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Why healthy eating is NOT too expensive for you.

Nov 13, 20242 min read

Last weeks blog compared the cost of healthy choices vs. less healthy choices. While the healthy choice isn't ALWAYS less expensive, it often can be. Check out these money saving healthy food swaps:

Hot Dog vs. Peanut Butter

Cost: peanut butter wins by 3 cents per oz

Peanut butter = 10 cents per oz

Bar-S Hot Dog = 13 cents per oz

Nutrition: Peanut butter wins!

More protein and more healthy nutrients per serving!

2 TABLESPOONS PEANUT BUTTER	1 BAR-S HOT DOG
7 grams protein	3 grams protein
3 grams fiber	0 grams fiber
2 grams saturated fat (bad fat)	3 grams saturated fat (bad fat)
150 mg sodium	430 mg sodium
6% iron needs for the day	2% iron needs for the day
150 mg sodium	430 mg sodium

I almost never buy hot dogs, but my family eats a jar of peanut butter a week!

If you are looking for a quick healthy protein food for your kids, a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread can't be beat in cost or nutrition.

Frozen Burrito vs. Tortilla with Cheese & Beans

Cost: Tortilla with cheese wins by 5 cents per ounce (not much)

tortilla with cheese & beans = 57 cents each

frozen burrito = 62 cents each

Nutrition:

I never buy frozen burritos, but we eat a lot of quesadillas at our house! They are healthier because you can use corn or whole wheat tortillas to increase the fiber! A homemade quesadilla can also have more beans and less cheese!

Tuna Sandwich vs. Homemade Hamburger

Cost: Tuna Sandwich wins

tuna sandwich = $1.37 each

energy drink on average = $2.32 each

Nutrition: tuna sandwich wins!

More protein plus more omega-3 fats and vitamin D!

Hamburgers are nutritious! They are high in iron, which is important for young children! But tuna is healthier, less expensive and EASIER TO MAKE. I eat tuna twice a week for lunch. It is one of the healthiest things I eat every week!

tuna	burger
17 grams protein	12 grams protein
370 mg salt	depends on how much you add
12% daily need iron	15% daily need iron
20% daily need omega 3	0% daily need omega 3
15% daily need vitamin D	0% daily need vitamin D

Homemade Green Smoothie vs. Store Bought Energy Drink

Cost: Green Smoothie wins!

green smoothie = $0.87 cents each

energy drink on average = $2.50 each

Nutrition: green smoothie of course!

You may think I'm crazy, but if you want to feel good, drinking a green smoothie will help you so much more than anything in a can.

Green smoothies are loaded with vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. They are also hydrating and help your body function at it's best. Here's the recipe I use for a green smoothie every day: https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/green-smoothie

That's it for the cost comparisons today!

I'll be back next week talking about foods for thanksgiving!

Is healthy food too expensive for you?

Nov 5, 20244 min read

While I was preparing dinner at a family reunion this summer, my cousin said "wow!, you must spend a lot of money on food, look at all that healthy stuff!, I can't eat like that because it's too expensive."

I wasn't sure how to respond.

I had made tabbouleh, hummus and tzatziki wraps. I served baby carrots and chopped watermelon on the side. (this is an AI generated photo...but it gives you an idea of what that looks like)

She was making sandwiches on grandma sycamore's white bread with sliced cheddar cheese and deli ham. For sides she served chips, soda and store bought cookies. (another AI generated photo).

Most people think that healthy eating costs a fortune.

I disagree.

Let's compare the cost of my cousin's ham and cheese sandwich lunch with my tabbouleh wrap lunch.

Ham + cheese Sandwich with chips and soda = $2.45

Cost of tabbouleh/hummus wrap with carrots + watermelon = $1.10

It really only cost me 80 cents because I got all the veggies out of my garden for free.

Want to know where I got those numbers? Check out the details at the end of the post.

You also get "more bang for your buck" with healthy food, because it's loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and healthy fats.

Look at how nutritious the cheaper lunch is in this table:

	sandwich with chips, cookie and soda	tabbouleh meal
fiber	1 gram	6 grams
vitamin C	0%	100% daily value
vitamin A	0%	100% daily value
vitamin K	0%	100% daily value

Healthy food also has less added sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.

	sandwich with chips, cookie and soda	tabbouleh meal
added sugar	40 grams (cookie + soda)	0 grams
added salt	210 mg Doritos + 260 mg ham + 120 cheese + 160 mg Oreos (total 750mg)	230 mg from tzatiki + tabbouleh + hummus + 340 tortilla (total 570mg)
unhealthy saturated fats	4.5 grams saturated	1 gram saturated fat

Yes, eating healthy does require some planning, preparation and know-how.

But it certainly doesn't cost more!

