Eating healthy is expensive. Buying fruit requires a bank loan and you know they are not lending.

[mfcorey1]

(just a little humor there) A slice of watermelon at Publix is $3.95. Let's not mention reduced fat foods. When will the American consumer catch a break. Now that they have traumatized immigrants, the availability of vegetables at Farmer's markets are limited with prices increasing. And now, the dysfunctional congress has denied millions of Americans the possibility of a job. And we wonder why people are all of sudden losing their minds: suicide,family suicides, uncontrollable crying and tension among the masses. Somebody save us. The insane asylum has taken over the nation and the patients are all dressed in red.

[sam11111]

1. 94 % cut in funding of mental health programs since '80

See Pete Early's book "Crazy...".

GOP is to blame.

[NNN0LHI]

24. That explains a lot

I think that subject deserves its own dedicated post some day.

Don

[Mimosa]

2. This is so true

I'm an expert cook. My family members were chefs of the first class. My partner and I used to eat a Mediterranean type diet largely vegetable and grain based. Olive oil was our cooking oil for over 20 years, we ate grain, veggies, salads,.... She developed diabetes despite us eating healthy.

Two years ago we had to confront the 'pyramid' diet'. It didn't work for us.

Despite it costing more we have upended the pyramid. Now lean protiens are our base. No more pasta, breads. Parbioled rice in moderation is OK. But we can;t enjoy even whole grain waffles. To keep diabetes numbers in range we have to eat more lean beef, chicken , fish, and other proteins. This change forr the past 9 to 10 months is working and my partners numbers are WAAAAAAY better.

The secret of the rich is they eat stuff like grilled fish or steak with a luscious tomato cucumber salad. They eat high protein lean. One of my partner's best pals is an A lister. He doesn't eat risotto, spaghetti, toast. He eats meat and fis with greens and fresh vegs, salads and fruit.
'

[grasswire]

5. the medical community perpetuated an untruth by pushing grains

...and some of them now admit it was a horrible mistake to tell people to eat so much in carbs. Even now, diabetics are not told the truth about what carbs are doing to their bodies. I try to keep my carbs to 60 maximum for the day. I should cut it lower than that, but it's just really hard to do. I can't afford to buy good fish, and I won't buy the icky fish at my local market.

[closeupready]

17. Yep, and I still see that dietary axiom being pushed all the time. It's frustrating for me.

Because I hate to see people counting calories alone when the distribution of proteins and carbs in WHAT they are eating is something people should also be looking at, IMO.

[Odin2005]

19. It's from the influence of agribusinesses.

Telling people to eat a lot of carbs is good for the profits of agribusinesses growing corn and wheat.

[msongs]

3. when u die, pay off the fruit loan by giving them your...leftovers lol nt

[On the Road]

4. The Secret is Going to Full-Sized Asian and Hispanic Supermarkets

*if* you can find them in your area. They sometimes hide, but they're worth looking for.

As far as that watermelon slice, though, that's boutique pricing. You should be able to get a whole watermelon for less than that.

[SoCalDem]

6. and if you have any dirt near you, watermelons grow easily

we had then totally take over our backyard when we grew them.. tasty little things they were:)

People need to get back to eating "seasonally" too.. binge on what's in season, and resort to canned during the winter if you live in a cold climate..

If enough people will pay $4 a pound for Chilean grapes in mid-winter, and $2 a pound apples in mid summer, grocers will gladly charge that price all year long.

Seasonal eating almost guarantees that people get a variety of foods, but when we can glomb onto a few favorites, we might be overdoing a 'good thing"...to our detriment.

Before corn was in everything, it was consumed in it's original form during the height of summer or as a "put up" staple. People switched to root veggies during the winter months because they would store well in the root-cellar. And not all societies worshiped the almighty corn.

My mother (a Kansan) always told of the first time she met her inlaws (Cubans). My parents flew to Havana. They were taken to a swanky restaurant & when the menu came, my mother could not read spanish. She asked for corn on the cob with her steak and was laughed at.. In Cuba, corn was animal feed.

[formercia]

11. We went to pick Apples the other Day

and paid $.45 per pound. It took about ten minutes. We chose the best apples from the tree and ate a couple while we were picking. It was fun, good family time and we saved some money. They made great pies.

