Posted Nov 19, 2011
Kirsten Spence of Shippensburg tries to prepare healthy meals for her family of four, and she knows that on a budget, this can be a challenge.
“It costs more, but we figure it will pay off in the long run with less side effects and doctor’s visits, and it will bring us out into the positive,” Spence said.
New research backs what many health-conscious shoppers have already discovered — what’s good for your health isn’t always good for your wallet.
The USDA released new dietary guidelines in 2010 that emphasized potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin D, and calcium, and fewer calories from saturated fat and added sugar.
New research found that increasing consumption of potassium — the most expensive of the four recommended nutrients — would add $380 per year to the average consumer’s food costs.
Meanwhile, increasing daily calories from saturated fat and added sugar by only 1 percent significantly reduced food costs.
The study authors said the findings, published earlier this month, suggest that improving diets will require additional guidance for consumers, especially those with little budget flexibility, and new policies to increase the availability and reduce the cost of healthy foods.
In 2007, the same researchers at the University of Washington found that high-energy-density foods — those high in calories and low in nutrients — are not only the least expensive, but also most resistant to inflation.
The healthier low-energy-density foods not only cost more per calorie, but were increasing in price more quickly than their less healthy counterpart.
“I think it is more expensive to eat healthy, especially when you look at what produce is,” said Misty Knight of Shippensburg. “For a couple bucks you can buy a lot of pasta or macaroni, but when you get fresh produce, it’s much more expensive.”
Other studies have linked cost and availability of healthy foods to America’s rising obesity problem. Two thirds of Franklin County residents are overweight or obese, a statistics that mirrors national trends.
Leigh Cordell, a local personal trainer, often hears from clients that healthy food is more expensive, but she gives them the same advice:
“In the long run, it’s not as expensive to eat healthy, because of the health risks and the challenges we face in making unhealthy eating choices,” she said.
Cost and access
Despite some of the research in the area of food costs, local nutrition experts aren’t sold on the idea that nutritious food is more expensive.
“I don’t always buy that it’s expensive to eat healthy. You can still spend quite a bit on junk food and just get empty calories,” said Mary Ann Oyler, an extension educator with the Penn State Cooperative Extension in Franklin County.
Part of the reason why high-calorie snacks are popular is they’re often quick, cheap, taste good and have a longer shelf life than fresh, perishable food.
As incomes dropped and money became tighter during the economic downturn, researchers at the University of Washington said energy-rich starches, sweets and fats, many of them poor in nutrients, offered the cheapest way to fill hungry stomachs.
Oyler said for a family of five, eating healthy can become an issue depending on the income, but for the average consumer, she believes it’s a matter of choice.
In some areas, it’s also a matter of availability. Several studies have found that people who live near supermarkets are more likely to have a healthy body weight and less likely to have a chronic disease.
Karen Johnston, executive director of the Healthy Community Partnerships of Greater Franklin County, said locally, access to healthy foods is not as big a concern as other areas.
“I think we’re replete with so many farms. Farmers markets have made it advantageous for people to have access to healthy foods,” she said. “When you’re talking dollar for dollar, if you get produce from local stands, it’s more reasonable and less expensive. It takes a little more time to can your own peaches or make your own sauces, but I think money-wise, it’s right on par, if not even cheaper.”
Like Oyler and Johnston, Dr. Elizabeth George, a physician and president of the Mercersburg Area Council for Wellness, doesn’t believe that it costs more to eat healthy.
When she talks to patients about losing weight, they bring up the cost of healthy foods, but she hands them a shopping list that shows cheaper alternatives.
“If you’re buying soda, how much is that costing you?” George said. “It’s not like junk food is cheap.”
Healthy on a budget
Local nutrition experts said eating healthy can be just as cost-effective as eating unhealthy food, but it will require additional work.
“You need to invest a little bit of time and energy and go into local farmers markets. With some time and preparation, eating healthy can be just as economical and in the long run, it pays dividends in lower medical bills,” said Elyse Cook of Chambersburg, a registered nurse who is pursuing a doctorate degree in nutrition.
Farmers markets and produce stands often have lower prices for fresh produce.
Cook said when you do go to a farmers market, talk to the farmer and ask about growing methods. Some may be essentially organic but do not have the official organic certification.
Starting a garden is also a cheap alternative.
Stephanie Brandt, a mother and Chambersburg area coupon blogger, has done this with her family.
“It’s a wonderful pastime for the family and it provides fresh food for the family,” she said.
It also pays to buy fresh produce when it’s in season. Brandt recommends freezing or canning fruit and then eating it later in the year when it is out of season locally.
When it comes to snacks, it’s cheaper and healthier to make your own, according to Sylvia Warner, registered dietitian and a nutritionist for Giant Foods.
Homemade popcorn or hand-mixed trail mix is much healthier than microwavable popcorn or store-bought trail mix and a fraction of the cost, she said.
Cooking multiple dinners at once with and freezing the food can also cut down on bills and incorporate more healthy foods.
“The basic message is if you can get control of some of this meal assembly, it automatically rakes in better nutrition,” Warner said.
Marcus Rauhut can be reached at mrauhut@publicopinionnews.com and 262-4752.
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Copyright © 2011, Public Opinion, Chambersburg, Pa.