Healthy food cost vs junk food cost challenge.

[OldWiseGuy]

I challenge any to prove that the cost of providing the same nutrition that my breakfast provides can be done at lesser cost using junk foods. Here are the parameters and rules.

My breakfast provides 665 calories, 27 gr protein, substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals (especially calcium) healthy fats, and necessary amounts of fiber, cost: 90 cents. (see edit below)

You are limited to junk food, processed foods, sweet or sweetened drinks, syrups and jams and jellies. You are allowed to use butter. You may not include oatmeal or other whole grain cereals as these are healthful foods.

Good luck.

Edit.
I live in a major food producing state so to be fair we may have to adjust costs to reflect higher costs in your region.

 

[Matthew86]

I challenge you to prove that the cost of providing the same nutrition that my breakfast provides can be done at lesser cost using junk foods. Here are the parameters and rules.

My breakfast provides 665 calories, 27 gr protein, substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals (especially calcium) healthy fats, and necessary amounts of fiber, cost: 90 cents. (see edit below)

You are limited to junk food, processed foods, sweet or sweetened drinks, syrups and jams and jellies. You are allowed to use butter. You may not include oatmeal or other whole grain cereals as these are healthful foods.

Good luck.

Edit.
I live in a major food producing state so we may have to adjust costs to reflect costs in your region.

This is an interesting challenge, one of the best things i ever did was stop buying boxed stuff, and go get all kinds of vegetables rice and quality fish or meat and season it up into stir fries. Massively changed my health. Speaking from the perspective of an 18 year cancer survivor that changed my lifestyle i was obese and ate garbage no wonder i had a tumor.

 

[Cimorene]

You ate 665 calories just for breakfast????? Aren't you like nearly 80?????? Age is relevant bc of activity & calorie needs. But maybe you're more active than most your age, if so props. I only eat that many calories for breakfast when I'm training, I run XC. What did you eat?

Props to you for keeping track though. Do you use an app?

I eat healthy. One thing to consider isn't just the cost but the time. Healthier food often takes more time to prepare & time is money. Junk food is usually already prepared so you just grab & go. It's not my preference at all but I def. understand why it's what a lot of ppl eat.

 

[DaisyDay]

The point of junk food is that it is not healthy, thus "junk". You don't get the same nutrition for a cheaper price, you get the same calories or even more for the price but without all the protein and vitamins. More fat and salt, not to mention sugar, though to make up for it.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

You ate 665 calories just for breakfast????? Aren't you like nearly 80?????? Age is relevant bc of activity & calorie needs. But maybe you're more active than most your age, if so props. I only eat that many calories for breakfast when I'm training, I run XC. What did you eat?

Props to you for keeping track though. Do you use an app?

I eat healthy. One thing to consider isn't just the cost but the time. Healthier food often takes more time to prepare & time is money. Junk food is usually already prepared so you just grab & go. It's not my preference at all but I def. understand why it's what a lot of ppl eat.

I eat late in the morning, and I only eat two meals per day (I do snack a bit however, on healthy stuff). I am very active; physical job, exercise, bow hunt from a tree stand, always active, workaholic actually.

I just use the information on the packaging, and info on the internet. My usual breakfast is,

1 extra large egg
1 sli ww toast, with
butter, and
2 tbs peanut butter
1/2 banana
8 oz skim milk
Cost: 90 cents (southern Wisconsin, purchased at upscale super market).


Preparation time, about five minutes (then I eat leisurely, chewing each bite thoroughly. Gotta get the most out of it you know).

 

[OldWiseGuy]

The point of junk food is that it is not healthy, thus "junk". You don't get the same nutrition for a cheaper price, you get the same calories or even more for the price but without all the protein and vitamins. More fat and salt, not to mention sugar, though to make up for it.

You got it. You'd have to spend two or more times the money to even come close to the nutrition of a healthy meal, if it is even possible to do.

 

[timothyu]

Do you use an app?

Hope the power never goes out.

 

[timothyu]

Take some cardboard, plentiful government subsidised corn syrup and starch and mix it with artificial chemical vitamins and flavour and you have mouth watering poison, sorry, processed food, that will sustain you at 4x the price of real food plus health costs. But people put a price on convenience as they think their time is more important even if in the long run they have shortened it by their diet.

