I received an email newsletter from Jon Benson recently that addressed the long held myth that heating healthily costs more. In tight economic times when we are all looking at our grocery budget, I thought I would pass on some of Jon’s findings. Jon dispelled the myth that eating healthy costs too much.
We can’t just look at the cost of a healthy diet just in terms of the cash we spend at the supermarket – we really need to look at the cost in three areas
Cash Spending
- $1 buys 2 medium size sweet potatoes or… small fries from a fast food joint
- $1 buys 2 red peppers or… a can of pop
- Make a chicken salad at home for $3 or buy a bag of cookies
- $2 buys a bowl of oatmeal with fruit & protein powder or… large bag of chips
- Pay $3.50 for 18 eggs or… a burger from a fast food joint
- For breakfast are you investing your $3.50 for a large bag of oatmeal or 4 chocolate bars
- Will you pay $10 for a sub combo from a fast food joint, or 6 Chicken Breasts
- Is paying $15 for 2 salmon fillets healthier than a large pizza?
[Costs from Scott Tousignant's fitness blog]
When you start breaking down your spending on ALL food items, it’s often not about cost – it’s about healthy choices.
Getting More For Your Money
If we look at the more expensive food items – such as meat – we have to get a little more creative to make our dollar go a little further. Consider the nutrition you are getting from meat and ask yourself if there is another way to get certain elements. For instance:
Reduce - You don’t need to be eating meat every day of the week, in fact it is much healthier not to. 3-4 times a week is quite sufficient, so substitute some inexpensive canned tuna, eggs, and vegetarian dishes. It’s amazing how filling and tasty these dishes can be with a little effort. There are plenty of great recipes online.
Expand - Use tofu to bulk out chicken and beef recipes – the taste of tofu pretty much disappears when combined properly.
Rationalize - You don’t need to buy all your meat from the local butcher or supermarket. Check online for bulk meat deals. Look at alternative farming – grass-fed beef is less expensive and has more taste, and organic chickens can be purchased online at a reasonable price and delivered.
Health
The savings in cost on improving your health pay dividends way beyond the cost of food. Eating a healthier diet improves your immunity, saving $$$’s on cold remedies and lowers overall health costs. You have more energy to achieve more – less days off work, and it even helps with the stress levels.
So take another look at your spending on food – not just the direct grocery costs, but also on the indirect costs of a bad diet. You will be surprised. Love to hear what you find – any great tips for other readers would be appreciated.
Nicola
Your Antiaging Coach
