosen to live her and I make adjustments, but it is hard. kgt
i agree with many people here. i dont know that taxing the unhealthy food is necessarily the answer, but it might be. if the unhealthy food and healthy food cost the same, i would totally choose the healthy stuff every time. the other thing is serving sizes. instead of buying the family size doritos, buy the small bad and eat less. that is a step in the right direction. make “junk food” more of a treat instead of a regular everyday thing. obviously it is all a matter of making money for the companies that make these junk food. they are raking. so maybe taxing it might work. what i do know is that parents are responsible for their kids’ health and overall wellbeing. sometimes as a parent you hafta tell your kids no, we’re not buying the sugar cereal this time. or whatever. just dont let it be in the house. or if it is, buy the small box and eat less. these are simple choices. my kids are 6 and 2. and they love apples, broccoli all sorts of healthy food. why? cuz that’s what we have around the house. yes we also have the doritos, but they are not allowed to eat it whenever they want. if you wnat to eat healthy you hafta exercise self-discipline. you also hafta teach that to your kids. teach by example. and make the little choices when you’re at the grocery store.
We eat way too much. Nine servings of fruit and veggies a day plus the carbs, plus the protein…that’s a lot of food and one of the reasons we’re so fat.
People who are saying they can’t affrod healthy food….last I checked, frozen veggies are good for you and only $1 or so a bag. (store brand) A 3lb bag of apples is only $3 and an entire bunch of bananas is about $1.20. This is several days worth of healty stuff for the same price as chips and dip. Price is just an excuse.
Unhealthy food is too convenient in this country (how many Starbucks do you see within a 15 mile radius?)…so of course we as people will choose the cheaper inexpensive food rather than BUY healthy foods — I think to eat healthy or not to eat healthy is a personal choice…..and eating healthy does require cutting back on luxuries ie, a cup of coffee every morning, or eating out everyday for lunch. If we limit the fast food chains in this country, we as people would have less of an urge to eat unhealthy.
Good point from Kelly. If you can’t afford fresh vegetables, buy frozen vegetables instead. They are much cheaper and they are better for you than overpriced junk food. Instead of buying sugared cereals, buy Cheerios or Grape Nuts instead. As I noted last time, those tubs of protein powder at GNC are an incredibly good deal. If you buy the larger tubs, the cost is about 40 cents for a high-quality protein serving. Where else can you get good protein at 40 cents a meal? With the money you save on protein, you can spend more on vegetables and whole grains. If you buy frozen vegetables and Cheerios along with the protein powder, you get your vitamins, fiber, complex carbs and quality protein, all at very reasonable prices.
The posts I’ve read about the long-term savings of eating healthy foods vs. the short-term savings of the commercially dominant (less healthy) foods appear to be from people who have never stared poverty in the face. When you’re poor, as I am, “a penny saved is a penny earned,” and the pain in the gut becomes the number one priority.
My children are all grown now and I am no longer married. However, while I was on food stamps as a single mom, and while I was married and raising 4 boys, I managed to provide basic healthy food for my family. Maybe it was because I never bought fast food, pop, sugar-laden cereals, cigarettes, expensive snacks, boxed or frozen prepared foods, etc. They are so expensive and unhealthy! I learned how to cook and I made time for it – I still do. My kids were never overweight and now, as adults, they know how to feed themselves to stay healthy. My point is that, if you use your time and money with forethought and creativity (make time for it!) you will find that healthy food is the cheapest! Chicken, veggies, brown rice, potatoes are cheap! Learn how to cook! Manage your time! If you don’t and if you succumb to the expensive marketing geared toward separating you from your wallet, you will pay dearly with your health. Diabetes? High blood pressure? Strokes? Bypass surgery? Buying clothes for an obese body? Now that’s expensive!!
When comes to the subject of food and health issues I ask only one question, whatever happened to SELF_CONTROL?
I totally agree that healthier foods are more expensive – fast food places have their Dollar Menu Items while a single orange or apple costs over a Dollar at the supermarket – What’s going on???
I agree with Chris. I would rather pay a little more for healthy foods now then staying in a hospital and expensive long-terms medicines later. You have to put your health first and learn how to budget.
