It is a truth universally acknowledged that cheap eats come at a price. Yes, it is better for your wallet but either it is produced fast (less hygienic) or efficiently (deep fried or lathered in oil). The generally more unhealthy choice. Yet a recent research discovers otherwise.
An analysis shows that most Australian households spend most of their grocery bill on junk foods and drinks that are high in saturated fat, added sugar, salt and/or alcohol. Eating a healthy diet, as recommended by the Australian Dietary Guidelines, would be cheaper. Most households were spending 58% of the food budget was spent on junk!
Unfortunately, for those of a lower socio-economic background, a healthy diet can be more expensive since fresh food and produce was more expensive than their ‘junk’ counterpart. For this to improve, nutrition policy actions must tackle barriers to healthy eating – this could simply mean making healthy food more available to people of all socio-economic backgrounds by lowering prices. The more obvious move is to advertise more strongly on healthy foods and drinks, especially to children.
Has your concept of cheap eats changed? How can you change what goes into your shopping trolley at your local supermarket? Will it give you a healthier lifestyle? And more importantly, will it help your wallet?
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