Healthy foods can cost less - Polidicks

[URL]http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/05/18/food-nutrition-cost.html?cmp=rss[/URL] [QUOTE]Is it really more expensive to eat healthy? A U.S. Agriculture Department study found that most fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods cost less than foods high in fat, sugar and salt. That counters a common perception among some consumers that it's cheaper to eat junk food than a nutritionally balanced meal. The U.S. government says it all depends on how you measure the price. If you compare the price per calorie — as some previous researchers have done — then higher-calorie pastries and processed snacks might seem like a bargain compared with fruits and vegetables. But comparing the cost of foods by weight or portion size shows that grains, vegetables, fruit and dairy foods are less expensive than most meats or foods high in saturated fat, added sugars or salt. That means bananas, carrots, lettuce and pinto beans are all less expensive per portion than french fries, soft drinks, ice cream or ground beef. "Using price per calorie doesn't tell you how much food you're going to get or how full you are going to feel," said Andrea Carlson, scientist at the USDA's Economic Research Service and an author of this week's study. For example, eating a chocolate glazed donut with 240 calories might not satiate you but a banana with 105 calories just might. In the comparisons, the USDA researchers used national average prices from Nielsen Homescan data, which surveyed a panel of households that recorded all food purchases over a year from retail outlets. [B] Empty calories and hunger[/B] The cost of eating healthy foods has been the subject of growing debate as experts warn Americans about the dangers of obesity. More than a third of U.S. adults are obese, according to the government, and researchers expect that number to grow to 42 per cent by 2030. "Cheap food that provides few nutrients may actually be `expensive' for the consumer from a nutritional economy perspective, whereas food with a higher retail price that provides large amounts of nutrients may actually be quite cheap," the study said. The USDA study criticizes a 2010 report from researchers at the University of Washington, which found that calorie-for-calorie junk food is more cost- effective for low-income people than eating healthy. Adam Drewnowski, director of the Nutritional Sciences Program at the University of Washington and lead author of the prior study, said he stands by his findings that a healthier diet generally costs more. He said there is no government recommendation for how many pounds of food an American should eat each day, but there are federal guidelines that suggest a 2,000 calorie diet. "Some of these calories are in fact empty calories, so from the standpoint of nutrition they are not terrific," Drewnowski said. "But the empty calories keep you from being hungry, and this is why people buy them, especially lower-income people." Earlier this week, UN special rapporteur for food Olivier De Schutter sparked a debate on whether Canadians have trouble [URL="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/05/16/pol-un-canada-food-security.html"]affording to feed themselves[/URL], with the government arguing De Schutter was wasting his time and advocates for the poor urging politicians to create a national food strategy. Margo Wootan, a nutrition advocate with the U.S. Center for Science in the Public Interest, said some people don't think they get as much value from fruits and vegetables as they get from other foods. "If they buy a bag of chips for $2, they think it's a good deal, but if they buy a bag of apples for $2, they think it's a lot," Wootan said. "We need to do more to help people understand that fruits and vegetables are not as expensive as they think they are." Wootan said shopping smart can make healthy eating more affordable. Consumers should be more flexible about choosing less expensive fruits and vegetables that are in season and supplementing those with frozen or canned fruits and vegetables so they don't have to throw away as much. [/QUOTE]

This always got me mad. "Oh eating healthy is [I]so expensive[/I] so I have to feed my children McDonalds every day." Are you kidding me? McDonalds is so overpriced and expensive. I can make a fully organic extremely healthy meal of awesome tasting stuff for 25 cents per bowl. Compare that to $5 per Big Mac.

Yeah at the grocery store I got buy one get one free on blackberries, and I've been making some mad smoothies non-stop. It's pretty cheap. I only get fast food on long trips or certain occasions when I'm out of the house and have no dinner plans.

