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’s because people are lazy and use this as an excuse. Healthy food in a regular supermarket won’t cost nearly as much as their unhealthy counterparts. But, unhealthy food often tastes better to most people (salt and sugar are tasty, man), so people use cost as an excuse.
Another one I hear often is that it takes too long to prep healthy food, so they opt for quick, unhealthy options. This is also false. I’ll spend 16 hours cooking a brisket, but that bagged salad will rot because it’s too much effort to open the bag and toss it in a bowl.
Source: I’ve worked for 35 years in the grocery industry.
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