If you want the real facts about hungry families in America eating healthy food then goto http://www.feedingfamiliesinc.org
I must agree..The prices of food is absolutely out of my price range and even though I find I am getting more and more unable to meet the prices, it is not an option for me to buy the unhealthy choices..I am 80 and diabetic and must choose healthy meals. Being one of those in the lower income ($25,000) my heart still goes out to those people that are struggling to put beans and fat back on the tables to feed the family. RAISE PRICES ON UNHEALTHY FOOD????!!! I think not !! some of those folks that eat this food just cannot afford the other healthier brands….BESIDES, for the ones that eat it through choice, lets recall raising the prices of cigerettes to maybe stop so many smokers….but it didn’t stop them, no matter how many health signs they plastered on them. The cost of groceries is just the tip of the iceburg…the cost of gas to travel there, and the cost to return back home, then the cost of gas and/or electricity to prepare the food..The cost of living has spiralled out of control…..What are we to do? I doubt if they will ever lower the food as long as we purchase it….BUT what choice do we have? The cost of hunting permits are expensive too…
I guess I will have to leave all of this to the ones in the “think tanks” that usually come up with decisions that usually benefit the commerce side of society.
We tax alcohol and tobacco products ostensibly to save us from ourselves. It would seem only logical that we would tax unhealthy food for the same reason.
Consider this…Why is it that lower income families and subsidised families are more likely to be OBESE? One serving of Doritos has more calories, fat, and carbs than one serving of say an apple. Yes, if you buy the family sixed bag of Doritos one serving of Doritos is much cheaper than an apple. Yet most people aren’t satisfied with just one serving of Doritos…it usually takes 3 servings to amount to anything. Whereas 1 apple is satisfying for a snack. Notice the next time you are at the grocery store the folks you see using food stamp cards. Are they healthy?
I do not believe that many poor families are educated as to which is healthier, canned fruit vs. fresh fruit and the same for veggies. It is a crying shame to know that in this country of ours, so many are suffering and don’t even know it. Due to low income, which causes the chain reaction of, food with little or no nutritional value. This more for your dollar attitude needs to be reformed somehow, by advertisement. Educating the public first would be best, but then lowering the “good fresh” prices for everyone to afford would give people the option of being healthy.
I have three kids and a husband, Sometimes I think it is just easier to eat unhealthy. Not so much it is unaffordable. In my house sometimes we just order pizza because we do not “feeL” like cooking. Some peaople say all they can afford are hot dogs and bologna. I just think it is easier in stead of taking that extra look to see what kind od sales there are. Taxing the unhealthy food yea right there goes Americas trademark MCDONALDS BURGER KING AND ALL AMEREICAN WENDIES.
I am a bodybuilder and used to powerlift. People have over the years made statements like “I can’t afford to eat the way you do to stay in shape”. But I’ll see thoses same people eating a bag of chips and drinking a soda. How about and apple and a glass of water? THE COST IS THE SAME!!! Its called lack of education or just plain lazyness. Your body dose not need 5000 Junk food (fat) caloies a day to survive. Yes you get far less volume when you eat healthy, but far more of the nutrition that your body needs to be healthy and lean. I truly believe fat (and I don’t care if you think I am cruel, the truth sometimes hurts) people use this and other excuses to try and justify their own lazyness and lack of personal education on diet and exercise.
To a very great extent our schools and government are to blame. The schools for not teaching, and in many instances promoting poor diet, and our government for allowing welfare money to be spent on garbage instead of healthy food. Look in the shopping carts of people using food stamps and see what they buy with “our” money that is being given to them.
It’s all about making the right choices. You don’t have to spend more money to eat healthy, get fit, or get information. Unprocessed foods are cheap, walking is free and so is the library.
take a look at what is going into the meals, so one can feed a family of 4-5 on a low income. ie. white flour,white rice, grease,beans,peanut butter,jelly, potatoes, meat that that has almost equal amounts of fat than it does meat. and yes it is inexpense enough to by in bulk, these types of foods are the affordable ones to feed the hunger. so compare this to feeding the health of the world to the hunger, hunger wins.
It seems like a lot to say have 9 servings of fruit aday, but you can drink juice and get several fruits in one glass. Buy the store brand 100% juice, not the name brands.
