What are "we" doing to our children in America?

[noodleknitter]

When we did the switch over to healthy alternatives, we did it bit by bit. Adding 1/2 brown rice to a casserole, or what pasta mixed with white. My children soon gained an appreciation for the tastes, and for the fact that they stay filled up. Groceries decreased because of the increased fiber and nutrient content. We stopped buying junk food except for special occasions. Now, "treats" really are. Snacking is a thing of the past, unless it is an apple on the way out the door.

While I love visiting the trendy Whole Foods, or Trader Joe's, they are reallly supermarkets for helathy processed foods. (ANd it would be a 2 1/'2 hour drive) So we pick up some treats when we have that option, and enjoy them. Now, our local Walmart sells WW Pasta for just a few cents more than the white. The suburban trend is what will bring organics and whole grains to the masses rather than the HF freaks.

Buying in bulk also helps. I have an order coming today that includes 10#s of WW macaroni. It was $.77 a pound. At our Farmers market I buy free-range eggs for $2 a dozen, and can buy other produce at a reasonable cost which, pleasantly enough, goes to the people who actually deserve the profit.

 

[Fitswimmer]

Aidensmom and Mushy have given some excellent examples. I was just at the store and I can tell you skim milk is more expensive than fat included milk. Soy milk is even more expensive. chicken and pork and turkey are a lot more expensive than fatty cuts of red meat. fresh Produce was a lot more money than frozen. whole wheat pasta was about 5x's the price of regular pasta. Wheat bread almost triple the cost of white. And so on and so forth. I'm not even going to go into the cost of fish because I'll just get aggravated with how much I spent again

I found this out when I went on WW. My grocery bill went WAY up even as my weight went down.
The only place I saved money was in the cereal aisle. Old Fashioned Oats are MUCH cheaper than boxed cereal with sugar.

I think if the government really wants to get involved in people eating better, they should figure out a way to reduce prices on healthier choices. However, I'm a realist, so I know that they would much rather slap a tax on the unhealthy foods.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

I read variations of this viewpoint (i.e., healthy food = expensive) frequently in threads on this board and wonder what data folks (not specifically the poster being quoted) are seeing to reach this conclusion. In the medical and public health literature, there are limited data because there has been limited research on obesity/overweight and the economics of food choice. In my area (metro DC), a 20 ounce bag of chips can be purchased for 99 cents. One could buy an apple (or two), 3 tangerines or some other tasty but nutritious product for the same price. I don't think cost is the main driver when it comes to choice and food consumption, although it is a consideration.

As much as I was going to stay the heck out of this, I wanted to at least comment on this.

My DH has some medical issues that required him to be on prednisone for a great deal longer than any human should be. He developed borderline diabetes and high cholesterol and began putting on weight from the steroids. So, he completely revamped his diet, high-fiber, low cholesterol, low fat, etc. Our family already had somewhat decent nutritional habits, few real garbagy snacks and things, but more processed foods than we probably should have been eating. Well, our grocery bill doubled. Our largest monthly expense is groceries (rent is inexpensive in my area and we paid our truck off).

After this change, we wholeheartedly agree that the expense and inconvenience of better nutritional foods is contributing to the obesity problem in the US. Why spend more on a meal that takes plenty of time to prepare, when you can get something quick and processed cheaper? If you have kids, a full time job, a house to take care of, and not a whole lot of time between work and bedtime, I know which one I would pick! I would rather relax with my family than be in the kitchen working more.

We are fortunate enough to not only have the $$, but also, the TIME to eat better. I work at home and my older daughter loves to help me cook, so we have more time to plan, prepare, etc meals. I don't think we could do it if I worked outside the home and had no help.

I think the expense is definitely a factor, but I also think time is a big player, too.