Monday, 26 November 2012
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The Cost of Eating Healthy
I was speaking with two ladies at church, one in her fifties and the other in her 70s. The older one's husband has had a lot of health problems so, they're eating vegan for now. Apparently, she has been a lone vegetarian for years, for health. I knew this because at a church event, I brought hummus and she was the only one who knew what it was. My church is full of chubby southerners who brag about eating deep-fried Oreo's for breakfast and think I'm a health nut because they see me jogging around town.I don't consider myself super-healthy, and I don't stick to organic veganism. But, compared to local habits, I am told I seem like an earth-freak hippie. My husband is very skinny which just adds to our general weirdness in their minds. The woman in her 50s was talking about how difficult it is to be healthy and how she can't afford it.
- Healthy foods are more expensive
- It's difficult and time consuming to cook
- Gym memberships cost a lot
I really don't agree with any of these statements but, they're very common misconceptions.
Healthy foods can be cheaper.
Granted, any pre-made diet foods are expensive the same way that pre-made non-diet foods are expensive. Think about the cost of a package of Poptarts compared to the price of baking your own quick bread. The Poptarts would be $7 a box while, you may spend about $2 in ingredients for the quick bread. You're paying for the time, packaging and markup of someone else preparing your food. So, eliminate all the pre-made foods from your choices.
Next, let's talk about meat. Meat is expensive. Stop eating meat completely, and your grocery bill could go down $30 easily. Limit your meat eating to once or twice a week, and the savings will still be significant. So, being vegetarian or vegan can actually save you money. Next, let's talk about frozen vegetables. I don't disagree that buying fresh from local farms every day is a little pricey. And while it would be ideal, it's not necessary if you just want to change your habits. Frozen vegetables are very cheap, about $2 for a family-sized bag. So consider a meal of roasted broccoli, seasoned and served. It's costing you cents per person. Brown rice, brown bread and wheat wraps may cost pennies more but, they fill your stomach differently. The extra fiber encourages you to eat less. So, while you may need 2 sandwiches (4 slices) on Wonder bread, you might be satisfied with ½ a sandwich (1 slice folded) on a wheat bread. Personally, I rarely eat bread but, this is what I do for my husband. Amusingly, all of his meals attract a lot of attention at the lunch table. He works at a distribution warehouse with big men. My husband will come in loaded with a fresh hoagie on something whole-grain, fresh veggies and maybe a warm, pre-made side to warm up. Since he's skinny and a guy, he usually also has a home-made baked good. His big meal will be around 600 calories. And his co-workers will eat 2-3 TV dinners, feel unsatisfied at the gooey, tastless lump and walk away with 2500 calories. That's not to mention the nutritional differences between the lunches (can you imagine the sodium?).Cook in groups or with short-cuts.
It's true that cooking for every meal if you are preparing a roast with potatoes, rolls, and gravy can be consuming -- taking up your whole afternoon. But remember, since you're eating healthier, you're not always cooking meat. That cuts out a lot of time waiting for the food to marinate, tenderize and reach a safe temp. Become familiar with one-pot meals, pre-prepared casseroles or stir-fry done without oil in a non-stick pan. For the casseroles, especially if you don't want to give up meat, cook 2-3 on the weekend. All your prep time can be saved for a day when you're not working. Pre-cook the meat, making sure everything is safe. Then, wrap it up and freeze. Make sure to research the safest ways to freeze different foods online. During the week, maybe one or two of your meals could be soup and salad or sandwich. Maybe your lunches could be leftovers from the healthy meals. Become familiar with a non-stick pan, where you can quickly cook veggies in a variety of ways. There are so many pre-made, low-sodium and low-fat sauces and salsas. Even some low-fat dressings (vinaigrette based) can be nice with this technique.
You don't need a gym.
Sometimes it is nice to have a trainer. Personally, I've lost 14 lbs (143-129) off of a small frame (5'4") without paying money. I've done free videos on Hulu and YouTube, switching when I get bored or they get too easy. I've been jogging on trails or running bleachers at the local park. I'm so cheap that I use containers of kitty litter, bocce balls and soup cans for weights. I live in a rural area without some of the free or low-cost resources that larger cities have such as public pools or free spinning classes.