I am retired, we live on a fixed income, but I try to eat healthy. I live in a rural area and must drive 7 miles to a store and 25 to Wal Mart etc. I know how the cost of gas affects people, but remember it also affects the trucking companies who are now paying $600 to 800 for fuel. They have to pass some of that cost on, also the farmers are not getting rich either. They only get a few cents from the $2.00 or more you pay for a loaf of bread and most other food items. The cost of fresh fruit and vegs also has a lot to do with the weather. If the growing season is bad, due to to much or not enough rain, freezes at the time trees are budding out and setting fruit, then the yeild is lower and the cost will be higher in the stores. You can help your budget by buying store brands, dayold bread is fine and look for sales. I plan my meals by what’s on sale. As for taxing unhealthy food, who decides what is to be taxed? Do you really trust the gov to put this money to good use? I don’t. Sin taxes really do not work, just look at the number of people who still smoke. I see people standing in line at my local grocery store that have ariclic nails, a cell phone ( not a cheap phone, one of the new ones that does everything) high lights in their hair and a carton of ciggs in their cart and then they pay with food stamps. The money they spend could be used for better food than the junk they’ve filled their cart with. Granted not everyone on food stamps does this, I see a lot of women with good food in their cart. What we eat is really our choice, not the goverments. To the lady worried about our carbon foot print, that adds to the cost of food too. In my area the cost of cattle feed has gone up since so much corn is being used for bio-fuels. This in turn raises the cost of milk and other dairy products and a lot of other foods. It all boils down to choices, we will eat what we want and the gov should not be in our kitchens making those choices for us. Self-control.
I am a senior on social secutity, and I love fresh fruits and vegetables. the only problem is I can’t afford to buy them. I paid 1.00 the other day for 1 onion, and .90 for 1 tomato. I can buy 5 boxes for macaroni and cheese for what I pay for 2 apples. Every time I go to the store, the prices have gone up more. I guess pretty soon I will have to give up eggs. saturday, I paid 1.86 for a dozen. I don’t go to fancy stores either, I usually shop at Walmart because they are supposed to be cheaper. I’m a diabetic and you pay more for unsweetened food than you do with sugar, which doesn’t make sense. It seems like the more they leave out, the more you pay. I don’t know the answer, but just because we can’t eat healthier foods, doesn’t mean that we don’t want to.
When it comes to eating healthy we should go back to basics. Eating healthy is by far cheaper than any other alternative in terms of cost of ingredients and my aim is to prove it. It is only expensive in terms of TIME and KNOW-HOW. One of my hobbies is international and ethnic cuisines which I usually learn first hand during my frequent travels and one thing I noticed is that invariably in primitive and third world societies comparatively much poorer people tend to eat very healthy and feed much larger families on a small budget. I recall that when I researched American cuisine I found that untill not so very long ago (the 1940’s) people in this country were still eating pretty healthy.
Issue 1: TIME
Stop wasting your time comparing labels on cans and TV dinners or worrying about taxing fat and hot dogs because you are missing the whole issue; The secret to a healthy meal is time. Eating healthy requires devoting AT LEAST 2 to 3 hours every day for food preparation This is what people in rural areas around the world do and this is what our grandmothers did.
Example: A family of six around the Mediterranean basin can eat a very healthy, natural and filling meal with leftover for another meal called “Mjaddrah” (name and recipes vary a little depending on country) all you need is 2 cups of uncooked lentils (no cans), 3 onions, 1/2 cup rice, 4Tsp oil, salt, and allspice. served with a fresh rocket or lettuce salad. How expensive do you think this would be to feed 6 people? What you should afford is around 2 hours to prepare this.
Working Moms there prepare this the night before for the following day.
How expensive is 1/2 lb of meat, 2 beets, 3 potatoes, 2 carrots, 2 onions that make a pot of Borsch that 4 people can eat for 2 days?
So you see it is not the cost of ingredients; It’s the willingness to cook a healthy meal. Substituting a can for a supposedly better can doesn’t address the problem.
Issue 2: Know-How
The millions of recipes that litter the internet and free recipe booklets distributed by food companies try to fill a gap caused by a major and disastrous breakdown in our food culture. Cooking is no longer a tradition and knowledge handed down from parents to siblings. However what do most of these recipes teach us?
Brown some chicken, add a can of cream of mushroom soup, sprinkle some cheese, and stick in the oven. It doesn’t matter how proud you are of yourself when you prepare this or how many compliments you get from family and friends on how tasty this is; This is not a healthy home cooked meal.
So learn the mediterranean stews, the african wots, the eastern curries etc… They are extremely healthy and cost much
less than a hamburger per serving.
Final note: We have forgotten that fruits, vegetables, seafood, even game and fowl are not naturally available all year round. We have forgotten the concept of “in season” we expect to find tomatoes 24 a day 365 a year. So once we go back to learning the “in season” concept and schedule our meals around it, we’ll find that we can save a lot on ingredient cost.
I live on a fixed income and it’s hard enough to just be able to buy any kind of food. Yes, I smoke…I’m an addict to nicotine. I have cable and internet; however I will be giving up my cable this week. My internet service is only $10 month. I have a cell phone for emergencies. I also have a cat, she is my only friend and through her I know when I am not well. The first time I noticed that she would probably qualify as an assistance cat was when I woke up and she was lying down right by my head alerting me that something happened again. The first time was when I was having a “seizure” type episode and she was right there watching me. So, she needs food and medical care too.
