Cost of "healthy" food...

[trinitylove]

This has been discussed before somewhere in times past, but I never really got a definitive answer, and maybe there isn't one...
Why is the cost of non-processed, healthy, fresh food so much more costly than processed food?
I know all the arguments about how it's better to pay for the healthier food than paying with your health, and bad health will increase insurance rates in the long run, etc. etc. etc.
But that doesn't answer the initial question. Why is it so much more costly in the first place?
You'd think it would be cheaper considering the lack of processing, advertising, shipping costs (if grown or raised locally).
Discuss....

[Blondell]

b/c people are willing to pay more :shrug:

[fitmommy]

I think that there are a few reasons natural food is more expensive. I can think of a couple right off the bat.

1) weather. Bad weather, bad crops, higher the $$

2) feed for the cattle, chicken, turkey whatever. Natural is going to cost the farmer more, making our cost more.

I know there are a lot of other reasons too. some of which I am sure are completely lame.

Processed food is very cheap to make. large operating plants. cheap labor.

It is unfortunate. My son (almost 3) eats red peppers and blueberries like they are going out of style. talk about expensive tastes.

[Fitwolf]

I think the longer shelf lives of processed foods plays a big role in them being cheaper also...

[jdcii]

I think the longer shelf lives of processed foods plays a big role in them being cheaper also...

BINGO!

[Jen]

I also dont think its more expensive. at all. Ive shopped with my parents, family and friends several times with them footing a larger grocery bill than I normally do- for a family of 2 both on a wholesome nutrititious diet.
if you find meats expensive, try a butcher, normally cheaper when purchased in bulk. or when on sale, stock up and freeze. Buy bulk whole grains like oats, brown rice, large bags of potatoes, apples, etc. Many vegetables store longer than others therefore can be bought in bulk. Purchase store brand items for things like nuts, nut butters, yogurts, eggs, canned tuna, etc.

shopping smart should not cost you more. I find less.

[absolut_blonde]

I also dont think its more expensive. at all. Ive shopped with my parents, family and friends several times with them footing a larger grocery bill than I normally do- for a family of 2 both on a wholesome nutrititious diet.
if you find meats expensive, try a butcher, normally cheaper when purchased in bulk. or when on sale, stock up and freeze. Buy bulk whole grains like oats, brown rice, large bags of potatoes, apples, etc. Many vegetables store longer than others therefore can be bought in bulk. Purchase store brand items for things like nuts, nut butters, yogurts, eggs, canned tuna, etc.

shopping smart should not cost you more. I find less.

Agree. SO and I argue over this all the time-- he thinks it's more expensive, I don't think it has to be. (He doesn't really grocery shop much either).

Sure, *some* things like Kraft Dinner are cheap, but a lot of other processed things (like, say, frozen pizzas) are not. Especially when you consume them daily like most people do. When you consider how much processed/preprepared foods people eat, I actually don't see how it could be cheaper at all.

I think it helps if you incorporate things like oatmeal, beans, eggs, canned fish, etc, which can be really cheap per serving. Also using Costco/bulk for stuff like nuts and chicken breasts.

Some fresh things ARE pricey, though-- especially stuff like blueberries, which are something like $6 here for a TINY container. I just use frozen in that case or buy cheaper fruits like apples.

[Erik]

I also dont think its more expensive. at all. Ive shopped with my parents, family and friends several times with them footing a larger grocery bill than I normally do- for a family of 2 both on a wholesome nutrititious diet.
if you find meats expensive, try a butcher, normally cheaper when purchased in bulk. or when on sale, stock up and freeze. Buy bulk whole grains like oats, brown rice, large bags of potatoes, apples, etc. Many vegetables store longer than others therefore can be bought in bulk. Purchase store brand items for things like nuts, nut butters, yogurts, eggs, canned tuna, etc.

shopping smart should not cost you more. I find less.

Agreed.

I don't find it expensive to eat well, and a lot, at all. The key is perimeter shopping. Ever notice all the good stuff is on the perimeter of the grocery store?

And it's the processed/packaged stuff that I find is more expensive. Eating meat, fruits and vegetables and some good carbs like oatmeal, rice, etc isn't expensive IMO.

The only thing that can get somewhat expensive I guess could be vegetables.

[fitmommy]

Agreed.

I don't find it expensive to eat well, and a lot, at all. The key is perimeter shopping. Ever notice all the good stuff is on the perimeter of the grocery store?

And it's the processed/packaged stuff that I find is more expensive. Eating meat, fruits and vegetables and some good carbs like oatmeal, rice, etc isn't expensive IMO.

