If we are to eat healthy foods, then why are they so expensive?

Question

We are warned about weight issues and foods that aren't healthy for us to eat, so then why are they the most expensive? People can't afford to buy them when living on a budget!!! e.g. the 'Organics' range.

Answer 1

i totally agree, when chocolate and crisps are cheaper then fresh fruit what does the governmen expect poeple to chose! im a student so have to live on a buget and getting my five porions of friut/veg a day is just not posible on my available funds! Its rediculous

Answer 2

This question, at this time, is being dealt with in our state capitol, right now. It is a great question that may have some political implications as well. Here (quickly) is what we (a non profit physicians and student group-because I belong, deem it inapprpriate to "advertise" here) see as an issue:

In NYS a person, on food stamps,assistance or whatever, can buy as much garbage as they want. They can buy cookies, candy, processed non-sense, which is fine in moderation, I mean, we all need junk every now and again, but if that same person/people want to buy all natural foods, is VERY restricted. Again, this is in New York, I do not know about your state. For example, (and we watch this stuff daily) if I am on food stamps, and I want to eat a little healthier and I buy, say, frozen waffles (I am a huge fan of kenny from south park) and I go and get the all natural organic kind, I cannot do so. I have to get the standard 99.9% sugar ones that cost a dollar less. Many cashiers do not realize this, so they will ring up the good stuff anyway, but some do. What is worse, people getting the assistance do not know what hier options are, so they just grab whats cheap. Now, I spent many, many years as a surgeon and am now an OB/Gyn. In the course of about 20 years the demographic who is on public assistance tend to have exponentially been the people who have a much higher incidence of diabetes and heart disease. (Guess what our argument is - allow them to buy what they want, and inform them that they can eat 100 times better, hopefully saving the taxpayer the health care costs in the long run. A weeks worth of insulin plus doc visits plus all the other nonsense that goes hand in hand with these diseases, or a few dollars more spent on natural foods)..To his credit, our governor has been fantastic and is on our side. Our state senate is not, so we fight.

I know its a winded answer, but mabey it can shed a little light on the question, and possibly let people know that we can save tax dollars with the help of healthy foods. Plus I just got back from Albany making my case, once again.

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

Good question why is it that soda is cheaper than milk, why is it that chips are cheaper than buying fruits and veggies....this is where we have become part of a junk food country, the more demand something has such as milk, the higher the price. The more that we resort to sodas and junk like that the cheaper it becomes...it is crappy. But also I come from a farming family, wjhen we sell our items to the public we end up not really seeing any profit from it, that is the main reason why most of these foods cost so much thaey need to come from a farmer, they need to get paid, they need to get transported, {The price of gas right now}, they need to get paid, then it has to get stocked on the shelves, that company has to get paid also and they have to pay their employess and then they also have tyo have money to purchase more produce. That is the main reason why healthy foods cost more! Now for why the junk food is cheaper, it costs just pennies to make a 2 liter bottle of soda, dump in the ingredients and go...pay the factory workers and ship it. That is why it costs less and that is also why we are a fat america!!

Answer 4

I know what you mean, but in fact, old fashioned healthy food isn't expensive.

Organic is better of course, but good old fashioned fruit and veg are reasonably priced. And it's still possible to buy delicious wholemeal bread and a pint of milk for small amounts.

I agree though - the government should help people on low wages to afford good food, it would improve health and morale.

Good question.

Answer 5

U can find healthy foods in a Dollar General store cheaper,
Organic is just a money racket..
Buy regular foods and wash them good or wash in vinegar water.
Dont waste money on expensive foods..u can go to a produce stand cheaper.

Answer 6

Exactly I think the same although to be fair you can get alot of veg cheaply but then you gotta buy the meat etc to have with it and in the end its cheaper buying a convenience or fast food meal!

Answer 7

Processed ingredients are greater value-effective to offer because of the fact they are generally made in factories and have an prolonged shelf existence, while genuine nutrition must be planted, nurtured, picked and acquired rapidly. having pronounced that, it is nevertheless attainable to devour healthful and much less extreme priced ingredients, in case you will possibly be stricken to cook dinner them. Why pay for imported end result and canned cat-nutrition while there is countless localy grown stuff around?

Answer 8

healthy food is only expensive when prepared by someone else. if you buy the ingredients and put some effort in, its as cheap as anything else you cook...

im disabled so i have to watch what i eat coz i cant run around, walk or do any real exercise. i love my food, and i eat what i want, but, i dont just pig out. yes i nibble, as do we all, but, instead of a packet of biscuits and a pile of toast, i use breakfast cereal, like shredded wheat bitesize, or any or them, (usually bogoffs) no milk, just treat them like a snack.

and we cook all our own food, we know whats were eating... read the labels on your tins every now and again. its scary, everything has sugar and salt added... and god knows how many chemicals.

whats for eating mum? look in the cupboard...aw mum, theres nothng to eat, just ingredients! ah, such is life. most sensible healthy options are similar and have the same basics. so we buy them in bulk. sweetcorn. beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic potatoes, celery, cabbage etc. and because we arent going to eat them all in one go, we either flog it on to our friends.. for example 10 cauliflowers, 2 quid... aubergines, 3.50p a tray, carrots 2 quid a sack, onions 2quid a sack, spuds 3.50..and believe me, it goes quick, especially amongst our neighbours and friends.

and ill bet you see these guys al teh time and pay them no heed. theyre teh roadside vendors... find a farm, and theirs going to be a farm shop, ask teh farmer for a deal. (cash of course) then its time chopping slicing and dicing and freezing, blanching and preserviing. might sound like a right rigmarole, but it works for us, and saves us a fortune. (teh wife and 1 daughter are veggies)

its only when you realise that the cauli you just paid 80 or 90p for, costs me 20p... onions are 10p a pound, and its pretty organic as its still got mud on it.. of course its seasonal...

eat well...

Answer 9

Bear in mind there is little evidence that organice food has any health benefits over well grown food. But fruit and vegetables are expensive. This is one reason why poorer families fill up on stodge and pre-packed foods.

Answer 10

Capitalism.