I am disabled and cannot work. I spend most of my time at home. I will surely miss my cable especially when I’m in bed as there will be nothing of any value to watch and reading is next to impossible as my mind can’t focus on it.
Now, to the issue of eating healthy. My doctor recently diagnosed me with Polymyalgia Rheumatica and told me to eat healthy. I am on Prednisone which I will have to take for a year. Prednisone causes muscle wasting and one thing that is important to eat is protein. There are other sources of protein than meat but even before I was diagnosed I rarely ate meat; it’s just too expensive. So I eat eggs, peanut butter and a lot of “junk” food…frozen dinners etc. simply because I can’t stand long enough to cook healthy and can’t get to the store often enough to purchase “fresh” fruits or vegetables (most are too expensive anyway).
If anyone has any suggestions please let me know because I just don’t see a way out of this mess. And I am one of those who can barely afford my medications and many times I cut the dosage in half just so they will last longer. I feel like a failure at managing my fixed income but it may get easier as this is the first year I’ve had to live this way. Thank you.
Buying fresh food locally produced would take care of the cost of transportation and energy for long term storage.
I read all the comments, and agree with alot of them….But one stood out. Someone said we need more taxes on gas????? What planet are you on? Come on, this is cruel. I’m in Texas where gas is the cheapest, and it’s almost $3.00 a gallon. Not everyone has public transportation and has no choice but to drive… often several miles … to work and back each day to earn a living to feed their family. Congratulations to whoever made this comment. You must be independently wealthy with no concept of how most of us live.
I think it would be helpful for families that meet certain low-income requirements to receive vouchers for certain health foods; foods like whole grains, fruits/vegetables, unprocessed or “organic” foods could be purchased at a reduced discount w/these vouchers, thus making it possible for lower-income families to purchase good food without breaking their budget.
People who advocate taxing bad food choices have the incme to make a choice. DONT THEY GET THAT? There are millions of people in this country who make just so much and an apple at $1.00 per and 2 bananas for $1.00 just doesn’t cut it folks. People KNOW which is healthier but if the money you have at the time only goes so far>>>>they buy cheap,processed food. Now lets hear some idiot say again how eating healthy is cheaper than having a heart attack. Geeeeeez.
I have read through these comments and would like to say that while I would love to make good food choices, my husband and I have no food choices. Our budget at the current time is so prohibitive that we have had nothing but ramen noodles for months. Do we have cable? No. Do we have internet? No. We don’t have those extras and do everything we can to keep our bills down, now that being said in the real world, yanno down here on the poverty end of it, If either one of us were to pick up another job would it get any better? sure, we could buy more ramen and maybe some junk food because at that point we would have no time for all this extra effort you all are talking about for healthy eating. At best i have 15 mins a day between my job, and my housework.
Honestly there is no quick fix for this problem, but I do remember when I was a child there were more small family farms, more farmers markets, FRESH food was cheaper or my grandmother would not have bought it. Corporate america has just committed another in a long string of sins. So, Now what? Dairy products are getting more expensive, meat products are getting more expensive, its all skyrocketing and everywhere I look here in middle america there are farmers and ranchers packing it in and calling it quits because they cannot compete with big name farmers…
Have a nice day and remember that sometimes the choices upper middle class makes are not even in the same category as the choices lower class can make.
Taxing ’sin’has become a new method of herding the cattle. Is that what government should do?
There are better ways to eat healthy, and the first is lowering the quantity. Too, make sweet desserts as special as possible by limiting them to once a week, or less. Fruit and cheese at the end of a meal can be elegant, delicious and fits the need.
Children follow the lead of their parents.
Working, goint go school and caring for the family, I still make time to have a home made soup every evening as a first course, and we talk, talk, talk during soup, which slows athe eating. It works for us. Blessed Thanksgiving to you all.
Why does healthier food cost more anyways? Doesn’t make sense that brown bread or pasta would cost more… probably should be cheaper since it isn’t processed and poisoned as much.
It is important to buy from local growers from the farmers market for example. Promoting local growers isn’t only cheaper sometimes but it also helps the environment (so people can stop shipping fruits, vegetable, bread, etc.) But as far as taxing junk food, I don’t know if that would necessarily help because some people find a bag of chips more appealing than an apple.
