When you buy those healthy foods you need to also stop buying the really snack foods, I know that sounds obvious but many people continue to buy what they always have PLUS they buy those "new healthier foods".

Have you seen the half a dozen bloggers who were eating healthy or eating organic on a "food stamp budget"?

It certainly is possible to eat healthy - or healthier - on every budget. (unless you are poor and black and live inner city and at the mercy of tiny grocery stores... totally different issue.)

Make a one week menu, including snacks - make a grocery list buying ONLY what you need to create those meals - then go virtual shopping.

- ~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High & Flamingo House Happenings

I try to look at this question with a "per serving" orientation -- if a pound of vegetables costs $2 and serves 4 - $.50 per serving, meat $4 - $1 per serving. Then check dried beans and oatmeal and eggs and other 'whole' foods - they're far lower.

(And maybe this could be tagged for Food & Drink, too?)

Alanna Kellogg, A Veggie Venture

I'm having trouble imagining eating 11 pounds of fruits and veggies a day, and I eat fairly healthy. Eleven pounds sounds like more than 11 servings and I even struggle to achieve that goal.

It's got less to do with the cost (well that's a differentissue for me) than the sheer volume of food this represents. To eat this much fruit and veggies plus the 6+ servings of whole grains is simply more food than I can eat.

Debra
A Stitch In Time
Deb's Daily Distractions

I've never actually heard Dr Oz say that but I've only watched a few clips and read a lot of articles about his diet. I have not had time to read his book.

What I have heard him say is cut your calories by 100, walk 10,000 steps every day, eat "9 handfuls" of fruit & vegetables every day and a small handful of nuts. (Along with fish a few times a week, I believe.)

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High & Flamingo House Happenings

11 pounds of fruits and veggies sounds like an enormous amount to me. So enormous that I think it would scare most people - myself included.

We have always been really healthy eaters and exercisers in our house, and although we typically have a big salad with a meat for dinner, I was having a hard time working "enough" fruits and veggies into my diet. So I came up with a really simple "promise" to myself, that I knew I could keep.

1. I never let myself get really hungry, because that is just begging to binge on whatever I can get my hands on. So I snack.

2. I started out by always having the same snack. 1 apple, 1 handful of nuts, 1 handful of raisins and some slices of good quality natural cheese (or a glass of whole milk.)

I wound up having that snack twice a day. And I lost weight, for several reasons.

First, not being hungry cut the late-day binging. Second, all the natural fruit, fiber, protein. Thirdly, enough wholesome fats. And lastly, I honestly stopped craving refined sugar and carbs. So now that's still how I snack. With some modification - sometimes and avacado, cottage cheese...... but always the apple. 2 a day.

And yes, all those fruits and veggies are really expensive. We are lucky to have lots of "off price" fruit stands around us, so I opt for those - which cost a LOT less than most grocery stores. Also, plant a small veggie garden, that's great. (And if you have kids, it's a great lesson for them, even if you don't grow much.)

My favorite, however, is to take long walks and see who has fruit trees hanging over onto the sidewalk. No one ever eats all the fruits - it's always rotting on the ground. So I never think twice about plucking an apple that's hanging over the sidewalk. It's free, it's local, and it's part of an evening walk. What could be better?
___________
Alyssa Royse
JUST CAUSE
make some good news!
www.JustCauseIt.com

With the drought here in Australia not abating, watering for fruit and veg producers is scarcer therefore prices will apparently go up drastically.

This means the grocery budget will also go up and it will be harder for lots of people to buy and eat healthy foods.

I'd love to be able to buy some of the foods Dr Oz has suggested but I remember when I first saw him on Oprah I thought to myself well I won't be eating some of that stuff very much because of its price tag.

Jen at Semantically driven and Safari suit

No doubt about it. All the processed foods Americans eat are expensive too! By cutting these items out of your diet, you should save money for sure.

So what should you buy? Organic or locally grown vegetables are definitely more expensive, so if you can't afford your grocery bill just get conventional produce. It's still better than any hamburger. Then, start focusing your meals around whole grains found in the bulk section of stores like Whole Foods. For under $1.00/lb. you can stock your pantry with brown rice, barley, rye, amaranth, whole oat groats, wheat berries, not to mention beans, seeds, and the occasional (though more pricey) nuts.

There are beautiful recipes you can make for every meal with ingredients like these! Soup is a great place to start. Plus, by moving towards a plant-based diet you are helping stave off future costs to your health and the environment.

http://doesabodygood.blogspot.com

Has anyone read "Skinny B*tch"? It's a somewhat angry but very well-researched book advocating veganism, but also supporting changes like cutting out caffeine and aspartame. Since reading it, I've been incorporating tons more fruits and veggies into my diet and have cut caffeine entirely. I will still eat meat, fish, and dairy, but only in small servings and I treat it like "dessert". I've noticed a HUGE different. My skin looks better. I'm sleeping better (I can probably chalk that one up to the caffeine). I've lost 4 pounds in two weeks without trying. I totally believe that fresh produce is the way to go.

I'm very fortunate in that I don't have to worry too much about my grocery budget (two-income family, no kids), but I can certainly see where the high costs of produce and organic products would be a problem. The US has HUGE subsidies for sugar--couldn't we subsidize produce to make it more affordable for everyone?

Jen
Semi-Charmed Wife