You have to remember that an overweight or obese person will benefit greatly from just walking quickly. My mom, for instance, weighed somewhere near 270lbs (5'11"ish) when she first started Weight Watchers. Her first 40 lbs were dropped simply by walking. She walked with me on my lunch break (20 min) and she walked about 30 minutes with my dad each evening.
I didn't lecture anyone on this, because the 70 year old was telling her story and it wasn't my place. However, I truly feel that these things are do-able, even for us women who have to work, raise children or please picky husbands.
What do you think? Is the cost of eating healthy too high? Or are there additional ways to make it affordable?
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- From: wholiedtotheblind@xanga
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Comments (32)
if you'd like to stick with the organic stuff, then yeah. more money needs to be spent. otherwise, it's still very affordable. the problem is, you need to know how to cook and willing to try foods from different ethnic cultures. so that you won't be eating the same boring stuff day in day out. unfortunately, most people can't or won't cook and stick to the type of foods they know best.
@oOo_itsJuJu@xanga - Don't you think a lot of people learn their eating and cooking habits from their family? Then, people act offended if you change?
I was talking to a girl, L. last week that revealed a humorous angle on this. We were talking about a green bean dish where the woman described it as cooked in bacon grease. L. said, "What does that mean?" I explained, "Well, she pours the leftover fat from cooking bacon into a jar or can and then re-uses it to make those beans."
L said, "Oh, I always save mine too. But, I never knew why. Just because my mom did, I guess."
She had three jars of bacon grease under her sink that she had been saving for no reason.
@rudyhou@xanga - You are right about using cooking ideas from many ethnicities. Even using a few new spices will shake up a boring rotation of meals.
Meat is very healthy IF the animal was healthy. This misconception about meat being unhealthy comes from the fact that we are eating animals who are sick most of the time.
I don't buy grains but vegetables can be cheap if you pay attention. I think I spend the most money on fats- grass fed butter, good olive oil, etc.@WaitingToShrug@xanga - Yay paleo buddy! Grass fed beef is one of the healthiest things you can eat.
My husband lost his job recently so our income has been cut down dramatically. We're trying to eat healthy (paleo) off of my $11/hr job that I have while in school. We've just been looking for good deals on QUALITY meat (grass fed beef, organic chicken, nitrate free bacon, etc) and when we find it, we buy a ton! Then for vegetables, we just shop locally at farmers markets and such. You can also make meat go further by cutting it up for different recipes. We also started ordering more expensive paleo staples on amazon (almond butter, coconut oil, etc) since we have free shipping and it's usually cheaper.
My mother taught me that anything and everything was cheaper and more nutritious when prepared from scratch, at home, and everything I've ever learned afterward, from other sources, has supported that. (The only exception is probably deep-frying anything.) Two tablespoons of oil in your stir-fry, or having a reasonable serving of meat most days of the week, does not change that.
Not every nutritious&cheap eating strategy works for everyone. I can't stand reheated or crock-pot veggies (they're mushy and unappetizing). However, I'm fine with cooking meat once a week and using it all week long with various sides. Having the meat ready removes a huge roadblock from meal preparation (and it's time-effective--takes only an extra 10 mins to make 3 chicken breasts instead of 1, vs taking the time every night!). In a pinch, it's reheated chicken and steamed veggies from a bag. If I'm more motivated, it might become a stir fry. My meals would probably be ~$10+ in a restaurant; I can make them for $2-3. It seems like a good deal.
Now, eating better doesn't cost more overall, but sometimes 'healthy' products do cost more than their 'unhealthy' alternatives. Whole wheat bread/flour/pasta/rice over white. Greek yogurt vs regular. Good oils vs cheap oils like canola or corn. Leaner meats. However, some of those costs can be defrayed by the foods being more filling, or by cutting down on consumption of them, which is probably desirable anyway.
@WaitingToShrug@xanga - She wasn't saying meat is bad for you, she's saying that it is expensive and you can do without it to save money.
what i want to know is, where on earth is a box of poptarts $7. they are like $2.50-$3 max here.
@jemenfouX@xanga - "But remember, since you're eating healthier, you're not always cooking meat."
I am on Foodstamps. Not proud of it, and definatly not enough for a month. My husband isn't very picky. Whatever I cook, he eats. He's only told me twice in the time we've been together he didn't like what I cooked.
