Healthy Food is the Cheapest Food Everywhere

After 12+ years travel I cannot help but to notice a pattern that extends over the fertile world: meat, vegetables, fruits, and starches are THE cheapest foods that anybody can buy. It is a good thing that these are the foods that people need to maintain health.

Outside of Mongolia, Iceland, or other countries with infertile soils or extreme climates, meat can be had for a dollar or two a pound, five dollars can get you a week’s supply of vegetables, local fruits are almost too cheap to mention the price of, and starches — rice, pasta, couscous — sells for no more than $1 a pound anywhere in the world.

Healthy food is cheap food.

Even in the United States of America or Europe, if you have the means to cook for yourself, a solid meal can be had for a just a couple dollars per person. Basic foods  — meat, local fruits and vegetables, and starches — are cheap everywhere.

Ounce per ounce, healthy food is cheaper than even the lowest quality, cheap-o  junk food. Given this, it really blows my mind when I hear people defend poor eating habits and obesity by saying they don’t have enough money to eat healthy.

“A Big Mac is cheaper than vegetables,” is often touted in the United States. I find this to be in gross noncompliance with facts. This simply is not true — anywhere in the world. A Big Mac goes for around $3, I believe in the USA. This is just a portion of one meal for one person. $3 of fresh carrots, broccoli, tomatoes or other local vegetable can take care of this health requirement for a single person for multiple days. If I remember correctly, a pound of carrots sell for around $1.50 in the USA, and the same goes for many other vegetables. — and this price is even less if you buy from the reduced produce table.

Healthy food is cheap everywhere

If you don’t believe me, march to the grocery store with $40. With twenty of those dollars buy a family pack of chicken thighs, some beef, a few pounds of vegetables, a bag of fruit, and a couple pounds of rice or noodles. With the other $20 buy processed food or fast food. Compare the quantity of each. I guarantee you that the first pile will have more food in it, and this fresh food is far healthier.

Financial restrictions are no reason to not eat healthy.

There is no cheaper foods ANYWHERE in the world than meat, vegetables, fruit, and starch.

It is cheap to eat healthy.