The Cost of Eating Healthy
Oct 09, 2022
Beginning your journey to healthy eating is overwhelming. The internet is a rabbit hole of information filled with countless types of diets and advice.
3 THINGS WE DO WHEN WE START A NEW “DIET”
– We pick a diet and read the list of foods to eat and not eat. We purchase many new foods and forget about the things we’ve had in the pantry for months. After doing so well, we celebrate, break that diet streak, and go back to our previous diet.
– We invest in a pricey product (meal plans, meal delivery kits, dietary supplements, exercise equipment, or gym membership) that promises us results. However, since these require consistent time and money, the potential lack of instant gratification plus a high price tag causes us to discontinue.
– We have an all-or-nothing, perfectionist attitude. The moment we deviate from that diet, we give up altogether.
These all lead to yo-yo dieting. Which one were you? I was ALL of this for years, and it is still a constant struggle to break these bad habits.
We can go on about WHY we do this to ourselves, but ONE common reason we don’t continue a healthy diet or hesitate to start is because it’s EXPENSIVE. Now, let’s talk about the PRICE of healthy eating.
MYTH: Eating healthy is expensive
You probably have already listened to the broken record of how we should not put a price tag on our health. But it’s the hard truth. It’s less expensive in the long run for these reasons…
1) Less junk foods → healthy immune system → you won’t get sick often → less risks of chronic medical condition/improved chronic medical condition→ less risks of hospitalization→ less likely to call in sick from work → no medical bills → no money lost
2) Less junk foods → healthy immune system → your KIDS won’t get sick often → they won’t miss school → you don’t need to call in sick from work → no doctor visits → no medical bills → no money lost
If you feel like you’ve heard this over and over, it’s because you know it’s true, but you just weren’t ready for it. So I’m here to convince you that YOU ARE READY this time. I analyzed my diet and budget over the last decade and was excited to have written evidence about something I have always imagined.
Eating a diet filled with nutrient-dense foods is NOT much more expensive than the average Standard American Diet (SAD).
💡 My definition of “healthy” today is different than what I thought it was 10 years ago
And not just me, diet recommendations have changed with time as research studies the pros and cons of current trends. Low-fat diets, low-carb diets, sugar-free diets. Which is the RIGHT diet?! Forget discussing the differences among all these. Dr. Sears says the best diet is the REAL FOOD DIET & we don’t need another diet plan, we need a HEALTH TRANSFORMATION – FROM THE INSIDE OUT. The following has remained true through the test of time.
⭐️ Fact #1: Eating whole foods is always better and healthier for us than processed junk foods
⭐️ Fact #2: Eating fruits, vegetables and meats that are altered in some way (pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, etc.) has evidence of being harmful to our bodies
⭐️ Solution: Just buy the foods with all the fancy names, right? Organic, grass-fed, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, free-range, wild-caught, etc. Well, not necessarily. The answer is to buy more REAL ingredients and less packaged and processed foods.
One of the biggest misconceptions about eating healthy, whatever healthy means to you at this time, is how expensive it is. The reality is – it may be costly in the beginning, but if you’re mindful about your expenses, it is not that much more expensive overall.
What exactly is expensive?
💰 Buying organic foods without guidance
→ View this article to read about the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen. In summary, the Dirty Dozen are the fruits and vegetables with the highest amount of pesticides, so purchasing these in organic is best. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/
→ If buying organic is not an option, check out this all-natural fruits and vegetable wash that helps remove pesticides. https://www.drsearswellnessinstitute.org/blog/buying-organic/
💰Trying new foods and recipes → discovering what your family likes and dislikes → lots of food wasted → money wasted
→ BUT, once you are out of that initial phase and you know which foods you like, the cost comes down significantly and probably comparable to your previous budget. So once you start, don’t look back!
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY: When you’re eating more nutrient-dense foods, you’re meeting your body’s nutritional needs FASTER with LESS amount of food.
So, don’t be discouraged by the price of healthier foods!
