Healthy Eating

By Raoul

June 26, 2006 10:07 AM | Link to this

it can be more expensive, but can you really put a price on your health. health is more important than a lot of other things you may spend comparable amounts of money on, plus if you spend a little more to eat healthy now, then you won’t have to spend a lot more on medical bills from the effects of unhealthy foods.

By Ziza

June 26, 2006 11:13 AM | Link to this

I find that meal and snack planning actually reduced the cost of eating for me. I’ve stopped eating a lot of fast foods because I’ve just really lost the taste for them and eat 6 mini meals a day so am not ravenous when out running errands, etc. A big healthy Doc Green’s salad with nuts for protein and no meat or fish on it is only about $6.00. It takes some planning and thought, but eating healthy can be affordable and you feel so much better too!!

By Harold

June 26, 2006 12:38 PM | Link to this

Eating well is financially expensive but worth every cent. So many people buy a Lincoln Navigator but then shop for groceries in the freezer & canned foods sections at WalMart because they can’t afford Whole Foods. Well, their priorities are upside down. It is little wonder they are so enormously fat.

By Swangirl

June 26, 2006 12:45 PM | Link to this

Carolyn, you need only look at the statistics of child health in poverty-prone areas to see the realtiy. Children from poorer families tend to be on a diet more laden with cheap burgers/chicken nuggets and thus, have more health issues. Their parents, seeking to save money, feed them Happy Meals instead of fruit, turkey sandwiches and milk. And the parents often end up eating the same preservative and fat-laden foods, too.

There’s also a convenience factor. If both parents are working long shifts, they don’t want to spend another hour cooking a nutritious meal.

With that said, I do think it costs a bit more to eat healthy. Whole-wheat pasta tends to cost a little more than the regular kind but we choose to buy it for the benefits.

I have tried the farm-raised (grass-fed not in feed lots) ground beef a few times when I had coupons for it and it really is good. But I don’t buy it all the time because it costs about twice as much.

By Shonda

June 26, 2006 12:47 PM | Link to this

NO! just like we budget for that extra dessert you can also budget a healthier eating lifestyle. Without breaking your budget to much. It seems like more when you think of it on paper compariing little debbie’s to a pint of fresh blueberries. But the benefits of eating healthier cost less in the long run when it comes to your overall health. Nothing tastes better than slimmer feels.

By sugspc

June 26, 2006 12:52 PM | Link to this

This has to make you wonder why so many people ask, “Why is America Fat?” The cost of healthy food at your grocery store is more expensive. Fresh fruits, whole grain breads with no preservatives, meats, fish and vegetables all costs way more then pre-packaged junk food, chips, cookies, frozen high salt foods. The stores even have bigger bargains to temp shoppers to buy these foods. Fast-food is cheap and easy to buy. Families on budgets can’t afford to spend the extra couple of dollars for each item which can add up to 20.00 or more on your grocery bill. Some feel they would rather be able to just feed their kids then have to worry about buying organic foods which are better for you. I’ve noticed my grocery bill becoming larger in order for me to lose weight and be healthy. I had to cut back on the amount of food I buy in-order to eat healthy. Even having to stop buy the store more often because healty foods don’t last as long stored. Budgiting is key, but if you live pay check to pay check, the option my not be there.

By Amy

June 26, 2006 12:57 PM | Link to this

Sometimes “Healthy” means dealing with food allergies. There are so many substitutes but BOY are they expensive. My husband has wheat, sugar and dairy allergies and the things that we have to buy to substitute are astronomical! It is also overwhelming to not be able to fall back on fast and easy foods. Any tips are welcome - our food bill is out of control!

By K

June 26, 2006 01:29 PM | Link to this

It is definitely more expensive to eat healthy, not only from a paycheck perspective, but also the cost of the time invested. Ramen noodles are cheap, but the sodium in them is off the charts if you use the packet that makes the broth.

