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Now, I don't know anyone who can eat just one doughnut..when I was eating them, I needed at least 2...
umm....this says more about the people you know than about donuts. When I go to the donut store I see most people ordering a coffee and a single donut...not 2, not 3, just one donut. Its about portion control, you seem to be trying to side-step this by eating foods that aren't that good, that is, foods you wouldn't want to eat "seconds" of in the first place. I would suspect that, long-term, that strategy would backfire.
umm....this says more about the people you know than about donuts. When I go to the donut store I see most people ordering a coffee and a single donut...not 2, not 3, just one donut. Its about portion control, you seem to be trying to side-step this by eating foods that aren't that good, that is, foods you wouldn't want to eat "seconds" of in the first place. I would suspect that, long-term, that strategy would backfire.
LOL, fortunately I do not eat donuts anymore. My strategy has not backfired for me...it's a way of life for me now. My vegan bran muffins are delicious to me...they are moist and flavorful. There is no side stepping...lol..I just prefer to eat foods that are actually healthier for me.
My strategy has not backfired for me...it's a way of life for me now. My vegan bran muffins are delicious to me...they are moist and flavorful. There is no side stepping...lol..I just prefer to eat foods that are actually healthier for me.
You can talk about the success of your strategy years from now, the success or failure of dietary changes can't be judged short-term.
Yes....I'm sure those bran muffins are so delicious to you. Regardless, this is my point though, the common notion of healthy eating can be pretty expensive (you know, eating bran muffins, etc)...and this notion is created by the marketing efforts of large food business. But healthy eating doesn't have to be expensive, in fact it can be cheaper. Not because you're cooking at home instead of eating Mcdonalds either....but because you're eating less and using lower cost whole (i.e., minimally processed) ingredients. If you eliminate meat, or at least greatly reduce your consumption of it, you will save even more money.
You can talk about the success of your strategy years from now, the success or failure of dietary changes can't be judged short-term.
Yes....I'm sure those bran muffins are so delicious to you. Regardless, this is my point though, the common notion of healthy eating can be pretty expensive (you know, eating bran muffins, etc)...and this notion is created by the marketing efforts of large food business. But healthy eating doesn't have to be expensive, in fact it can be cheaper. Not because you're cooking at home instead of eating Mcdonalds either....but because you're eating less and using lower cost whole (i.e., minimally processed) ingredients. If you eliminate meat, or at least greatly reduce your consumption of it, you will save even more money.
We will never 100% agree...I actually eat MORE now....because I am eating more frequently..I did not give up meat!
LOL on success and failure....call me in 5 years and see where I am. I look forward to your call...
Great points everyone...being that I am an advocate for health these days, people really do not believe that eating healthier is cheaper. I look at it like this..look how many fields of fresh produce we have in this county...if you just go to a farmer's market, side of the road stand, discount supermarket or whatever, you can get some really great deals.
Look at eating out at McDonald's...a family of 4 could spend $25 and up on 4 Value Meals. That same $25 could be used to purchase some lettuce for a salad and some turkey and beans for LadyKLO's killer turkey chili..it's not hard but people claim they don't want to cook!
Time is also a precious commodity. If you work 2 jobs, between looking good and commutes, you really don't have much time. Or working plus going to school. Add taking care of kids, family, or elderly, that's all gone.
One post mentioned a homeless person. If he's got no kitchen to cook his own meals, then my guess is hrs panhandling money for FF.
I can sympathize more with the former, and especially the latter. However, cooking your own food really is a good first step towards improving your own diet and health. Start of slow... cook once a week, doing more simple dishes. Then work your way up. Not unlike ant other activity like exercising or learning a new skill. You'll get more experience and improve over time.
Unfortunately the article focuses on the "its more expensive to eat healthy" gibberish....
Quote:
Originally Posted by LadyKLO
. Also, I don't buy into the cheaper to eat junk food stigma...it sure is "cheaper" when you find yourself in the hospital with diabetes and other crap like that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by user_id
I've heard it claimed that its expensive to eat healthy numerous times, in documentaries, etc but when I do the math I just don't see it.
Quote:
You should see what I can do with a 10qt pot, tap water, a turkey carcass (or some chicken carcasses), some fresh veg, herbs and spices, and some rice or barley.
Honestly, I don't get why people can't wrap their hands around this.
You work 9-5 for minimum wage. You are exhausted. You have never learned how to cook, and would have a hard time working up the energy to cook if you knew how to.
You have two dollars in your wallet and about nine bucks in the bank. You are gonna need to get enough gas to make it to work tomorrow, $3 should do it. That leaves $6, plus two in your pocket.
The best deal you can get for $6, in terms of filling you up so that you feel sated and not hungry two hours later, might be something like a Little Caesar's pizza. It is hot, and will fill your belly. It has one of the highest calories-to-price ratios of anything you can buy. That will get you through till tomorrow, when you have $2 left. You can't buy lunch with that, but it will cover a bag of chips. That will keep you full enough to make it to the end of the day when they hand you your paycheck, which will give you another $8 or $9 a day to live on after all the bills are paid.
