RANT: Why is good, healthy food more expensive than "junk food"?

[UNCjigga]

Okay, I know this seems like a stupid question. Junk food is junk--cheap and easy to manufacture, manufactured in bulk, and therefore its cheap. Good food is better quality, which means higher cost, and often these items are marketed as "Premium" anyway to justify higher cost. Still, as a person who is slightly overweight who wants to get back into shape, I am constantly forced to choose between convenience/economy and health.

Why is bottled water more expensive than soda? Don't you think there's more ingredients in a soda (not to mention the cost of carbonation process?)

Why is chicken ALWAYS more expensive than beef in fast food restaurants? Don't you think that chicken (theoretically) should be a cheaper source of meat?? (smaller size, more meat in a coop than u can get from cows of similar volume, they mature faster, lay more eggs than cows birth calfs etc.) Can't a similar argument be made for fish?

Don't get me wrong--I LOVE fast food. I can go to Wendy's and get a "filling" meal for $3! I come out satisfied. Its a quick lunch. I can get back to work and get on with the rest of my day. However, I often notice how even at fast food restaurants, the healthier food is "more expensive" than the average burger. Salads at Wendy's cost $3.99!!!! I can get a jr bacon cheese, nuggets, fries, AND a frosty for the same amount!!! Marketfresh sandwiches at Arby's are even more expensive! And of course, juices and lemonades are more expensive than sodas (since I live in the South I go with sweet tea..mmm...)

A brand-new Quizno's just opened up around the corner--yummy toasted subs, quality ingredients, and PRICEY (over $7 for a combo lunch of small sub, chips, SODA.) I don't care how many Jared commercials I see for Subway, I will NOT eat there (the Subways around Charlotte got a bad rep.) There are hundreds of other specialty sandwich places that will run me up a $10-$15 tab. It's ridiculous! All you're doing is puttin some sliced meat on sliced bread with some lettuce and tomato!!! And its sooo small too! Am I supposed to think "ooh its healthy, its worth spending the extra money"??? Why should we have to pay more to be healthy?? Do you see what I'm getting at here???

Bottom line: I need to get a wifey who can brownbag my lunches...

 

[RossMAN]

Yum I'm craving the Quizno's RossMAN combo meal* right now, I wonder if there's any near my house where I can hobble into.

* includes
Medium Black Angus steak sub (add some horseradish sauce, yummy)
Medium Soft Drink of your choice
Bowl (not cup) of their delicious clam chowdah

Damn Damn Damn

 

[Adul]

bring you own lunch

 

[Pabster]

So true. You will spend more -- sometimes a LOT more -- to eat healthy. Get used to it. The only alternative is to be cheap, eat junk, and get fat. I'll pass.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Because there is people dumb enough to pay for it. Har har.

 

[ragazzo]

bottled water has to be taken from the source...a spring. soda comes from tapped water. heh. you're right though, bottled water shouldn't cost more than soda. should be less.

 

[vi edit]

I look at it like this - a little premium up front for the healthy stuff is much easier to digest than $100,000 in medical bills after I need a quadruple bypass surgery.

 

[CraigRT]

Did somebody say "M" ???

I'm there!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: ragazzo
bottled water has to be taken from the source...a spring. soda comes from tapped water. heh. you're right though, bottled water shouldn't cost more than soda. should be less.

most bottled water isnt even from a spring.

 

[LordJezo]

Originally posted by: ragazzo
bottled water has to be taken from the source...a spring. soda comes from tapped water. heh. you're right though, bottled water shouldn't cost more than soda. should be less.

Or as is the case in NJ, the Metutchen water supply.

Pfft. All it is is tap water run through a Britta filter.

 

[Akaz1976]

I hear ya man! i am more than a little overweight and about couple of months back decided that enuf was enuf. So i been working out and eating better. But finding good healthy food is very hard. Most food courts either have BK etc or really oily chinese/greek etc food. The only stuff i can eat is subway and teriyaki chicken (they cook it in water not oil). Each sets me back about $6-8 (Canadian). And i wont be able to eat even that once i go on my PT recommended low salt diet.

Akaz

 

[vi edit]

Eating out for lunch is almost ALWAYS more expensive than brining your own. You can get low fat microwave dinners for $.99 from your local grocery store. Throw in a handful of baked lays potato chips, and an apple/orange/banana/ect and that's a $1.50 lunch with pretty low calories/fat.

 

[poopaskoopa]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Yum I'm craving the Quizno's RossMAN combo meal* right now, I wonder if there's any near my house where I can hobble into.

* includes
Medium Black Angus steak sub (add some horseradish sauce, yummy)
Medium Soft Drink of your choice
Bowl (not cup) of their delicious clam chowdah

Damn Damn Damn

 

[IGBT]

Market pricing. Supply and demand. But the junk gourmet is more expensive in the long run. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity,chubby cheeks. Take your pick.

 

[mchammer187]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Yum I'm craving the Quizno's RossMAN combo meal* right now, I wonder if there's any near my house where I can hobble into.