I’d really love to see someone publish a 52-week “Eating Healthy for $50 a Week” program or article, with recipes included. Does anyone know if such a thing exists?

By Hotlanta

June 26, 2006 01:37 PM | Link to this

I recently purchased some wheat bread from the Dekalb Farmerd Market and I gotta eat/freeze within 2 days or it will spoil. I need some bread with chemicals so that it will have a longer shelf life so that I can take my sandowches to work for lunch to keep from eating the fast foods. That’s crazy to pay all of that money for food and can’t eat it when you want to.

By LHK

June 26, 2006 01:47 PM | Link to this

I don’t buy that eating healthier is more expensive. If I stock up on in-season vegetables and use them to create meals that can last for more than a day (big salads, pasta dishes, stir-fries, etc.), I’m already saving money. If I stock up on in-season fruits and have those as snacks, I’m definitely saving money over buying packaged snacks. If I have cereal and fruit at home for breakfast, and then pack a lunch to take with me to work, I’m saving money over buying both breakfast and lunch out. Think of the cost of buying, say, a Starbucks latte and a pastry every day, then a $6 sandwich-and-chips combo for lunch, and then eating a packaged frozen dinner at night. Compare that to a good breakfast at home, a sandwich and salad and banana brought from home for lunch, and a vegetable-based entree for dinner that’ll become the next day’s reheated dinner, as well. Healthy and thrifty.

By Lori

June 26, 2006 01:58 PM | Link to this

This summer my husband and I decided to make some important changes in our diet and lifestyle. First, we both bought bicycles. We live 3/4 mile from Earthfare (in Athens), where they sell organic produce and meats and many alternative foods (rice milk, hazelnut milk, tempeh, seitan, etc.). The only problem with stores like this is that they really are expensive, just as everyone has pointed out. But we have noticed that the quality of what we’re eating has improved tremendously. And the biggest change? How we feel!! We either bike or walk to the store every other day, buy a few things (since we can’t pile them in a trunk), and eat at home as healthily as possible.

The food itself may be more expensive, but we are saving money overall… because we haven’t put a gallon of gas in our tank since before Memorial Day (when we opted to make all these changes). Luckily, we live in Athens and are students of UGA, so we can take the Athens bus or the UGA bus if we need to go farther away than where our bikes can safely take us, and I know not everyone can make this choice because of the limited transportation options where they live.

Honestly, between changing our diets and changing our transportation, we have virtually eliminated a host of health problems… in only about a month! We’re sleeping better and feeling better, working more efficiently and smiling more!

As far as the tips that everyone is looking for, I would love to find out more. One suggestion that I can offer, though, is the following: at Earthfare, they have a section of produce to sell that day. Perhaps it’s a little older, but if you’re buying for a meal that day, it really doesn’t matter. I bought three organic peppers (green, yellow, and red) for $0.99 yesterday, and the only problem was that one had two miniscule soft spots. They had other packages of squash, tomatoes, hot peppers, etc. all for less than a dollar. Be sure to take a look at those sale sections!

By hll1955

June 26, 2006 02:00 PM | Link to this

A box of generic Mac and cheese is $.33, a pack of Oscar Mayer hot dogs is $1.50. You can feed 3 or 4 kids a hot meal and they will be full for $1.88. Lets see anyone fix chicken and a fresh vegetable for that. Koolaid is $.15 a pack, milk is $3.98 a gallon. Soda is $.59 for 2 litres, Orange Juice is $2.99 for a 1/2 gallon. This is why our low income families are not eating “healthy”. It isn’t that parents want to feed their kids junk, its only what they can afford.

By gavi1126

June 26, 2006 02:03 PM | Link to this

Sure its expensive to eat healthy, but like someone said earlier..If you cut out eating fast-food it evens out!! Also its only expensive when buying whole/organic products. Other than it, its not expensive to eat healthy. Low-fat/sugar-free etc etc products cost the same as regular ones.