The only thing that can get somewhat expensive I guess could be vegetables.

especially when "off season", fruit too. The rest, yes, a good bargin.

I was thinking the OP meant "natural" like "organic" thinking meats and such. Meat at Whole foods for instance is more expensive than Albertsons.

I've always eaten more whole foods. so the price difference (if one) never really phased me, it is just the way I shop.
I do (did when not on a strict plan) tend to purchase "fun things" like wine, fresh pasta, GOOD cheeses,sun dried tomates, pesto, tapenades, different types of "fancy foods" that up the bill a little bit. But I consider it all good eats.:cheat:

I find that now that I have an almost 3 yr old, my grocery list has included things like breakfast cereal... I think that is kind of expensive. :shock: 4 bucks for Puffins or Kashi hearts, harsh.

[andi]

actually when I used to only eat clean, I thought it seemed so expensive. and then since being pregnant and not giving a rat's ass when I couldn't stomach any of that healthy, my grocery bills went up!:lol3: so thank gawd I am back to eating more real food again. the junky food really cost more!

[diddledee]

I think it is all about planning. Not that I am the best at it :uhuh: But, if you plan it out it can really cost less. Plus, in the long run think how much you will save on medications, co-pays, etc.

[Aaron_F]

If I was bored, I would hunt down one of the local pscychology/business papers looking at comparing the cost of a crap diet vs a 'healthy' diet, showing little to no difference in costs.
The main reason for people not wanting to buy the 'healthy' diet, cos they didnt want to.

[ladybug]

I
The main reason for people not wanting to buy the 'healthy' diet, cos they didnt want to.

yeah. and most people who don't eat "healthy" don't want to take the time to prep food, so it's the convenience factor (ie. microwaveable, long shelf life, pre-packaged, individually packaged) that they pay for.

[Michael_70]

The only thing that can get somewhat expensive I guess could be vegetables.

Agree. Chicken can be pricey unless like others said you find a place to buy in bulk and seperate and freeze.

[Espi]

It can be both cheaper and more expensive.

If you are on a very tight budget and don't care much about food quality, then eating oatmeal porridge, pancakes, eating pastal potatoes etc. is the cheapest possible option.

If youre however, addicted to junkfood and not bothered by costs, it can easily become quite expensive, esp. when buying lots of convenience foods.

When you want to eat wholesome foods and get enough protein, you can again do it the cheap way by having lots of dairy (dirt cheap here and high quality too), eggs and buy meat/fish/veggies frozen (cheaper) or on sale.
Frozen or canned veggies are cheap too. Fruit that is on sale or bought in the market isn't breaking the bank either.

But if you're a food snob and want to eat organic only while not owning a freezer? Or think that frozen and canned foods are always inferior, insisting on fresh veggies/fruits all the time and indulging once in a while in the more expensive stuff... costs will add up quickly. For me, nuts seem to be my most costly indulgence.

[KaPow]

But if you're a food snob and want to eat organic only while not owning a freezer? Or think that frozen and canned foods are always inferior, insisting on fresh veggies/fruits all the time and indulging once in a while in the more expensive stuff... costs will add up quickly. For me, nuts seem to be my most costly indulgence.


Food snob?:rolleyes:

[radgirl]

Hands down, the food I consume is extremely expensive. I can walk out of the natural grocers with 1 bag and having spent $50-$60 bucks on that one bag. Do I have a choice, no, but it sure would make my pocket a little happier if my food didn't cost so much. A small tub of cottage cheese is $4.50. Maybe the grocery stores here are more expensive. :shrug:

[Espi]

3 very cheap protein sources :

- 500 g (a bit over 1 lbs) of Quark costs only 50 cents here. That's 0.60 USD for 50 grams of lean dairy protein. (I'm not eating this, but my SO sometimes eats 2-3 cartons a day, which packs away 100-150g protein on its own)
- 30 eggs for 2.25 euro (a bit less than 3USD), nowadays we only eat whole eggs, it's 60 for the 2 of us. Used to be 150 egg whites
- 400g of pollock (4 pieces) for 1.10 euro = 1.25 USD.

Those are the 3 cheapest protein sources.. as soon as you step out of this range it gets more costly.
- frozen minced meat or on sale: 4 euro /kg but extra lean ground beef = 7-8 euro/kg.
- 'fresh' chicken boobs: 5-6 euro/kg

[abbatoir]

Junk food is made out of the cheapest ingredients, not quality stuff. Hydrogenated fats, trans fats, corn syrups, etc. Why wouldn't it be cheaper?

