Every Month in my ACE Fitness Journal there is Question of the Month. I don't often pay too much attention but this month I did and the response I sent in is printed below.
Do you think the price of healthy food is too high? Do you base food-buying decisions on cost? What are some of the ways you eat healthfully without spending too much? What food policies could lessen the cost of nutritious foods?
"I do think the price of healthy food is too high. Nine years ago my husband retired and we started food shopping together once a week with a list in hand and meal plans in mind. We rarely go back during the week because we forgot something or didn't buy enough of a favorite item. Seldom do we eat out. Nine years ago our weekly bill was about $95.00 (for the 2 of us) and today we are lucky to keep it under $180.00. We are basically buying the same thing then and now. I would like to buy all organic fruits and vegetables but the cost prohibits that. I am a vegetarian. My husband is not. A couple of times a week we have "meatless" meals for him as well which helps keep the cost down. I also pay close attention to expiration dates and "use before" dates to avoid any waste. I hate to throw something out. My husband is agreeable to eating one evening's leftovers the next day for lunch. I make very good use of my freezer when I have extras that might spoil. I take advantage of the local farmer's market when available but the cost there is not any less. I am not sure what policies we need to put in place but I do think as fitness professionals we should take every opportunity to educate."
Every time I grumble about the cost of food I think about the farmer who works before daylight to after sunset for me to have food on the table. My friends who have gardens tell me that we are not charged enough for food we buy. This morning as I talked about this with one of my groups someone asked what I consider junk food. Thankfully someone interrupted because the answer falls under the category that one man's trash can be another man's treasure.
Resource: March ACE Fitness Journal
