One of the main complaints I hear from people trying to eat healthy is that it takes too long or is too expensive. In my experience, neither of these things is necessarily true. Honestly, eating healthier has become cheaper & easier for our family!
It can be unaffordable and time-consuming to eat healthy food, but it can be unaffordable and time-consuming to eat junk food too.
And that’s before factoring in the long-term health costs!
Here are the common pitfalls that make eating healthy more expensive and tedious than it needs to be (and how our family has avoided them)!
Myth: Eating healthy food is expensive
Reality: Buying pre-made healthy food is expensive. Cooking healthy food is cheaper.
In truth, any pre-made food is going to be more expensive than food made from scratch, especially when you consider the quality of the ingredients. Think about the cost of meal at a restaurant compared to the cost of a meal kit subscription compared to food made at home.
And if you’re buying pre-made food with premium ingredients or extra health claims, it’s going to cost significantly more than buying the healthy ingredients themselves.
Why is pre-made food more expensive? Because you’re paying for the labor and equipment required to make the food, in addition to the packaging of the food. You’re also paying for the fact that it’s convenient – a service that most people are willing to pay a premium for!
And don’t even get me started on the additional health costs of diet-related chronic health conditions. Eating healthier food is the far better deal for your wallet and quality of life when you factor that into the equation.
Solution: Instead of buying pre-made food, buy the ingredients!
Fruits, vegetables, raw meat, whole grains (like brown rice and oats), and legumes are all fairly inexpensive, especially if you buy what is on sale or just generally less expensive.
Of course, there are more expensive options, especially when it comes to meat. A ribeye will always cost more than ground beef. Chicken tenderloins are pricier than chicken breast, which is still more expensive than chicken drums or thighs, or even whole chickens. Pork chops cost more than pork loin (even though you can cut a pork loin into pork chops) or pork shoulder. Figure out how to prepare the cheaper cuts and you’ll save a lot of money.
It’s similar with fruits and vegetables. Uncut, fresh produce will be cheaper than pre-washed and cut options. Frozen fruit and vegetables can be a cheaper and more convenient option. Plus they’re often even more nutritious because they’re frozen soon after they’re picked and lose fewer nutrients in transit! There are also some fruits and vegetables that are simply cheaper than others (i.e. apples instead of mangoes, spinach instead of Swiss chard).
When it comes to whole grains and legumes, the same rule applies. The less processed, the cheaper it will be. Dried beans are cheaper than canned beans, and regular rice costs less than instant rice. It will also be more healthy! However, the health difference is minimal if you know you’ll actually eat the canned beans, but not have the time to prepare the dried ones. Be reasonable and honest with yourself.
But buying ingredients and cooking from scratch means that it will be more time consuming, right? Not necessarily. That brings me to the second myth.
Myth #2: Eating healthy is time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Reality: Eating healthy can be quick and simple.
Of course, it can also be time-consuming and labor-intensive. Because I love spending time in the kitchen, I don’t mind expending more time and energy making meals. However, that wasn’t always the case for me.
If you’re in a busy season or have different priorities, you may not have extra time and energy to spend in the kitchen. That’s okay! You can still eat healthy, good food!
Before I get into how to make eating healthy quick and simple, I just want to remind you that eating unhealthy food isn’t the convenient short-cut we’ve been led to believe it is.
It takes a good bit of time to eat restaurant-prepared food, whether you’re swinging through a drive-thru, picking up an order, or eating in a restaurant. It also can take a long time for delivery orders to arrive! If you’re hungry right now, a quick, healthy option in your kitchen is often just as fast or faster than fast food.
And pre-made convenience foods often still take time to prepare. A frozen pizza or box of mac and cheese is easy, but still can take a bit of time to cook. And a frozen dinner takes just as long to heat up as a homemade freezer meal or leftovers!
Solution: Meal planning and meal prepping makes eating healthy easier.
Knowing what you’re going to eat (and when) is half the battle. Having it partially or even fully prepped? That gets you the rest of the way.
Plan to make simple meals to start. If you have a protein, a vegetable, and perhaps a whole-food carbohydrate, you have the makings for a well-balanced meal. It doesn’t have to be fancy at all!
Prep a pork shoulder or some shredded chicken in bulk so that you have ready-to-go protein in your fridge for the week (or in your freezer for anytime you need it). If you don’t season it ahead of time, you can make it fit any flavor profile when you reheat it.
Frozen vegetables make the perfect side dish. They require basically no prep time and heat up quick. They’re also nutritious and affordable! If you have a bit more time, you can chop up some fresh vegetables and roast them all on a sheet pan for the week. Or just have them washed, chopped, and ready to cook.
For an easy & healthy carbohydrate, make beans, lentils, or brown rice in large enough quantities to last the whole week. A loaf (or two, depending on the size of your family) of homemade fresh-milled sourdough bread is also a great option.
Another solution is to batch cook in bulk. If you make a recipe than can be easily scaled up, make enough for that meal, for leftovers to stick in the fridge, and for a future freezer meal. This strategy gives you three (or more!) meals for every one you cook. It takes a bit more time, but can really reduce stress if some nights are busier than others!
What myths about eating healthy do you want to bust? Share in the comments below!
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