Ok so if you read my blog posts or follow my business page on Facebook, you know I am eating a lot food right now. More than what is normal, so I can gain some muscle and body weight. This won’t last forever, but I have a goal that I am trying to hit so not “normal” is what it takes to get there.

So try to forget the fact that I might be buying more volume of food right now than you, I still want to show you that eating healthier is not more expensive. You heard that right…eating healthier is not more expensive. I am here to put that notion to rest, because it is holding a lot of people back from reaching their goals.

**Eating healthier is not more expensive it you do it the right way…and aren’t super concerned with only buying organic foods. If you are solely an organic foods person, well then, I don’t have much to argue because organic is more expensive. 

Here is what I bought on a weekly trip to Woodmans a couple weeks back:

• 2.67lb of broccoli. Cost = $2.64….that is a ton off FILLING, fibrous food for cheap
• 2.78lb of bananas (7 bananas). Cost = $1.08
• 2.49lb asparagus (3 bundles). Cost = $12.43…woof that was expensive, but I like asparagus a lot
• 2.34lb of Pink Lady Apples (7 apples). Cost = $3.25
• Two packages of snow peas. Cost =$4.98
• Two cartons of blackberries. Cost = $3.00 (buy one, get one free)
• Two cartons of raspberries. Cost = $6.00
• One carton of pineapple chunks. Cost = $4.99…expensive, but I don’t usually buy this
• Four orange bell peppers. Cost= $3.96
• Five lb bag of red potatoes. $1.99
• Two cartons of sliced mushrooms. Cost =$3.00
• One lb ground turkey (99% fat free). Cost = $4.59
• Four boneless pork chops. Cost= $5.62
• Two 3oz packages of beef jerky. Cost = $7.98…yes its expensive, but its a good snack
• Six Oikos triple zero yogurt cups. Cost = $5.70
• 42oz container of steel cut oats. Cost = $1.99
• 32oz container of unsweetened almond milk. Cost = $2.99
• Loaf of whole wheat bread. Cost= $2.99
• Two boxes of cinnamon chex. Cost = $5.00
• 12 pack of Clif Bars. Cost = $12.84

Total cost of shopping trip = $98.02

**I usually spend around $100-120 a week during phases of trying to gain weight. During periods of time when I am trying to lose body fat (I am eating less), I am usually in the range of $60-85. And during periods of time when I don’t really care about gaining or losing it is typically $80-100 a week on groceries. So, if you are a woman there is no way you should be spending more money on groceries per week than me

Now, here is a look at a shopping cart I saw that same day in the store. I tried to take a picture, but couldn’t pull it off with out looking a complete creep job.

• Six 2 liter bottles of Pepsi. Cost = $7.50
• Four or Five (didn’t creep that hard) boxes of a knock off golden grahams cereal: Cost = $11.00
• Looked like 10-12 frozen dinners. Cost = $ 29.70
• One carton of strawberries. Cost = $2.50
• One package English muffins. Cost = $2.62
• 1lb deli ham. Cost = $5.99
• One box of Triscuits. Cost = $2.56
• Two gallons of skim milk. Cost = $7.80
• A few yogurt cups. Cost = $3.56
• Looked like 1lb of ground beef (85/15). Cost = $5.75

Total cost of cart = $78.98

Yes, I was behind them in line and made a mental note of their cart then wrote down what I could remember for the purposes of this blog. Now, I have no idea if this was a shopping trip for one week or longer, but most people I talk to try to get to the store once a week for a “bigger” trip especially if they have kids at home. Let’s assume this was the case here.

And yes, I estimated that I spent about $20 more than the lady in front of me. But, let’s take out the Clif Bars I am only eating on my bulk ($12.84) and the two boxes of Chex ($5.00). That brings a “normal” trip of mine to the grocery store to $80.18. And remember, I am feeding a 25 year old guy’s body who works out hard 6 days per week. If you are 43 year old woman who works out 3x per week you shouldn’t be eating as much as me

Let’s see what I got out of the money I spent:

• 2 meals out of the ground turkey
• 4 meals out the pork chops
• Potatoes used for 4 meals…bag lasts two weeks
• Asparagus used in 3 meals
• Broccoli used in 3 meals
• Peppers and snap peas used in 4 lunches in a week
• Oatmeal used for about 2 weeks
• Bread used for about 2 weeks
• One carton of berries used a day for 4 days
• One package of beef jerky twice in a week
• One greek yogurt cup a day for a week
• Pineapple used for one sitting (not very efficient cost wise)
• One Clif bar a day
• 2 servings of Chex 4 times in a week…2 boxes lasts two weeks

**I am not even going to go into satiety and calories, but the foods I bought will keep me full much longer than Pepsi, crackers and English Muffins. 

Now, lets compare the veggies I bought to “snacky” foods bought by the couple in front of me:

• Broccoli cost = $2.64/Box of triscuits cost = $2.56
  • 3 servings/8 servings (if you actually stick to a serving of Triscuits)
  • 7 bananas cost = $1.08/4 yogurt cups (not Greek Yogurt, so all sugar) cost = $3.56
    • 7 servings/4 servings
    • 7 Pink Lady Apples cost = $3.25/ Package of English Muffins cost = $2.62
      • 7 servings/6 servings
      • Two packages of snow peas cost =$4.98/6 two liters of soda cost = $7.50
        • 4-5 servings/10-12 servings of empty wasted calories

        I also want to compare the 85/15 ground beef to the 96/4 ground beef I usually buy from Woodmans.

        • 1lb of 85/15 ground beef: $5.75, 978 calories, 84g protein, 68g fat, 0g carbs
        • 1lb of 96/4 ground beef: $6.70, 560 calories, 92g protein, 16g fat, 0g fat

        **So, you you don’t want to spend an extra $0.95 to save over 400 calories? It just doesn’t make sense why less than a dollar means so much when people are paying $70 a month for 150 cable channels they don’t watch. I guess I am biased though.

        In the end though the cost of foods you eat doesn’t matter if aren’t willing to actually eat healthier, but that is a topic for another blog. But, if you are stuck on the fence between venturing over to the produce section instead of the cereal aisle you should know that cost won’t be that much different in regards to what you get out the money you spend.