By John Tackett

June 26, 2006 02:28 PM | Link to this

hey hll1955.. do these same parents smoke, drink beer or play the lottery?? I bet you they do one if not all of them. If they cut back on those, perhaps they would have a few extra $$$’s to buy fresh fruit or veggies.

And Hotlanta, do what I do, pull out a few slices or bread every other day or so and keep the rest in the freezer. Thats how I keep my preservative-free bread around for so long. Same goes for fruits and veggies. Buy them when they are on sale, and freeze them so they are there when I want them. It’s called planning ahead. Give it a try…

By Nickelbelle

June 26, 2006 02:32 PM | Link to this

My food bill has jumped about $50 per 2 weeks in trying to prepare healthier things for my family of 4(including 2 teens…one a VERY picky eater)I still have to buy them a certain amount of junk or I’d never hear the end of it! My hubby had a fit the other day when I fixed a meatless meal !(I reminded him that he’s just had steak 3 nights in a row!)A source for low cost, easy yet healthy dishes would be wonderful! I have several healthy cookbooks and try to find stuff in them not too far from the ordinary or I’ll just be wasting my time and money!

By frank123

June 26, 2006 02:37 PM | Link to this

Eating healthy food that TASTES GOOD is more expensive generally. However, as was pointed out beans and mush are cheap and good for you, but they don’t taste as good and looked down on. All the fuss about eating right is over blown. What people need to do is turn off the TV and the internet, and walk or exercise, and eat about 10-20% less. We spend so much time eating, and watching TV and surfing the internet that we are getting way too fat. We aren’t doing the little things that eat up calories like cooking, working in the garden, and hand washing our cars and our dishes. We need to push away from the dinning table and exercise.

By Steve

June 26, 2006 02:40 PM | Link to this

Don’t forget, eating healthy means portion size should be correct. Most people (myself included) consume more than one portion so cutting back to the correct size (whether it is organic, normal, pre-packaged, etc) will make things cost less.

By Hotlanta

June 26, 2006 02:42 PM | Link to this

I see a lot of my friends who think because they are popping all of those vitamin pills they are healthy but wouldn’t exercise to save their lives. You gotta do it all. I refuse to be pill popper everyday unless it will save my life from a terminal illness. I don’t buy the natural stuff it is too expensive. I just eat in moderation. A lot of that organic stuff is a bunch of hype to scare the public.

By B.S.

June 26, 2006 02:47 PM | Link to this

No it’s not expensive. Half the people complaining probably spend three bucks a day in vending machine junk. But the real question is, “What’s the cost of not eating healthy?” Diabetes, heart disease, fatigue, high blood pressure. So keep crying about the “cost” of healthy food, until your doctor bills and prescription med bills start rolling in. After all there is a cost associated with everything.

By Harold

June 26, 2006 03:05 PM | Link to this

The Big Guy helped get rid of the sales tax on food.

Well of course he did! Look at him!!!!!!

Big Guy

or

FAT CAT AT CAT F T CAT FA

CAT FAT AT FAT C T FAT CA FAT CAT

By Harold

June 26, 2006 03:07 PM | Link to this

One stupid thing of olive oil is like $45. Of course it’s more expensive!

By cee

June 26, 2006 03:12 PM | Link to this

I am a widow raising 4 kids alone. I work a full time job plus benefits I recieve from my husband’s SSI, I have learned to become quite thrifty but not when it comes to my family and what we put in our mouth. I shop at Kroger and by far it’s the less expensive when it comes to organic and other quilty meat/fruit/veggie I have found yet. They have a small organic and “product” free sections. I have tried the Whole food markets and their prices are down right ridiculous.
Can somebody please tell me how is it that most of the poor recieve food stamps but the government does not allow a receipant to purchase whole food goods but they allow them to purchase fast food goods? Is eating healthy only for the rich?

