I mean really...

The media bobble heads want to feed us this crap about obesity being on the rise and how Americans don't eat right. Well guess what, the food that makes people fat is inexpensive/cheap. Seems the less nutritional value a product has the less money it costs and the more nutritional value a product has the more expensive it is. What gives? You can get a complete meal from micky dees for under 5 bucks (meat product, fried potato and a beverage). I went grocery shopping to make a salad for dinner and I spent $35. All I got was:

Arugula
Romaine
Bell Peppers
Mushrooms
jarlsberg
chopped ham
salad dressing
lemonade


the least healthy thing on that list is the lemonade which only cost $1.19.



corporate america and the commercial farmers are in cohoots to kill us.

I bought fresh veggies for myself for dinners for the week on Monday and only spent $5.78.

I guess it depends on what you buy and where you shop.

CarrieMpls said:

five dollars??? what the heck did you buy? where did you go? the last time I spent 5 dollars on food, it was at starbucks...on a ready made salad and a coffee.

I eat quite healthy, vegetarian, lots of organic, etc. and routinely only spend about $200 a month on groceries.
Now, I buy lunch most days, but I spend less than $5 and it’s all healthy, fresh stuff too. So it’s worth it to me to buy out.

The trick for produce is to buy local and in season whenever possible – it tastes better, will be fresher and will cost less than everything else.

chopped ham is healthy?

Cuddles said:

well...it made the salad taste really good. lean ham too.

DesireeNevermind said:

I bought a bag of organic carrots, some baby white potatos (yum!) and some yams. I roasted some with onions and garlic the other night, I put them in a stir fry last night and will likely use some in a stir fry on friday. Tonight I will probably eat just carrots as a side, or I might stop and pick up some asparagus that's on sale for 2.99. That would make my total for the week at $9.

I still think there is a conspiracy to keep people potentially unhealthy by overpricing generally healthy food.

box of hamburger helper is like 95 cents maybe a buck fifty.


box of granola is like 4 bucks!!



This is bullshit I tell ya! Conspiratorial bullshit!

CarrieMpls said:

I know. I can't help but snack in between meals. I've been trying to eat much healthier and have been eating a ton of Larabars instead of M&Ms/Doritos etc.

Unfortunately they cost about $1.50 each and they're not exactly large. But the payoff health wise makes them more than worth it.

Carriempls when you say buy local are you talking like a farmer's market type place?

I've been hearing to shop in Chinatown (if your city has one) for fruit & veggies. If I understand right, they don't use union delivery guys so their stuff is cheaper.

But I hear you! I bought some oranges from Whole Foods, spent about $4. I made juice out of them and they were not particularly juicy, and I only got one small glass! $4 for one small glass of OJ!!

CarrieMpls said:

now uh...how much did that stir fry oil cost ya?

I use sesame oil and it aint cheap.

Corn and wheat are subsidized by the government, so there is less land to grow these high end crops. Agrabusiness uses the land to make money for soda companies, food companies who can make more money on corn products. Vegetables cost more.

DesireeNevermind said:

Granola isn’t necessarily healthier than hamburger helper, though.

If you want to eat healthy, stick to the stuff on the outside of the grocery store, rather than the inside. Fresh produce, fresh meats, and so on. Packaged food should be at a minimum. Even frozen is better than out of a box, just check labels for added sodium, etc.

NDRU said:

co-


now imagine buying 10 pounds of that so you can have fresh OJ every morning for just 3 days.

My feeling is it's expensive because people will pay that much. Probably gas prices don't help either.

Whole Foods Market:


Dover Sole Filets @ $5.29 per lb on sale, normally $7.29 per lb.


Safeway

Nasty ass Van Kamp frozen fish sticks @ $3.98 per box

I get the majority of my produce from a food co-op and/or farmer's market. I'm good for about two weeks. I usually buy seeds, nuts, grains and legumes in bulk or loose form. I make a lot of food at home and carry for lunch and for snacks I can get a container of fruit for about $2.39 - $2.99 depending on the shop. If push comes to shove I can get an Amy's Kitchen meal for $4.99 or a burritto for $2.99 or less.

I don't mind paying for quality food but I also strategize what and how much I'm eating. Plus no side effects afterward.

I love Whole Foods but gave up on them and their crazy prices.

JackieBlue said:

Whole Paycheck, as my friend calls them. But I love their food!

NDRU said:

@ whole paycheck

It's worth it to buy fresh veggies, opposed to something manufactured and is loaded w/ sodium, fat, and God knows what else.

