Meh...lots of people never equate costs of future health with the cost of decent food.

Lots of people, like my dear SIL God Love Her eat out of boxes or hit the drivethru day after day after day and complain that they can't lose weight because good food costs too much. Often people say that they don't have time to prepare food, or that they can't store things in their homes, or don't like to cook as rationalization for eating out of boxes and going through the drivethru. And don't listen when the options are spelled out.

It isn't a matter of being self-righteous; it is a matter of simply stating that if you choose to eat well, you CAN do it without putting yourself in the poor house. I'm not exactly sure HOW to phrase this in any other way. And this isn't to be seen as a moral choice -- heck, eat however you want to eat! It doesn't impact any of us directly! Makes no nevermind to me, that's for sure. But if one ASKS the question as to whether you can eat healthily for a reasonable amount of money as the OP did, expect hints, tips, advice, and general discussion based on a vast range of personal experience.

I know I've incorporated some great ideas from this thread: those who choose not to take this thread in the spirit of sharing and education in which it was meant may be making their weight loss efforts more difficult than they need to be.

JMHO

Kira

It's easier to get filled up on high density foods (like things in the dollar menu at McDonalds) than it is to get filled up on veggies and what not.

But I do think that part of it is just looking for an excuse.

I think the better question (than whether it is or isn't cheaper) is what can be done to make it more affordable. The tips have been far more helpful than the debate (which my argument and conclusion is that "it depends").

Telling someone they're wrong, generally is a lot less productive than sharing strategies illustrating how it can be done.

I've had people tell me that "it can't be done," and my response isn't "you're wrong;" it's "It sure is rough isn't it? But what I do is......."

If they were looking for an excuse, their eyes glaze over or they have a rebuttle to each and every suggestion (I don't like that, the kid's won't eat that, I can't/won't cook.....)
However, if they were truly harboring the stereoytpe that healthy eating can't be done, their eyes light up, and they get excited by (at least some) of the ideas. I've actually had a woman stop me and pull out a small notebook from her purse so she could take notes! (and this was a stranger, I'm not even sure how we got on the topic of weight loss - maybe we were standing in the weight loss product aisle, I don't remember).

I agree. Situations are different for different people but you'll get a lot further with people saying something along the lines of "You know I thought so too, but since I've cut down on the amount of meat/ cut down on take out/ etc...." Sometimes its not just an excuse. For instance people always talk about how you always have time to excercise but I could never have kept the schedule I keep now as a full time student and waitress. After 8 hour days hiking all over campus up and down stairs and then another 6-9 hours on my feet there was no way I would hit the gym. Not that I have a desk job it's way more reasonable.

This is a great thread, everyone is so creative in their choices.

I think part of the problem is that we are an all or nothing type of society. You can still eat at McDonalds (and the like) and still make healthier choices than you did yesterday. Instead of getting the breaded chicken sandwich with mayo and medium fries and a large coke like I used to, I instead choose a grilled chicken with mustard and a pickle, a side salad with fat free dressing (which you can substitute for the fries) and either an orange juice, milk, or water.It comes out to the same price as the original combo.

Is it as healthy as say eating a stir fry made with organic veggies? No. But it is still healthier than the way I ate in the past.

The Mac and Cheese debate .... usually a box will serve two people because lets be honest, you feel you need to eat a lot to feel full with this stuff.
Here, WWheat pasta goes for about 2.50 regular price, and tomato sauce about 2 dollars. You can make your own sauce if you buy the paste, which is only about 60cents. So, you are looking at about 4.50 on average. But that usually gives us about ten servings, whereas I would need about five boxes of KD to make that amount of food, and if each box is about a dollar, that is pretty comparable.

I was just figuring up earlier how much my own groceries cost per month. The grand total came to around 150 bucks. Now, I know and understand that different regions have different prices, etc. I am just noting this for me. Before I started really trying to lose weight, when I lived in Tennessee and weighed over 300 pounds, I was spending around 200 dollars for at home eats, that is not including any fast food crap I bought which was more than twice a week. So my story conclusion is, not only has eating healthier gave me a much better body (not perfect by any means) but also it's easy on the wallet

I was just thinking about this today, the all-or-nothing thinking and how I never choose the healthiest options at a fast-food restaurant. Temptation, perhaps?

I do a ton of this ... make things from scratch.

Yeah, that may not be true for everyone, but it is for me. If I was trying to fill up and stay full on Kraft mac & cheese and ramen noodles and white bread, I'd be miserable. To me it's air food. I can eat 3 or 4 servings and still be wondering when I'm going to feel like I've eaten something.

