Maybe you’ve said it before, I know I have. “It’s too expensive to eat healthy!” In a day where dollar menus are the craze, it doesn’t seem like you can eat any meal for a decent price! I decided to put this to the test. I will use fast food as an example as it is cheaper then eating out at a restaurant.
The average price for boneless skinless chicken breast (where I live) is 2.49 lb so for 6 oz it would be approximately $0.95. If you add steamed broccoli, you can have a serving of this for about $0.50. Add a baked sweet potato for $0.80. Let’s see what we’re up to.
$0.95 + $0.50 + $0.80 = $2.25 a serving
Let’s say you go to McDonald’s instead. One of the cheaper meals is the Big Mac meal. You can get this for $3.99.
So we’ve found that it’s actually cheaper to eat a healthy meal then a fast food meal. Not included in this calculation is the time and gas mileage you spend going to get the food.
Price is one thing you need to consider, but there’s something else. Listen to what this doctor has to say:
The glycemic index is kind of a measure of how quickly the sugar gets into your blood. If you have a high glycemic index, we’re talking about sugary foods, or white bread, things that the sugar gets into your body really quickly and you get this spike of glucose, or sugar, in your blood; it may be a quick burst of energy, but then it’s kind of like a Roman Candle. It burns out quickly and you end up with even less energy than you started with.
~ Dr. Brad Wright, Salt Lake City, UT
This is something we often do not take into consideration when eating out. If you are burning off the foods you are taking in quickly, you are getting hungry quicker. On top of that, if you are at work, you may not be as productive when your “quick burst of energy burns out”! This could not only be costing you money, but your employer as well!
So where do we begin? There are many foods that are marketed as health foods, but how do you know?
Is It Really More Expensive to Eat Healthy?
Maybe you’ve said it before, I know I have. “It’s too expensive to eat healthy!” In a day where dollar menus are the craze, it doesn’t seem like you can eat any meal for a decent price! I decided to put this to the test. I will use fast food as an example as it is cheaper then eating out at a restaurant.
The average price for boneless skinless chicken breast (where I live) is 2.49 lb so for 6 oz it would be approximately $0.95. If you add steamed broccoli, you can have a serving of this for about $0.50. Add a baked sweet potato for $0.80. Let’s see what we’re up to.
$0.95 + $0.50 + $0.80 = $2.25 a serving
Let’s say you go to McDonald’s instead. One of the cheaper meals is the Big Mac meal. You can get this for $3.99.
So we’ve found that it’s actually cheaper to eat a healthy meal then a fast food meal. Not included in this calculation is the time and gas mileage you spend going to get the food.
Price is one thing you need to consider, but there’s something else. Listen to what this doctor has to say:
The glycemic index is kind of a measure of how quickly the sugar gets into your blood. If you have a high glycemic index, we’re talking about sugary foods, or white bread, things that the sugar gets into your body really quickly and you get this spike of glucose, or sugar, in your blood; it may be a quick burst of energy, but then it’s kind of like a Roman Candle. It burns out quickly and you end up with even less energy than you started with.
~ Dr. Brad Wright, Salt Lake City, UT
This is something we often do not take into consideration when eating out. If you are burning off the foods you are taking in quickly, you are getting hungry quicker. On top of that, if you are at work, you may not be as productive when your “quick burst of energy burns out”! This could not only be costing you money, but your employer as well!
So where do we begin? There are many foods that are marketed as health foods, but how do you know?
The best place to start is in the fresh produce section. Shop the outside perimeter of the store. Purchase fresh meats to go with your fresh produce, add some herbs and spices and you can have true masterpieces!
The best place to start is in the fresh produce section. Shop the outside perimeter of the store. Purchase fresh meats to go with your fresh produce, add some herbs and spices and you can have true masterpieces!
