Is it Too Expensive To Eat Healthy?
Many families are trying to eat healthier meals and snacks, but they're concerned that the good foods they want may end up costing them a lot more money. With a little planning, you will be able to feed your family tasty, nutritious foods that cost about the same, or maybe even less, than highly processed, less-healthy choices.
Planning is important because healthy foods often have a shorter shelf life than less-nutritious ones, because healthy foods often have fewer preservatives. Low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables may last a week or so, and that makes it important to use them up quickly. Make a list of good snack choices and post it on the refrigerator. That way, nobody will forget about the fresh cherries and the strawberry yogurt!
One of the cornerstones to eating healthy is to limit the amount of packaged, ready-to-eat snacks you buy. Processed foods are usually higher in calories and fat, and often more expensive.
Get out your calculator and see how, for the price of a few popular snacks, you can stock your refrigerator with quite a few tasty choices! Your local prices may vary, of course, but the basic idea will hold true:
| Large bag national brand chips | $3.99 | 2 pounds of apples | $3.00 | |
| Large box national brand cookies | $3.69 | 1 pound bananas | $0.69 | |
| 1/2 gallon premium ice cream | $4.99 | 1 pound carrots | $0.49 | |
| 1 pound strawberries | $2.79 | |||
| 1 pound peppers | $0.99 | |||
| 3 individual containers low-fat yogurt | $2.39 | |||
| 1 package low-fat string cheese | $1.79 | |||
| Total | $12.67 | Total | $12.14 |
Do you see how a wide selection of fresh fruit and vegetables and dairy products makes economic and healthful sense?
