Junk Food Not Cheaper Than Healthy Food

[MindMover]

WASHINGTON -- It doesn't cost any more to eat healthy food than it does to eat junk food, a government study found, casting doubt on the popular belief that many people can't afford healthful foods.

The study, released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Research Service, found that foods like beans, carrots, milk, and yogurt are actually less expensive than ice cream sandwiches, cinnamon buns, and soda.

One reason that many people assume junk food is more affordable is because many studies that compare the cost of unhealthy foods with healthy ones use cost-per-calorie as a measurement.

By this metric, vegetables and fruit are relatively more expensive ways to consume "food energy" (i.e., calories) because they don't contain many calories, whereas less healthy foods (also called "moderation foods&quot , which tend to be high in saturated fat and sugar, are a cheaper way to consume a lot of calories.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/DietNutrition/32762?

[dkf]

1. It's just too much effort for most Americans.

[Prophet 451]

2. True, but...

Firstly, you have to take into account ease of access. Secondly, you need to account for the fact that real food rots. When I was unemployed, I tended to eat crap because I did one shop a fortnight, when my unemployment benefits were paid, and I needed the stuff to stay edible for a while. Thirdly, calorie count does make a difference. If I had to consume five bowls of oat bran to get the same energy as one bowl of coco pops, it's still costing me five times as much. Fourth, the idea that poor people tend to be overweight is probably not true. It's just a stereotype. Finally, when you're unemployed, you're often looking to make yourself feel better (partly because society demonises you so much). One of the cheapest ways to make yourself feel better is junk food.

[harmonicon]

3. I think you covered just about every point I had to make there, and a few more.

In a mathematical fantasy land where food doesn't last and is immediately available, perhaps eating healthy food would be cost effective. In my actual life, it simply is not.

[mdavies013]

4. This is starting to hit home with me...and by all standards we were doing well before...

I watched forks over knives and have started to transition to a plant based diet. I am not going all the way to vegetarian, however I will significantly lower my meat intake.

The toughest part will be ditching milk. Bought almond milk today...will be trying it shortly with breakfast.

After watching the documentary...I will never eat a hot dog again. We rarely ate them before...limiting them to when we built a fire and roasted them on sticks. I checked a package of Ball Park - 195 calories per dog - 150 from fat.