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For those that have subsisted mostly on the 98% of cheap processed stuff that you find in a supermarket otherwise known as junk, it will come as a surprise to see how much eating healthy (fruit,vegetables,lean meats,fish,nuts,etc.) actually costs. Do not let this discourage you at the checkout counter as the results will be worth it. Consider the following...
1.Long term benefits
2.Better weight control and overall health
3.Eating stuff that makes you feel better and curbs those cravings in the right amounts. It's amazing how all those chemicals and perservatives make you crave more junk.
4.Your blood sugar will be more steady with the right proportion of foods from the above list in my intro.
5.You will have better energy coupled with an exercise program
6.You actually might save more in the end with less cravings of the QUANTITY of junk you were eating before.
All it takes is saying that you put a PRIORITY on your food and that other things have to be sacrificed at times. If the food bill is 25% higher, are you willing to forgo that cable bill or daily Starbucks coffee?
Last edited by Texan2008; 09-09-2011 at 02:07 PM..
I agree with all the benefits of eathing healthy but I don't agree it has to cost more. The single best thing people can do to eat healthy is cook themselves. So-called "junk" is usually prepared or packaged food. And it isn't cheaper.
You don't need to shop at Whole Foods to eat healthy. I don't believe that broccoli from WF is proven to be any healthier than broccoli from a "regular" grocery store. But buying it at WF will cost at least 25% more.
The only real cost of eating healthy is spending the time it takes to cook.
I agree...you have to cook. last night I was so proud of myself...I actually cooked a decent meal and I looked at the price it cost me to make it...dirt cheap!
I prepare the vast majority of my meals, and it is MUCH cheaper than eating out.
I know the exact contents of my food, and how many calories it contains.
When I go out for the day, I typically take healthy food with me in a portable nylon cooler with a freezer pack on the bottom.
I bring things like turkey breast lunch meat, whole wheat bread, tomato, cucumber, various fruits, yogurt cups, nutrition bars, baby carrots, almonds, and other healthy choices, so I have enough food for the entire day if needed.
Healthy eating does NOT have to be expensive. Check the weekly sales flyers of your local supermarkets. In my area, some supermarkets have the same sales on certain foods each month, so I wait for these sales, and then stock up.
One example at one local supermarket, bananas are on sale for .25lb one week every month, so I'll buy a lot during this sale, and put half the yellow ones in the freezer. Frozen yellow bananas stay ripe and don't go bad, and they can be warmed up in a microwave. They are delicious when eaten chilled, and it tastes like banana ice cream.
The same supermarket has a sale on boneless / skinless chicken breast for $1.39 lb once a month, so I'll buy a lot during these sales, separate it into 4oz portions, and put the portions into plastic sandwich bags in the freezer. Then I have pre-measured portions which I can defrost in the microwave and cook anytime I want a chicken meal.
I've been tracking it for awhile, and eating healthy definitely costs me more. However, in the past I was mostly eating my junk at home or crappy fast food that was cheap, think *dollar menu*
However, I'm so healthy now with a "clean" diet that I have saved so much money: I can walk and ride my bike so many places, saving gas & wear and tear on the car; I rarely see a doctor and take NO medications for the first time since I was a teen, I sleep better each night, and I have those extra "vacation" days from work because I'm not using sick time like in the past.
It's amazing how that "extra" I budget for food is just SO WORTH IT!!!!
Just as an example, here are two meals I made for almost 11 dollars total.
Cabbage and ground beef
1lb ground beef ($2.50/lb)
1/2 of medium head of cabbage ($1.30 for the whole thing, 65 cents for half)
1/2 large onion (had these on hand, paid 3 dollars for a bag so about 25 cents for 1/2 an onion)
Minced garlic (had this on hand and forgot how much it cost)
Salt
Pepper
Total for lunch meals:
$3.40
Makes about 4 servings so 85 cents per serving.
Now onto dinner.
Country cabbage soup (thanks to Linda's low carb recipes )
1lb ground beef $2.50
1/2 medium head of cabbage (65 cents)
1/2 large onion (25 cents)
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes ($1)
Minced garlic
Celery seed (got tired of wasting celery stalks, found this on sale for $3)
Chicken broth
Beef bullion
Pepper
Total for dinner meals:
$7.40
Makes about 4 servings so 1.85 per serving
I know there's isn't much variety, but I love cabbage so it works for me.
When people say it "costs more" to heat healthy that tells me they really aren't into truly eating healthy. I eat carrots like they are going out of style and one bag runs about 1.50 and lasts me a week. I could name a TON of healthy recipies and foods that are so cheap it's ridiculous. If you really are dedicated to eating healthy you will find what you are looking for.
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