[surrealAmerican]

13. Watermelons?

That may be true in southern California, but they need a longer growing season than those of us in more northern states could ever hope for. You could still grow a nutritious diet here, though, if you have space for a garden.

[ret5hd]

12. and Indian

[mactime]

16. Full-Sized Asian and Hispanic Supermarkets

I second that. We have multiple Asian supermarkets and you can't beat them in pricing on fruits and vegetables. Plus they have a huge selection that you can't find at the regular supermarkets.

[DesertFlower]

7. i eat as much organic as i can.

don't like cooking but so many vegetables and many fruits are organic frozen. i'm extremely paranoid about chemicals and pesticides.

don't have a problem with carbs. i eat them in moderation. also eat free range grain fed eggs 2 or 3 times a week.

[Lucinda]

8. I hav pretty serious health problems and have started juicing - which seems to be helping a LOT, but

I can only afford to do it because I use inexpensive carrots and apples as a base, and add other fruits and veggies as I can afford them. I don't know how families with growing kids can possibly feed them the kind of fresh fruit and veggies that I grew up eating.

[no_hypocrisy]

10. Try concord grapes. Great juicing and only 99 cents a pound.

Made 1-1/2 quarts of concentrate for under $4.

[grasswire]

21. I've never seen grapes for that price in this century. n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

23. I know! That's why I boughts loads of them!

[demgrrrll]

9. If you have an Aldis near your home they have great produce

prices on a weekly basis.

[Le Taz Hot]

14. I find little of your post to be true.

Vegetable soup can be made for pennies a serving and can be made with over-ripe veggies. The fare at Farmers Markets is slim right now because farmers are in between growing seasons -- too late for summer crops and too early for winter crops. The farmers I know who sell at Farmers Markets (and I know many) are small-time operations without the need (nor resources) for hired farm workers.

Between cooking from scratch (with healthy ingredients) and supplementing my grocery needs with veggies grown in my (container) garden, my husband and I eat WELL for about $300.00 a month -- that's $5.00 per day per person. In the winter it's even less as I can fresh produce in the summer when prices are low and eat the canned stuff in the winter.

[FarCenter]

15. Local grocery store prices for fruits and vegetables

Crushed Tomatoes, 28 oz can, $0.67
Broccoli Rabe, fresh, 1 lb, $0.99
Spinach, frozen, 10 oz, $0.99
Corn, peas, peas and carrots, mixed vegetables, frozen 20 oz, $1.79
Broccoli, frozen, 20 oz, $2.00
Orange juice, 64 oz, $2.50
Watermelon, 1 lb, $0.99 (poor choice, though, since watermelon is mostly water and sugar).
Apples, 1 lb, $0.80
Cauliflower, head, $1.49
Pears, 1 lb, $1.49
Squash, 1 lb, $0.79
Potatoes, 1 lb, $0.60
Cabbage, 1 lb, $0.79

[JVS]

18. Those crushed tomatoes are really cheap where you shop.

Where I live the sale price is $1 on that

[grasswire]

20. at my store

store brands


Crushed Tomatoes, 16 oz can, $0.98 -- maybe 2 for $1 on sale
Broccoli Rabe, fresh, 1 lb, $2.99
Spinach, frozen, 10 oz, $1.29
Corn, peas, peas and carrots, mixed vegetables, frozen 12 oz, $1.49
Broccoli, frozen, 12 oz, $1.49
Orange juice, 64 oz don't know -- frozen $1.29

Watermelon, whole seedless $5.39
Apples, 1 lb, $0.98
Cauliflower, head, $1.29/pound
Pears, 1 lb, $1.29
Squash, 1 lb, $0.99 zucchini
Potatoes, 1 lb, $0.60
Cabbage, 1 lb, $0.79

[justiceischeap]

22. Just FYI--if you can't afford fresh vegetables, frozen are the next best thing

Canned vegetables just aren't any good for you at all. Personally, I'm looking into CSA's. It tends to be more expensive but I rather support local farmers than get argi-produced vegetables that are pumped full of chemicals to keep them fresh longer (so they can be transported).