I know Tzatziki and Hummus is too weird and complicated for many people, so let's compare something easier:

chicken nuggets + fries

black beans with rice and salsa

Great value Chicken Nuggets + great value french fries = 18.7 cent/oz + 9.3 cents/oz

Canned black beans + brown rice + salsa = 5.7 cents/oz + 5 cents/oz + 3 cents/oz

1 serving for a toddler is 2 oz protein (beans or chicken) and 2 oz starch, so

Nuggets + fries = 50 cents

beans, rice, salsa = 25 cents

Beans and Rice have less sodium plus more fiber and nutrients! Look at this table below:

nuggets	beans + rice
1 grams saturated fat	0 grams saturated fat
225 mg sodium	65 mg sodium
1 gram fiber	4.5 grams fiber
0 mg calcium	25 mg calcium
1 mg iron	1.25 mg iron

Still not convinced that healthy eating is going to save you money?

Stay tuned. Next week I will compare a few more meals.

If you want more to read until then read this post I wrote about how cooking at home will save you money.

Nicole

Detailed cost analysis of ham sandwich vs. tabbouleh meal:

Cost of Ham + cheese Sandwich with chips and soda: $2.45

grandma sycamore's bread: 2.98 for 19 slices (16 cents/slice)

16 oz container great value deli ham: 5.97 for 16 oz (75 cents for 2 oz serving)

sliced cheddar cheese: 2.24 for 12 slices (19 cents per slice)

Doritos 3.00 for 9 servings (50 cents per serving)

Great Value Twist Up soda can: 4.46 for 12 cans (37 cents per can)

package of Oreos: $4.88 (32 cents per serving)

total: $2.45 for one serving of a sandwich, chips, soda and cookie

Cost of tabbouleh + hummus + baby carrots + watermelon: $0.80 ($1.10 if you don't get free veggies)

Tabbouleh: total: 7 cents per serving (71 cents per recipe)

bulgur wheat from winco bins: 9 cents for 1 cup for the whole recipe, so maybe 1 cent per serving

cucumber: (free from my garden), if you don't garden and are receiving SNAP, free from farmers markets

red bell pepper: (free from my garden), if you don't garden and are receiving SNAP, free from farmers markets

parsley: (free from my garden), if you don't garden and are receiving SNAP, free from farmers markets

olive oil: 50 cents per 1/4 cup, so maybe 5 cents

lemon juice: from a lemon I bought on discount as smiths (10 cents)

cumin, salt, pepper: maybe 2 cents

Tazatziki: 8 cents per serving (78 cents for the entire recipe)

yogurt: 2.56 for the container which is 25 cents per cup

sour cream: 50 cents per half cup

cucumber: (free from my garden), if you don't garden and are receiving SNAP, free from farmers markets

dill, salt, pepper: maybe 2 cents per recipe

Hummus: 15 cents per serving (1.40 for the entire recipe)

garbanzo beans: 86 cents per can (17 cents per serving)

olive oil: 50 cents per 1/4 cup

lemon juice: from a lemon I bought on discount as smiths (10 cents)

garlic powder: less than 1 cent

Tortillas: 1.98 for 10 tortillas (20 cents each)

baby carrots: 12 cents per serving

watermelon: 4.58 each (about 20 cents per serving)

total: $0.80 for one hummus, tazatziki, tabbouleh wrap with carrots and watermelon

add .30 cents for cuke, bell pepper and parsley per serving if you don't grow your own, so $1.10

Worried about Halloween Candy? Read this

Oct 29, 20241 min read

When my teenage kids' friends find out that I'm a dietitian, they immediately start asking if my kids are allowed to eat candy. They think that because I'm a dietitian, I don't allow ANY sweets or treats in our house.

The opposite is true. I love treats. I love candy and baking, and I love Halloween!

Eating healthy is all about moderation and balance.

I'm planning a Halloween party for my 3rd grader. We will be making Frankenstein toast, mummy toast, apple teeth and mummy dogs. We will also eat donuts off of a string and have some candy corn.

What's my opinion on Halloween candy?

My opinion aligns 100% with my fellow Dietitian Ellyn Satter. I think that every parent should read this article she wrote about Halloween candy: https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/family-meals-focus/30-halloween-candy/

I've been following her advice since my kids were little, it works well! Now that my kids are older, it's common for me to find old Halloween candy in the pantry during our April spring cleaning.

Some parents like to do the "switch witch" where they switch Halloween candy for books and toys. I've never tried this....mostly because I'm lazy and it requires some forethought. But here's an excellent way to think about the switch witch from a Registered Dietitian's perspective: https://www.realmomnutrition.com/switch-witch/

Happy Halloween!

Looking for fun recipes to make?

Here's a few of our Halloween favorite recipes: