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By Associated Press,
WASHINGTON — Is it really more expensive to
eat healthy?
An Agriculture Department study released
Wednesday found that most fruits, vegetables that counters a common perception among some
consumers that it’s cheaper to eat junk food than a nutritionally balanced
meal.
The government says it all depends on how you
measure the price. If you compare the price per calorie — as some previous
researchers have done — then higher-calorie pastries and processed snacks might
seem like a bargain compared with fruits and vegetables.
But comparing the cost of foods by weight or
portion size shows that grains, vegetables, fruit and dairy foods are less
expensive than most meats or foods high in saturated fat, added sugars or salt.
That means bananas, carrots, lettuce and
pinto beans are all less expensive per portion than French fries, soft drinks,
ice cream or ground beef.
“Using price per calorie doesn’t tell you how
much food you’re going to get or how full you are going to feel,” said Andrea
Carlson, scientist at the USDA’s Economic Research Service and an author of the
study.
For example, eating a chocolate glazed donut
with 240 calories might not satiate you but a banana with 105 calories just
might.
In the comparisons, the USDA researchers used
national average prices from Nielsen Homescan data, which surveyed a panel of
households that recorded all food purchases over a year from retail outlets.
The cost of eating healthy foods has been the
subject of growing debate as experts warn Americans about the dangers of
obesity. More than a third of U.S. adults are obese, according to the
government, and researchers expect that number to grow to 42 percent by 2030.
“Cheap food that provides few nutrients may
actually be ‘expensive’ for the consumer from a nutritional economy
perspective, whereas food with a higher retail price that provides large
amounts of nutrients may actually be quite cheap,” the study said.
The USDA study criticizes a 2010 report from
researchers at the University of Washington, which found that
calorie-for-calorie junk food is more cost-effective for low-income people than
eating healthy.
Adam Drewnowski, director of the Nutritional
Sciences Program at the University of Washington and lead author of the prior
study, said he stands by his findings that a healthier diet generally costs
more. He said there is no government recommendation for how many pounds of food
an American should eat each day, but there are federal guidelines that suggest
a 2,000 calorie diet.
“Some of these calories are in fact empty
calories, so from the standpoint of nutrition they are not terrific,”
Drewnowski said. “But the empty calories keep you from being hungry, and this
is why people buy them, especially lower-income people.”
Margo Wootan, a nutrition advocate with the
Center for Science in the Public Interest, said some people don’t think they
get as much value from fruits and vegetables as they get from other foods.
“If they buy a bag of chips for $2, they
think it’s a good deal, but if they buy a bag of apples for $2, they think it’s
a lot,” Wootan said. “We need to do more to help people understand that fruits
and vegetables are not as expensive as they think they are.”
Wootan said shopping smart can make healthy
eating more affordable. Consumers should be more flexible about choosing less expensive
fruits and vegetables that are in season and supplementing those with frozen or
canned fruits and vegetables so they don’t have to throw away as much.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All
rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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