Here is a snap shot of what my list looks like on a typical “grocery restock” day. I know there are a lot of variables we can argue about, but let’s take a look at the big picture. These are the CURRENT prices at the selected stores, but reflect the foods I would have purchased in 2010 vs. 2015 vs. 2020. Some of these foods are WAY cheaper at wholesale stores like Costco and Sam’s Club, but I wrote it out this way for simple comparison reasons.
2010
– FoodMax is a discount grocery store in my area. Similar grocery stores would be WinCo, Grocery Outlet, etc.
Situation: I was a full-time college student living on my own and working part-time. This busy lifestyle and lack of nutrition knowledge gave me little time to prepare foods
My main goals at this stage were…
– Buy quick to prepare, or to-go foods
– Inexpensive foods that fit that “starving student budget”
Consequences: Eating like this for years, plus other environmental and personal stressors, were huge contributors to my diagnosis of an autoimmune disease. This led me to take all of the prescription medications you’ll see in the next section.
– Can you spot which are the packaged and processed foods?
– Which of these foods are in YOUR pantry right now?
2015
– Safeway is similar to stores such as Lucky’s, Raley’s, Fry’s. These stores carry a good selection of organic foods.
Situation: After my diagnosis in 2013, I spent lots of money trying out different medication treatments. The final regimen that kept me stable and working my regular job was to take 2 pain medications, 2 medications for my autoimmune disease, and tubes of cream and ointment to manage my severe eczema. I purchased these every month. Not pictured are medical expenses from countless urgent care visits, imaging and lab orders done, specialist visits with rheumatology and etc.
– In 2015, I began to realize my pain was related to some of the foods I ate, so I started to change some of my eating habits and needed to lose weight. Many people, including myself, thought “eating healthy” meant “eating organic” and many salads. But that is only a small part of eating healthy…
My main goals at this stage were…
– I only purchased organic fruits and vegetables that were listed on the Dirty Dozen list (see link above)
– I slowly started to incorporate organic meats beginning with chicken and egg after learning about the dangers of hormones in foods
– I decreased intake of sugar, MSG, trans fat, and high fructose corn syrup
*My grocery budget went up by $15.52 by following ONLY the 3 goals above. But look at how much I was spending on medications during this time.
2020
Situation: I have been eating “cleaner” for a few years by this time and have seen extraordinary results in my health.
– The first thing to note is I weaned off 5 out of 6 of my medications! Now keep in mind, I still take pain medications and use my eczema medications occasionally, but instead of refilling them every single month like before, I refill it 2 or 3 times a year.
– I have also began to purchase a little more organic foods out of habit, including organic grass-fed meats
My main goals at this stage were…
– Eat more variety of foods dense in nutrition
– Minimize intake of food additives (Click HERE to learn how you can get a FREE list of these food additives in my Pantry Makeover Kit!)
*Between 2015 and 2020, my expenses only increased by $21.53. But I’m also saving $50 a month in medications! My net total expenses is cheaper than previous years. Everyone, this is HUGE. My quality of life is so much better and I’m spending more time with my family than in pain or at the doctor’s office.
SUMMARY
– With a healthier diet filled with nutrient-dense foods, I was able to wean off 5 out of 6 of my monthly medications! And my net expenses were LESS than the previous years!
– I did not buy ALL the “expensive” food at one time. I started with what was appropriate for my situation and slowly included it in my budget over time, so it didn’t feel like a massive increase in expenses. I recommend starting with buying organic produce from the dirty dozen list and taking your time working your way up from there.
– I used to shop at FoodMax, but my current choice of grocery stores are Safeway, Whole Foods and Costco. I only listed prices between FoodMax and Safeway strictly for comparison reasons. I’m very good at shopping the sales and buying in bulk to always get the best prices available. So, the actual prices I pay are MUCH cheaper than what you see on the list. Prices can vary for YOU depending on actual store and location. Stores often offer the same sales at certain intervals throughout the year, pay attention to those or just ask the employees for tips!
– It took me almost 10 years to get to where I am today with my diet. I hope it doesn’t take you this long, but understand that several small steps moving in the direction of healthy is what got me here.
