Paying More For Fresh Produce Worth It?

I am constantly saying that I would love to eat healthier, but I can't afford it. Why would I pick up organic for 5 dollars when the regular item is 99 cents. I think that is part of the problem with purchasing healthy foods. Those of us that are living paycheck to paycheck, just can't afford it.

 

Fresh is best and does cost more. If you are going to eat it or cook it within 24 hours then it's worth it, but not if you leave it in the fruit bowl or fridge for a few days. It does come down to budget too because some people can't afford it. It's not always fair, but mass produced food has allowed a larger population to fend off starvation.

I would buy fresh, but as I only buy for myself it would only be a small amount unless I was cooking for others. For a family of four it could be costly if it was all the time, maybe sticking to fresh fruit would be a good idea and vegetables can be mixed with frozen and fresh.

 

Absolutely. Even restocking day isn't fresh. And produce is cheaper than meat, so I'm not sure how people can afford to eat meat, but not produce. Plant based is the cheapest way I've ever eaten. If everyone spent less on all the highly processed garbage and the meat and dairy etc, they'd have better health and more money in their pocket.
I can't wait for the farmers markets again.. the food is always fresh, HUGE and delicious.

 

It's a nice idea in theory but in reality, we have no idea how long that fruit and veg has been siting in the warehouse waiting to go out onto the shelves. So whilst it might very well be "fresh" to the sotre, it's highly unlikely that it was harvested yesterday.

Maybe I'd be willing to pay more if the produce did indeed come from yesterday's harvest but in reality, it's usually at least a week or two old.

 

Yup.. grocery store foods are never fresh. So imagine what everyone's eating when they're taking home from the meat section lol.. ugh! I'll take some wilted, nutrient depleted lettuce over that any day lol.

 

I don't think it is worth it, because these companies are constantly lying to us for the sake of making more money. I have said it before and I will say it again: the best thing that we can all do to cut the money of these lying corporations in half, is start our own farms growing our own stuff. That way we know how fresh it is, and know what has been sprayed onto it. I think the health of people would improve rapidly if everyone did this.

 

Whether the extra cost would be worth it - I think would very much depend on how the fruits or vegetables were going to be eaten and whether or not nutritional value was of importance.

However - looking at it from both a money saving and nutritional point of view and bearing in mind the fact that - the moment a fruit or vegetable is picked it immediately starts to lose valuable nutrients - and therefore - generally speaking fresh produce is only likely to contain valuable nutrients - if grown yourself and picked at its prime or bought fresh from a local producer.

As the majority of produce sold in stores is generally at least a month or more old and therefore totally lacking any form of nutrient by the time it reaches our tables - after having been transported from growers, to warehouses, to stores and then sat around on shelves waiting for the consumer to buy it - plus the fact that it will most likely have been sprayed with chemicals in order to help them grow, to preserve them during transportation and to increase their shelf life.
Unlike frozen fruits and vegetables - which as they are harvested at their prime and frozen immediately - are not only fresher than those bought in the store and therefore more likely to still contain most of their valuable nutrients - as well as way less in terms of chemicals and preservatives.

If I didn't grow all my own produce and was in the position where I was unable to buy all the more expensive fruits and vegetables that I needed from local producers.

I would be much more inclined - rather than buy the so called “ fresh “ produce sold in the stores - to only pay a higher price for the fruits and vegetables that were going to be eaten raw and then buy frozen for all other produce that was going to be cooked - which as the price of frozen produce generally stays fairly stable and is usually considerably less than “ fresh “ - would result in savings all round - as not only would doing that balance out the overall cost and possibly even save money too - but would ensure better value for money as the nutrient content would higher.

 

I would definitely do this. I find I waste a lot of fruit and vegetables and they don't keep that long in my fridge. I have noticed if I buy local fresh produce they can keep longer and eliminate wasting food. The food tastes better and you end up eating it quicker. I find this especially with strawberries grown locally. They are so sweet and fresh, the kids gobble them up. If I buy them from the store they sit in the frdige and in a few days they are moldy and I have to toss them. I don't mind spending the money if the food will keep longer. I think in the end the money spent is better than having to through out food that has spoiled.

