Log In This is an actual USDA study that is confirming that finally. Often times we can see cheap dollar items and prepackaged convenience foods that cost a lot less than making a full meal from scratch unfortunately. With the right choices, though, you -can- cook healthier within a budget.
I've always said that it's cheaper to cook from scratch, using in season produce and serving up regular portion sizes. If the recipe says the meal serves four and there are only two of you, freeze half of it before putting the food on the table, otherwise you'll be tempted to go back for more. That's no good for your waistline or your wallet.
I agree it's definatley easier to cook from scratch. If you don't know how, practice makes perfect. It's actually healthier to cook this way.
Wow, the USDA actually confirms it? Good days. Yes, it is true and we all know that too (well, many of us...some of us?). It is cheaper in many ways...and staying healthy by knowing what goes into your body also prevents later medical bills. Which is a monumental saving. Life rewards the right choices and extra dollars in your pocket is one way along with superior health etc. Nice share. Thank you. Interesting and good to know.
Its true. I am on a major cut back this month, and that required cutting out most fun foods. Like Chips, candy, soda, ice cream etc. It was they only way that I could make my budget work this month. I am noticing that fresh foods really taste better too.
That's a bonus, isn't it? Once you cut down on all the excess sugar that you normally get with junk food, your taste buds are re-invigorated, so to say. Then you begin to relish the real taste of food. Even plain water can taste good.
Cooking from scratch does not always equal healthy. Its still cheaper to buy and prepare garbage than it is to buy healthy produce. You can get an entire lbs of pasta cheaper than you can get a head of lettuce or fresh peppers. I know because I bought the pasta to make a chicken and vegetable stir fry with vegetables and pasta. I use teryaki sauce on it and the kids go crazy over it. But too many times its a struggle to get all the vegies I want because its too expensive.
In harmony with you guys, I think it depends on the location (where you live) that determines how much you’ll pay for fresh produce. In some areas where I live, we have fresh produce outlets that sell the cheapest fruits and vegetables that I have ever seen. There are also produce trucks that travel from location to location selling organic or locally grown produce that’s cheap. Cheap as in $1 for a bag of 12 lemons, $2 watermelons, $1 bag of fruits, including tomatoes, and $3 and bellow on all vegetables. Its real easy to be a vegan where I live, lol…
I realised a long time ago that it was much cheaper to cook from scratch - I rarely give my kids pre-packaged food, unless there has been some hold up during the day that has prevented me from preparing something and then we may have pizza. I bought a crock pot slow cooker and that has made it even easier for me to prepare something homemade. I think people are indoctrinated by television etc into believing that fresh food costs more.
I do think it depends on location. I've noticed that things are always cheaper if I shop in the part of town where rich people live versus where poor people live. I never could figure that out.
I have always cooked from scratch, as my mum did and her mum before her because none of us have ever had any cash! Whilst it does work out cheaper if you compare like for like, I still think fresh fruit and veggies are too expensive for a lot of people. Cheap carbs like pasta, rice and potatoes are filling, and if you buy from supermarkets meat is also very cheap due to industrialized farming, but the fruits and vegetables are relatively expensive when you consider the quantity you need to eat. Just one apple a day for a family of four is over a hundred a month! I grow some of my own and use a veg box scheme to help get the most for my money, but I have stopped eating meat and am largely relying on beans/lentils etc and still find it expensive to manage the quantity of veg I would like.
The problem is the convenience factor. I don't have four hours a day to spend in the kitchen (roughly one hour per meal, per day). I have three kids, and a job that I work from home. Four hours is about all I get to WORK every day, and it's not even consecutive. It's so much easier, unfortunately, to throw my kids some pita bread/hummus, than go in the kitchen and spend 20 minutes making a snack.
I've noticed a lot of grocery stores have lowered their prices on raw foods; especially organic. So yes, I do agree that cooking for scratch is much, much cheaper than cooking something already made. You can decide your own portions and ratio out your money much better than if you buy a bunch of TV Dinners. Cooking from scratch may take a lot of time (and not a lot of people have a lot of time), but it's worth it in the long run. You're eating healthy by knowing your ingredients, and you're showing that you are able to be independent.
I make my own healthy conveince foods and vacume seal and freeze them. Cooking doesn't have to be time consuming. You can take a day and prepare many things in advance and freeze them. Now as far as meatless meals go. Beans have gone up in price. I paid 2 dollars for a 1 lb bag of navy beans the other day. So I pay 87 cents a lb for chicken. So whats up with that? Eating vegan is not cheaper. Many of the dried beans unless you buy in bulk are about the same if not more than meat. So saving money by going meatless is pointless.
Yeah, it is definitely cheaper to eat from scratch. I mean, think about the fact that even at the cheapest, a pound of noodles is about $1.00. If you paid for the supplies to MAKE your own noodles, yes, it will cost about 5-8 times more, but it will make 10-15 x more noodles, so it's very worth it.
Eating healthy is cheaper but more work. I think people who make the claim that it's cheaper to eat unhealthy foods are referring to already prepared foods, and possibly working on the assumption that you don't have the tools necessary to prepare a healthy meal for yourself. A homeless person, for example, would probably find it much cheaper to eat at McDonald's than at Subway.
Also, many poor areas don't even have decent grocery stores. There are many neighborhoods in Los Angeles that don't have grocery stores, but have plenty of higher cost convenience stores and fast food chains.
I always made dinners from scratch because it was cheaper. There were 6 of us so that was a lot of mouths to feed. My husband and my son had huge appetites. I would make dinner every night with the basics. Chicken, Pork, Meat, potatoes, pasta, rice and vegetables. Friday night was always pizza and to go dinners from our local pizzeria. I loved Fridays.
Yes, eating healthy is generally cheaper than any form of junk food but it takes longer to prepare. However, if I need a quick snack, I can just rush to our local grocery store which is about five blocks away and make my own salad for less than $1.
It's a ton cheaper to eat healthy, if you're eating the right foods. You can buy one lasagna, family size, premade, for $10. Or, you can get a bag of apples, six bunches of kale, a package of blueberries, and three cucumbers. It's a WHOLE lot easier to eat healthy than people think.
