Why does eating healthy have to be expensive?

Eating healthy is a great decision for anyone and oftentimes a difficult one, as it requires commitment and potentially a drastic change in lifestyle. This will vary for everyone, but it can be anything from not eating out everyday for lunch, to skipping dessert, or not having seconds at the dinner table. It is a personal choice and something each individual needs to make. My question is; why does it have to be so expensive to eat healthy?

I knew starting my new eating plan would make my usual trips to the grocery store more expensive, but it has been shocking how much more ‘healthy’ options cost. It can be seen in something as simple as buying a loaf of bread; 100% Whole Wheat is about $2 (or more depending on brand) and regular white bread is 0.99 cents. This type of comparison can be seen throughout a grocery store with even more of a cost difference between ‘organic’ options and regular. I have not yet bought into the ‘organic’ benefits of various foods outweighing the cost difference, but after reading article after article about the multiple pesticides and hormones used it’s making me think.

I feel like I’m doing a good job of keeping my food bills to a minimum as much as possible, but there are just certain foods you can not cut without hurting your nutritional intake. I shop at your usual grocery stores, but walk into a Whole Foods and you’ll see an even bigger change in your costs. Whole Foods prides themselves on buying quality products and therefore costs to them are higher which in turn go on to the consumer.

It is no wonder America has the terrible obesity epidemic it does right now when you see so many chips, treats, soda and other sugary and fatty loaded food items cost so much LESS than healthy foods…and that is just grocery stores! Look at your nearest fast-food joint and you’ll see a ‘dollar menu’ or something similar that is quick, convenient and cheap. These usually consist of fried foods, grease filled burgers/sandwiches and other unhealthy food selections.

Eating healthy in my opinion should not be a burden of cost, since people are trying to better themselves from a health standpoint. I understand that there are increased costs associated with organic production, but I hope we (government) can figure out a program or way to help the consumer find a way to eat healthy and still keep some coin in their pocket.