Healthy eating is more expensive: How you can get around the costs - allvoices

A new study from Harvard University affirms what people have been saying for quite some time: that eating healthy can be expensive. Researchers say eating the healthiest diet possible costs, on average, $1.50 more per day than the unhealthiest diet. However, what they don’t say is there are ways around this and when paired with a shift in your spending priorities, any added costs are both minimal and justified.

The study, published in BMJ, highlights the challenges that many people face when balancing a tight financial situation and the desire to eat healthy. At $1.50 each day, the healthiest diet, according to the researchers, costs an additional $550 each year. This is a significant amount of money for many people living in the US, where the poverty rate is currently 16 percent.^{[1] [2]}

"People often say that healthier foods are more expensive, and that such costs strongly limit better diet habits,” said lead researcher^[3] Mayuree Rao. “But, until now, the scientific evidence for this idea has not been systematically evaluated, nor have the actual differences in cost been characterized."

Where the problem lies

There are several factors at play in explaining why it’s so costly to eat healthy. But one of the most important ones can be found in the processed-foods industry. The current system of foods, where grocery store shelves are lined with boxes and cans with unpronounceable ingredients, was created to save costs with no thought given to health outcomes.

The companies behind the processed foods industry know they will make the biggest profit when they sell the most products. In order to sell the most, they sacrifice quality to make their foods cheaper, adding ingredients that really no one should be consuming—artificial colors^[4] , MSG, corn syrup, processed grains, BHA and nitrates, just to name a few.

When your bills are due and you’re running low on money, making every dollar count is crucial. If you can feed your family for a few bucks as opposed to a fistful of dollars, why wouldn’t you choose the cheaper route?

We’ve convinced ourselves that money is more important than health. We’ve allowed the processed foods industry to dictate what is “good” for the health of our household, even when their answer is detrimental to our physical health.

While we can’t necessarily control the decisions that food-makers make, we can control what’s on our table. Fixing this requires a shift in priorities, valuing health more than a couple bucks. And when you are stuck choosing between healthy foods and a light bill, for instance, you may have to get creative.

Solutions for eating healthy on a limited budget

Perhaps one of the most basic solutions for eating healthy on a limited budget comes from getting rid of the middleman. Don’t depend on corporations to provide your food. This can be done by buying from a local farmer or starting a garden. Whether it’s a few pots of greens and tomatoes on your apartment deck or a large swath of land outside, every bit you can grow yourself is less you’ll have to buy. And, all of those things you can grow are undoubtedly healthier than their frozen and canned kin lining the shelves of the corner store.

The National Gardening Association^[5] found that the average family with a vegetable garden spends about $70 each year on it, but grows an estimated $600 worth of food. This is comparable with the cost of “the healthiest diet” over the unhealthiest one, according to the new Harvard study.

In their study, the Harvard researchers found meat products were the food group that had the largest price differences between healthy and unhealthy options. This could easily be solved by reducing or eliminating meat altogether. While drastic for some, eating a vegetarian, vegan or mostly plant-based diet is getting easier and easier, and is even better for your health.^[6]

The truth is that a plant-based diet is less expensive than a diet loaded with meat. But even if you aren’t able to give up meat, merely cutting back could save you money.

Eating healthy means eating smart. But eating healthy on a budget^[7] means you also have to shop and cook smart. There are ways to eat healthy, amazing foods without spending a fortune. Rapper and health authority Sticman offers some excellent tips^[8] on getting started.

For many, eating healthy is a challenge both financially and mentally. It isn’t always easy to spend more and eat better, for a variety of reasons. But the long-term expenses of a cheap diet now, are astronomical. Heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer can be prevented with a healthy diet. The cost of this healthy diet is only a drop in the bucket when compared to the cost of treating a deadly disease.

If you manage to balance healthy eating and a limited budget, what are your tricks for making it all work?

Photo credits: University of Michigan^[9]

References

1. ^{^} BMJ (bmjopen.bmj.com)


2. ^{^} 16 percent. (www.reuters.com)


3. ^{^} lead researcher (www.medicalnewstoday.com)


4. ^{^} artificial colors (www.huffingtonpost.ca)


5. ^{^} The National Gardening Association (online.wsj.com)


6. ^{^} better for your health. (naturalsociety.com)


7. ^{^} eating healthy on a budget (plantbasedonabudget.com)


8. ^{^} Sticman offers some excellent tips (plantbasedonabudget.com)


9. ^{^} University of Michigan (www.flickr.com)