[Aaron_F]

Value added product

Less cost to make, more profit to make

[Espi]

The profit margins for junkfood is outright insane. A bottle of Coke costs only a few cents to make, but the hyooge advertisement budget and overhead makes it a lot more expensive. Same for a lot of other goods that never spoil on the shelf.
Which is also why fresh fruit/veggies/meat is so much more expensive. Half or more of the produce spoils in the shop/market and has to be thrown away. Getting it frozen is actually fresher and this doesn't spoil, so the vendor can sell it for much lower prices and still get a decent profit margin.

You guys should really start looking at how perishable food is. Start your own veggie plot and see how half of the veggies already rot on the spot.
My brother is a dairy farmer.. has to throw out all of the milk when a cow gets ill and has to be treated with antibiotics because then you're not allowed to add that milk.
Grows potatoes too, and he had a very hard time when it started raining in the autumn right before the harvest. Fortunately his land is well drained and his crop didn't suffer. But some unfortunate souls saw half of their harvest rot away. I could go on and on.

Actually food is WAY TOO CHEAP! People spend far too much on less worthy things like housing and car payments. At least they do here in the NLs where they are penny-pinchers, preferring artificial margarine over honest-to-goodness butter!

[Ali]

For my family, I find it cheaper. A 10 lb bag of potatoes is about $5. Not even 2 lbs or Ore Ida french fries cost over $3. Bulk oats are 49 cents a pound. Fruit Loops on sale $2.50 a box. Homemade granola bars with bulk oats...not much vs. Quaker over $3 a box not on sale. Veggies from garden...hard work but free. I could go on and on. Oh, plus a lot of the stuff, like CANDY, juice, pop, we can just plain do without. Water and milk are fine...and that's what the kids drink.

If you are talking say, Quaker granola bars vs. organic or protein fortified, ya, that stuff gets expensive...because of the extra quality control and people will pay for it.

[TheDeliverator]

I buy in bulk. There is a bulk foods store over in Moscow we go to.

Bags of chicken breasts, petite sirloins, brown and white rice, oatmeal, granola, milk, eggs, cheese, PB & J, bread, cocal-cola, grenadine, tequila, orange juice, etc.

I can get away with groceries for a month at around 300 bucks.

[Lynny]

For my family, I find it cheaper. A 10 lb bag of potatoes is about $5. Not even 2 lbs or Ore Ida french fries cost over $3. Bulk oats are 49 cents a pound. Fruit Loops on sale $2.50 a box. Homemade granola bars with bulk oats...not much vs. Quaker over $3 a box not on sale. Veggies from garden...hard work but free. I could go on and on. Oh, plus a lot of the stuff, like CANDY, juice, pop, we can just plain do without. Water and milk are fine...and that's what the kids drink.

If you are talking say, Quaker granola bars vs. organic or protein fortified, ya, that stuff gets expensive...because of the extra quality control and people will pay for it.

You have a garden?? Gosh, that is cool. What do you grow?

[Audrey]

I don't find it more expensive, but I think a lot of it depends on where/how you shop. Buying things in bulk like meats (at Costco or as mentioned, going to a butcher and get a discount), buying grains in bulk, eggs... is relatively cheap. I agree that fruits/vegetables are the only thing that I find expensive.

My husband and I spend about $100-150/week on groceries and we are both bulking (and he can eat a LOT). That's about $7-10/person per day. Considering that I used to spend that much on lunch alone when I would buy a sandwich or salad near my workplace (and then did not include our grocery bill each week, which was still around $100...), that doesn't seem that expensive to me. Not to mention that I get to eat a LOT more (both in terms of quantity and quality) now that I used to.

[char-dawg]

But that doesn't answer the initial question. Why is it so much more costly in the first place?
You'd think it would be cheaper considering the lack of processing, advertising, shipping costs (if grown or raised locally).
Discuss....
I think that this is what the OP really was getting at in her post.

The answer is tied into a lot of the stuff that's already been mentioned - longer shelf life, for instance - but one thing that no one has talked about is economies of scale, and that is probably the single biggest reason.

Take fruit for example. Three companies - Dole, Del Monte and (I think) Sunkist control about 98% of the world's fruit. A local farmer raising, say, 100 watermelons to sell at the local market on his island simply can't compete with a company that produces hundreds of millions of units. Yes, it should cost more to raise something in California, package it, ship it to Haiti, advertise it there and then sell it than just to dig something up, wash it off, and cart it over to the market, but it actually doesn't. Or, it does, but that extra ends up not mattering.

