There is a common misconception that eating healthy requires spending more money. The World’s Healthiest Foods sets out to prove that this doesn’t have to be the case. It is possible for you to eat nutritious foods without breaking the bank in the process.
The World’s Healthiest Foods breaks down research that dives into this common misconception. Basically, the average daily expenditure on food in the United States per household is $15 a day or $100 per week. Yet much of the household food budget, regardless of expenditure, is skewed towards unhealthy choices. For example, a whopping 35% of the food budget is spent on frozen dinners, treats/goodies, and snacks! Yet for only an additional dollar to $1.50 per day families can make better food choices.
It’s important to note that although poverty does play an important role in health issues, such as obesity or being able to obtain healthy food. However, 41% of Americans who are obese earn as much or more than 350% of what is considered poverty level. You can have plenty of money and still wind up spending those dollars on unhealthy food choices. In fact, one of the points made in this post is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to make better food purchases in the first place.
The World’s Healthiest Foods has several suggestions for buying food. For example:
- Avoid buying pre-made or pre-cut foods, which are more expensive. Instead, buy them in their whole form and prepare them at home.
- Buy foods in-season.
- If the cost of organic foods is too high, buy the local, in season option that has been grown similarly but doesn’t have the fancy certification.
- Take advantage of discounts such as sales/specials, co-op memberships, and coupons.
- Buy in bulk.
- Grow foods and herbs at home.
- Be smart with menu planning, shopping lists, and avoid impulse buys.
Want to learn more about how you can eat healthy without breaking the bank? Read the full article here: Is Healthy Eating Possible on a Tight Budget?