A box of KD serves 2??? TWO??? I could plow through an entire box and polish it off with half a bag of cookies, no problem. I've NEVER had a box of KD serve 2 unless I was babysitting and I made it for the kids at the mom's request, and THEN it served maybe 2...


Now, a box of pasta for 2.50 will serve 4. What WILL kill you with mac and cheese is the cost of the cheese. But realistically, I don't eat alot of Mac and cheese because of the fat and calorie content. So for me, this is kind of a moot point. But interesting! And isn't it funny that mac and cheese recipes take front and center at alot of family get togethers, and it is ALWAYS the homemade stuff that we remember, and not the crap out of a box...

Kira

I love the real Mac and Cheese ... my mom always makes it without cream. She throws into a pot the noodles, shredded cheddar, crushed tomatoes, onion, and some pepper. Still high in calories and fat, but not as much as the creamy versions. Oh, then she bakes it to melt the cheese.

When I go to the store and buy fresh/healthy I spend about $70/week. Per WEEK. I've never spent that much on less healthy foods for a week.

That's based on my own shopping. It's not an excuse... it's reality. Eating healthy has become more expensive, even the grocery store clerks have mentioned it.

I think I see part of the difference. Fresh stuff here is more expensive than it is elsewhere, and we're certainly not the most expensive area. I can pay anywhere from $2 - $3 for a single cucumber. If I can get cauliflower for $1.29/lb I'm happy. A 5 lb bag of carrots is far cheaper than pre-cut, and readily available year around.. but by part way through the winter we get absolutely sick of our choices. Within the next few weeks fresh fruit will be almost impossible aside from the usual bananas, apples and oranges. Things like fresh strawberries or blueberries won't even be in the store. By then, some of the apples are $2/lb or more. I do switch to canned/frozen in the winter but that isn't always budget friendly, either. Whole grain bread is upwards of $4/loaf. When I was at the store last week, whole wheat pasta was double the price of white pasta.

When the manager at the local grocery store makes off hand comments about the price of healthier foods, I know it isn't just my imagination.. they've gone up.

eating healthier has been more affordable for me then the way me and my hubby used to eat which was eating out 2-3 times a day and buying junky snack foods at the store to bring home. eating out we easily spent $40-$60 a day.. That means I was spenging $1000-$1500 a month on food!!! just on crap that was making me fat and unhealthy!

Now I spend about $400-$500 a month on groceries and this includes the occasional eating out oh and essentials like shampoo and toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc!

HOWEVER.... I will add A few weeks back we went on a vacation and came back with VERY LITTLE money left until the next pay day.. and We had no other choice but to buy the cheapo stuff like top ramen, cheap bread, etc... I tried to plan out healthy meals based on the little money we had and I just couldn't make it work. so in stead We focused on portion control and exercising extra and drinking a ton of water to get rid of the excess sodium...Some times it is cheaper to eat bad.. but in comparison to what and how I was eating before eating healthy is saving me a TON of money!

My mom and I discuss this all of the time. Personally, we shop at Trader Joe's. Our grocery spending has really gone down since shopping there. It works for us because most things are portioned for two people. If a larger family were to shop there, say a family of 4, it probably wouldn't be as cost efficient. Money aside, I feel we get MORE for our money there. The food is great and often times, a lot healthier than things we used to substitute at the local grocery store.

A dinner at Mcdonalds for both of us is usually around $15. For $15, I could easily get 3 bags of their assorted pastas and a box or two of hormone and MSG free chicken. Not only is that 10 times healthier, it's more cost efficient. That is about three meals in itself for the same price of one from Mcdonalds. There is just no comparison.

Oh, see I don't compare it to restaraunt/take out/fast food eating, because we don't do much of that and never have. Once a month to every six weeks dh and I go out for supper. Or we order in.

I'm comparing my grocery bill now, when I'm really trying to focus on eating better to a few months ago when I really wasn't focussed on it. I still bought fruits and veggies, but not the amount I am now. More often than not I do my own baking for snacks (cookies, muffins, etc. for lunches) so it's not like I was spending a lot there, either. The main difference is adding about four servings of veggies and fruit/day.. plus more yogurt and milk. Less bread, most likely.

Hello,
I never think of skipping healthy food because it's costly,it has 2 main reasons..
I think that why we earn,we earn so that we can fulfill our most of the needs,
and our prime requirement of life is food..so it should be healthy and hygienic.
I use to save money in rest of the things but not food..and I will suggest you also this..
If we do not eat good or quality food then also we can't save money because then we have to visit to the doctor's clinic regularly due to many stomach problems.

Regards,
Nelson
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