The answer is frozen vegetables. They are very inexpensive. Why is everyone fixated on fresh vegetables when they claim they can’t afford to eat a healthy diet? Why is it a choice between fresh vegetables or bad food? It should be a choice between fresh vegetables and frozen vegetables instead.
If you can’t afford to buy fresh vegetables, then buy large packs of frozen vegetables instead.
I’ve seen comments about buying frozen dinners and fast-food meals. Frozen dinners are generally much more expensive than preparing food from basic ingredients, but if that’s what you choose, there are certainly dozens of healthy choices there.
As for fast food, even there, you have a choice. If you are at McDonald’s, why can’t you buy a salad instead of a Big Mac combo meal?
Another key to saving money is to stop buying soda! Has anyone looked at the price of those bottles? It’s basically flavored sugar water, and it’s very bad for you too. So getting rid of soda helps your budget and it helps your waistline. Drink water instead, either bottled or tap if you can’t afford bottled water. (Not all bottled water is the super-expensive stuff from France, by the way.)
If you are complaining about not being able to eat healthfully and yet you have cans and bottles of soda in the fridge, something is not right there.
Spaghetti and meat sauce is another economical way to stretch your food dollars. Get whole-wheat spaghetti and cook it yourself. It’s not hard, and it will save you a lot of money. You get fiber and complex carbs from the spaghetti, vitamins and fiber from the tomato sauce, and protein from the meat in the sauce. You can also add various protein sources to increase the health benefits of the meal. This meal is certainly cheaper than any junk food meal I can think of. If you have reasonable portions, such a meal can run as low as $1.50 a person. How is that not affordable?
These are just a few ideas. Read a nutrition book at the library or look up some websites online. The information is out there. It’s a matter of will and desire and education. Sure, it takes more thought to get by on very little money, but it isn’t impossible.
I try to eat on some things healthy, and it costs twice as much as the other. I would eat alot better if the prices of organic grown items didn’t cost so much. Taxes would be a horrible way to go to fatten someone’s billfold in the government. If it was cheaper to eat healthy , I would guarantee that more would eat healthier just for their kid’s sake , but now it is too expensive to buy alot of healthy food and to keep them fresh. Healthy food does not keep long enough also for people to go to the store once every couple of weeks, and if you don’t finish it in time it goes bad and you wasted money.
I’ve noticed that people who eat junk food because it’s cheap, also seem to be fat. Perhaps if they quit overeating junk and spent the money on real food instead, they’d be healthier and wealthier.
Families in all income brackets tend to buy junk food. I think if a person is serious about being healthier, they can make room and substitute the bad for the good. There are magazines and fliers for coupons and some grocery stores give coupons and discounts at the check-out. It’s all how you look at it. I’m considered pre-diabetes so the question for me is really “Can I afford not to eat healthy?” As a mother of 3, I think any extra cents on the dollar is worth the change I have made in my life.
I just have one Question? To all that say “they value there health more” or “how expensive it is to have a heart attack” or “we need to educate” I have no cable tv. I have no phone. I have no gas. I’m barely pushing my rent, electric and water! When I get a chance to go to the store I have to pick up very little and it has to strech as far as possible. Since healty foods have a higher cost and a lesser self life. I have to stir away from them. Not buy choice though. So to all that say it’s not to expensive to eat heathly. I’m happy that your in a better position than me and don’t know any better! Now I no who needs to be educated!
I am on social securty. I still live with my family because of two disabilities. I’ve been a vegan I lost 20 lbs so far in 3 weeks. The rest of my family in the house are meat eaters.I eat veggies and beans of all kinds. I cook them every couple of days, and keep in in the frig. and eat them with rice until I run out at the end of the couple of days and cook them all over again. But when it comes to veggies fresh are so high in price. So I got to go for frozen or can and eat those kind of veggies mostly when I do eat veggies along with my beans. But still buy a little of fresh veggies too. But sense I have the canned and frozon veggies I don’t have to buy so much fresh. Because I only get paid one time each month, and my fresh runs out after two weeks. I eat fruit to I buy apples and oranges and bananas. I can’t afford alacart fruit so these do fine. I buy oat meal I eat it plain I take a B-12 everyday because I don’t eat meat or fish. If I do crave when I go out and every one I’m with is ordering burgers I order fries. And once in a while I do eat a candy bar. If I go some where exspensive to eat I order something with out meat. I get my oils from peanut butter. And peanuts because they are the cheapest. My cost for groceries run about the same every month.and my groceries are ont that much. This is the best way I can be a vegan eater being on fix income on social security. Because most of my money goes to bills. Besides I had to quit cigarettes to afford to be a vegan too. So I quit smoking. One day I was with a group of woman. And I told them I became a vegan. They said that it was too exspensive and starting to name of whole food this and organic that and all these fancy health foods they had to eat. All I know is I do the best I can with the little income I have with being a vegan and I’m paying less on food then they are paying for meat and frozon meat dinners. People say it’s exspensive to eat healthy but to me what makes it exspensive is people exspensive food taste.
