Eating healthily cost MORE MONEY!

[Cavycrazy]

Anyone noticed that .

Am buying healthier food and the weekly shopping cost is so much more!!

Deb x

 

[Kate]

It's because a lot of unhealthy foods are made with nasty cheap ingredients...

 

[kazz]

I've noticed that too...was another factor in choosing a VLCD over WW!!!

I think its also something to do with a lot of the healthy fruit and veg we buy is actually out of season anyway so costs more....its stinks....we should be able to buy healthy food cheaper than junk type food, especially when the government is apparently so concerned about the nation being obese

 

[Karen]

heya ladies.

have to agree about the cost of healthy living! when me and hubby first got together he wasnt allowed to work (visa prohibitation) so we bought everything buget wise that we could and its all high fat/salt/sugar rubbish!

thankfully now we can afford to buy decent healthy foods but, for low income families its awful. i used to notice even with stuff like ham and chicken for sandwiches, the stuff we could afford was triple the amount of fat and stuff but half the price. its not good knowing thats wha u have to give ur family and i thank god those days r behind us lol. i really think something ought to be done so that people can easier afford good foods for their families when they have a small household income. shall we boycott the supermarkets?

on the upside though, i think as a whole the family eats slightly less because i think the healthier foods are more filling or dont cause as many cravings to eat more?

anyways, since i started CD the bills have gone back down. god i had no idea how much i used to spend on filling my face LOL

 

[dizzy-n-mizzy]

I think the costs will even out over time when you take into consideration the smaller quantities you will eat now. A lot of the healthy foods are a large outlay but once the cupboards are filled the shopping bills will fall. I have started the Gi plan this week and spend a huge amount of nuts and oils and vinegars and sauces as well as the fruit and veg etc. I think as long as we plan well and don't let the perishables go to waste it will not be too expensive. I have also truely loved all my meals this week it has to be said so it has been well worth it.

Dizzy x

 

[Starlight]

I must admit I hadnt noticed but then Ive been playing at eating healthy for ages lol It does seem unfair tho if that is the case. Still in the long run itll be worth that extra expense - once we're all slim and gorgeous

 

[MadamDotty]

Yes, it's one of my pet peeves. It's much cheaper to buy frozen pies, sausages, pizzas than real meat or fish and vegetables plus you often see the BOGOF offers on the cheaper foods, it makes me really cross.

I agree with Dizzy that as you eat healthier you do actually eat less overall and the costs even out but to ask a family on a low budget to buy a healthy trolley of food, I think most would say its out of their price range.

It depends on what you used to eat I suppose, it always amazes me watching progs like Gillian McKeith, how many people live on takeaways and I don't know how they can afford that either!

 

[Starlight]

It depends on what you used to eat I suppose, it always amazes me watching progs like Gillian McKeith, how many people live on takeaways and I don't know how they can afford that either!

Ive wondered at that too! These peoples shopping bills must be astronomical. I have Chinese once a week as a treat but couldnt afford it more than that, not if I want luxuries like electricity and petrol lol

 

[dizzy-n-mizzy]

Yes, it's one of my pet peeves. It's much cheaper to buy frozen pies, sausages, pizzas than real meat or fish and vegetables plus you often see the BOGOF offers on the cheaper foods, it makes me really cross.

I agree with Dizzy that as you eat healthier you do actually eat less overall and the costs even out but to ask a family on a low budget to buy a healthy trolley of food, I think most would say its out of their price range.

It depends on what you used to eat I suppose, it always amazes me watching progs like Gillian McKeith, how many people live on takeaways and I don't know how they can afford that either!

...yes and all those bottles of pop and worse! You can save a lot of money just drinking water.

I'm figuring that the meals themselves will be more expensive but so much better and the cost of all the extra junk will be than make up for the shortfall.

Fingers crossed!!

Dizzy x

 

[KD]

it always amazes me watching progs like Gillian McKeith, how many people live on takeaways and I don't know how they can afford that either!

I wonder if it's a generation thing. It never occurs to me to get a takeaway, even when I'm really rushed. It's just not something we've ever done. I think we did have fish and chips once about 24 years ago if I remember rightly I remember DH suggesting we get one once when I was very ill, but we never did.

I've also noticed how alcohol features in many people's weeks. When I started dieting many years ago, people saved their calories for food. Now I notice on WLR that many people save up their calories for drink. Not judging, just a difference I've noticed over the years.

