Why Eating Healthy Costs Less
There is a common myth that buying and eating healthy foods will cost you more. I am writing today to BUST THAT MYTH – with science to back me up! In my experience our Aussie society thinks of eating healthy and cooking meals from scratch as expensive. And we often see takeaway foods or quick meals are an easy and cheaper option. Recent studies and analysis of what people are purchasing from the supermarket show quite the contrary. Further, I will give you some practical advice on how to minimise spending while still consuming a healthy, wholefood-based diet.
Across multiple Australian studies, there is growing evidence to suggest that diets following the Australian dietary guidelines or following a ‘healthy diet’ – defined by the World Health Organisation as a diet which “prevents all forms of malnutrition” – are less costly, and ultimately cheaper than current ‘unhealthy’ diets. In a recent scientific journal it was stated that the average Australian household spends 53-64% of their food budget on discretionary food items. The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend people limit intake of saturated fat, food and drink with high salt content, food and drink with added sugar, and alcohol. With 53-64% of the food budget being spent on this food group, it is easy to see how an unhealthy diet increases spending at the grocery store. Further these studies concluded that a healthy diet would use 20-31% of family’s disposable income, and additionally, that for a family of two adults and two children that grocery spending would be decreased by 12-15% by following a healthy diet, which is a massive saving!
In the past studies have analysed food expenses by calories, so if I was purchasing a low-fat yoghurt and a regular yoghurt for the same price, the regular yoghurt would be viewed as cheaper – as you are getting more calories for your money. Although most people are not measuring their food purchases in calories, rather in amounts or grams. In a different example, buying 400g of salami would cost you more than a 400g tin of lentils, and the quality food in this example is also the cheaper one. Where as in the spoken studies they have used a method called “healthy diets ASAP,” which has generated promising evidence.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Now let’s get practical, what can you do to decrease your family spend at the grocery store?
o Plan meals in advance
§ I have always found that when I plan my meals in advance it is so much easier to have focus when shopping, I know what kinds of foods I am looking for, so when I shop, I know generally where I need to look carefully and what isles I can rush by. Additionally, when you plan meals in advance you can help to minimise food waste. If you know that you have vegetables left unused from last week or a protein that you haven’t used, you can make a meal with those and therefore minimise spending by limiting food wastage.
o Write a shopping list and only buy what is on the list
§ Once you’ve planned your meals you can write up a shopping list, or as my family does use a shopping list app, we like Microsoft to do as we can all add to the list throughout the week when we run out of something. Add foods to your shopping list that you and your family will have for breakfast, lunch and snacks, and really be specific. Instead of writing “apples” write “10 apples” because you know everyone has X amount of apples in a week.
§ When you arrive at the grocery store, STICK TO THE LIST. I can’t stress this point enough, all this effort will go to waste if you don’t stick to it. If you see a product you think you’d love, add It to the list for next week, that way you can still try it, but you don’t over buy.
o Purchase top and bottom shelf items – food at eye level costs more
§ Another interesting fact about grocery stores that most people don’t realise is that typically the higher priced items are at eye level. Look up and look down, there will almost always be a similar product for a better price. Also take into consideration the price per 100g rather then the whole item price.
o Don’t shop when you’re hungry
§ If you shop while youre hungry you will almost always over-buy. You’ll see tasty snacks, sweet treats, and a plethora of instant meals at your finger tips. These will ultimately end up in your trolley and then in your pantry.
o Buy whole ingredients
§ If you really want to minimise spending you will buy whole foods rather then the pre-cut, pre-cooked options. For example, grocery stores now have heaps of pre-cut veg, par-cooked rice and pasta, and ready-made meals, by purchasing a whole pumpkin or even just a pumpkin half or quarter, you’ll make a saving rather than buying the pre-cut ready-to-roast version.
o Buy from the 5 food groups
§ And last but not least! If you keep your grocery shopping to the five food groups you will keep your spending down. Vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, dairy and quality meat/protein are affordable. Don’t be fooled!
Now something for you to keep you thinking:
Should GST be decreased on healthy foods?
Should the Australian government impose a sugar tax?
Share your thoughts with me on my socials!
@simplysamnutrition
Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council. (2015). Australian dietary guidelines. Retrieved from: https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/
Lee, A., Kane, S., Lewis, M. (2019). Healthy diets ASAP (Australian Standardised Affordability and Pricing) methods and results: Are healthy diets really more expensive and how would price ber affected by changes to the GST? Obesity Research and Clinical Practice 13(1) pg38. Doi 10.1016/j.orcp.2016.10.047
Lee, AJ., Kane, S., Ramsey, R., Good, E., Dick. (2016). Testing the price and affordability of healthy and current (unhealthy) diets and the potential impacts of policy change in Australia. BMC Public Health 16(315). Doi 10.1186/s12889-016-2996-y
The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre. (2016). Are healthy diets really more expensive? Retrieved from: https://preventioncentre.org.au/our-work/research-projects/are-healthy-diets-really-more-expensive/
The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre. (2017). Are healthy diets really more expensive? Retrieved from: https://preventioncentre.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1702_FB_LEE_4p_final_lr.pdf
Vanderijvere, S., Young, N., Mackay, S., Swinburn, B., Gahegan, M. (2018). Modelling the cost differential between healthy and current diets: the New Zealand case study. International journal of behavioural nutrition and physical activity 15(16). DOI 10.1186/s12966-018-0648-6
World Health Organisation. (2020). Healthy Diet. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
Middleton, C. (2018). Myth: healthy food is more expensive than unhealthy food. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/myth-healthy-food-is-more-expensive-than-unhealthy-food-101213#:~:text=Simply%20increasing%20the%20volume%20and,longer%2C%20meaning%20less%20food%20waste