The Cost of Healthy Food vs. Junk Food
Undoubtedly, junk food is cheaper food compared to healthy food options. However, this is only a blind rule to many people. Only a few know the facts behind this claim.
It is important that we lay the facts on the table for more clarity. Fast food is not the food that you cook faster. Those are meals that you can access quickly. They are cheap, convenient, and accessible, making them the ideal go-to solution to stomach needs.
On the other hand, healthy nutrition is demanding, expensive, and requires preparation from scratch to have a decent meal on the table. Did we mention that it takes some time to prepare and lots of kitchen utensils to cook properly? We can't leave that out! However, you don’t have to break the bank for you to afford healthy foods. A reliable Loan Solution contact will get you started.
Since our primary focus is on the costs, grab your calculator, and let's run through the figures.
What Makes Fast Foods Cheaper?
Several factors make fast meals the acceptable alternative for many people.
- Pricing – The pricing of junk food makes it the best alternative sometimes. Many cheap food deals in different outlets offer indoor and outdoor dining or delivery. A simple fries and chicken meal with soda or side salad will cost you less than what you'd pay for a full course meal such as a well-balanced protein-carbs-vitamin meal.
- Preparation – You'd need several ingredients to prepare a decent meal, but only a few fast foods require additional manipulations.
- Time – It only takes about ten minutes to have your plate of fries on the table. On the other hand, it'll take you more than an hour to prepare baked chicken from scratch. Many employees working in offices don't have the luxury of enjoying an hour-plus lunch break to eat a decent meal. They mostly think of where to get cheaper food and make their usual order to save time. After all, time is money.
- Convenience – Fast foods are convenient since they are easily accessible and fast to consume. You'll need your fork and knife for a rice and stew meal. But you can easily dig in your KFC order with clean hands.
Fast foods are cheap indeed! However, cheap is expensive. So, does the consumption of fast foods add up to a positive result? Or let us rephrase the question – is cheaper food unhealthy?
The Reality of Food Affordability
Don't get it wrong, junk food is cheaper, accessible, and all that, but eventually, they have drastic effects on your body. It'll be unwise to consider cheap food to make a feeding routine. The immediate satisfaction in taste and affordability is unquestionable, but what does the future hold for you?
The menus with meals worth a couple of dollars might seem budget-friendly today, but in the long run, you will be up for multiple payments. Junk foods are unhealthy, and they eventually cause chronic diseases such as heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.
On the other hand, healthy foods are expensive to buy. What it will cost you to get a filling meal in a fast food outlet can probably get you only a handful of healthy foods in the stores. A shopping basketful of healthy foods might equal a couple of orders from the junk food spot.
This consideration usually turns off many individuals, and they eventually get their meals in the outlets rather than prepare them. There is comfort and precision involved in preparing healthy meals. You get to measure the number of ingredients, amount for each, and manage some discipline to eat it fresh.
In addition, healthy meals, as the name suggests, are suitable for your body. They provide the necessary nutrients and largely contribute to growth, proper immunity, and general well-being.
The Facts
At this point, we should now focus on what's cheaper in the long run. Isn't it the main topic of the day?
Fast foods are cheaper to buy and convenient to access. They don't require much time to prepare, and only a few ingredients will take you a long way. However, they have adverse effects on your health. The continuous and consistent consumption of fast foods will result in chronic diseases and a weakened immune system.
It will eventually contribute to high costs to recoup your health status through lifetime treatments of those medical conditions.
On the other hand, healthy meals are expensive to buy, and they might take time and technique to prepare. You might need some lessons on cooking if you don't know your way around the kitchen. Nonetheless, they will build your immunity system and make you stronger, smarter, and healthier.
It will ultimately save you the medical bills and provide you the chance to live healthily and live longer. It would be best if you learned what are the cheapest meals to make at home to sharpen your culinary skills.
Conclusion
You have to consider multiple factors before you can conclude which one is cheaper between healthy meals and fast foods. Considering the immediate price will lead to no good since future costs will be awaiting you. Opting for healthy meals might seem like a hard-on-budget option, but you'll benefit in the long run.
About Author:
Daniel Miller is an experienced specialist in the business and financial area. Daniel has also worked as a financial advisor at a bank and provided consulting and advice about budgets, savings, insurance, stocks, retirement funds, tax advice, etc. He is currently doing specific research on the topic.
