Eating a healthy diet will cost you, says a study published online this week in Health Affairs.
Researchers from the University of Washington School of Public Health looked at the impact of following federal dietary guidelines on U.S. wallets. Those guidelines recommend Americans consume more potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin D and calcium, and get fewer calories from saturated fat and added sugar. They found that just incorporating one of those nutrients — potassium — into your daily diet could add an extra $380 a year to your average food costs.
“We know more than ever about the science of nutrition, and yet we have not yet been able to move the needle on healthful eating,” said lead researcher Pablo Monsivais, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor in the school’s Department of Epidemiology. The study suggests cost may be a barrier.
The researchers surveyed more than 1,000 adults in Seattle-King County, Wash., about their eating and food spending habits and discovered a strong correlation between the size of a person’s grocery bill and the quality of their diet. Those who saved the most on groceries tended to skimp the most on nutrients, and respondents with the highest food budgets were more likely to meet the federal dietary guidelines.
The updated guidelines — formerly known as the food pyramid and now called My Plate — advocate for the consumption of whole grains and low-fat dairy products along with fruits and vegetables. They also discourage consumers from choosing foods high in sodium, trans fats, added sugars or refined grains.
“Helping Americans incorporate these guidelines into their everyday lives is important to improving the overall health of the American people,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement at the unveiling of the new guidelines earlier this year. These words ring especially true in light of the nation’s worsening obesity epidemic.
The authors of the study provided policy recommendations along with their data, citing nutrition education programs and grocery subsidies as possible ways to promote healthful diets for lower-income Americans.
What’s your reaction? Are the price of bananas a barrier to better health?
6 comments
Susan Sloan says:
Aug 8, 2011
I think we could learn a lot from American Indian food traditions. For instance, stinging nettles is a superfood that’s abundantly free in the Pacific Northwest. The leaves are chocked full of potassium and many, many other nutrients. Just handle the plant with gloves until you steam it. Once the plant is cooked it’s one of the most nutritious food sources you can obtain and it’s free! If you want some, I’ve got plenty you can pick in my yard from March-September.
Joan says:
Aug 9, 2011
That is interesting. I use stinging nettle in tea to help with hayfever/allergies. Unfortunately have never seen fresh leaves.
Back to topic, it can be difficult to find ‘real’ nutritious food at the grocery. Everything is so highly processed and the cheaper the brand the less benefit.
Navpreet Kaur says:
Oct 24, 2011
Considering the economic crisis the United States is currently in, it would not be a surprise to find an increase of incidence obesity rates amongst Americans today. Many citizens are now opting out nutritious food choices and settling down for cheap meals at fast food chains. Individuals choose “fast and cheap” ways when it comes to dinner choices, mainly because many Americans are facing financial troubles in this recession. The author mentions that those who tend to skip most on nutrients are the ones who save the most. This further supports the tremendous health status differences seen amongst the upper, middle class when compared to the lower class. Those found in the low income areas are more likely to be prone to health diseases or obesity simply because they do not have availability to healthy food choices because of the prices that go along with them. Everyone has a right to a healthy body, and we all should try and improve the things we have in our control, such as our diets. Having said that, healthy food should be made at an affordable price for everyone to access. Individuals should not have to sacrifice their health because of their income.
Kyla Pollutro says:
Oct 25, 2011
The title of this article accurately describes this unfortunate situation and is something I have definitely taken note of, especially being in the college setting. The grocery store isn’t the only place where healthy foods are much more expensive. If you really want to know where college student’s “freshmen 15″ comes from there’s a simple explanation. College students are obviously on a budget and have specific meal plans which usually requires going for the cheapest food on campus which is most likely food that is processed with little nutritional value. At the University I attend, the healthy options are there, but you wind up spending 8 to 12 dollars per meal compared to 6 or 7 bucks. My first semester of college I didn’t really concern myself with eating healthy, I would just pick up whatever was ready the quickest. I had quite a bit money left on my meal card to carry over to the next semester. The next semester I was eating much healthier foods such as fish, sushi, organic pastas, fruits and vegetables. My meal card ran out with still a month left of school. If I wanted to substitute brown rice instead of white rice to get a more substantial grain, it cost me an additional $1.50! It’s no wonder why American’s health is becoming increasingly worse especially in these times of economic problems. I could get a whole meal at taco bell or something off the dollar menu at McDonald for the price I pay just for wanting brown rice instead of white on a sushi roll. You can assume the people who have lower grocery bills have less quality food because they are able to get more food for less money with foods that are lower in nutritional value. The idea of grocery subsidies would be a great opportunity for people of lower incomes to buy nutritional food at a more reasonable cost and better their health.
Kerry Cummings says:
Oct 26, 2011
I completely agree with what Kyla has stated above. As a current college student I have first hand experience of colleges ripping off students with their food prices. I attend Hofstra University and to buy a eight ounce cup of fresh fruit it costs me $6. Since I am on an extremely tight budget due to the outrageous price to attend Hofstra healthy choices like fresh fruit are not in my budget. I completely agree with the article that since we are in a serious recession it is more likely that we see large cases of obesity in America. Affording a healthy budget is almost impossible for a lower middle class or poor class families. If a change does not occur within our society due to the price of healthy choices we will bite ourselves in the ass and have to pay millions of dollars in health issues due to obesity, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular problems in our near future.
Sukhjeet Kaur says:
Oct 26, 2011
Raw foods must be accommodated into having a healthy diet, and these do not necessarily come at a higher price. Fruits and vegetables are usually cheaper than premade frozen entrees, processed foods, canned soups and fast foods. These can also be grown in peoples’ backyards and have very little maintenance costs. Chips, cokes, fast foods, and other nutrient-less foods cost as much or more per-serving as nutritious foods. The government should consider passing laws that fortify many more foods. I think laziness, lack of time to prepare meals, and lack of counseling to find the best foods are bigger barriers than costs necessarily.