New Study Debunks the Myth: Healthy Food Is Not More Expensive
Do you also feel that you would eat healthier if only healthy food were cheaper? A new study claims: Healthy food is cheaper today.
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How many times have you heard the sentence: 'I would like to eat healthier, but healthy food is incredibly expensive'? British researchers decided to examine if there is truth to this claim, and returned with good news: those who genuinely want to switch to a healthy diet do not need to go into debt because of it. When comparing kilogram for kilogram, healthy food is simply cheaper.
The study, conducted by the British Institute for Economic Affairs, found that the average price per kilogram of a wide variety of health products was about two pounds, while the average price per kilogram of processed and ready-to-eat food, as well as various snacks, was around three pounds. The institute states that for the price of a purchased burger, for example, one could buy a kilogram of a healthy vegetable like sweet potatoes, or ten apples. Two options that are certainly more filling and healthier than the burger.
So how is it that so many people blame the issue of cost for their poor eating habits? People purchase food less because of the price and more because of its convenience, the researchers concluded. Legumes, for instance, cost pennies worldwide and are very healthy, but people are too lazy to prepare them for consumption and prefer quick processed food.
Chris Snowdon, a member of the institute who wrote the research report, said: "A diet based on muesli, rice, chicken, fruits, and vegetables is much cheaper than a diet based on frozen ready meals, red meat, soft drinks, and fast food of various kinds. There is a wide range of healthy alternatives available at the same or even lower cost than the less healthy options."
"The idea that poor diet is caused by the high price of healthy food is simply not true," she concludes. "People are willing to pay more for taste and convenience."
The institute's conclusion was, therefore, that there is no point in taxing junk food or subsidizing healthy food: junk food is already more expensive – and yet, people prefer to buy it.