By Sarah

June 26, 2006 04:08 PM | Link to this

Healthy food doesn’t have to mean organic milk and flax seed cereal. Eating healthier can actually be cheaper. Prepare things from fresh ingredients. I agree with the above opinion that Kroger is the cheapest, but check the sales papers for the deals. Buy the meat that is on sale. And when you prepare, watch portion size. I am single and in college with a full time job so I will prepare things ahead of time and refrigerate them so I can reheat at work or school. Just little changes in your diet can make a big difference and don’t have to cost a lot.

By Cletus Snow

June 26, 2006 04:10 PM | Link to this

Two years ago my health food and exercize neighbor died at64 from heart problems.He told me for years cigaretts and coffee along with red meat would kill me,I quit cigs and coffee about 10 yrs ago. His wife died back in april.My grand father smoked,drank,cursed every day,though I never saw him drunk lived to be 94 ,died in his sleep,I don’t get it. I dont eat any more preseratives and chemicals than I have to,I’m not going stop going to the Varsity and haveing a couple of hot dogs,and I’m not going to worry much about it.I did learn one thing from this blog,I really like the sun dried tomato bread from the Dekalb farmers mkt,but the shelf life isn’t very long,Freezing it,if it works will save me about 80 miles a month, so thanks for the heads up.

By Starchild

June 26, 2006 04:22 PM | Link to this

Stocking up on seasonal produce can help reduce the food budget but what happens when the season is gone? Try canning the fresh fruits and vegetables that you stocked up on! You can produce them cheaply, with low or no salt and sugar and enjoy the “fruits” of your labors during the rest of the year.

By Hotlanta

June 26, 2006 04:24 PM | Link to this

I am sick and tired of the poor being blamed for everything bad in this country. Is William Shatner or Elizabeth Taylor poor. Why are they looking like Goodyear blimps. No they have poor eating habits. Bad eating habits go across all economic lines. The rich fat kids go to camp every year to try to loose weight.

By

June 26, 2006 04:30 PM | Link to this

Eating healthy is far cheaper, people don’t eat healthy because of convenience not expense. you could gorge a family of six with a roast chicken, potatoes veggies the works for about $25 shopping at any number of farmers markets in the area (not whole foods Harold they make a living on people that think more expensive is healthier oh and try buying regular old olive oil not virgin or first press or better yet simple vegetable oil). fresh products are far cheaper than canned and prepared foods. People are simply too lazy.

By John

June 26, 2006 05:45 PM | Link to this

It is more expensive in many cases. Why should a food without sugar taste more than the same food with sugar? Why should low fat foods taste more than high fat foods? I understand why premium orange juice is more expensive than the junk from concentrate and lean meat is more expensive than fatty meat but some of the difference has no logic.

By vanessa

June 26, 2006 06:04 PM | Link to this

One thing I have noticed is that many adults develop bad/good eating habits early in life and these “habits” follow them throughout their lives. I think it is very important for parents to recognize that kids are a product of what we teach them. I say teach them that eating fresh fruits and vegetables with every meal is important. Even if you must give your kids hotdogs and chips for dinner, don’t forget a side of steamed broccoli with a little butter sauce or sliced cantaloupe or peaches and strawberries. The price of fresh fruits and vegetables are not so bad when they go on sale.

By Reid

June 26, 2006 06:28 PM | Link to this

I would say that certain things can be more expensive when you’re trying to go eat healthy. I also think convenience plays a part, especially when you factor in the Corporate influence.

We’re all driven so hard to work longer, you know? I routinely go into my office at 7am, and I’m normally not gone until after 6pm, normally more like 7pm. Factor in at least 45 minutes for the commute, and by the time I’ve gotten home and situated and out of my suit and ready to make myself something for dinner, it’s 8:30! Figure at least a half hour of cooking if I want anything more substantial than a sandwich or a quick salad. So let’s see, I get my dinner after 9pm. Eat, clean up, and sit down for a nice tv show (or more often than not, more work in preparation for the next day) before I have to go to bed at 11pm to get my six hours before getting up at 5am to do it all over again.