I’ve read too many of you blasting the low-income food stamp users. I’m an insatiable snoop, always comparing my shopping cart contents to those in my same line. I do my best to eat healthy food, no matter how much more I have to pay for it. The food-stamp users usually have carts to rival mine, they just have less food in it. Raising prices and taxes isn’t the answer. If you want to make eating healthier a more popular option, then it needs to be more available. Give tax breaks to those who produce healthy food and then put a reasonable price cap on it so it will stay affordable. This way low-income people can afford a better choice.
I’ve lived in a very expensive area (Orange County, CA) my entire life. I left home at 19 when I made $6 an hour. I made that wage for 3 years. This was 11 years ago. I didn’t have cable, cell phone, regular phone, or internet. I had less than $90 to spend on food after I paid rent, car note & fuel, insurance, electric, and natural gas. So I know a little about being “poor” and I made it my mission to learn how to live comfortably and eat healthfully within my means.
I make about 10x that salary now and I still apply the skills I discovered when I had to stretch a dollar. This is still how I eat today.
1. Buying fresh foods in season is the absolutely cheapest way to eat. If watermelon is .19/lb., I eat watermelon with lunch & dinner & for snacks. Tomatoes are expensive outside of mid- to late-summer. Always buy what is in season – you’ll be able to tell because it is most likely the cheapest available.
2. The toughest meats became fork-tender after 8 hours in a crock pot. Also, a whole chicken is much cheaper (and not difficult to cook) than buying boneless, skinless breasts.
3. Boil all leftover bones from any meat to make a broth – it’s cheaper and has less sodium than canned broth or boullion cubes.
4. Dried beans are a very inexpensive protein and not difficult to cook. This includes lentils. I make a lentil & rice “casserole” that is so delicious & “meaty”, you’d swear there was meat involved.
5. Powdered milk costs less per serving than “regular” milk in the dairy case. A lot of people (even poor people) will turn up their nose at this. The trick is letting it sit overnight in the fridge – you won’t notice a difference.
6. Think outside of grocery stores if available. If I’m in the area (I won’t make a special trip – especially with gas being over $3.25/gallon!), I’ll shop for food at 99cent stores, Big Lots, Wal-Mart, farmer stands (there are still a couple around), & natural food stores.
7. I don’t assume that buying from any of the above named places are a good deal. I made & update a “price book” that tells me if something is a good deal.
8. Hot cereal (oatmeal) costs much less per serving than cold cereal.
9. Frozen veggies are almost always a better bargain because you’re less likely to throw any away due to rot.
10. Any berries are always too expensive unless you grow them in a container on your porch (or in the yard if you have one.)
11. I am a former smoker. I quit when a pack of cigarettes began costing over $5 per pack. The first two weeks really sucked, but stick with it. If you smoke and claim you can’t afford to eat healthfully, I call BS..
12. Ditto for beer, wine, vodka, or whatever it is that you prefer to drink. I’d love a glass of Kettle One every night, but it doesn’t often fit in my budget. Well, now I’m preggo, so it also doesn’t fit in with the baby’s health.
And a bonus: Junk food doesn’t keep you very full because it doesn’t contain much fiber.
I keep telling my daughter she can buy a bundle of bananas for the same cost as a bag of potato chips. Its all in the choices you make.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR HUMANKIND WE ALL KNOW WE SHOULD EAT HEALTHIER BUT WE CHOOSE OUR MONEY OVER OUR HEALTH. I DO IT I KNOW 20 MORE WHO DO IT. WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS MAKE IT A HABIT OF LEARNING THE NUTION FACTS, LEARN HOW TO GARDEN LEARN HOW TO SAVE, LEARN WHERE TO SHOP, LEARN HOW TO EXERCISE, AND WE SHOULD SPEAK MORE OPENLY ABOUT THIS TOPIC EVERY WHERE. ONCE WE REALISE THE POWER WE HAVE IN NUMBERS WE WILL SEE ALL HUMANKINDS PROBLEMS DISAPEAR.
