Monday, May 28, 2012

Healthy Food Isn't Necessarily More Expensive Than Junk Food


www.huffingtonpost.com - May 15th, 2012

WASHINGTON -- Is it really more expensive to eat healthy?

An Agriculture Department study released Wednesday found that most fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods cost less than foods high in fat, sugar and salt.

That counters a common perception among some consumers that it's cheaper to eat junk food than a nutritionally balanced meal.

The government says it all depends on how you measure the price. If you compare the price per calorie – as some previous researchers have done – then higher-calorie pastries and processed snacks might seem like a bargain compared with fruits and vegetables.

But comparing the cost of foods by weight or portion size shows that grains, vegetables, fruit and dairy foods are less expensive than most meats or foods high in saturated fat, added sugars or salt.

That means bananas, carrots, lettuce and pinto beans are all less expensive per portion than French fries, soft drinks, ice cream or ground beef.

"Using price per calorie doesn't tell you how much food you're going to get or how full you are going to feel," said Andrea Carlson, scientist at the USDA's Economic Research Service and an author of the study.

For example, eating a chocolate glazed donut with 240 calories might not satiate you but a banana with 105 calories just might.

In the comparisons, the USDA researchers used national average prices from Nielsen Home scan data, which surveyed a panel of households that recorded all food purchases over a year from retail outlets.



1 comment:

Cheri Llewellyn said...

not to be argumentative, but this is not really true. At least, not here in Alaska. The prices for healthy foods are much, much higher than the filler foods like rice, pasta, and potatoes, and a salad is likely to cost you 6 or 7 bucks at a fast food place while a bacon cheese burger is only $1.50. To get my family of 6 "real" food at a sit-down type or restaurant will cost us no less than $60 (with a drink each - non alcoholic), but to stop at any fast food restaurant, it would only cost us about 25-30 bucks. Fresh fruits and vegetables are also very expensive up here, and they're not very big. Organic produce is twice as expensive, as is the produce grown locally. The same goes for the healthier, pre-packaged foods and snacks. Getting together enough ingredients for a really good salad is just as expensive as buying the ingredients to make a jumbo sized lasagna (I've seen this PERSONALLY when making a big Christmas Lasagna dinner)

I'm sure it's different in other places where produce is a lot easier and cheaper to come by, but up here, it's definitely not!

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