Americans are spending less than ever on their food, and eating out more. We spend half of what the rest of the developed world spends eating in. Cheap, processed, mass-produced restaurant food is taking its toll on our health.
You can save a lot, including your health by making healthier food choices.
Prepackaged almonds, 12 pack: $17.54
vs.
Non-prepackaged bulk almonds: $7.09
Vega Bars: $2.99
vs.
Homemade nutrition bars: $.99
Boxed, pre-flavored, quick rice: $6.24
vs.
Brown rice, bulk: $1.84
Two meals at McDonalds: $10.00+
vs.
Wild salmon (bulk): $10.00
Tips for saving on quality food:
- Buy minimally processed plant foods
- Buy produce that's close to expiration date (image of a freezer might be good)
- Check for slightly damaged goods(a bruise on a fruit won't hurt you)
- Buy in bulk
- Shop at farmer's markets
Americans are spending less and less of their disposable income on food.
But a greater percentage of what they do eat is on fast food…
Eating at home spending has declined by 2/3rds in the last 50 years.
Eating-out spending has remained the same.
— Leaving us spending much less than the rest of the developed world:
[% of disposable income spent on food by country]
America: 10%
Japan: 13%
France: 14%
China: 28%
India: 39%
Food hasn't gotten cheaper. We just buy really bad food!
1992: Rutgers professor Benjamin Barber coined the term "McWorld," when there were 12,700 McDonald's worldwide.
2011: 33,000 McDonald's worldwide.
1 in 8 American workers have worked for McDonald's at some point in their lives.
While we aren't spending as much, we're definitely getting our fill.
As obesity rates have skyrocketed. [6]
Because The richest country on Earth buys REALLYbad, cheap food.
— And while we save some on each hamburger, we're shelling out in other areas to compensate.
When we don't have to.
Costing $1,152 extra per year for obese men[7]
and $3,613 extra per year for obese women
In medical spending alone.
Looks like we aren't saving money on food after all.
Shop Cheap, and Healthy
Citations:
- http://www.precisionnutrition.com/get-rich-with-pn
- http://www.treehugger.com/health/americans-eat-the-cheapest-food-in-the-world-but-what-is-it-really-costing-us.html
- http://www.businessinsider.com/facts-about-mcdonalds-blow-your-mind-2011-11?op=1
- http://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=a7jenngfc4um7_#!ctype=c&strail=false&bcs=d&nselm=s&met_y=per_capita_disposable_personal_income&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&idim=country:US&ifdim=country&hl=en_US&dl=en_US&ind=false
- http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-expenditures.aspx#.U1Ur0_ldVfU
- http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
- http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/30/obesity-idUSL2E8FO3MV20120430