It is more expensive but when you actually eat the amount of food you are supposed to calorie wise, you just consume less food overall. When taking this fact and the fact that eating out is very nearly always an unhealthy choice (eating the Honey Chipotle Chicken at Chili’s is a whopping 2040 calories) whereas eating a home can be perfectly affordable and healthy– a can of tomato soup made with milk is less than a quarter of the Chili’s meal– so I have to say, this is much a matter of choice. It is more expensive on the surface of things– volume wise– but if you compare in a nutritional sense, it isn’t.
I disagree with Laura’s comment that most people know how to eat healthy but simply choose not to. I raised my son on my own working low-wage jobs and know that I struggled to make ends meet in regard to grocery shopping. And I don’t smoke nor do I have acrylic nails or get my nails done. I had a no choice but to have a no-nonsense household. And the simple truth is that “bad” foods just cost less when speaking in terms of meal planning.
There is no way that eating healthy is too expensive. We don’t have to buy organic, super fancy stuff (which is quite expensive) in order to be healthy. Oatmeal is a very inexpensive alternative to cold cereal. Can’t afford meat? Eat beans and rice. Tap water is cheap. Fresh produce is dirt cheap if it is in season, otherwise frozen veggies are only $1/bag. If you live in a rural area, garden, if you live in an urban area, check out farmers or public markets. Many people living in rural areas come into the city to go to the market, because of the cheap prices. I also agree with the person who said that we eat too much. Little Debbies may be cheap, but they aren’t filling so why even bother?
In my opinion , all young people should be taught how to cook some foods from scratch. Yes , this could be done in schools like the old “home economics” classes that were done away with years ago. I grew up poor in Okla and my mother knew how to prepare healthy meals from dried beans , soups, homemade bread etc. No , she did not work outside the home but many foods can be cooked in a shorter time now. If I had the opportunity , I would love to teach anyone how to cook cheap .
to eat healty, COST ! Figure the cost of a bag of sugar compared to Splenda ! Figure buying 5 bananas or a 2 cases of Ramen Noodles ! Figure buying cheap margarine to buying healthy for us butter for our heart ! Figure buying sugar free ice cream to regular sugar brands !…….Diabetics have the full cost of “eating healthy” it’s a battle that I am losing. Do I pay my electric bill this month or do I get “my” food at the groceries. I work 6 days a week and my husband 5 days a week. People have a choice, eat and live longer or keep utilites and gas in your car and be sick your entire life………….luckily, God will be here to take us home and we won’t have to worry whether it’s bananas or running water this month ! Everyone has a great day and do what you have to do !
To say nothing of the challenges faced by very low-income refugees with $300\month in food stamps to feed their family of six, who come from cultures where dairy products can not be eaten due to lactose intolerance, or whose diets have never included beans or bread. Meanwhile the more affordable warehouse supermarkets are full of processed foods packed with sugar and fat and a sorry selection of fruits and vegetables. (The “cheaper” bananas and apples I have tried to buy there are always bruised and old and the baby carrots have no taste!) The meals I see the refugees cook at home are usually not a problem but the stuff their kids are faced with in the free meal programs at school and the healthy snacks that are needed to keep their teenage boys growing are just not there. (I from my comfortable middle class background an able to stock up on milk, fresh fruit and sandwich meats knowing they were buying coke and oreos at school!) My refugee students give their kids punch and oreos for lunch! It’s a very complex problem and I would love to hear from people who have good ideas for filling foods that aren’t packed with sugar,don’t included dairy and don’t cost an arm and a leg.
**** reality check****
im a single mother with a BOAT LOAD of debt and no help. im college educated and still cant find a job over minimum wage in the small town im stuck in. i know what healthy is and i CANT afford it. if i could i would, i freakin hate havin to buy “junk” because its cheaper and will feed my kids longer.
Anyone interested in eating better should check out the daily recommendations on http://www.mypyramid.gov as they have changed.
Low-cost meals are not difficult, but they do require effort. I was a working, divorced mother of three. I spent part of my weekends preparing meals for the rest of the week. I still buy turkey wings and thighs and make turkey and noodles. I buy fresh carrots (3#/.99 yesterday) and we eat them raw or I cook them. There are always some veggies on sale. Baked white or sweet potatoes are good and very nutritious. Brown rice is inexpensive, if your family is not used to it, cook it and mix it with white rice. As others have said, dry beans and lentils are easy to fix and good. With a few onions and garlic in the house, I can’t imagine not being able to fix a delicious and healthy meal for less than McDonalds. You don’t have to have organic fresh fruits and vegetables. Frozen and canned are good for you too. Frozen strawberries almost always taste better than the fresh ones in the store. Canned tomatoes are cheap and good for you. The list goes on and on. And, as someone else mentioned, learn what a portion size is! Most people are surprised that it is usually less than 1 cup.