We do eat healthily as a family, and according to friends, our shopping bill is a lot less that theirs. We don't go for things like prepackaged salads and vegetables etc though. That helps. We also make good use of the ingredients we do have and throw little away.

As for the price of M&S ready meals

 

[Starlight]

I wonder if it's a generation thing. It never occurs to me to get a takeaway, even when I'm really rushed. It's just not something we've ever done. I think we did have fish and chips once about 24 years ago if I remember rightly I remember DH suggesting we get one once when I was very ill, but we never did.

Thats funny you saying that. I remember when I was at school, and probably around 11 - 15 getting dragged to Fine Fare to do the fortnightly or monthly 'big shop' Because it was quite far from where we stayed and it was lateish when we got home we had a fish supper for dinner. That was the only time we ever got take away, never went to Wimpey or had Chinese etc, we had our once a month Fish Supper and it was a HUGE treat! We probably enjoyed that so much more than people do now when its the norm.

I work shifts and do 7 late shifts a month, it amazes me how many of the guys have chinese/indian/burgers every night for convenience, oh and then buy in fancy made sandwiches or hot rolls when we're early shift. I grudge paying money for sandwiches when I can make them at home.

 

[KD]

Mind you, when I'm eating 'normally' we usually have a takeaway at LEAST once over the weekend, which usually sets us back about £20 a time, so I suppose when you look at it like that it's probably cheaper for me to be following ww.

Don't know about the weight watchers thing, but the £20 will buy your fruit and veg for the family for a week

Though I don't think it's that much more expensive to eat healthily, I do realise that it's much harder work.

Buying prepackaged fruit and veg = expensive. Buying loose from a market or growing your own = cheap.

People buy expensive boxes of cereals, or oats-so-simple, when a big bag of porridge oats is much cheaper. Lentils = dirt cheap. Add to meat dishes to reduce costs.

Eggs and milk = cheap.

I saw dried fruit to top cereals and dried apricots in tesco on BOGOF this week.

I also bought loads of bananas for a pound from the market at the end of the day. Left some out, put the rest in the freezer for smoothies.

Remember the slow cooker is your friend. It will turn tough meats unto a meal that will melt in your mouth.

Tinned toms often on BOGOF = healthy and cheap.

Baked beans (yuck) = cheap and healthy.

Real potatoes cheaper than ready made chips.

Olive oil = much cheaper in aldi or lidl and just as good. Same goes for parmesan. Can be frozen. Much better than that awful stuff you buy in pots that smell and taste like unwashed feet.

It can be done. My shopping bill is the envy of all..but yes...somethings do take longer to shop for and prepare.

 

[Curvy_Chicken]

Hi Karion

I am inclined to agree with you - since starting the GI diet, my food costs haven't gone up massively and this is a diet where eating loads of fresh fruit and veg is essential! I seem to eat a lot of the food you mention...

However I suspect some peeps don't have time to shop around or go to the market so get ripped off in the supermarket!

I am very grateful that here in Brighton we have loads of independent and cheap shops! There is a cheap green grocer, a little market and a most recently a turkish supermarket, which is where get huge bottles of olive oil very cheap!

Shop around my chickens!

Luv CC xxx xxx xxx

 

[georgiasmum]

This is an interesting topic certainly it is more challenging to eat healthily when you are on a budget and want to eat good cuts of meat and healthy fish but I try to buy what is in season, use my slow cooker and go meat free at least twice per week. I also enjoy and make soup which both husband and daughter will eat willingly!

I am also very fortunate that the quality of my daughter's school meals are excellent - my evening meals are simple because of this and they provide fruit daily as well!

Aldi and Lidl are excellent for tinned items (toms etc) and their frozen veg is excellent so I always have some on hand. I have also noticed that their product have none or significantly fewer additives than some of the leading supermarkets....

Lidls also have a great range of fruit and veg that is regularly 50% off so I have made regular savings there.

I think, it is hard to make good choices sometimes and not deprive yourself and certainly food shopping can be a major outlay in some families. On moneysavingexpert I regularly frequent the oldstyle board and join in grocery challenges and am amazed at what I can achieve when I am trying balance the books and eat well.

 

[KD]

However I suspect some peeps don't have time to shop around or go to the market so get ripped off in the supermarket!

