Back in April, CNN published an article about a global diet study that had sort of surprising results:
Many diet-related deaths are due not to over-consumption of bad foods, but to under-consumption of good foods, such as whole grains, fruit, nuts, and seeds.
It’s not the sodas that are killing us, it’s the lack of fruit.
Even the trans fat isn’t as big of a problem as the lack of whole grains.
This is interesting because usually when we think about cleaning up our diets or our family’s diets, we think about what we should not be eating.
Don’t drink soda, don’t buy cookies, don’t eat bacon, don’t buy fast food, and so on.
If the results of this study are true, though, that’s not the best approach to take.
Instead of focusing on what not to eat, we can focus on what we should eat.
I like that this is a more positive way of thinking about diet, which makes it feels less restrictive.
(I’m a moderator, not an abstainer, so I really bristle at restrictive food rules anyway.)
Of course, if you are focusing on getting in whole grains, fruits, nuts, and seeds, you probably will end up eating a little less junk food (the one will push the other out), but that’ll be a side effect, not the focus.
Isn’t this way of eating expensive?
Yes and no.
It depends on what you’ve been eating instead of healthy foods.
If you compare a diet rich in whole grains, nuts, seeds, and produce to, say, a diet of ramen and mac n cheese, then yep, it’s expensive.
But if you’ve been eating fast food, takeout, and frozen meals, then I think it’s quite possible to eat a healthier diet for less.
There are inexpensive whole grains, such as oatmeal. Fancy whole grain bread is expensive, but there are less expensive options available too, and you could make bread at home if you wish.
(Homemade bread is cheaper even than bottom-of-the-barrel cheap white bread. I did the math!)
If you have an Aldi near you, then quinoa is affordable too, as are whole grain crackers and shredded wheat cereal.
Fruits can be inexpensive too, if you stick with things like apples, bananas, and oranges. Aldi has great prices on things like pineapple, watermelon, and berries too!
And of course, eating healthfully is almost always cheapest when you prep and eat your food at home. There are healthy options for fast food and takeout, but things like acai bowls, quinoa bowls, green smoothies, salads, and the like tend to be fairly expensive.
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I hope the CNN article and this post help you feel positive about food! To sum up, two happy things here:
- Adding good food to your diet can do great things for your health
- You don’t need to spend a gazillion dollars to get whole grains and fruit.
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I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post and on the study. And if you have a good tip about getting more healthy foods into your diet without spending a bunch of money, we’d love to hear in the comments!
P.S. I went back into my archives and noticed that when I wrote a post to answer a reader’s “How do you stay thin?” question, one of my points was that I try to make a point of looking for foods that give me lots of nutrition.
I was doing that because it works for me, but I’m glad this study showed it’s a pretty healthy approach.
kristin @ going country says
Actually, one of the main points of that article that I found interesting is that excessive sodium is an across-the-board problem. This is almost certainly linked to processed foods in general, though, because I think it’s literally impossible to eat as much salt in home-cooked foods as it is when eating anything processed. I’m not shy in salting when I cook, but I find almost all purchased food to be waaaay too salty.
Kristen says
Yep, that’s true…it was more of a problem in Asian countries, the article said, but definitely also an issue here in the U.S.
I’m not shy about salt at home either, but like you, I do often think that things like canned food are too salty. Also, soups at restaurants! So salty.
Katy says
Some of our favorite frugal and healthy foods are potatoes and beans.
Phoebe says
I love this approach! Plus, if you spend a little more now to eat more of the healthy foods, you will most likely save on health care in the future! It is expensive to be unhealthy/unwell in the US!
Linda Walmer says
The picture of your home made bread makes me want to make a batch today. Your’s looks perfect and I can not seem to do that but maybe I could work on that part of it. You are the best!!
I loved the article and am glad we do exactly what you have stated. Eating more healthy foods keeps a person from buying and eating foods prepared with far too much salt and other things I can not pronounce.
God bless you and your constant work to help others.
Linda
Mrs. Picky Pincher says
Okay, this is so flippin’ timely. Hubs and I were just talking about this over dinner last night. I have some weird thyroid stuff and I realized diet has a lot to do with it. We were talking about how you need to eat more greens, fruits, etc. in lieu of processed foods.
I think the restrictive diets make “non-approved” foods a forbidden treat. Maybe that’s why so many of us fall off the wagon with the crazy diets?
Starting in July hubs and I are going to do a monthlong Clean Eating Challenge (from Buzzfeed, if you’re curious). It doesn’t restrict anything, really. It’s just about eating more of the stuff that we all know we need to eat in the first place.
I’ll let you know how it goes!
