Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Carrots are cheap. Bananas are cheap. Lentils and other beans are cheap. Rice and whole wheat couscous are not that expensive (I like the Trader Joe's brand of couscous, myself).
Meat & poultry tend to be expensive but they're not really all that good for you, anyway.
Fish is expensive, that is true. But you don't need to eat it every day for a healthy diet.
Ice cream and other processed junk foods (cookies, pretzels, crackers) tend to be expensive.
I think it's mostly that people need to learn to shop differently if they want to eat healthy foods.
I can make a quick, easy, & yummy couscous & lentil stir fry with broccoli & sliced oranges & cinnamon that tastes great and is very nutritious. Add purple grape juice or red wine to drink for additional heart health.
And even if it is a little more expensive, it's cheaper to pay the grocer than the doctor for all those pills for diabetes, heart disease, & high blood pressure, most of which would be unnecessary if people ate properly.
i'm not sure i agree. go through and purchase fresh vegetables and fruit. then, go buy canned vegetables and fruits. see which order comes out less expensive 99.9% of the time.
meat, fish and poultry - go to the butcher counter, and the frozen food section.
eating "healthy" for most people, assuming not vegetarian, is more expensive because healthy often equals fresh.
but, i do think that people overstate how expensive this type of healthy food is. if you shop smart and buy the proper produce that's in season, it doesn't have to be expensive. but that doesn't mean it's not more than buying 5 cans of vegetables for $1.
Just to note, I have in mind fresh foods, not canned and/or frozen. I buy seasonal vegetables and fruits and make little effort to try to eat X amount of fruits and vegetables each week. The high food budgets come from a desire to buy the same things every week.
Also, if you're buying in season vegetables/fruits they aren't more expensive than canned or frozen, in fact they are often cheaper. If you're buying out of season, then of course canned/frozen gets cheaper. Health wise frozen vegetables aren't so bad...
This is a difficult question to answer, because all of it will eventually be spent for one purpose or another. We max our 401k and IRAs, put 10% of gross into an ESPP, put money into our kids' 529s, make other types of investments, set aside a portion of our income for occasional expenses like taxes, and maintain a traditional savings/emergency account that would cover insurance deductibles in the case of disaster.
And completely agree, eating healthy does not have to be expensive. We eat fish (salmon, flounder, tilapia, shrimp) at least twice a week. Buy mainly health foods, soy milk, only whole wheat/whole grain products and little processed junk foods. We buy tons of fresh veggies and fruits every week (and some frozen broccoli/spinach). Bill rarely exceeds $100-$120 week for 2 adults and 2 teens. And hubby and teens all bring their lunches to school/work.
i believe my annual savings works out to be around 35% of my net income.
eating healthy becomes a lot more expensive when you start eating specialty products and organic products. you are paying a premium and getting nothing in return.
i believe my annual savings works out to be around 35% of my net income.
eating healthy becomes a lot more expensive when you start eating specialty products and organic products. you are paying a premium and getting nothing in return.
In your opinion. I take it you don't feel like there are any health benefits so I won't debate that, though I disagree. At a minimum my extra money I'm spending is supporting companies that have the same values as I do and are often family run places. It's a vote for my health, the environment, and the type of business I want to see succeed.
i'm not sure i agree. go through and purchase fresh vegetables and fruit. then, go buy canned vegetables and fruits. see which order comes out less expensive 99.9% of the time.
meat, fish and poultry - go to the butcher counter, and the frozen food section.
eating "healthy" for most people, assuming not vegetarian, is more expensive because healthy often equals fresh.
but, i do think that people overstate how expensive this type of healthy food is. if you shop smart and buy the proper produce that's in season, it doesn't have to be expensive. but that doesn't mean it's not more than buying 5 cans of vegetables for $1.
I admit I rarely buy canned fruits & veggies any more. I am not a vegetarian, but I don't eat much meat. I do think people can eat healthier for about the same amount, but they do have to change their habits in a big way, which is something most of us don't want to do....so I can see what you are saying about eating healthy costing more.
But if it is more, it's not that much more.
As I said, processed foods are also expensive...and there's a tendency to eat larger quantities of processed foods because they have a lot of salt (which stimulates appetite) and have low fiber content and the lack of fiber means you have to eat more in order to feel "full".
oooh but some of those processed foods are soooo good. what a shame they are so bad for you.
its funny how people vilify "processed foods." most of them have no clue what they are talking about. "processing" doesnt do anything to harm the healthiness of food.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