* includes
Medium Black Angus steak sub (add some horseradish sauce, yummy)
Medium Soft Drink of your choice
Bowl (not cup) of their delicious clam chowdah

Damn Damn Damn

had a large black angus steak yesterday whats that the thing on it that makes it taste sweet i dont like it

need to figure out what it is because otherwise it was good

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: mchammer187

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Yum I'm craving the Quizno's RossMAN combo meal* right now, I wonder if there's any near my house where I can hobble into.

* includes
Medium Black Angus steak sub (add some horseradish sauce, yummy)
Medium Soft Drink of your choice
Bowl (not cup) of their delicious clam chowdah

Damn Damn Damn

had a large black angus steak yesterday whats that the thing on it that makes it taste sweet i dont like it

need to figure out what it is because otherwise it was good

I think it's a combination of the sauce and the rosemary bread. Maybe next time ask them to use another sauce and regular white or wheat bread.

 

[PsychoAndy]

Originally posted by: uncJIGGA

Why is chicken ALWAYS more expensive than beef in fast food restaurants? Don't you think that chicken (theoretically) should be a cheaper source of meat?? (smaller size, more meat in a coop than u can get from cows of similar volume, they mature faster, lay more eggs than cows birth calfs etc.) Can't a similar argument be made for fish?

Ground up cow carcasses is WAY cheaper than chicken breast. Think about it. A hamburger patty isn't a piece of meat, like a filet mignon or ribeye or chicken breast. It's ground meat. Anything can be ground and turned into meat, carcasses, sawdust, filler, etc, and can be done cheaply, whereas a chicken breast must be kept intact, unless it's formed chicken. For example, Checkers, BK, and McDonalds have chicken sandwiches that are 99 cents. Why? Because it's pressed, formed, chicken, not a real whole chicken breast like you find in the store. That's why it costs more.

 

[Pepsei]

he's right ..... also, killing one chicken yield 2 grilled chicken sandwich... killing one cow get you 1000's of burgers....
that's like comparing apple to oranges.... but still...

 

[UNCjigga]

Just got back from Mickie D's. Got in on the 2 for $2 deal: mcchicken and double cheeseburger, plus fries. Total cost: $3.24. Add a Vanilla coke from the company fridge and I'm set...

 

[UNCjigga]

Originally posted by: Pepsei
he's right ..... also, killing one chicken yield 2 grilled chicken sandwich... killing one cow get you 1000's of burgers....
that's like comparing apple to oranges.... but still...

But what about the cost of the land, hay, oats etc. to feed one cow? Versus hundreds of chickens living in a compact chicken coop?

 

[Jzero]

Stop eating out!
Pack a lunch. Or buy stuff and keep it in the fridge at work.
Me and my bro and one other dude take turns each week. We can get bread, deli meat, cheese and green salad for about $1/day!

 

[Warblade]

Depends on what your definition of "healthy foods" are. Most things at fast food restaurants, may look healthy, but still aren't that great for you. I've saved a lot of money eating healthy recently. I make my own lunches and they're much better for you than anything you can get at McDonalds. I can get 4 chicken breasts from costco for the same price as I can get a single chicken sandwich at McDonalds.

And soda cheaper than water? What kinda water are YOU drinking? I can get 12 liters of water for the same price as 4 liters of soda.

Now as for "unhealthy foods", like say a Double Quarter pounder with cheese (mmmm), you're probalby not getting as much quality meat as you would if actually bought some ground beef at the supermarket. Most of that stuff is just filler and water or some weird crap.

</anti-rant rant>

 

[brtspears2]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Yum I'm craving the Quizno's RossMAN combo meal* right now, I wonder if there's any near my house where I can hobble into.

* includes
Medium Black Angus steak sub (add some horseradish sauce, yummy)
Medium Soft Drink of your choice
Bowl (not cup) of their delicious clam chowdah

Damn Damn Damn

Whats the price range on this item? Im thinking roughly $10, a really expensive lunch, when I usually spend a good 50 cents a day.

Yes, 50 cents, shop sales at store, pack lunch. Now dinner, thats another story...

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: mchammer187

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Yum I'm craving the Quizno's RossMAN combo meal* right now, I wonder if there's any near my house where I can hobble into.

* includes
Medium Black Angus steak sub (add some horseradish sauce, yummy)
Medium Soft Drink of your choice
Bowl (not cup) of their delicious clam chowdah

Damn Damn Damn

had a large black angus steak yesterday whats that the thing on it that makes it taste sweet i dont like it

need to figure out what it is because otherwise it was good

honey mustard. thats the one part of it i don't like.

 

[MacBaine]

Go to Trader Joes. They have tons of good foor (especially for vegetarians), and it is surprisingly cheap. They have stuff you wouldnt find anywhere else too...at least by me. they have vegetarian meatballs! I can make meatball sandwiches again!

And as far as water... the one by me sells Crystal Geyser 1.5 L bottles of water for 59 cents. Quite a deal I think.