 

[Matthew86]

The point of junk food is that it is not healthy, thus "junk". You don't get the same nutrition for a cheaper price, you get the same calories or even more for the price but without all the protein and vitamins. More fat and salt, not to mention sugar, though to make up for it.

I agree it is actually scary the recommended daily intake for sugar is like 30g the rda for a serving is 10g one coke has like 40 g of sugar, there is no wonder why we have skyrocketing obesity just look at how badly we are outside of the governments own health guidelines.

 

[timothyu]

I might add that pet foods must be of a minimum quality to fit human consumption as a standard, and these pet foods are far superior to most processed foods in nutritional value, but not as appetizing .

 

[timothyu]

I agree it is actually scary the recommended daily intake for sugar is like 30g the rda for a serving is 10g one coke has like 40 g of sugar, there is no wonder why we have skyrocketing obesity just look at how badly we are outside of the governments own health guidelines.

Also this is processed sugar as compared to natural sugars. As for obesity the problem has ballooned so to speak, not just from sugar being added to everything from meat to milk in the US to help the corn industry, but the artificial sweeteners are behind obesity and diabetes 2 as the body does not recognize it as a food let only sugar, and rather than expelling it undigested like corn, it files it away as a form of faux fat thinking it may figure out what it is later I suppose.

Regular sugar like anything else in moderation is still the better option, moderation being the key word and definitive not as an additive in anything. Some of the older folks will remember when a sodie pop was more fizz than syrup (although still too much) and retained that fizz for hours. The bubbles danced freely rather than struggling in syrup. You didn't need to wash down a soda with a coffee to get rid of the sugar taste either.

Look up poor man's diet. Throughout history it was sugar and starch, enough to keep one alive but not healthy. The basis of most processed foods in stores today.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Also this is processed sugar as compared to natural sugars. As for obesity the problem has ballooned so to speak, not just from sugar being added to everything from meat to milk in the US to help the corn industry, but the artificial sweeteners are behind obesity and diabetes 2 as the body does not recognize it as a food let only sugar, and rather than expelling it undigested like corn, it files it away as a form of faux fat thinking it may figure out what it is later I suppose.

Regular sugar like anything else in moderation is still the better option, moderation being the key word and definitive not as an additive in anything. Some of the older folks will remember when a sodie pop was more fizz than syrup and retained that fizz for hours. The bubbles danced freely rather than struggling in syrup. You didn't need to wash down a soda with a coffee to get rid of the sugar taste either

We drank a lot of soda as kids. Our teeth were rotten, and untreated cavities in front teeth were common.

 

[timothyu]

We drank a lot of soda as kids. Our teeth were rotten, and untreated cavities in front teeth were common.

Moderation.

 

[Matthew86]

We drank a lot of soda as kids. Our teeth were rotten, and untreated cavities in front teeth were common.

Your wisdom shows, i used to drink a 12 pack of coke a day when i had a tumor, teeth are not full and strong like they should be. I dont even want to do the math on my sugar intake back then ugh how did i not overdose on sugar...

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Moderation.

I'll have an occasional soda but I rinse my mouth right away afterward.

 

[timothyu]

I'll have an occasional soda but I rinse my mouth right away afterward.

Bourbon mouthwash is corn syrup also

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Your wisdom shows, i used to drink a 12 pack of coke a day when i had a tumor, teeth are not full and strong like they should be. I dont even want to do the math on my sugar intake back then ugh how did i not overdose on sugar...

The redeeming thing for us was that we were very active so be burned up those calories. Today's kids are not as active so it goes to fat. When I was a kid we played outdoors until our parents called us in for bedtime. When television came along all that changed as we were glued to our favorite shows all evening. The parks and beaches became virtually deserted. The diving boards and piers were so little used that the city discontinued putting them up each summer. Television heralded a societal sea-change that few understand unless you were there to see it.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Bourbon mouthwash is corn syrup also

I like brandy and coke.

 

[timothyu]

I like brandy and coke.

No scurvy there

 

[DaisyDay]

Take some cardboard, plentiful government subsidised corn syrup and starch and mix it with artificial chemical vitamins and flavour and you have mouth watering poison, sorry, processed food, that will sustain you at 4x the price of real food plus health costs. But people put a price on convenience as they think their time is more important even if in the long run they have shortened it by their diet.

You should deep-fry that to make it palatable.