Healthy Eating Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank

There are plenty of reasons people aren’t eating healthier diets, cost tends to be at the top of the list. The belief that healthy foods costs more make them less appealing when there are other options that help stretch budgets. Convenience aside, cost is often a determining factor for what people put on their plates. 

And at the time this post is coming out, food prices have risen significantly across the whole USA.  So many folks really are struggling to make their dollars stretch far enough to cover everything, including food.

Calorie for calorie, unhealthy foods appear more affordable 

One of the measurements of affordability is price per calorie. Measuring a food’s worth on how many calories you get for your dollar may reduce your food bill, but increase your waistline. Convenience foods are often high in calories as well as salt, fat, and sugar. Highly processed foods are often remarkably affordable, but they aren’t nutritious. Whole foods are often far lower in calories for their volume, but offer much more nutrition and value for your body. For example, 100 calories are the equivalent of 1/3 of a McDonalds cheeseburger or 25 whole strawberries. You can find a McDonalds cheeseburger on the dollar menu, but not the strawberries. Clearly, the cheeseburger offers less nutritional value, but the price point is appealing.

Cheap foods costs more down the line

Balancing your budget is hard. Costs are often fixed and one of the places we can control spending is at the market. This can make it tempting to lower your standards and choose unhealthier foods based on their pricing. You may not be able to change your mortgage payment, car payment, or other expenses, but you can reduce spending at the grocery store. This can cost you down the line. Eating a poor diet can impact your health and your budget due to- 

Missed days at work due to illness

Co-pays for medical care

Increased costs for medication

Most people want to be healthier 

If you ask most people, they want to be healthier and access healthier foods. When price point is a barrier, it’s time to discover the secrets to eating healthier on a dime, which is completely possible. Healthy eating doesn’t have to break the bank. Knowing the value of whole foods, where to find them, and how to prepare them makes the difference. You don’t have to shop at fancy stores or use meal services to eat healthier. Anyone can eat healthier, even on a limited budget. In the end, you will begin to see eating healthier as an investment rather than an expense.