why do healthier foods cost more?

I noticed this myself and I really don't know why. I think it is ridiculous. I had to change my diet because of high blood pressure and I noticed it the first time going to the store after I had left the doctor's office with a written diet in my hand and I was shocked that the healthier things were more expensive than the cheap things like a bag of chips. It is kinda hard for me I have to look at like all the microwave entrees and I never realized how much sodium packed they are! It made me spend more time in the store than I normally do. I was not happy. But at least the bannanas were cheap and I love all fruit! It seems unfair.

lol because with those u can survive well............with other food like fast food u can die..(if ur always eathing it)

yeah i also wonder about that... but i guess because it's healthier it's costlier. It's so hard to live a healthier life if you buy everything from stores/shops/markets. But it's also hard if you grow/take care of them on your own i guess. haha. anyway hopefully this will change soon. maybe someday it will change and be more affordable.

I always wonder this myself.I would love to eat alot healthier than I do,but it seems to cast more than the bad for you food.I like lean cut meats,fresh produce,and whole grains,but the prices are so ridiculous.Yet they always say how people should eat healthy foods like this.I know alot of people can't afford,especiallly if on a fixed income,as I am.I can only spend so much every month on food.

I had a friend point out that healthier foods DO NOT cost more--citing RICE as an example. You can get rice pretty cheap, and it's healthy. I often make my own french fries, and I can tell you that it is cheaper to buy a potato and cut it yourself than to buy a bag of frozen fries (though I wouldn't describe this as being any "healthier"). Canned foods have existed for years. I wouldn't describe them as less healthy (they are less fresh). They are cheaper because they are preserved and (therefore) can last longer. Same with the juice. The water example is all about marketing. However, remember that carrying a bottle around with you and filling it up at the tap is just as good if not better (here in NYC, for instance, we have some of the cleanest tap water in the world). After all, bottling companies just get it from the tap anyway.

It depends on a lot of things. Sometimes the healthy foods cost is not that big. I mean, no bigger than the junks. It depends on companies and markets we're using. Well, in my case it's easy-to-solve problem. I have grandparents living in the province. I have grandmother living in a resort city called Varshec, it's in the Balcan (Stara Planina) mountain. The others are living in a village near the Danube river - the people there are mostly with Romanian origin. So, they send me lots of healthy foods. Strawberries form the mountain, fish from the Danube . . . and everything you can imagine. It's good to have that kind of grandparents :) Isn't it ?

I wonder about this myself and it makes me angry. I think companies put a higher profit margin on healthy foods. There is no work to them and the money they make is all gain. As a diabetic I really have to eat foods that are not highly processed. So each week I ask myself why is whole grain bread twice the price of white bread that is made of refined bleached flour with lots of additives and preservatives added. It is also a lot of work to live on healthy foods. I have to plan my menus around what is on special and what is in season. So if canned kidney beans are on sale, chili will be for one or two of the meals. If cabbages are really cheap in the winter I will prepare a waldorf salad with carrots, apples and walnuts. Sweet potatoes, rutabegas and brussel sprouts will all appear on the dinner table when the prices are good. Yes, you are right, we have to pay more for healthy choices or work a lot harder to make healthy meals. It should not be like that.

hi macdingolinger, I also thought of that. Here in my country vegetables and fruits are quite expensive..maybe, the main reason why most of us are unhealthy and over-weight. If only healthy foods are more cheaper and abundant, for sure people will choose to have it, instead of eating junk foods and processed items. I think one of the reason why healthy food are expensive is the availability of it and storage or life shelf. While with processed food, they can last longer.. I mean most of it can last up to 2 years. And the possibility of it to be purchased are high, since it can sit on a store shelves much longer unlike with fruits and veggies. Well sometimes it is a bit weird...knowing a simple bottled water is more expensive than a can of coke.lolz.. Happy Lotting!

Foods that are grown organically is much more expensive than the regular ones. It is because growing them without the use of chemical fertilizers are much more difficult. They only depend on the organic fertilizers, insects to kill the bugs, and non-stop cultivating the plants and get rid of the pest manually. Whereas, in chemically enriched plants, grows more abundant and looks more appealing to the consumer but have higher toxic level than the previous ones. Canned goods are made when there are plenty of it. Say a mango or strawberries are much cheaper in their peak season. Not all of it will be consumed by the consumers, therefore, many would end-up in food processing plants.

To answer your question frankly, I think because there is more money in keeping us sick than there is in making us well. Imagine if everyone could afford to eat 'good for them' foods, how much healthier we would all be, leaving less money for the Doctor, Pharmacies, and junk food companies. Not to mention that people would have healthier body weights and put an entire industry out of business. It seems that what is really good for us is either expensive, unavailable or illegal in this country.....You just have to wonder who is behind all that and who is profiting the most from keeping us dumbed up on junk food and unhealthy alternatives? Have a great weekend!

because it takes more time and money to get certain ingrediants for it to be healthy.