And people wonder why fast-food is so prevalent? It’s not that it’s cheap. It’s that many of us barely have time for anything else…

By kb

June 27, 2006 09:37 AM | Link to this

Junk food is cheaper at the register but it can cost you in consecutive, failed diet programs and in future Dr’s bills.

If you are trying to lose weight, you might want to makeover your pantry with health foods that are naturally lower in fats/calories than all of the junkfood counterparts. You can eat a lot more food and stay satisfied while consuming less calories. Try it!

Also, off the diet note, don’t be fooled by many of the leading manufacturers tactics to make you think their foods are healthy. Check the ingredients list for words that you can understand. Make sure that products labeled “whole grains” have whole wheat, whole oats, or some other whole grain listed as the first ingredient. Try to stay away from all of the preservatives and artificial ingredients that were manufactured in a chemistry lab from sources that are also used in your car engines, paints and other non-food items. The manufacturers only do this to increase their profits at your expense by feeding you chemicals so their products will have a longer shelf life at the store. As for all of the eye-catching neon colors in our cereals, yogurts, pop-tarts, etc. avoid these also. These colors belong in consumer goods like textiles, plastics, etc. not your food.

Like the damage smoking does to your body, many harmful things can take years of consumption to come to a head, and then it may be to late! Take care of yourself now! There are alternatives for many of your favorite food items that taste just as good or better! Healthy food has come a long way.

Best of health to you!!

By JW

June 27, 2006 09:55 AM | Link to this

The reason they put enriched wheat flour, high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, and aspartame in the “foods” they supply us with is because they are VERY inexpensive (in the short term). But these 4 ingredients are responsible for funding major sectors of our national economy. Such as:

(1) The diet industry.
(2) The exercise industry
(3) The pharmaceutical industry
(4) The medical industry.

Think about how much money you have spent in the last year funding these 4 major industries.

Now multiply that number times 300 million people in the U.S.

Do you realize how much money Americans would save if they ate food that actually nourished their bodies, did not make them sick, did not make them fat?

Hershey’s just bought Jenny Craig last week. Do you understand why now? They are protecting their investment by making sure their customers eat foods which make them fat so there will be a need for a diet plan. Whats next… Jack Daniels buys Alchoholics Anonymous? This is only 1 example.

Wake up America. Step back and look at the big picture. Good food is not expensive. But the Government, FDA, Medical industry, and big Pharma profit from you eating the garbage they supply us, masked as cheap food.

By JW

June 27, 2006 10:13 AM | Link to this

Once you begin eating foods that are good for you, you will be surprised how much less you eat.

Go to your farmers market any buy up all the fruits and vegetables you can find. Anything you won’t eat in a week, put in your freezer. Anything that won’t fit, add organic (not processed) sugar and make into pies and put them in the fridge for your sweet tooth.

80% of prople who are fat don’t eat breakfast. 80% of people who are fat eat dinner (supper) after 8 pm. If you don’t get home from work until 8… don’t eat supper. Go to bed and eat an extra big breakfast. You’ll lose weight and stop wasting money on diet pills and trips to the gym. (Sorry, I’m getting a little off topic.)

If you add in what we (my family) don’t spend at the doctor, on prescriptions, on diet plans, on going to the gym trying to lose weight, eating healthy is 100 times cheaper than not eating healthy.

By JW

June 27, 2006 10:16 AM | Link to this

Now that I’ve let the cat out of the bag, I fully expect the Feds to break in any moment and take me away, or worse.

By kb

June 27, 2006 10:27 AM | Link to this

JW,

You’re right on (and funny too)! So many in the public are oblivious to the schemes in which they partake. Once America wakes up and turns to more healthy choices for their own good, the manufacturers will have no choice but to reformulate.

