3 ms·

Quality food is more expensive than junk food, but it's still not very expensive. People just don't eat strategically. A gallon of whole milk is 2400 calories w

Quality food is more expensive than junk food, but it's still not very expensive. People just don't eat strategically. A gallon of whole milk is 2400 calories well balanced between carbs, fats, and proteins. It costs < $3 and can be purchased at any convenience store, gas station, or grocery store. If you're lactose intolerant, you can achieve the same number of well balanced calories with cheese, nuts and yogurt for only an additional $1 or so.

buzzybee 10y ago
Sorry, but casein (milk protein) gives me arthritic inflammation. It's already overused throughout processed foods in the form of milk powder or concentrate to add some mouth feel and addictiveness. I can put up with a little bit, but not as a staple. Instead I tend to do best with oats as a base(oatmeal, granola), fruit, some high-protein vegetables(peas are great), occasional meats. I do fortunately have my niche, but quality food really means a diverse set of options. There isn't a one-size-fits-all method.
- toasterlovin 10y ago
  Yeah, I know some people can't deal with milk, which is why I pointed out some alternatives. What I'm trying to say is that you can have a pretty well rounded, convenient to find/prepare diet for less money per day than a single fast food meal. I think the real problem with the American diet is not cost, it is that our culture surrounding food is driven by the companies who sell food, rather than a collective desire to establish a healthy, inexpensive, and convenient diet.
tbihl 10y ago
To say nothing of beans, which are incredibly healthy and absurdly cheap.
- toasterlovin 10y ago
  If you have time to prepare food, then eating well for very little money is easy. It's harder to find foods which are healthy, cheap, and as easy to prepare as fast food or junk food. That's why I like milk so much and wish more people consumed it as a staple in their diet: it's cheap and available everywhere. And, if you buy a half gallon (or however much you drink in a day), you don't even need to refrigerate it. Just lug it along with you throughout the day and it'll get better tasting as it gets warmer (room temperature milk is the best, IMO). It's also why I like cheese, yogurt, and nuts. None of them require any preparation whatsoever.
  - collyw 10y ago
    "It's also why I like cheese, yogurt, and nuts. None of them require any preparation whatsoever." Don't tell Solyent. That's their marketing plan beaten and it probably tastes better.
Merad 10y ago
Cheap quality food (quality food in general, for that matter) requires preparation, and food prep requires time and energy, and to a lesser extent cooking utensils, spices, etc. that people who don't already cook probably don't have on hand. I often struggle to make myself cook a healthy meal after coming home from a laid back developer job. I can't imagine what it's like after a day at a mind numbing minimum wage job (or multiple such jobs)...
- gajjanag 10y ago
  FWIW, some ideas on how to reduce time spent on cooking: 1. Pressure cooking - saves not just time, but also energy. 2. Cooking in bulk, e.g. over the weekend, freeze or refrigerate the contents, and heating in a microwave over the weekdays. Personally, I think the biggest tragedy for low income people is that many small food stores that accept food stamps do not stock healthy foods well, instead favoring higher margin junk, processed food: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/21/opinion/see-no-junk-buy-no-junk.html?_r=1 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/21/opinion/see-no-junk-buy-no.... There is also the problem that a lot of healthy food is ridiculously overpriced, catering to the upper middle class population who wants to "eat healthy" and believes some nice "feel good" marketing material instead of careful thought. There still exists very good food that is very cheap, such as the beans mentioned in this discussion. Lentils operate in a similar fashion. It takes effort to identify such things though.
  - Merad 10y ago
    > There is also the problem that a lot of healthy food is ridiculously overpriced, catering to the upper middle class population who wants to "eat healthy" and believes some nice "feel good" marketing material instead of careful thought. This has more to do with wealthier individuals who live in a bubble where they've convinced themselves that that "healthy" requires buzzwords like organic, non-GMO, free range, etc. If your normal diet consists of frozen chicken tenders and french fries, then switching to cooking your own lean chicken breast and fresh potatoes is a healthy upgrade to your diet, regardless of what buzzwords may or may not be on the packaging.
- toasterlovin 10y ago

buzzybee 10y ago

Sorry, but casein (milk protein) gives me arthritic inflammation. It's already overused throughout processed foods in the form of milk powder or concentrate to add some mouth feel and addictiveness. I can put up with a little bit, but not as a staple. Instead I tend to do best with oats as a base(oatmeal, granola), fruit, some high-protein vegetables(peas are great), occasional meats. I do fortunately have my niche, but quality food really means a diverse set of options. There isn't a one-size-fits-all method.

toasterlovin 10y ago
Yeah, I know some people can't deal with milk, which is why I pointed out some alternatives. What I'm trying to say is that you can have a pretty well rounded, convenient to find/prepare diet for less money per day than a single fast food meal. I think the real problem with the American diet is not cost, it is that our culture surrounding food is driven by the companies who sell food, rather than a collective desire to establish a healthy, inexpensive, and convenient diet.

tbihl 10y ago

To say nothing of beans, which are incredibly healthy and absurdly cheap.

toasterlovin 10y ago
If you have time to prepare food, then eating well for very little money is easy. It's harder to find foods which are healthy, cheap, and as easy to prepare as fast food or junk food. That's why I like milk so much and wish more people consumed it as a staple in their diet: it's cheap and available everywhere. And, if you buy a half gallon (or however much you drink in a day), you don't even need to refrigerate it. Just lug it along with you throughout the day and it'll get better tasting as it gets warmer (room temperature milk is the best, IMO). It's also why I like cheese, yogurt, and nuts. None of them require any preparation whatsoever.
- collyw 10y ago
  "It's also why I like cheese, yogurt, and nuts. None of them require any preparation whatsoever." Don't tell Solyent. That's their marketing plan beaten and it probably tastes better.

Merad 10y ago

Cheap quality food (quality food in general, for that matter) requires preparation, and food prep requires time and energy, and to a lesser extent cooking utensils, spices, etc. that people who don't already cook probably don't have on hand. I often struggle to make myself cook a healthy meal after coming home from a laid back developer job. I can't imagine what it's like after a day at a mind numbing minimum wage job (or multiple such jobs)...

gajjanag 10y ago
FWIW, some ideas on how to reduce time spent on cooking: 1. Pressure cooking - saves not just time, but also energy. 2. Cooking in bulk, e.g. over the weekend, freeze or refrigerate the contents, and heating in a microwave over the weekdays. Personally, I think the biggest tragedy for low income people is that many small food stores that accept food stamps do not stock healthy foods well, instead favoring higher margin junk, processed food: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/21/opinion/see-no-junk-buy-no-junk.html?_r=1 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/21/opinion/see-no-junk-buy-no.... There is also the problem that a lot of healthy food is ridiculously overpriced, catering to the upper middle class population who wants to "eat healthy" and believes some nice "feel good" marketing material instead of careful thought. There still exists very good food that is very cheap, such as the beans mentioned in this discussion. Lentils operate in a similar fashion. It takes effort to identify such things though.
- Merad 10y ago
  > There is also the problem that a lot of healthy food is ridiculously overpriced, catering to the upper middle class population who wants to "eat healthy" and believes some nice "feel good" marketing material instead of careful thought. This has more to do with wealthier individuals who live in a bubble where they've convinced themselves that that "healthy" requires buzzwords like organic, non-GMO, free range, etc. If your normal diet consists of frozen chicken tenders and french fries, then switching to cooking your own lean chicken breast and fresh potatoes is a healthy upgrade to your diet, regardless of what buzzwords may or may not be on the packaging.
toasterlovin 10y ago