Why does the healthy food cost so much?

[doctordun]

It seems that everything that's healthy to eat is more expensive than the food I used to eat.
For example.....double fiber bread and Mission Low Carb tortilla's are twice as much as their normal counterparts.

Fruits and Fresh Vegetables are outrageous.

I guess that's part of my problem getting here. The cheaper foods have all the carbs and sugar in them.

I was looking at Cookies with low sugar......12 cookies cost more than a whole box of much better tasting cookies.

My limited budget is going to be strained.

[morrisma]

A couple of things to consider:

1) The "healthier" food is not always healthy. Those sugar-free & low sugar foods often have higher carbs. Remember, it's not sugar but carbs you worry about.

2) Often the really healthier foods do not appeal to a wide audience (even though they ought) and so economies of scale cause the price to rise.

3) Organic foods typically have lower yields do to the lack of pesticides and other chemicals. That means the grower doesn't have as much to sell but still has the same economic pressure, hence the higher price.

4) The higher cost of many items can sometimes be offset by smaller portions of the really expensive stuff mixed with healthy but less costly filler. You can make some pretty amazing salads with a lot of iceberg lettuce mixed with smaller amounts of field greens and nuts, tofu, cranberries, etc.

Choose wisely, think smaller portions, join growing clubs and cooperatives, plant a garden, eat out less.

I'm sure I'm leaving out some obvious possibilities but you get the idea.
Mike

[HelenM]

I'm sure that the answer is that you are a captive audience for speciality'low carb' products. The manufacturere claim they will help you to be healthier and charge what the market will stand.

Do you really need these products? They don't exist here so I couldn't buy them if I wanted to but would debate whether they were really that healthy.
Have a look at this article:Low-carb gimmicks leave you fatter and poorer - MSN Money (http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Savinganddebt/consumeractionguide/P75551.asp)

Consider alternatives, not necessarily trying to substitute directly.Last week I bought some buckwheat pancakes (I wrote a recipe for them on a thread here then cheated and bought some :). I appreciate that you probably couldn't buy quite the same thing in the US but the priincipals the same) They were 15 carbs per pancake and would work very well as a wrapper for fajitas. The low carb tortillas apparently have 12 carbs- very little difference.

Fruit and veg are a different matter you should eat these to eat healthily. My best advice is
1)to eat as seasonally as posssible
2)remember that frozen fruit and veg have the same nutritional value as fresh.

[Evermont]

Oh man, it's looking like it's going to get much worse too. The falling dollar versus all the imported foods these days. The growing middle class around the globe demanding the same food imports we're depending on these days. The increasing cost of fuel to ship all that stuff around the planet. The competition from the new bio fuel industry. The perfect storm of wheat crop failures around the globe. Changing weather patterns etc.

I could be wrong about any three or four of these things and still you would see all food prices going up. Just imagine if I'm right about all of them. Buckle up folks!

Still, I figure even much higher food prices are a bargain compared to extensive heathcare costs attributable to poor diet.

[mg_2204]

It seems that everything that's healthy to eat is more expensive than the food I used to eat.

Unfortunately, it's true.

I'm the only one with diabetes in my family but my family's health has always been a concern of mine. I have 2 teenagers at home and I always have impression I'm feeding lions.

I also cook for elderly people and it's highly important they get the nutrition they need. Quite a challenge on a budget!

I find planning ahead is the best option to (1) get the nutrition (2) avoid eating the same things over and over and (3) lower the costs significantly.

I sit and look at all the diff deals in leaflets. You'll find deals on different veggies and fruits from one week to another. I'll establish a menu based on these deals, veggies and fruits. It's a wonderful way to discover (or rediscover!) veggies and fruits you don't tend to go for. New recipes too!

I do the same for meat cuts, and other in-store deals.

I make one mean home made vegetable soup (soups were invented to avoid wasting foods so get those leftovers veggies and bits and pieces of meat and pasta to work!). Especially in winter time, a hot soup before a meal is a good, healthy, and much comforting filler.

To avoid cravings, get a few healthy snacks ready. Always easier to grab a cookie because it's fast and convenient. Make your little healthy snacks fast and convenient too!

I tend to buy in bulk but I buy carefully. I freeze or make sure food won't simply go to waste. Whatever I buy must be used for other meals and recipes. If I buy fish oil, I make sure I won't use it just once or twice and forget about it.

So far I gather I am spending between $50 and $75 less a week than I used to.

The very best to you,

[owlyn]

In addition to what the others above have said...

Because we are willing to pay the price.

[mg_2204]

Because we are willing to pay the price.

Some of us do. Others don't. I fall into that category :D - There is NO WAY I will pay $4.99 for a few grapes. I leave them there. If everybody would do the same... they'd be stuck with the grapes.

[doctordun]

The reason I started this thread is that I had just come back from Walmart and was appalled at the price of fruit. I could spend my entire budget for food just on fruit and vegetables and still be hungry. I guess I hadn't thought about canned. I was under the opinion that canned wasn't as good for you.

[Keezheekoni]

I make sure to buy fruits that are in season. When they are in season they are less expensive... I was recently at our new SuperWalmart, and got bananas for 19 cents a pound. Honestly I don't know when certain fruits are in season, but I do know that strawberries right now are *super* expensive...even at Costco.

Changing to healthy food (which we just did about a month ago because of joining Weight Watchers), has had an impact on our food budget, but it's also been a good thing because the kids aren't eating all junk, we're eating better (and for me, my insulin needs have gone down because I'm not eating as many and better carbs), and it seems everyone has more energy.

I refuse to buy organic because when I did once, I ended up with a nice, big moth larva in and through my artichoke. Yuck! I'll take the cancer risk from pesticides over bugs in my food, tyvm! So, I save money from buying non-organics. I know others would rather buy organic, it's just not for me... I'm also not a gardener, don't like doing that activity at all, so I pay for my fruits and veggies and am just fine with not growing my own. If you like gardening, then that is definitely a way that you can save money.

[xMenace]

I haven't bought store bought bread in the three months since I've had my breadmaker. My stuff is much better for you and tastes better. I don't know if it's cheeper, but I suspect it is.

Go for it!

[patricia52]

When my friends say, I didn't know you could eat that!" I tell them that I can eat anythng they eat. I just have to limit my Carbs. I don't buy special foods, but I do read the labels to find the brand with the lowest amout of carbs and the most fiber. Then I check again to make sure there is no aspartame (NutraSweet) or Splenda since I am very sensative to those ingredients.