Let's say the local farmer has to make $2 of profit on each melon to make it worth his while. (This is because he has 100 melons and needs to see $200 of profit to get him to the next crop sale.) Dole or whoever, on the other hand, only needs to see 2¢ worth of profit on each melon, because they sell millions of melons. So they can spend let's say $1.00 on packaging, shipping and so on, and still undersell the farmer by at least 98¢ a melon. This doesn't even count the fact that it probably costs them less to raise each melon in the first place, allowing them an even greater profit margin. And it doesn't count the possiblity that they do business in so many other, larger markets, that they can actually take a loss in Haiti for half a decade or so while their profits elsewhere keep them afloat, and wait for all the farmers in Haiti to go out of business before they raise their own prices permanently.

Large-scale business gives you a LOT of leverage that shows up in places where you wouldn't initially expect to see it.

[Aaron_F]

Also take into account a lot of the "fresh" fruits and vegetables you purchase from supermarkets etc, are not fresh. Some of the fruits can be stored for six months or more. Nitrogen enviroments are one means of "processing" for longer life in "fresh" fruits etc.

[Espi]

Yes. And it was quite a shocker for many people that the 'fresh minced meat' I buy from the store I go most often, to, can be stored up to 2 years in a Southern African freezer and then upon being thawed is sold off as 'fresh' for more money than I pay for the still frozen meat.
But while that turned people off, it turned me 'on' because I realized that the minced meat came from animals that are probably grass-fed after all, which makes it a very cheap source of grass-fed meat. Also, since then I've often switched to frozen meat/fish etc. The only reason I still prefer thawed minced meat is the portion sizes. I portion them out to 100g a piece instead of 250g.

Bio-organic foods OTOH, where no pesticides are used, are already highly perishable to begin with. It rots on the land, rots further in the shop and then rots quickly at home.

Really, you got to consider that there's hardly any advertising budget for perishable foods because there's no margin for it. You're just paying too much for the non-perishable stuff because of gazilllion dollars that are put into advertisements and overhead.
A side-example: even Heineken admits he never drinks Heineken because it's piss-poor beer!

[dolce]

lets not forget when you dont eat healthy you tend to go out to eat more, and you can easily have a $50 bill going to a decent restaurant, and i know most people go several times during the week
i can buy quite a bit of groceries w/ that money

[FitnessModerate]

Tell me something. When you start feeling the chest pains, are you thinking about how cheap that box of Mac N Cheese was? :lol3::lol3::lol3:

[trinitylove]

The profit margins for junkfood is outright insane. A bottle of Coke costs only a few cents to make, but the hyooge advertisement budget and overhead makes it a lot more expensive. Same for a lot of other goods that never spoil on the shelf.
Which is also why fresh fruit/veggies/meat is so much more expensive. Half or more of the produce spoils in the shop/market and has to be thrown away. Getting it frozen is actually fresher and this doesn't spoil, so the vendor can sell it for much lower prices and still get a decent profit margin.

You guys should really start looking at how perishable food is. Start your own veggie plot and see how half of the veggies already rot on the spot.
My brother is a dairy farmer.. has to throw out all of the milk when a cow gets ill and has to be treated with antibiotics because then you're not allowed to add that milk.
Grows potatoes too, and he had a very hard time when it started raining in the autumn right before the harvest. Fortunately his land is well drained and his crop didn't suffer. But some unfortunate souls saw half of their harvest rot away. I could go on and on.

Actually food is WAY TOO CHEAP! People spend far too much on less worthy things like housing and car payments. At least they do here in the NLs where they are penny-pinchers, preferring artificial margarine over honest-to-goodness butter!

really realizing this, too

[katygowland]

Recently I've gone back to my student tricks of going in first thing in the morning/last thing in the evening and buying all the reduced-priced veg or meat which goes 'out of date' that day. I get endless bags of organic salad for pence, the other day I got 1kg of mushrooms for 30p, that kind of thing. Reduced price herbs, beans etc I can freeze, tomatoes and mushrooms and so on can be cooked into a sauce, root veg freezes well, so on. But...if for whatever reason there isn't any reduced stuff, or I can't get to the supermarket, I can spend the cost of a week's fruit/veg/meat on one meal. I can't afford the best meat - I just can't. It's four times the cost, usually for a smaller cut. Usually I go for liver and kidney for cheap in that case - 9p for 8 kidneys, can't complain.

People will pay more for quality food if they can. If they can't, and if they don't care, they'll buy whatever fills them up and satiates their cravings for the least amount of cash. If they can't and they do care, then it gets difficult. But, sometimes, it's fun. Sometimes not, though. I get annoyed when people say I should buy better eggs, better meat, etc. I would, I really would, but I can buy a cheap chicken and make it cover four meals, for 1/4 the price of 2 good quality chicken breasts.