Agreed. About the time though, I have 3 jobs, work 6-7 days a week (average about 60 hrs a week) and have a family. Not sure how I do it really, but I guess that's what I've always done. Don't know any difference

I think it's all a case of priorities with time and money. I'm more inclined to go to the market than look around clothes shops. More inclined to cook than watch the TV, more inclined to read forums than hoover up

Sunday is my day off (though I sometimes work sunday pm, so once a month I'm down the market (which is about 15 miles away) to stock up. We also have a very small market set up in a street on Sat afternoon, just a few miles from here and I'll often pop there to pick up bits on the way back from the main shop.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to prove I'm superwoman Far from it. I just use my time differently.

I think most people can make the time to do these things, but prefer not to. It's just not top of their priorities.

That's fine too

 

[kazz]

I think there has been some interesting points raised....over here I have found that there is very limited choice, fruit and veg are pricey and there isnt a very good selection available. There are no markets that I know of, but I should look into that properly....the only one I know actually exists is only open while I am working so that makes it unaccesible for me.

I do think that I rely too much on convenience foods and the excuse is that I dont have time, but I suppose if I wanted to I could make batches of stuff at the weekends that could be frozen for during the week (but my freezer is tiny!!)

My diet is due a complete overhaul when I am finished CD....my poor daughter wont know wat hit her!! I will be investing in either a slow cooker or steamer as well, but also I will have more money in a few months anyway, so the cost of healthy food wont bother me so much as it would now.

The other thing I have found over here is that milk and bread are expensive....a loaf of bread is over £1 and a litre of milk is £1...to me these are basics....we dont have Lidl or Aldi, but anytime I go home, I have to say I am amazed at the price of the fruit and veg there, its soooo much cheaper!!

There MUST be a proper market somwhere over here.....must investigate and find out!!

 

[KD]

The other thing I have found over here is that milk and bread are expensive....a loaf of bread is over £1 and a litre of milk is £1...to me these are basics....

That is expensive. We pay £1.10 for 4 pints of milk. Obviously more expensive if we buy smaller cartons. Bread...well, we usually get a good quality sliced bread for during the week and pay just over a pound...so that's pricey, but again it's relative...one whole loaf for at least half the price of a 2 slice sandwich in a stop.

I do buy the cheap stuff for bread and butter puddings for the kids though and add fruit to it.

I've heard the Isle of Man is lovely BTW. My well travelled cousin picks it as the best place ever.

It'll be worth checking out for markets and getting a new freezer. We have a fridge freezer in the kitchen and a chest and upright freezer in the garage. No room for a car

 

[KD]

Lean meat is more expensive too though, it isn't just fruit and veg.

it is, but I rarely buy lean meat, unless it's chicken or turkey which tends to be naturally lean. I find very lean meat to be flavourless and hard to cook.

Cheap cuts come out beautifully with slow cooking and obvious excess fat can be quickly skimmed off.

I remember my Mum used to buy a knuckle for 2s 6d. She boiled it and minced it with a contraption that screwed on the table.

Then we had knuckle pie, knuckle sandwiches and knuckle salad.

Bloomin stuff went on forever. I loved it though.

I don't like apples (which are probably one of the cheaper fruits to buy?) and to buy a good variety of fruit IS expensive. For me to have 5 portions of fruit a day costs a lot of money, money that - again - I can't justify spending on something I don't really like.

I don't like raw apples, but don't mind them cooked. I either bake them for the boys, or for a quick snack I'll slice one with an apple slicer and pop in the microwave with cinnamon.

Our main fruit bowl is apples, oranges, grapes, bananas and the occasional kiwi or sharon fruit if I get it on special.

In the freezer I have fruits that I buy cheaper...raspberries, cherries, bananas, blueberries, redberries. Whatever I find on my travels at a special price. All chucked together in a plastic box. Another box for the yellow/orange fruits...mango, pineapple etc. It seems to go on forever.

Tinned fruit is pretty cheap too.

 

[Sparkle]

I don't like raw apples, but don't mind them cooked. I either bake them for the boys, or for a quick snack I'll slice one with an apple slicer and pop in the microwave with cinnamon.

I just tried this today because it sounded so nice. I'm currently chomping on it now, it's delicious! Thanks!!

 

[Starlight]

One way Ive found Healthy eating DOES save money is when Im working. If I eat healthily Ill take in all my food. Saves me loads, I dont use the machine for junk food and Im not tempted by the sandwich shop or roll van or other take aways.