In fact, did you know that Frito Lay and General Mills produce lines of foods that don’t contain all of the garbage (GM has a cereal line under the name of “Mothers”)?

Why don’t they advertise these lines? Because the profit margin is less than that on their unhealthy lines of products. Quality ingredients (aka “real food”) costs more than synthetic food.

By Tracy

June 27, 2006 12:38 PM | Link to this

To hll1955 and others: Give me a break! Parents will spend $3 per Happy Meal when they can make a salad, green beans and a PB ot turkey sandwich on wheat bread for about half that. Sure, it costs more to purchase all these ingredients up front, but you’ll have meals for a week. Healthy choices begin with the willingness to devote maybe 1 extra hour a week to create these fabulous salads and cut up fresh fruits and veggies. I go to the store, buy fresh (organic if possible), and cut it all up into meal-sized portions for the fridge. Don’t play the “poor” card here. Intelligent consumers aren’t buying it.

By hll1955

June 27, 2006 01:54 PM | Link to this

ok lets take a look at your numbers. $1.98 for a head of lettuce, $.59 cents for a bag of carrots, 1 large roasting chicken $8.99, Milk $2.98, salad dressing $1.79. 1 dinner for a family of 4 = $16.33. Agreed the milk the dressing and maybe part of the lettuce could then be used for another meal, so it does save alittle, but still, compare $1.88 to $16.33.

There are thousands of single parents who don’t drink or smoke or play the lottery, but who do make minimum wage and have to pay day care, rent, gas and medical expenses out of their $19k a year or less. They also have to buy clothing, school supplies, car repair etc.

Just look at the cost of adding 1 fresh fruit to your diet each day. Grapes are $1.79 a pound, Cantalope (a puny one at that) $1.98. Watermellon $3.98 for a small one, Bag of apples $2.49, Peaches (in season now) $.88 for a pound which equals 3 or fewer peaches. Now multiply those by 4 people, 7 days thats 28 pieces of fruit per week. The cheapest, peaches, would cost $7.92 for 28 peaches. That is ONE piece of fruit per person per day. It is recommended that each person eat 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

I stand by what I said…Poor families can’t afford to eat healthy these days.

Getting back to the question originally posed, yes it is much more expensive to eat healthy. Even just in the last few years, the cost of fresh fruits and veggies has risen alot. Lettuce used to be $.29 a head in season now we are lucky to see it under $1.50 a head.

By Hotlanta

June 27, 2006 02:40 PM | Link to this

Tracy. ain’t nobody playing the poor card here, we are playing the sensible card. Why should I buy bread as I stated earlier and pay $3.00 and it says eat immediately. For 3 bucks it should sit on the shelf longer than a day. My bread and my meats should not be in the freezer all of the time. Frozen bread loose some consistently if it stays in there toooo long. Yall don’t know how long that so called organic stuff has been on the shelf. Because when it comes from the farm in California to Georgia and you have to eat it immediately you have lost a couple of days already. I wonder how many of you veggies wear leather shoes, have leather furniture. That wood in your home and that guitar you pluck around the campfire came from the very forest you are trying to save. Your wool sweater has a naked sheep somewhere. So none of us are “All Natural”. I am hungry I am going to Mcdonald’s right now.

By HB

June 27, 2006 03:40 PM | Link to this

Nickelbelle gives a great example: “My food bill has jumped about $50 per 2 weeks in trying to prepare healthier things for my family of 4.” That works out to less than $1 more per person per day. For many lower income families that can be a burden, and I support programs that help to bring nutritious, affordable food to those families, but most of us can find that dollar somewhere without too much difficulty. It’s just a matter of making healthy eating a priority.

I make a point to eat healthy, whole, often organic foods. My weekly Whole Foods grocery bill averages $45. I usually eat out 2 meals per week, so my 19 Whole Foods-bought meals cost $2.37 each. That’s roughly the cost of a double cheeseburger and a medium soda at McD’s (no fries with that). So is healthy eating really as expensive as it’s made out to be? I don’t think so.

