Is it just me or do you guys think that the word DIET means more money out of our pockets?
They say that healthy foods really aren't any more expensive but they sure seem to deflate my wallet a whole lot quicker.
This past year has been tough economically.
I have gone back to the basics in many areas in an attempt to save moo-lah$ anywhere that I can. Feeding our family of five takes a big chunk of pay each month so I have gone back to fixing tried and true recipes that will help to stretch meals a little farther and cost us a little less.
However, those types of meals not only help to make our dollars stretch, they will also will cause our midsections, thighs and butts to stretch.
So for my "new start" this year I would like to go with a healthier lifestyle. One that will work for not only me but my whole family.
My question is, "Can I afford it?"
I already use low-fat or fat-free items in my daily cooking but what I really need to trim down on is the CARBS. You know, the cheap starchy grocery items that we all LOVE.
But how can I get rid of those starchy stretchers and afford to have an endless supply of fresh goodies and great meals that everyone will eat. (Without having to make two seperate meals. One for the dieters and one for the non-dieters)
Another issue is that I am very skeptical of those fake chemical-tasting butters, sweeteners and so forth. I wonder just how healthy they really are for us and so I have a hard time feeling comfortable buying and feeding them to my family on a regular basis.
Another is all the low-fat snacks. They taste good but you get such a small amount for the same price as a regular size bag. So obviously, I go with what I can make stretch the farthest - yet again, not the healthiest.
Do you see where I'm going with this?
DIET = More money spent with less food to fill bellies of 5 hungry people.
(Before you say it, Yes I know we could all stand to eat a little less but that's not the point. My point is why does it cost so much to eat good stuff?)
So what do you guys think?
Do you splurge and buy any and all diet items (butters, sweeteners, etc) available to help rid you of your extra baggage.
OR
Do you eat pretty much whatever you have and can afford and try to make up with lots of willpower on extra small portions and twice the amount of exercise?
I'm all ears to hear your tips, tricks and comments!
I'm off to chain myself to the tread-monster or maybe the bicycle so I'll catch up with you guys later today.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
16 comments:
I think all the diet and low fat stuff definately costs more! They say some of it isn't good for you either because of the ingredients that make it "diet". I want to start eating healthier too, but I think portion control is a big part of it for me, my belly just doesn't tend to FILL quickly...it's like a bottomless pit, LOL!! I'm a carboholic too and need to cut back on those big time!
I am dealing with the same issues..I WANT to eat organic but can't afford it..I am making wiser choices then I did before. I was listening to Dr. Oz..There was a questioned asked about low fat..He said that when they take out the fat they have a filler to replace it..He said you do not know what they fill it with..It made so much sense to me...So I went back to regular sour cream instead of low fat..but eat less. I changed to butter but not organic butter.. I feel I made a wiser choice from going from maragine to butter..I do not use the spray butters because what they are filled with...I do use Pam...the butter kind because I do not use telflon pans ..Butter Pam helps with the eggs not sticking..did I make a wise choice?? I don't know..which is better a telflon pan or pam?? I chose the Pam and I use olive oil alot.I use alot less Pam then I do with cooking with my pots and pans..thats how I came to that decision,,.read and make your own choices that are good for your family..My mind starts to go blank when I start reading all these things about what is good. The FDA is always changing everything..So I do the best I can..Buy fresh and then go from there..I am buying organic meat for now on..I am also buying organic eggs..those I will not back down from..I am planning out my vegetable garden for planting..I know they will be healthy..I will visit farmers markets this summer and buy locally..It's so very hard and I thought I had to do it all and I can't..Not budget wise. Little changes will make a difference..Your on the right track in doing what is best for you and your family...Lisa
I hear ya! And it is true the so called "good for you" foods do cost more! My family is pretty much grown - so I don't have the planned three meals a day with everybody around - make it easier? I'm not sure.. Some of us like salads the others don't etc etc. I have changed habits where I do buy margarine and light bread - hubby needs to watch his cholesterol too.. I think for me it comes down to portion control - if it isn't something good for me I eat just a smaller portion.. I don't change the eating habits of my entire family just for me - for one thing it wouldn't work! I think all groceries are more expensive these days.... Happy treading!
Gosh, your post sure hits the spot.
It is so expensive to eat better.
Some things I do:
I have a few excellent pans that are well-seasoned so things don't stick and I can use less butter and olive oil. But I don't use the fake stuff at all. Like you, I am suspicious of it.
I think to myself: WHAT DID people eat before, and in what quantities? Because there was less heart disease and allergies before, yet we are told the food was not as good. I'm not sure of that. I think for most non-poor folks, the food WAS good. It was eaten in the right amounts, it was eaten in season mainly, and the excess of it was put up for later. People ate butter and meat and stuff, but in smaller quantities.
One last tip -- this is getting too long of a comment!!! -- I make sure that each person has something good for them that they really like on the table. My husband likes bread the best, so some high-quality bread is always there, I like cooked vegetables, so the veggies are there, my son likes salad and cheese so it's there, along with the "main" item. It's not that expensive because the leftovers are served the next day, eat it up if you want "new" treats.