[QUOTE=Crimptor;36011845]This always got me mad. "Oh eating healthy is [I]so expensive[/I] so I have to feed my children McDonalds every day." Are you kidding me? McDonalds is so overpriced and expensive. I can make a fully organic extremely healthy meal of awesome tasting stuff for 25 cents per bowl. Compare that to $5 per Big Mac.[/QUOTE] Um, recipe please? I would love a 25 cent meal that's also healthy.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;36011961]Um, recipe please? I would love a 25 cent meal that's also healthy.[/QUOTE] Quinoa, lentils and rice. Buy them in bulk, if you can, thats how I do it. Pop that shit in a rice cooker, and you're good to go. So much protein and all that good stuff, I guarantee you could probably live on that combination alone (obv. plus water) for about a year, it's so packed with nutrition.

My favorite is an arugula salad. All you need is arugula, balsamic vinegar, feta cheese, red onion and you're good to go! You can add nuts too!

[QUOTE=Crimptor;36011973]Quinoa, lentils and rice. Buy them in bulk, if you can, thats how I do it. Pop that shit in a rice cooker, and you're good to go. So much protein and all that good stuff, I guarantee you could probably live on that combination alone (obv. plus water) for about a year, it's so packed with nutrition.[/QUOTE] do this and gain 0 muscle whatsoever, healthy doesn't mean go on a strict diet it means what normal human beings should be eating "so much protein?" those are shitty proteins from grains, look into real sources of protein like chicken breast, tuna and salmon

[QUOTE=Lemonator;36012183]do this and gain 0 muscle whatsoever, healthy doesn't mean go on a strict diet it means what normal human beings should be eating "so much protein?" those are shitty proteins from grains, look into real sources of protein like chicken breast, tuna and salmon[/QUOTE] healthy =/= building muscle we aren't all fat and/or looking to be buff dude

[QUOTE=The First 11'er;36012200]healthy =/= building muscle we aren't all fat and/or looking to be buff dude[/QUOTE] skinny =/= in shape

[QUOTE=Lemonator;36012183]do this and gain 0 muscle whatsoever, healthy doesn't mean go on a strict diet it means what normal human beings should be eating "so much protein?" those are shitty proteins from grains, look into real sources of protein like chicken breast, tuna and salmon[/QUOTE] but i'm a vegetarian

[QUOTE=Whitebowl;36012223]but i'm a vegetarian[/QUOTE] then use supplements fuck

[QUOTE=Lemonator;36012221]skinny =/= in shape[/QUOTE] in shape == body fat skinny == body fat they're related in some ways, you can be skinny and in shape

[QUOTE=Lemonator;36012183]do this and gain 0 muscle whatsoever, healthy doesn't mean go on a strict diet it means what normal human beings should be eating "so much protein?" those are shitty proteins from grains, look into real sources of protein like chicken breast, tuna and salmon[/QUOTE] "Shitty grain protein"? Ahahaha. Chicken breast, tuna and salmon are all fine sources of protein, but so are grains. And anyway, it's not as if the [I]sole purpose[/I] of eating well is to gain muscle HARDCORE ERRYDAY BE AWESOME And when did I ever say a strict diet? When I said you could live on it for a year, I meant in the worst of circumstances. Obviously you should be getting things like fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts, seeds, stuff like that. You're really jumping to conclusions here.

[QUOTE=Crimptor;36012309]"Shitty grain protein"? Ahahaha. Chicken breast, tuna and salmon are all fine sources of protein, but so are grains. And anyway, it's not as if the [I]sole purpose[/I] of eating well is to gain muscle HARDCORE ERRYDAY BE AWESOME And when did I ever say a strict diet? When I said you could live on it for a year, I meant in the worst of circumstances. Obviously you should be getting things like fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts, seeds, stuff like that. You're really jumping to conclusions here.[/QUOTE] well yeah nobody is so poor that they need meals under a dollar

[QUOTE=Lemonator;36012365]well yeah nobody is so poor that they need meals under a dollar[/QUOTE] Actually, for a lot of people it helps. It's excellent to have big stores of this stuff so you never run out of food, and my family sometimes has less than a dollar in the bank sometimes. Then we just eat QLR until we have money again, voila solution.