By Andy

June 27, 2006 04:01 PM | Link to this

You don’t need to shop at Whole Foods to eat healthy. You don’t even need to only buy organic veggies. You can shop at any grocery store. What you have to do is know what the ingredients are of what you are eating, plan a menu, and stick to it. I agree with a previous poster that a little planning and organization go a long way—and can even end up SAVING you money.

As for those with lower budgets, stock up on chicken breasts when they are on sale and freeze them. But flash frozen fish or veggies. Instead of white pasta, buy whole wheat—a box (16 oz) at Kroger was 88 cents yesterday. There are ways to do it, you just have to have the will.

You may save a little money now by eating McDonalds, but think about your health, the medical bills, and the fact that there is a growing diabetes epidemic in this country.

By joeylee

June 27, 2006 04:48 PM | Link to this

Sorry but I can’t buy the poor/low quality food/overweight argument. Most poor people in the world live in third world countries where food is scarce and are dangerously underweight. Portion size and cutting out snacking are so important. Living in the most affluent country in the world is a blessing and a curse. We have so much more than we need of everything, including food, and it shows in our excess weight. If you look at old photos of groups of people from decades ago everyone is normal weight. Today’s photos will show a much more overweight American public. Wish we could all have a personal dietician to shop and cook for us and restrict our snacking. We would look and feel a lot different.

By HB

June 27, 2006 04:50 PM | Link to this

You’re absolutely right, Andy. I gave my own grocery bill as an example, but as I pointed out, I buy at Whole Foods (better quality veggies than my neighborhood’s other chains), and I buy what I like (asparagus, good cheese, etc.), not necessarily what’s cheap. And STILL I pay no more than I would at McD’s. If I put real effort into saving, my healthy food could be even cheaper. Anyone who can afford fast food, can afford healthy food.

Sadly, some lower families can only afford canned vegetables and ultra-cheap boxed meals (I’m referring to families that cannot even afford McD’s). A few local government programs are teaming up with food pantries to provide nutrition classes and fresh produce to families that until now have had to rely almost entirely on non-parishables. Hopefully, this is a movement that will continue to grow.

By joeylee

June 27, 2006 05:05 PM | Link to this

What I meant above was that a starchy and inexpensive diet does not necessarily by itself cause people to be overweight. To wit, starving people in third world countries certainly eat a starchy diet but they just flat-out don’t get enough to eat to cause them to be overweight.

By KarenA

June 28, 2006 08:50 AM | Link to this

Andy, you are correct! IMHO healthy eating does NOT cost more, it costs less. As pointed out above, PORTION SIZE, eating breakfast, and shopping wisely all figure into healthy eating. Eat more fruits and veggies, and less meat. Avoid the high carb/high sugar and salt processed foods and drinks. Limit or remove the white foods (pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, white flour cakes and cookies) from your diet, and add whole grains, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta. Eat better, and you will be satisfied with smaller portions. As to the cost of fresh food or better foods, if you purchase fruit and veggies that are in season, and on sale, and purchase canned goods on sale that are lower in sugar salt and fat, purchase leaner meats and serve smaller portions, then you can spend less. Packaged, processed and precooked foods always cost more than fresh ingredients. I can cook a whole pot of healthy chili with a little meat and three kinds of beans that I freeze into 10 serving portions, and serve over brown rice, for the same price as a bowl of $4 chili at a restaurant. Try your own experiment for a week buying and eating healthy, and you will find that you can spend less, eat better, and enjoy your food more.

By JW

June 29, 2006 03:55 PM | Link to this

Stomach staple at age 40- $12,000

Colonoscopy at age 45- $8,000

Cancerous tumor removal at age 50- $15,000

Quadruple bypass surgery at age 60- $25,000

Knee replacement surgery at age 65- $18,000

Cost of eating healthy………….PRICELESS