Being on assistance, I'm limited. I buy a TON of yogerts, cheeses, Triscuts, chicken, veggies, water, and juices (orange juice, cranberry-grape). I hardly deep-fry, maybe twice a month. Butter, and oil are a seldum.
I LOVE chicken. It's about the only protien I'll eat.
I'm wondering about the Pop-Tarts myself.
I can't eat just vegetables and rice or any combination of the sort without some sort of meat/protein. I wind up being hungry very quickly.
On a personal note, if husbands are picky make them cook for themselves.
Ha, the "cost of eating healthy" are a lot less than the costs of dealing with obesity-related illnesses. Your body is your number one investment - no, you don't need to buy everything from Whole Foods, but realize that staying healthy now will pay off later.
May
Healthy food is not expensive, people are just lazy. It's easier to buy pre-packed or frozen meals, but in the long run, it is much more expensive, especially because it's not really that filling. When I have a off day and eat a lot of junk, I'm never happily "full", I'm always peckish and crave other junk foods. However, when I eat properly and healthily, I stay full for longer, I crave fruit and veg and I don't want to sit around and eat junk.
Once you've stocked up on the basics - herbs, lots of wholewheat rice and pasta, tins of tomatoes other things, it's not hard to cook healthy meals while just buying perishables every few days. Like I said, people are just very lazy.
cheap health food. that would cause a health revolution.
I've cut down a lot on meat lately, and moved over to the quorn side of life. In my local shop its 3 items for £5 which when you think a tray of chicken breasts costs that and that's just one type of meat where as I have three different things to choose from. The expense of veggies is to be expected; but I get frozen veg like you said; even frozen stir fry veg, it makes life so much easier and cheaper! So I think you can do it on a budget; I'm a student and I'm managing!
Great post! x@cook0129@xanga - I was thinking the same thing, where do you live that Poptars are 7 buck a box?
I agree with most of the other things in the post, especially about not needing a gym, that is a total excuse not to exercise, anyone can run outside for free.
@itsjustmenicole@xanga - It might be a rural phenomenon because of shipping or something. Packaged foods are really expensive around here unless they are from a local factory. Here a 45 minute drive to walmart would result in cheaper pop-tarts but, many people around here won't drive it.
@WaitingToShrug@xanga - Just to clarify, I'm not anti-meat. Some of these people were told to cut back on meat products, partially because of the way that they were cooking them or the quantities being eaten.
@LivesToBePrimal - I would like to read more about how you shop for food on Amazon. Seems like a good alternative for people who don't have a lot of variety in their local stores.
@sonnigenmai@xanga - You should write "The cost of not eating healthy."
i have been a vegetarian for about 11 years and have always had a pretty tight food budget. for me, eating healthy is about choosing nutrient-dense foods and at least have some idea of what i might cook that week. i eat a lot of fresh and frozen veggies and fruits (mushrooms, broccoli, sweet potatoes, spinach, berries, apples), whole grains (brown and wild rice, whole wheat noodles, oats), canned stuff (beans of all sorts, tomatoes w/no salt), eggs/egg whites, greek yogurt, and cheese maybe once per day. i use canola oil if i need it for the pan. also helps to keep a full spice cabinet. and have minced garlic on hand. one night per week, i do food prep. cook a big pot of rice for the week, make some homemade mushroom-spaghetti sauce, or anything like that so that when i'm actually hungry, cooking my meal takes about 30 minutes max.
i also REALLY like to cook. i think that helps.
the people who say it doesn't cost more to eat healthy have never been on a tight budget.
@WaitingToShrug@xanga - Ah, i read over that lol. Possibly she meant since you will be eating less protein? Almost all Americans get wayyy too much protein and way to little fruit and veg, which is unhealthy and has been linked to bad things like heart disease and cancer.
A large orange with some water makes for a great lunch. They are about $1 for an organic one. To have fast food fill me up the same way, its about $5. It takes about the same time to peel a heavily skinned orange as it would waiting on fast food. .
@Rigaboo@xanga - I disagree. Healthy just means healthy. Homemade burgers are about $5 for 5. Same price as McDonalds dollar menu ya? Could buy a frozen, thin, pizza for $5 or make a big one for $3. Trust me...college student no job.