Cost of Junk Food Vs Healthy Eating.
Hey folks,
I have gotten MANY articles sent in by you, talking about everything from the Egg scare, to Caged vs Free Range Chickens, ETC. I have posted several articles about Healthy Eating, Franking Fish, and High Fructose Corn Syrup. So the question is, why do we NOT head in the direction of healthier eating?
The answer is sadly simplistic. COST. Here is what I mean. Go to the Grocery Store, look at the Food Prices. If you get mass produced Chicken, usually frozen, what is the cost. About ten bucks for a bag of Chicken. Look at the Fresh? You get maybe two good sized breasts. Look at the price for "Free Ranged Chickens" You will get even less.
Look at the mass produced products. You know, those high in preservatives and of course HFCS. Then look at the prices of "Organic." Go to the snack isle. How much for a big bag of chips? Some run specials like $1.99 a bag. Now go to the Produce isle. How much is a head of Lettuce? Getting the point?
When we can go to a fast food place, and buy a DOUBLE Burger and Small Fries for $2.11, or go to the store and buy? What? That's a whole meal, add a buck for the drink. So $3.20 you get a whole meal. No cooking. No real clean up. A whole meal. Go to the Store, you can not even get a ready made meal for $3.00. You have to buy all the ingredients, prep, and cook it. Then, add A LOT on if you try to be healthy. For a meal, you are most likely talking $10.00 to $20.00, plus the time to prepare it. If you are even able to prepare it. No one is teaching you how to cook anymore.
People would LOVE to eat healthier. The companies that produce "Organic," "Free Range," and more natural Foods would love to make more money. But the sad fact is, people go the cheaper route.
Then you have the stereotype that healthier food taste, well, bland, or bad. This is not always the case either. As many of you know, my Wife Laura is a Vegan. That means no meat, no dairy. I eat Vegan meals about two to three times a week. There has only been one or two that I really didn't like. You can keep the Tofu. ANY Tofu. But the "Beef crumbles" and the Bacon, oh the Bacon, actually tastes BETTER to me than the real deal. I'm not kidding. "Morning Star Bacon Strips?" Give them to me EVERY DAY! I can't get enough.
So why are the alternatives more expensive than the junk? Supply and demand play a part. Less people are buying them, therefore, they cost more. But at the same time, less people are buying them BECAUSE they cost more.
So what's the answer? Truthfully? I'm not really sure. You could start by watching a movie I just saw recently called "Food inc." It will change your perspective on the food industry. The facts are out there. Commonsense and logic are out there. But there is still the cost factor.
My recommendation to you, try it. Try it a little at a time. One meal a week, try to skip the meat. Try to buy from humane companies. Try to give up some of the Junk. You may find that you like it better.
Yes, it does cost a bit more to eat healthier, but the savings in long term medical bills will even that out. Now do not get me wrong folks, again, I like my meat. I like my occasional fast food. But I do not live for it, or on it. I try to eat healthy as much as possible. I try not to buy items from companies I know do not treat their animals humanely. I try to do the right thing.
I will tell you this. In the long run, not only you sill start feeling better, you may even start seeing a difference in your physical appearance. Worked for me.
Peter
Hey folks,
I have gotten MANY articles sent in by you, talking about everything from the Egg scare, to Caged vs Free Range Chickens, ETC. I have posted several articles about Healthy Eating, Franking Fish, and High Fructose Corn Syrup. So the question is, why do we NOT head in the direction of healthier eating?The answer is sadly simplistic. COST. Here is what I mean. Go to the Grocery Store, look at the Food Prices. If you get mass produced Chicken, usually frozen, what is the cost. About ten bucks for a bag of Chicken. Look at the Fresh? You get maybe two good sized breasts. Look at the price for "Free Ranged Chickens" You will get even less.
Look at the mass produced products. You know, those high in preservatives and of course HFCS. Then look at the prices of "Organic." Go to the snack isle. How much for a big bag of chips? Some run specials like $1.99 a bag. Now go to the Produce isle. How much is a head of Lettuce? Getting the point?
When we can go to a fast food place, and buy a DOUBLE Burger and Small Fries for $2.11, or go to the store and buy? What? That's a whole meal, add a buck for the drink. So $3.20 you get a whole meal. No cooking. No real clean up. A whole meal. Go to the Store, you can not even get a ready made meal for $3.00. You have to buy all the ingredients, prep, and cook it. Then, add A LOT on if you try to be healthy. For a meal, you are most likely talking $10.00 to $20.00, plus the time to prepare it. If you are even able to prepare it. No one is teaching you how to cook anymore.
People would LOVE to eat healthier. The companies that produce "Organic," "Free Range," and more natural Foods would love to make more money. But the sad fact is, people go the cheaper route.
Then you have the stereotype that healthier food taste, well, bland, or bad. This is not always the case either. As many of you know, my Wife Laura is a Vegan. That means no meat, no dairy. I eat Vegan meals about two to three times a week. There has only been one or two that I really didn't like. You can keep the Tofu. ANY Tofu. But the "Beef crumbles" and the Bacon, oh the Bacon, actually tastes BETTER to me than the real deal. I'm not kidding. "Morning Star Bacon Strips?" Give them to me EVERY DAY! I can't get enough.
So why are the alternatives more expensive than the junk? Supply and demand play a part. Less people are buying them, therefore, they cost more. But at the same time, less people are buying them BECAUSE they cost more.
So what's the answer? Truthfully? I'm not really sure. You could start by watching a movie I just saw recently called "Food inc." It will change your perspective on the food industry. The facts are out there. Commonsense and logic are out there. But there is still the cost factor.
My recommendation to you, try it. Try it a little at a time. One meal a week, try to skip the meat. Try to buy from humane companies. Try to give up some of the Junk. You may find that you like it better.
Yes, it does cost a bit more to eat healthier, but the savings in long term medical bills will even that out. Now do not get me wrong folks, again, I like my meat. I like my occasional fast food. But I do not live for it, or on it. I try to eat healthy as much as possible. I try not to buy items from companies I know do not treat their animals humanely. I try to do the right thing.
I will tell you this. In the long run, not only you sill start feeling better, you may even start seeing a difference in your physical appearance. Worked for me.
Peter
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