JD says
I’m thinking like Kristin — I wonder if the high sodium is related in some ways to highly processed foods? Then I wonder if we are sure if it’s just the sodium or are there other factors in highly processed foods that are to blame. Just wondering. I certainly salt my foods, but I use sea or pink salt, and I never knowingly eat MSG. I read labels, but there aren’t labels when one eats out, unfortunately.
Since I have to avoid some otherwise healthy foods due to my particular autoimmune triggers, I am learning to focus on nutrient dense foods. It’s still a learning curve — it was surprising to find just how great mushrooms are for us. Whole foods, clean foods, nutritious foods and a rich variety is a great way to boost health. I work with someone who eats chicken fingers from a restaurant every day for lunch. I don’t think that’s going to help much!
Caitlin says
I think it is important to acknowledge that having the time to prepare food at home is a privilege not everyone has. Those working several jobs to make ends meet, or single parents, or a myriad of other situations. I’m a dietitian, and I’m not disagreeing with anything you are saying, but I just think acknowledging privilege around food is necessary. There is a lot of evidence that the effects of stress from living in poverty take a larger toll on health than a poor diet. Linda Bacon’s book Body Respect does a good job of explaining this research.
Kristen says
I completely agree. This is true in our country, and the report also talked about how sugary drinks are such a problem in Mexico because clean water isn’t so readily available, and people buy sugary drinks instead. Even something as basic as access to water is not something everyone has.
For those of us who do live a more privileged life, though, it’s good to know what we should be focusing our energy on and what’s not so important to focus on.
Kris says
Firstly, I agree with you–I don’t believe in an all-or-none approach to nutrition. When my kids were little, I told them that treats (ice cream, etc.) were “sometimes” foods–that food is meant to fuel our bodies but it’s ok to have an occasional treat. I lost 60 pounds through Weight Watchers several years ago, and my take-home from that experience was to mostly seek out and eat foods which are nutrient-dense and to allow myself to have fun occasionally with food. My weight-loss and weight-maintenance journey led me to learning how to be a better cook/baker (cuz I really like tasty food). I found that I could affordably eat more healthfully by improving my skills in the kitchen and I experimented with ingredients and techniques to reduce the “bad stuff” while still being enjoyable to eat. I love it that I have control over what I consume and how tasty it is and I think that my palate has changed over the years that I have been doing this.
K D says
Thank you for sharing the article. Thank you Caitlin for pointing out how privileged many of us are. I am thankful every day to be able to buy and prepare healthful food.
Over the years I have focused more and more on making sure I eat a lot of good for you food. I haven’t eliminated the other foods but eat less of them. At age sixty I am lucky to have no health issues, have been at a healthy weight for a long time, a feel good.
Jill says
I love this. After years of dieting – like Weight Watchers – I’m just trying to add more “good” food including 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, working my way up to 8, and snacking on nuts. I’m really not trying for weight loss now but just keeping my numbers in check at the doctor – though I could definitely stand to lose a few pounds I’ve found that losing after menopause has been incredibly difficult. My point being that I just want to concentrate on “healthy” now. Great article.
Martha says
I do love this approach and have followed it for years, although I do abstain completely from processed sugar and transfats because they have an addictive effect on me.
I do want to caution folks: 15 years of healthy eating and I still had a heart attack due to coronary artery disease. I’m a healthy weight by BMI and get moderate exercise.
The moral of the story is diet alone does not guarantee good health.
Suzan says
We do try to eat homemade food. I spend quite a lot on fruit and vegetables and I buy them at the cheapest green grocery around here. My breakfast is a standard dish of porridge and blueberries every day. The other fruits and veg change with the season.I have battled my weight all my life and even though I am trying I am still losing the battle.
Linda M says
I think this post is spot on. One thing that helps keep cost down is to buy seasonal food…it is cheaper. Also, keep things prepped ahead helps avoid the whacky and processed foods. Prep more at once avoids extra time in getting things out and cleaning up….you just do it once. Processed food is also more addictive and less satiating. If you can grow anything, it also saves a ton of money and tastes so good. Getting the family involved in the prep makes for family togetherness and lets the kids feel more connected to their food. I know I feel so much better when I eat whole and unprocessed foods. With that said, it is often one step forward and two steps back.
Jenny says
Yep, as I was reading and nodding, I kept thinking “garden”!!!
I have learned over the years to garden in a frugal way (trade plants and seeds, canning, drying, use freezer, etc.) Of course I’m aware that not everyone is able or wants to do this, but my food costs are very low, due to sales shopping, baking, home cooking and growing my own. I’m grateful!