 

I primarily purchase produce that is fresh or frozen. I try to stay clear of canned fruits and vegetables, because of the extra processing that may result in loss of nutrients as well as the added preservatives. I have found that most often, buying fresh produce is less expensive than frozen produce, as long as it is in season. Of course, you have to put more work into cutting it up, putting it into portion bags, and potentially freezing it yourself if you choose to stock up on "fresh" produce.

I think that the best way to ensure you are consuming fresh produce and not produce that has been sitting around on a truck or in a warehouse somewhere is to either grow it yourself in a vegetable garden or small collection of fruit trees, or to purchase produce locally from local roadside stands or farmer's markets. Also, this way you will have a better idea of what pesticides and other potential chemicals are used, if any.

 

Here in Hawaii we had a little episode of too much rain that farmers had lost crops and we paid for it. Produce was higher everywhere. We did not have any choice and paid for the higher priced produce if we want fresh. Lots of people love the fresh watercress that grows on island and other fresh produce. I love to eat bitter melon and see none anywhere! Since going through these inconveniences locally I say if there is fresh produce and you can afford it why not?

 

Thanks for sharing this, I had not even considered the idea of any of these items being a year old because it just never seemed likely. I'll make sure to be more observant now. I think overall your best bet is to find a store that you can trust, and maybe some research will help as to finding out a bit of insider or professional opinion on certain stores and their tactics, such as the one you shared, but overall I think it's hard to avoid especially if all we have access to are average groceries since those are the cheapest options and have more presence in more towns when compared to specialty health stores.

 

I believe fresh produce can be worked into a tight grocery budget, but there will be some limitations that you need to stick with in order to keep from spending too much on it.

For one thing, stick with discount grocery stores and/or your small local grocers, and avoid the big chain stores like Whole Foods or Giant Eagle. One of our smaller grocers, for example, always runs a "5 for $9.99" special on fresh vegetables. They have many popular vegetables pre-wrapped in foam trays for you to mix and match. These are things like fresh corn on the cob, fresh green beans, fresh brussell sprouts, etc... They also do a "5 for $19.99" on their fresh meats, so between the two of these offers, it's nice to know for $30, you've got a week or two worth of fresh meats and vegetables, instead of grabbing items individually and not being as conscious to what everything will add up to.

The key thing is these help you avoid more expensive vegetables and cuts of meat, and instead stick with the more economical stuff. So forget the ribeyes and strip steaks, and instead have some pork chops or chicken thighs or sausage. Forget the exotic mushrooms, or expensive hot peppers, and other pricey produce, and go with the cheaper stuff like cabbage, potatoes, corn, etc...

Also, you've got to be careful with lettuces and other greens, since they typically cook down to a small fraction of their size, and aren't particularly filling considering their cost per portion. I almost never buy fresh spinach any more, and instead stick with frozen because of this. And other stuff, such as endive and radicchio which are much more expensive, I simply skip all together. Ditch the fancy micro greens and stick with the more wallet friendly iceberg as well.

 

There are certain recipes that can't do without fresh produce, like a good salad, or a recipe that requires cherry tomatoes. I think fresh produce is definitely worth it. Besides, there are some nutrients that you loose when the produce is not fresh, it is a given fact no matter what they say.

 

There is a supermarket here that has real fresh vegetables and fruits everyday. But you can guess that the price is higher. For seafoods, we go to the Sunday market where the freshness cannot be compromised. Again, the price is much higher compared to the regular market. But we buy there because the freshness is important to us. Quality is our priority no matter how expensive.

 

I don't think that it is right that they are always telling us to be more healthy, yet charging ridiculous prices for good food, and really cheap prices for crappy food. I have recently joined the healthy eating lifestyle, and I don't make much money so i have to be smart with how and what I buy, and how I store it, because fresh produce doesn't last last unless you freeze it.