If you don't know how to cook and have no energy to cook, what are you gonna do if you want to cook something? Throw it in a frying pan with oil and fry it. It's either that or boil it in a pot of water. Most poor people don't have fancy kitchen gadgets; everything must be done by hand. It becomes easier, tastier and more filling to buy a bunch of frozen foods and microwave them for dinner.
This is how poor people get fat.
Some people might say "only a moron would not learn to cook under such circumstances", but that is not true. A lot of geniuses can't cook either. However, they marry someone who can, or they pay someone to do it for them, or they go to nice restaurants where high prices for small portions are the norm.
I consider myself a reasonably bright person, but I wouldn't know wtf to do with a turkey carcass. I do know how not to feel starved with only five bucks; you can fill yourself up with fatty food. I used to have a list of my head of how to fill my belly for under five bucks: Caesar's pizza, fast food value menus, 7-11 burritos, Hot Pockets, etc. I didn't think to myself "how am I going to make dinner from a turkey carcass?" and wouldn't have tried if I knew how to.
My way out of the trap was just to earn more money; I still can't cook, but at least I can buy healthier prepared food now. I was lucky; earning more money is not an option most people can take easily.
Someone needs to write a book called "101 Things You Need To Know About Poor People". It would clear up all the mysteries people post about on this forum. It would explain why poor people resort to the junkiest food. It would explain why they fight for rent control. It would explain why they fear gentrification. It would explain why they have so many outstanding warrants. It would explain why they grow increasingly disenfranchised from the rest of society. It would explain all the stuff that nobody seems to understand, so that all the tsk-tsking will stop. But nobody would care enough to read it, and they'll just continue to be surprised when things happen...
There's nothing illogical about maximizing calories for the smallest expenditure; isn't that what survival instinct is all about? Unfortunately, that also means accepting the least healthy, least nutritious choices.
Honestly, I don't get why people can't wrap their hands around this.
You work 9-5 for minimum wage. You are exhausted. You have never learned how to cook, and would have a hard time working up the energy to cook if you knew how to.
You have two dollars in your wallet and about nine bucks in the bank. You are gonna need to get enough gas to make it to work tomorrow, $3 should do it. That leaves $6, plus two in your pocket.
The best deal you can get for $6, in terms of filling you up so that you feel sated and not hungry two hours later, might be something like a Little Caesar's pizza. It is hot, and will fill your belly. It has one of the highest calories-to-price ratios of anything you can buy. That will get you through till tomorrow, when you have $2 left. You can't buy lunch with that, but it will cover a bag of chips. That will keep you full enough to make it to the end of the day when they hand you your paycheck, which will give you another $8 or $9 a day to live on after all the bills are paid.
If you don't know how to cook and have no energy to cook, what are you gonna do if you want to cook something? Throw it in a frying pan with oil and fry it. It's either that or boil it in a pot of water. Most poor people don't have fancy kitchen gadgets; everything must be done by hand. It becomes easier, tastier and more filling to buy a bunch of frozen foods and microwave them for dinner.
This is how poor people get fat.
Some people might say "only a moron would not learn to cook under such circumstances", but that is not true. A lot of geniuses can't cook either. However, they marry someone who can, or they pay someone to do it for them, or they go to nice restaurants where high prices for small portions are the norm.
I consider myself a reasonably bright person, but I wouldn't know wtf to do with a turkey carcass. I do know how not to feel starved with only five bucks; you can fill yourself up with fatty food. I used to have a list of my head of how to fill my belly for under five bucks: Caesar's pizza, fast food value menus, 7-11 burritos, Hot Pockets, etc. I didn't think to myself "how am I going to make dinner from a turkey carcass?" and wouldn't have tried if I knew how to.
My way out of the trap was just to earn more money; I still can't cook, but at least I can buy healthier prepared food now. I was lucky; earning more money is not an option most people can take easily.
Someone needs to write a book called "101 Things You Need To Know About Poor People". It would clear up all the mysteries people post about on this forum. It would explain why poor people resort to the junkiest food. It would explain why they fight for rent control. It would explain why they fear gentrification. It would explain why they have so many outstanding warrants. It would explain why they grow increasingly disenfranchised from the rest of society. It would explain all the stuff that nobody seems to understand, so that all the tsk-tsking will stop. But nobody would care enough to read it, and they'll just continue to be surprised when things happen...
There's nothing illogical about maximizing calories for the smallest expenditure; isn't that what survival instinct is all about? Unfortunately, that also means accepting the least healthy, least nutritious choices.
True, except there are a lot of well off people who are wayyyy overweight too. It is a case of not caring until ....... they start to pay the real price for the junk they ate because it tasted so good (Read loaded with fat, sugar and salt).
44 ounce soda at circle K cost $0.89 I think, last time I checked. A water bottle at the same store cost over a $1.
McDonalds you can get any size fountain drink for a $1.00 but it cost more for a bottled water.
I am thinking for the poor it does cost less to eat poorly. You ever seen a poor person at Whole Foods?
Not that the poor can't have better food choices. It would be cheaper to buy a 5lb bad of potatoes then a family size bag of potato chips. You can make a bake potato in a microwave and survive. My wife and I have lived on beans and rice at times. We still eat a lot of beans and rice and they are cheaper then a lot of other foods.
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