Here's a quick little dressing recipe I use that is just delicious and can be altered to your taste.

Mix:
2 tbls Dijon or Course Ground Mustard (something flavorful - you can even use a Honey Mustard if you wish)
2 tbls fresh orange juice (I've also used lemon, and lime)
1 - 2" of Anchovy Paste (optional - just ads a great salty/earthy untone, it's not fishy - I have anchovies by default, but I use this)
2-3 tbls finely chopped dill (I've also used a dill paste which you can find right next to the dill in the store, it's a concentrated dill paste like toothpaste, use about 3" of that; you can also use a Basil paste as well, or fresh basil, finely chopped)
2 tsp sugar (I use a raw or all natural sugar)
1 tsp salt/1 tsp pepper

Mix that until it's all emulsified.

With a wire whip, or in your food processor on high, stir in Extra Virgin Olive Oil (about 3/4 cup) until blended. Serve immediately, lasts in fridge up to about 3 or 4 days.

It's fresh, light, and delicious! Change it up however you wish. You could add some sour cream for a creamy dressing, or some chopped cucumber (in the first section) for a nice Green Goddess type dressing.

NDRU said:

It's like a food lover's paradise but so often I was spending way more than I intended when I went shopping. In their prepared food section they have this amazing veggie burger. It's HUGE and delicious. You can easily eat one half for a meal and save the other. Now that I think of it, maybe I'll make a trip over there.

Is Trader Joes generally cheaper then the Supermarket chains? They tend to have the same things but in smaller quantaties/selection. There tons of them here in L.A., but I usally go to a local market (Gelsons)

SilverlakePhil said:

I don't feel like their produce is cheaper, but their packaged stuff is.

SilverlakePhil said:

I've found a lot of TJ items cheaper than supermarket and health food stores by a dollar or more. There have been many times when the cashier told me my total and I thought a mistake had been made. There is no where else I can get the amount of food I get for the price.

looks like im not the only one noticing the prices of healthy food these days is ridiculos and they want to talk about eating healthier because of the obesity epidemic going on in America but yet they want to keep rising the prices of healthier food

but then again there's Farmers Market i heard their prices were cheap but we never get a chance to visit because of their day hours there's other factors that just aren't right with this that I think are wrong but I don't want to right a full page novel but otherwise we've been blessed to even be able to afford healthier food but it makes up the entire cost of groceries

I should take more advantage of farmers' market. Right now I just go there for the fresh cut flowers, strawberries and breads. I want to get their fish but price wise they're no different from the stores. Costly!


Damn...I can get a jamba for 5 bucks or a 2 piece chicken basket with a drink for 5 bucks. Tempting.


meh...just eat my pineapple before it rots.


That's another thing! You gotta eat fresh food right away. I could buy a pizza today and eat the leftovers on Sunday! My pineapple is only a day and half old and it's smelling strong. Well...that's not a conspiracy factor, just mother nature and her lack of preservatives once you take her goodies from the ground or tree.

I look for the deals.

Andronicos is an expensive supermarket in the SF area, but even they always have some deal on a fruit or veggie that they have too much of. I buy a bunch of that, then cut it up & freeze it if necessary.

DesireeNevermind said:

I just threw out some crimini mushrooms last night.

For spoilage I use the Evert brand of freshness bags. I find they really extend the life of fresh foods (esp organic). For long veggies like celery or greens with stems, use two bags to cover the whole thing or they tend to wilt or get dried out.

With other items, usually fruit, I cut up and freeze. For veggies I'll make a stew or if I know I'm not going to get to it before it goes bad, I just go through the fridge and juice everything I can. I hate throwing away food.

Just an aside here regarding fish. Fish is excellent for you and has many health benefits. The only problem is, fresh fish is usually incredibly expensive.

I love fresh tuna steaks, and regularly paid £5 for 2 half decent sized steaks.

Then I watched loads of deep see fishing programs on tv that showed that when they catch the fish, first thing they do is freeze it anyway.

Since then, I've moved to frozen fish (not battered or crumbed stuff, obviously), but just frozen fish steaks, etc... and they taste just as good, are available when you want them and cost about half the price of 'fresh' stuff.

I'm only banging on about this because I did one of my favourite meals for tea tonight. Sesame and ginger marinated tuna steaks, baby pearl potatoes (with a tiny bit of butter and a spoon of thai sweet basil) and steamed green beans. The steaks were over an inch thick too.

Really healthy, even the teaspoon of butter was reduced fat. But tastes amazing.