I have not worked in 3 months but I scrape by with my six year old daughter by following some simple tips to save and eat healthy
If we have macaroni and cheese, we add a half a cup of frozen veg to it at the last minute. If we really want to splurge, we add a can of tuna or salmon or two hot dogs as well. Ramen noodles we add bean sprouts and frozen corn or peas and maybe any leftover chicken as soon as it is off the stove.
Meat is expensive, we watch for the 1/2 off items and cook them or freeze them right away.
We always but day old bread and vegetables from the bruised bin.
We buy rice and use a microwave rice cooker..two portions of rice in ten minutes, that we can add frozen veg or mushroom soup to..teh a little cut up celery for texture.
We always buy cereal from the dry food bins.
If we are really hurtin, we resort to what half the world lives on..beans and rice..
Frozen meats are usually a lot cheaper than anything..Pork is cheap too. bacon on sale and frozen into portions will come out of the freezer and serve as protein for six meals
Stir fry cooking is cheap and fast and healthy and cheap, stir in one egg at the very end of cooking and you have protein
We try and buy everything on sale..some things like eggs milk and butter never are on sale ( we are in Canada and the prices are fixed on those items)
It can be done!
Also for the seniors if you are scraping by as described…sign up for your local food bank..that’s what they are there for!
And for sweets..we are still eating some of her Halloween Candy now in March, and we just bought a variety of Valentines Day Candy at 5 cents a bag this week after the Christmas Candy ran out. But mostly we get natural sugars through fruit and we do by cake mixes for 3/dollar and make them with an egg and water. We make icing from a bag of icing sugar that has lasted us for a year and a half and cost 3.59 on sale as it had a broken top.
If you cannot get away from eating cheap starchy foods, add a little bit of health to them!
P.S. Whenever we travel to the States we are amazed at how cheap food is (Washington State)
It is more expensive to eat in a healthier way but the set-off is that one usually, after doing so for a while, starts saving on medical expenses as food and the correct consumption of it is oftentimes the drug of choice for your body to repair whatever is broken.
I live as a low income family of 5 at one time 7. We have tried to keep healthy foods in the house. But it is not easy. As a case worker I have found that Diabetic , the elderly and young families have trouble paying for healthy food. Food stamps have gone down the price of the healthy food has gone up . Milk went from 2.00 a gallon to 4.00. Instead of Increasing the food stamps with the cost of living they lowered them. As to the comments about the schools teaching about healthy eating . You can teach it till you are Blue in the face But If the parents have a choice to eat right or pay the Bill’s to work, or have a roof over their heads It is not going to work. The high in fat and unhealthy or the lowest nutrition is in reality the cheapest to buy in some cases it is the only thing they can afford. I can’t tell you how many low income elderly with heart diseases and diabetes who can get the proper food to keep them from dieing because the can’t afford it. The elderly in this area live at the most on $10.00 in food stamps + Social security. So now try to tell me It is a education problem . when In fact it is a working poor and poor problem. It is not that they don’t know the right foods to eat it is the fact that the right food are out of their reach.
My cholesterol test came back high today. I am 37 and its already 250. I am so saddened byu this. I run five days a week and try to stay active. I also ride bike. I can not afford good foods. Whe i do get them my son loves it! But for the most part, my income is not good enough to buy them. I fall in a bracket where i can not get food stamps to help. I can not work another job. It will just go to a baby sitter. ( useless ) I feel like i am hurting my son in the worst possible way. Many nighs it is a dollar menu or cheap starchy foods. We have to eat.. I just cant feed him or myself right. I hope i am not the cause of what could be his bad health in the future. This country from gasoline to the cost of food makes me want to puke!
Something is wrong in this country when you go to the store and want to buy generic brand breakfast cerial and a gallon of milk for your kids so they can eat a breakfast that ia good for them but you need the 10 dollars for gas to go back and forth to work so the have to eat the 12c pack of ramen noodles instead. It makes you wanna quit your job and become a crack dealer so you can afford to buy the bananas and apples that are better for the children of this country. That is the truth and reality of it people!!!!!
my favorite foods-pears bananas mushrooms dont give me that tired mantra about how easy it is to eat healthy if you want to-i like nuts-healthy?by weight one of the most expensive things you can buy- even peanuts we almost never shop the inner isles of the grocery store and our favorite section is the fruits and vegetables our diet is about 75 -80 percent fruits and vegetables and we are visiting the food pantries by about the 20th of every month.