Food&Drink Writer Eleanor Howson debates whether saving money is a higher priority than our health when it comes to healthy eating
Is healthy eating a sign of privilege?
Undoubtedly, it does seem far cheaper to buy a chocolate bar rather than a healthier alternative. BBC Food contended that an energy bar of 40 grams can cost in the region of £1.80. Yet, most of us will be knowledgeable to the fact that you can purchase up to approximately 200 grams of chocolate for as little as a single pound. I’m sure every one of us has been guilty of forgetting to prepare lunch the night before and has indulged in purchasing something on the go. On occasions like this, we can be particularly vulnerable to the lure of the confectionery offers placed at the front of house. We have all walked into the Tesco Express in Selly Oak and been greeted by the radiance of Cadbury purple. Although, healthy options (such as bags of nuts, dates or seeds) are often located in prime position beside the tills, these options do not always fit the budget of a student consumer. We will all ditch the health kick to save a few pennies so, does this suggest that price matters more to the consumer than a products nutritional value? You can purchase up to approximately 200 grams of chocolate for as little as a single pound
Kelly L. Haws et al, writing on the behalf of The Washington Post, argued that we hold preconceptions on the stereotype that eating healthy should be expensive. She also reported that consumers do make an intrinsic link between unhealthy foods tasting nicer. Undeniably, we are all susceptible to moaning about the expense of forking out to buy healthier foods. Yet, the ultimate question lies around whether we or not we should believe in the cliché attitude that healthy eating is an expensive lifestyle? Or are we merely being misled to have trust in a fabricated misconception? Laura Donnelly, a health editor for The Telegraph, claimed that “eating healthily costs three times as much as consuming unhealthy food” in 2014. This argument was based upon a study by Cambridge University. Donnelly reported that when consuming 1,000 calories from healthy items (such as salmon, yoghurt and tomatoes) rather than unhealthy foods (including pizza, beef burgers and doughnuts) you add approximately £4.99 to your bill. Especially if you are a student, this difference in price could dramatically influence your decision on what food to prioritise. Could this be the reason why tips on how to live healthily on a budget are becoming a widespread topic online?
Adda Bjarnadottir, a writer for Healthline, presented 19 behaviours that are imperative to succeed in eating healthily on a restricted budget. Some of the suggestions she presented included planning meals, adhering to a grocery list, home cooking, buying less expensive cuts of meats and purchasing from cheaper brands. All these proposals are very reasonable to adapt into most diets conveying that living healthy on a budget is not impossible. However, we all have a downfall; our sweet tooth! Another recommendation that Adda Bjarnadottir made was to stop buying junk food. Yet, I believe this is easier said than done. Personally, this is where I believe we are all prone to overspending. Snacks are almost impossible to remove from our diets because they are a stress reliever, they can supplement full meals when we are too lazy to cook and ultimately, they can be very addictive and difficult to remove from our eating habits. However, BBC Food argue that snacks do not need to be stripped away from our diets completely. In fact, they suggest that healthy snacks made at home can be just as good for the body as the budget! Instead of buying a snack bar from a store why not make it at home? BBC Food argue that you could save more than £400 per annum by snacking this way!
Should eating healthy really come at such a cost when it is a basic human requirement?
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