[QUOTE=Lemonator;36012365]well yeah nobody is so poor that they need meals under a dollar[/QUOTE] Please tell me you're joking.

[QUOTE=Lemonator;36012241]then use supplements fuck[/QUOTE] You really don't need them if you know how to eat, even without meat in your diet.

[QUOTE=Crimptor;36011973]Quinoa, lentils and rice. Buy them in bulk, if you can, thats how I do it. Pop that shit in a rice cooker, and you're good to go. So much protein and all that good stuff, I guarantee you could probably live on that combination alone (obv. plus water) for about a year, it's so packed with nutrition.[/QUOTE] I can guarantee you I couldn't live on that alone, :P I need meat in my diet

[QUOTE=Lemonator;36012365]well yeah nobody is so poor that they need meals under a dollar[/QUOTE] Um I would get great benefit from spending less than a dollar a day on food. [editline]19th May 2012[/editline] That's why I asked, dude.

[QUOTE=DarkSiper;36012425]I can guarantee you I couldn't live on that alone, :P I need meat in my diet[/QUOTE] Maybe you do, but what I mean is that it could sustain you for a year. What would polish you off in the end would probably be deficiencies in certain vitamins.

[QUOTE=Crimptor;36011973]Quinoa, lentils and rice. Buy them in bulk, if you can, thats how I do it. Pop that shit in a rice cooker, and you're good to go. So much protein and all that good stuff, I guarantee you could probably live on that combination alone (obv. plus water) for about a year, it's so packed with nutrition.[/QUOTE] If I ate that for a meal I would be hungry again before the dishes would even be washed.

[QUOTE=Lemonator;36012183]do this and gain 0 muscle whatsoever, healthy doesn't mean go on a strict diet it means what normal human beings should be eating "so much protein?" those are shitty proteins from grains, look into real sources of protein like chicken breast, tuna and salmon[/QUOTE] Quinoa actually has a ton of protein

[QUOTE=Lemonator;36012365]well yeah nobody is so poor that they need meals under a dollar[/QUOTE] Stop posting.

People throughout history have sustained themselves purely on rice or bread. Yea, they lived shitty, unhealthy lives, and died young because of it, but it still sustained them. Optimal =/= possible.

[QUOTE=Deaglez7;36012460]Stop posting.[/QUOTE] Nobody SHOULD be that poor, if they are they are a lazy crackhead [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Dumb or trolling" - Orkel))[/highlight]

[QUOTE=Ardosos;36012451]If I ate that for a meal I would be hungry again before the dishes would even be washed.[/QUOTE] If you ate it with a glass of milk, or 8 oz of chicken breast, it would probably fill you right up. [editline]19th May 2012[/editline] But those imply you're not vegan.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;36012477]If you ate it with a glass of milk, or 8 oz of chicken breast, it would probably fill you right up. [editline]19th May 2012[/editline] But those imply you're not vegan.[/QUOTE] I'm not, don't worry.

[QUOTE=Lemonator;36012476]Nobody SHOULD be that poor, if they are they are a lazy crackhead[/QUOTE] Yeah the millions of people in the world who live on less than a dollar a day are all lazy crackheads. [QUOTE=Ardosos] If I ate that for a meal I would be hungry again before the dishes would even be washed.[/quote] There is a ton of starch in that meal, it would probably keep you full for a while

[QUOTE=jaredop;36012532] There is a ton of starch in that meal, it would probably keep you full for a while[/QUOTE] Starch doesn't keep you full for very long. In fact starch can trigger hunger after a short period. Casein protein and nutrients will keep you full for longer.

[QUOTE=Lemonator;36012476]Nobody SHOULD be that poor, if they are they are a lazy crackhead[/QUOTE] UHHHHHHHHHH [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_percentage_of_population_living_in_poverty[/url]