This is from a U.S.-centric viewpoint, though insights from other countries are appreciated.
Nearly every article on the topic says healthy food is 1.5-2x+ the cost of UPFs and other foods generally viewed as unhealthy. That hasn’t been my personal experience at all, bit clearly there is more to the story – because every source on the internet contradicts my opinion.
Groceries are pricey and it’s hard to budget as a single person because of portion sizes. Even so, foods like poultry and vegetables are far cheaper to cook at home than to buy at a restaurant or (from a nutritional perspective) the frozen foods section at Kroger.
Some foods – like certain kinds of beef or fish – are either similar to or slightly cheaper to get a restaurant or frozen food item as opposed to making healthier types at home.
I guess some fruits are kinda pricey and eating healthy is a challenge in a food desert, but otherwise I’d spend so much more on UPFs as opposed to buying whole foods.
What part of the story am I missing?
In: Economics
it depends on details. it is possible to take cheaper ingredients and process them a lot to make a cheaper but less healthy version of healthier ingredients. eg a chunk of lean meat can cost more than ultra processed meat byproducts and other stuff in spam, sausage, etc.
fat, flour, sugar can be cheaper than blueberries, spinach and beets
fruit punch (more sugar water and added flavors) is cheaper than pure juice.
preservatives like nitrates make food last longer so slower Shipping is ok and less spoiled but harm your good bacteria in digestive system resulting in more junk slipping into your blood and causing health problems like autoimmune diseases
on other side, if you have the time and can put up with taste, you can eat healthy dandelion veggies for nearly nothing and drink water for less money than more unhealthy soft drinks
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