Is it more expensive to eat healthy?

I think that's a question some people may ask.  I ask it myself.  In the movie Food Inc., the Mexican family said they couldn't afford to buy fresh vegetables and make meals because it costs more than the dollar burgers they feed their kids.  In Canada, the burgers at the fast food joints aren't as cheap as in the States, so I think cooking your own healthy meal may end up being cheaper.  Another point, I like to make is that, if people make their meals based on what vegetables, groceries are on sale that week, it is definitely more economical.  My best argument would be the show "Extreme Couponing" on TLC.  It is impossible to have groceries for free in Canada like those extreme couponers do, but we still have specials of the week at all of the grocery stores.

To prove my point, (let's not compare to the dollar burgers, as I believe burgers are around 3 or 4 dollars at most of the fast food place and just a single burger is probably not going to fill most people up), I know you can get 5$ foot long subway sandwiches here (not sure if the promo is still on).  But let's take that as the base price, 5$ * 15% tax = 5.75$  A foot long should be plenty of food for an average adult.  Tonight I made the stuffed peppers that I have posted back in January.  I also made a side dish of sweet potatoes fries. Here's the cost of the ingredients, with some being estimates:

1/3 jar of salsa at 2$/jar= 0.67$
1/2 lime at 6 for 1$= 0.08$
2 peppers at 1$/lb= 1.30$
1/2 tofu at 1 for 0.93$ = 0.47$
1/3 block of cheese at 4.99$/500g = 1.67$
3 green onions at 6 for 0.97$ = 0.49$

1 sweet potatoes at 0.99$/lb = 1.25$
1 tablespoon of olive oil at 5.99$/L= 0.09$
1/2 lime at 6 for 1$ = 0.08$

Total = 6.10$

I usually cook for 2 people and that was definitely enough for 2.  Therefore, one meal is about 3.05$.  Of course, I did not factor in the cost of electricity, water and dish soap for cleaning, etc.  I am not sure what that cost would be to be honest.  But I am confident that the stuffed peppers is healthier than the subway sandwich.

Maybe that's what I would do, next time I post a recipe, I would put the cost of me making that meal.  Granted, the peppers, lime, cheese, salsa where on sale when I bought it.  But that's the trick of making a low cost healthy meal, buy the groceries when they go on sale so you don't have to buy them at regular price when you need them.  The only ones you cannot really stock up are the produce, otherwise the salsa jar keeps for a long time, same as the cheese.  And then plan your meals based on the produce when they go on sale.  One site that I LOVE LOVE LOVE is allrecipes.com, you can find recipes based on what you have on hand when you go to their ingredients search to find recipes.  It always gives me ideas of what I can make based on what produce/groceries are on sale for the week.

Side note: I get my tofu at Costco, 2.97$ for 3 blocks and it is the cheapest I have found.


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