Online exclusive
As well as Jennifer Bowden’s columns in the NZ Listener and here at listener.co.nz, subscribers can access her fortnightly “Myth busters” column, in which she explores myths around food and nutrition. This week, she looks at healthy eating on a budget.
People often say healthy eating is ridiculously expensive, making it almost as difficult as finding a perfectly ripe avocado at the supermarket, ie, nearly impossible.
Post-Covid price hikes have been blamed for making healthy eating unattainable for many, but the fact is that concerns about the cost of fresh produce existed even two decades ago, as a 2004 study in Health Education Research noted.
So, is healthy eating genuinely too expensive, or is it just an excuse to avoid brussels sprouts?
Weekly costs for a basic diet in New Zealand’s main centres have risen by about 25% during the past decade, from $67-$71 per week in 2014 for an average male to $86-$90 in 2023, and from $57-$61 to $73-$77 for an average female, according to the University of Otago’s 2023 Food Cost Survey.
In May, the Ministry of Health’s report Rebalancing our Food System highlighted that cost is the one major hurdle to healthy eating. It noted that many people have limited access to affordable, nutritious food, but unhealthy options are far more prevalent.
Similarly, a 2023 British report, The Broken Plate, found that healthy food is typically twice as expensive per calorie as unhealthy food. A 2024 study in Appetite noted that healthier food is significantly more expensive. Less healthy food cost 33 pence per 100 calories, compared to 81 pence for healthier options like fruits and vegetables.
Economists have found that fixed costs in the supply chain play a much larger role in the price of fruit and vegetables than in less-nutritious foods. A 2022 University of Warwick report estimated that those costs distort healthier food prices by at least 40% in the UK. As fruit and vegetables are perishable, they require frequent restocking. Shelf-stable, less-nutritious foods can be stored longer, allowing retailers to buy in bulk and sell at lower prices.
So how do we eat healthily on a limited budget, when healthy eating is expensive? Here are some suggestions to reduce food costs and boost your healthy food intake:
Meal planning 101
The first step in reducing your food budget is planning your meals for the week – people who plan meals eat a better variety of foods. Better still, plan your meals around food bargains – find foods or ingredients on sale, then base your meal plan ideas around those purchases.
Convenience costs money
Food that is conveniently packaged, processed or pre-prepared, costs more. Instead of packaged salad leaves, buy a cheaper iceberg lettuce; instead of pre-prepared salad dressings, mix olive oil and vinegar to make your own.
Protein-rich foods are often expensive
Reduce your costs by finding bargains at the supermarket or your local butcher who may offer bulk meat deals; dust off the slow-cooker to cook cheaper cuts of meat; bulk out your meat dishes with nutritious, fibre-rich beans and lentils – tinned varieties are a good option for those new to legumes; have a meat-free main meal based on eggs or beans as a cost-effective alternative once or twice a week.
Reduce your fruit and vegetable costs
Buy seasonal fresh produce; choose long-lasting vegetables, like cabbage, to reduce waste; opt for frozen or tinned fruit and veges – they’re cheaper and just as nutritious – and try unbranded food products as they are often cheaper.
‘Waste not, want not’
Reduce your food waste, and save your food budget, by storing food appropriately to reduce damage and spoiling; eat more perishable fruit and veges first; stew tired fruit and use it for breakfasts; leftover salads and meats can be used in sandwiches, wraps or quiches; keep your food storage tidy so you don’t buy ingredients you already have; be smart with ingredient swaps - don’t buy one-off ingredients for new dishes, search online for ingredient alternatives you already have in your cupboard.
Healthy eating doesn’t have to cost a fortune. By instigating just a few of the above suggestions you’re likely to reduce your weekly food costs and boost your nutrient intake.
