A Real World Cost Comparison

Hello everyone, it's Karen here. This week. we'll be talking about healthful eating on a budget, and trying to convince you that eating well doesn't have to break the bank! As dietitians, we often hear "But it's so expensive to eat healthy!" We'll discuss why this sentiment persists, but one reason has to do with how the costs of foods have been compared in the past. 

Researchers used to compare the cost of foods based on price per calorie. Well, if you think about the calories that a bag of chips has versus the calories an apple has, that is not a fair fight. More recently, cost comparisons have been done using cost-per-serving instead. This type of analysis has begun to level the playing field for foods and started to tear down the myth that healthful foods are more expensive.

I was curious to see how this analysis would hold up in "real life," so here are some examples that I found encouraging! In full transparency, these were some of the first comparisons I thought to look at. I did not have to "play around" to find cost comparisons that were favorable (or least neutral) towards healthful foods. All prices were current on Walmart.com as of Friday June 7th. 

Example #1:

I like Luna bars because they have a decent amount of fiber and protein and not too much added sugar (but are very tasty!) How do they compare against Snickers bars?

Luna Bars: $6.37 for a box 6 = 1.06 per bar

Snickers Bars: $6.57 for a box of 6 = 1.09 per bar

Example #2: 

If you crave something salty and crunchy, nuts are a more nutrient-dense choice than chips. But how does the price compare? 

Planters Honey-Roasted Peanuts: $3.22 for 10 packs = $0.32 per pack

Frito-Lay Assorted Snack Pack: $10.98 for 18 snack bags = $0.61 per bag

Example #3:

For folks looking to cut back on soda intake, I often suggest starting with smaller-sized cans. People usually push back on this, claiming that it costs a lot more, but does it? 

Mini Sprite cans (7.5 oz each): $5.88 for 10 cans = $0.59 per can

Sprite can (12 oz each): $6.98 for 12 cans = $0.58 per can