cost

Costs of being on a WHOLE grain PLANT based diet.

People often talk about the costs of eating healthy. The discussion about how fast food is cheaper than healthy food comes up a lot in conversation. Is that really true though?

Recall my previous posting on calorie density. Bite per bite, the number of calories we take in with a burger will be so much more than with a veggie stew or a salad. But we feel full based on the amount of food we eat and therefore, often after eating that burger we still feel hungry. The volume of a burger is less than with a salad or stew and so we don’t often feel satiated despite getting in plenty of calories. That makes us eat more food than we need. Plus, with all of sugar and processed foods, we create leptin resistance so our body is unable to feel satiated. Leptin is the hormone responsible for creating the feeling of satiety.

Then, let’s look at the actual foods. The average price for a Big Mac, medium French fries and soda is $ 5.99. 1 pound of lentils (while you would never be able to finish) is $1.29. If you add rice, a 20 pound bag is $8.00. If you add a bunch of kale: that would add another $1-2 per whole bunch. Then, what about tomatoes or slices of pepper: add another 1$. Water: Free. So the rice and lentil dish with a salad on the side is cheaper than Big mac and fries plus you have plenty more for meals to come.

People often say that the burger tastes better. Is that really true? Our taste buds get used to and love what they see. The first time I ate Thai food, I hated it. Now I crave it. Your body needs time to adjust to a new palate. Your gut needs a chance to recover and restore. We can’t fall back on the fact that fast food is cheaper because it isn’t.  It impacts both your wallet and more importantly your long-term health.