There seems to exist a contradiction in the world of food and the money people spend on it. Sometimes you hear that you’ll save a lot of money by switching to a healthier diet; other times you wonder why the healthy option has to cost so much more. I think it all depends on what exactly you’re comparing. Are you comparing similar products? Food preparation methods? Lifestyle?

Now, I could do a lot of research and provide actual statistics and site my sources, but I really don’t have time for that at this stage in my life. So here are my thoughts; do what you want with them.

Healthy eating costs more:

Calories. I’ve seen it argued that, calorie-for-calorie, healthy food is more expensive than junk food. Well, yeah, if you’re comparing 1000 calories of Ding Dongs to 1000 calories of celery, it’s gonna take a truckload of celery to amount to the calories in one box of Ding Dongs. But I don’t think anyone really shops that way.

Production methods. It doesn’t take a mathematician to see that a bunch of organic broccoli costs more than a bunch of conventionally grown broccoli. Organic milk costs more than regular. Organic free-range chicken raised without hormones or antibiotics costs a lot more than conventionally raised chicken.

Similar product comparison. Sometimes the healthier version of the “same” product costs more; for instance, whole-grain bread costs more than white, and whole-grain pasta costs more than regular. Also, sometimes you have to buy a name-brand product to get the healthier option if it isn’t available in generic.

Healthy eating costs less:

Eating at home vs. eating out. Eating at home is, in general, healthier and less expensive. I’m sure someone could come up with an example to the contrary (like maybe you could get a cheap burger off the value menu for less than you can make a burger at home), but I think those are isolated scenarios and probably aren’t really comparing the same quality and/or quantity of food.

Cooking from scratch. Food made from basic ingredients is usually healthier and less expensive than processed convenience foods. A muffin made from scratch at home (especially with some whole grain) is healthier and less expensive than a muffin bought from the bakery department. Homemade soup can be made cheaply and has a lot less sodium than the canned stuff. And that whole-grain bread that costs more than white? You can make it at home for less than the grocery-store price.

Health costs. This one is indirect, but we all know that an unhealthy diet can lead to a bunch of health problems down the road, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and more.

Unsure:

Substituting veggies in place of meat. As I’ve been reading about reasons for cutting back meat consumption and switching to a more plant-based diet, one thing that keeps coming up is that you’ll save money because vegetables and grains cost less than meat. I think it depends on what vegetables and what meat. Rice and dried beans are cheap, and so are potatoes, but a lot of fresh produce meets or exceeds the $2/pound price I usually pay for ground beef or boneless skinless chicken.

So there you have it. Of course, there are a lot of ways to save money on groceries, but the internet is full of that kind of advice so I won’t go into it here. Stay tuned for part 2 of my food rambles.

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