Why is it that processed foods are cheaper than healthy foods?

Question

When you take a close look, everything that grows naturally like fruit and vegetables costs a hell of a lot more than packaged, bagged, canned and bottled food. Why is that? You would think that all the steps and chemicals used in processed foods would cause them to be more expensive than readily available natural foods. This really pisses me off.. How do you feel about it?

Answer 1

its because most processed foods contain the unwanted parts of the product versus fresh foods where the products dont contain the unwanted parts. also the natural foods need more care when its shipped (refrigeration)

Answer 2

Fresh foods have a very short "shelf life", meaning they must be sold within a few days of harvest. This creates a lot of waste and also limits when they are available.

Processed foods will keep for about a year and are available year round. Being processed in volume, the cost per serving is a lot less than for fresh.

The cheapest of all, money wise? Grow your own and can or freeze the surplus, No chemical preservatives are necessary & it is even healthier than commercially grown fresh food.

Answer 3

That is the exact reason why there is such a great obesity problem in countries such as America and Australia. When your cooking for a family lets say for example its cheaper to buy a bag of frozen vegatables than an assortment of the real thing. Its ridiculous and those poor farmers have problems selling their fresh fruit and veg where the canned version is cheaper and imported from Thailand or China and are grown in contaminated soil and watered with polluted water yet we are forced to eat it cause its cheaper.
Here in Australia we have the best quality fruit,veges and meat yet the poor farmers are paid a pittance and the supermarkets sell them for a fortune. Its disgraceful.The governments really need to listen to what the public wants. That is cheaper ,home grown fresh foods. Not imported crap.

Answer 4

I often have asked myself this, and I believe it is because the companies have to take so much more care and thought into healthier foods. To say that something is healthy, you have to have proof. The companies have to work hard to know what is in the food. Also, to have the name healthy or organic, the company has to go through so much red tape that is not conducive to profit! It is a hard market! You never get kids wanting organic, half the sugar cereal, but you will get plenty wanting the box full with cereal that seems to really be cubes of sugar stamped into shapes of cartoon characters! Healthier foods also have a waaay shorter shelf and freezer life--much to the woe of companies. That means they have to kick out so much more money to provide products--again, not good for profit! It's about supply and demand. And, unfortunately, people interested in more healthy foods are a minority in this country.

Answer 5

I find it to be the opposite. I buy bulk vegetable soup, dried fruit, nuts, whole-wheat pasta, beans and oatmeal at bargain basement prices. Huge packs of broccoli and other veggies from Safeway and Extra foods. Asparagus, mushrooms, parsnips, turnips and other Scandinavian vegetables are dirt cheap. Maybe it's where you live. I have to pay through the roof for dairy and cheese. Chicken costs a lot but we don't eat it unless a gun is put to my head, (about once a month I fry up some chicken livers on request). Fish is cheap as long as it isn't crab or lobster. Then you pay for it. Crackers and chips are really expensive, though, along with packaged cereal. $4.50 for Triscuits, $6.50 for a small box of Raisin Bran, $15.00 for a cake, $4.00 for a pack of Kettle Valley chips.

Answer 6

because processing and keeping it frozen or whatever makes food last, trying to keep fresh veggies on the shelves, at least half of it goes to the garbage, because it spoils before its sold, its not something that should piss you off, just grow your own veggies if it bothers you so much. the preserving of foods in any manner makes sure little loss is suffered in that particular crop and at least half of any fresh crop will be lost.

Answer 7

its much cheaper to process and add chemicals to food; than to grow it organically--- without all the artifical stuff!

Answer 8

thats true.food that arent fresh (grown) can be made in huge quantities.as to grown when there is a lack in rain etc the price goes up

Answer 9

cheaper than reg foods to make actually, and cheaper to maintain.
think about the shelf life here too :)

Answer 10

volume