Does It Cost More To Eat Healthy?

in food •  8 years ago 

Often times in this society there is an impression given that it is too expensive to eat healthy and that eating fast food is cheaper.  Usually prepared food at a fast food restaurant ends up being more expensive.  We have all went to a fast food joint and ordered a few things and then the bill ended up being $13.  At that point it is like why DAFUQ did I go here?  Even if you are going to eat unhealthy it is oftentimes more economical to just go to the grocery store.  Instead of getting a blizzard at Dairy Queen you would be better off just going and getting a tub of ice cream at the grocery store.  

A lot of times you can snag killer deals and be eating like a god king for several days.  Check out this great deal I got on chicken breast the other day.  

$4 for 2.5 pounds of meat basically.  That is solid nourishment!  

Here is how much meat there was when it was cut up.  

Add some guacamole, tomatoes, salsa, onions, and a tortilla and you have food for days for under the $13 you would have spent on garbage from a fast food joint.  

Here is the finished product!  NOM, NOM, NOM, NOOOOOOMMMMMM.  

Now I know someone is going to say that if you just eat Romen Noodles every meal it would be cheaper.  That may be true but we are trying to eat like god kings over here and get proper nourishment!  Also if you think of the expense of eggs it is pretty cheap.  Usually $0.27 / egg.  You can really get pretty far eating chicken breast, eggs, and rice in my opinion.  

Hopefully this inspired you to make some chicken tacos!  

Thank you for reading my post and please consider following me @brianphobos


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You would not believe how many times I've heard people claim that poor people are fat because they can only afford junk food. I've literally had to break down actual prices from my shopping receipts and give examples of meals to show these people that you can easily eat healthy food every day for around $100/month - or even less. And then they still don't believe me and want to argue about it.

Eating healthy isn't a financial problem - it's a psychological one. Most of the time, it just comes down to laziness. If you never try, of course you won't be able to change your habits or be healthier. It's not exactly the easiest thing in the world to pull off, but it's certainly doable with a little bit of willpower and effort.

It is so true it is unbelievable. I think that they are reaching to blame someone else a lot of times for their obesity and lack of money. It isn't easy and there are sometimes when I get lazy and suddenly get a craving for Wendy's and especially the Frosties but then afterwards I feel like a human hog and the regret sets in. :-(
People for sure need to really work on their will power and do some research and some exercise along the way as well.

I think there is a lot of misinformation out there and in particular, mainstream health takes awhile to follow suit behind science. Also, once a food dogma has been implemented it affects the structure of schools, corporations, restaurants, etc. No authority is going to come right out and say that they were wrong about cholesterol (to choose a recent example). Instead, its a slow process.

Every couple of years something seems to get villified for marketing purposes. Sodium (our body needs sodium). Carbs, fat, cholesterol....etc....etc...
But there is one thing for sure. Everyone pretty much knows that fast food in large part is bad for us. Yet there is a very large number of people eating at those places everyday.

It definitely costs time effort and perhaps money, but definitely worth it.

I agree!

Great post highlighting an important topic @brianphobos! Have you ever seen Leanne Brown's book "Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day"? It focuses on nutrition and cost, without skimping on flavor! It's an awesome book and you can download it as a free PDF from her website: http://www.leannebrown.com/

Good and Cheap is a cookbook for people with very tight budgets, particularly those on SNAP/Food Stamp benefits. The PDF is free and has been downloaded more than 1,000,000 times.

After the PDF went viral online, I launched a Kickstarter project to fund a print run, using a "get one, give one" system (like TOMS Shoes) so that people who bought a book for themselves could give another copy to a family in need.

The campaign was tremendously successful — I asked for $10,000 to print a small batch, but I ended up with 5,636 supporters who raised $144,681! That made it the #1 cookbook ever on Kickstarter.

Generous backers have given over 70,000 printed copies of Good and Cheap to people in need. We've distributed the books through organizations across the US and Canada that work with low-income families, and have also sold more than 86,000 copies to those groups at huge discounts.

Wow! I haven't seen this book! This is so awesome! Thank you for sharing! If people would do this it could change the world!

looks yummy. glad I just had breakfast.

I can't go to the grocery store on an empty stomach usually... LOL Or I will buy everything.

The health benefits of nutritious food cannot be over estimated.

It is so true. Eating healthy and getting plenty of rest is so lacking in the United States and a lot of other parts of the world as well.

Good post Brian, hopping in for a follow

Cool! Thank you!

all people need to learn eat healthy food

I agree. Most parents can't teach their kids because they don't know and schools in the United States certainly aren't teaching kids how to eat healthy with the gross lunches. I actually can't believe I ate those. I would have been better off carrying my lunch.

Looks Yum

Thanks! It was very good!

we always try to cook something healthy, don't like fast food. your recipe will become a part of our family cookbook, i think. Thank you for sharing!

About user commented up above about a free PDF cook book I hadn't seen to eat healthy on $4 / day. It is awesome! http://www.leannebrown.com/

So true, you can eat healthily really cheaply and it doesn't have to be poverty food!!

For sure!

No, not cost more. Just stick to fruits and vegetables. And yes, You can really get pretty far eating chicken breast, eggs, and rice.

I think that the problem is not with cost of healthy food but with the way we eat, we need to get accustomed to the old, non-processed, chemicals-free food.

Yeah, all the processed garbage out there is terrible.

If you think that meal is nourishing compared to healthy eating, you are in for a surprise. It is more expensive.

What is healthy eating in your mind?

Follow me if you are curious. It's going to take me a long while to get all my knowledge on that subject alone online.