Why Is Healthy Food Considered More Expensive Than UPFs?

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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

15 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Because refined carbs are cheap AF to create. The masses love them. It is simple economics.

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