I don't buy so called "diet" food. I also don't buy many prepackaged foods like the 100 calorie bags...I do this pretty much on my own. I divide things up into low calorie snack sizes...everything in moderation. We have our homegrown beef which is very lean so I only buy chicken and some pork and of course in the summer we have our own veggies and some that were canned otherwise I buy fresh veggies and fruit in the winter. Yes..fresh veggies/fruit gets to be expensive in the winter but I feel it is necessary. One thing I do buy that you may consider "diet" food is Brummel and Brown--that is what we use on our toast or bread instead of butter. Of course for baking I use BUTTER! lol I was probably not much help but thought I comment anyway! Have a great day..stop over and visit me. :)
Keep on posting such themes. I like to read articles like this. BTW add more pics :)
"Healthy" eating does cost more. The only things I splurge on are whole wheat pastas, low fat dairy and some sugar free items. I try to eat smaller portions of regular food. I've been using Splenda for years. No matter what I eat, I just try to watch the calories.
Thanks for all the comments. All of you dieters and non-dieters truly do motivate me to get an early start this year. I fail everytime I count calories so I'm just not going that route. I will just trudge on with the usual but try to watch portions and the biggie is the exercise. I just hate to be indoors doing exercise. Walking outside does me good all the way around. I love the fresh air, the sights and the company of a friend. But till better weather gets here I guess I'm stuck with the tread-monster.
It cost a lot more to buy pre packaged diet food that isn't even good for you. Stick with the basics..veggies, fruits, whole grains..good fats, butter dairy, olive oil, coconut oil.
Also you can check out a great website for "healthy eating" Weston A Price foundation.
I have learned that healthier doesn't have to be more expensive if I stick with making everything from scratch and not buying any packaged processed stuff.
Great post really like your blog. I am right there with you on the exercise..I have GOT to get moving!
Joy
What works for me is to not eat prepared food, have one helping and cut out sugar. I use honey. I don't think diets work or are good for you.
A lot of diet foods actually cut out a lot of the nutrients to make them so. I don't buy organic either. I have found that using wheat flour and brown rice, fill us up more, so I don't have to cook as much with these, so that saves us money. If it is on the table, my family is going to eat it, so when I'm cooking, I cook portion sizes.If I'm roasting potatoes I'll cut up enough for each person and only cook that amount. I cook extra veggies but the starches are portions only and so with the meat.
From the point of frugality....you can always freeze, freeze, freeze. Frozen veggies are wonderful "fill your gut up" foods, and I tend to pre-make and freeze healthier meals (like you do). As for carbs, yeah....I don't do so well in that department, either. I'm starting to learn to keep them out of the house. As for the hubs and kiddo, there are foods/snacks that they adore, but I can live without. THAT is what I buy. BTW, I just joined a site that gives me a whole week of healthy meals/easy recipes using the least amount of money possible.....it goes by what is on sale. You pick a store you want (Kroger, Wal Mart), and they will choose the sale items to make a meal plan. (And they give you the calories, fat, points...etc.) I'll let you take a peek tomorrow!
I totally agree! It does cost more to eat healthier, I don't understand it when they say it doesn't? Maybe I'm looking at the wrong things, I don't know. I haven't tried to do either yet, but I know I need to at least exercise.
i understand completely! i like to buy a whole chicken, boil it, keep the broth for chicken noodle soup and then make chicken salad for the remaining meat...this lasts me a long time! same with cooking a roast. i use my crock pot and cook it all day. just chuck roast, potatoes onion and carrots and beef broth...afte 8 hours, it is awesome. i do not eat bread with it...i freeze what we do not use. also when i buy chicken breasts, i do not cook them as is...it gets too dry and over cooked since it is so thick...instead i pound them very thin, dip them in egg, flour with a great spice mix and spray the pan lightly with oil and 'fry'...only takes 5 minutes total and the portion size is perfect after i cut them in thirds. i eat too much and am working on portion size...
carrots and butternut squash are excellent choices for cheap health. i go to sam's club and get some blueberries...decent price and usually available year round.
i refuse to buy lowfat crap...i use real butter, real everything...our ancestors ate this way and worked it off in the fields or the gardens. exercise is key...walking is great. i need to do this daily since i do not work as hard as my grandparents...
i feel for you! sometimes it can be tough living here in wv. the tax structure is not business friendly therefore not a lot of jobs are available...i could go on and on!!! prayers for a better year!!
I agree too, eating healthy cost more. But we do try to eat as healthy as possible. Brown rice instead of white, ww pastas instead of white. We are not big sugar eaters. 1 (5 lb) bag will last us 6 or 7 months. We drink filtered water instead of sodas. We don't eat a lot of meat so a lb of meat is easy to stretch for us. In the winter we buy frozen veggies rather than most of the fresh in the supermarkets. Our church participates in "Angel Food Ministry (angelfoodministry.org)each month and I have started buying some of their packages, it has helped on our grocery bill. We get 60-80.00 worth of groceries for 30.00. Their fresh fruit and veggie box we bought this month was great. You could check and see if they service your area. In the long run, I think buying as healthy as you can does pay off.
~willa~
I agree eating healthy is costlier. My husband ate a lot of fiber and cut out a lot of fat and lost 25 pounds last year. He swears by it. But the double fiber bread is costly.I'm trying to lose weight, too. I'm going to see if just eating less will help, though I hate being hungry.
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