So, I’ve long believed that one of the largest causes of the rampant obesity in this country is the fact that it’s much more expensive to eat healthy foods. I was thinking about that this morning when I went into the deli in my building for breakfast. I picked out two separate breakfasts. Let’s compare:
Breakfast Bagel
Plain bagel, sausage patty, american cheese, scrambled egg
Price $3.25
Nutritional value: a little protein and more fat and cholesterol than I want to think about
Fruit and Cottage Cheese
Cottage Cheese, Strawberries, Pineapple Chunks, canned peaches, canned mandarin oranges
Price $5.00
Nutritional value: tons. fresh fruit is excellent for you. canned fruit, not as much but much better than american cheese
Note: The fruit stuffs came from the salad bar. I ordered my sandwich first so I could make the weight of the two breakfasts as equal as possible.
Results
So there you have it, $1.25 difference between horribly unhealthy and moderately healthy for the same amount of food. I’ll bet, in most places in the US, there is a direct connection between income and rate of obesity, and there’s a lot more to it than being able to afford a gym membership or a personal trainer.
totally dude. $1.49 chili cheese fries. $4.49 subway 6 inch. it’s rediculous! 99 cent tv dinners… no wonder i’m always broke
Don’t forget that the USA makes heavy use of Corn Syrup in all products instead of sugar; because it’s cheaper! We have “fields of grain” that extend forever that Europe and other countries don’t have. So we can grow lots of corn, and then very cheaply make corn syrup.
It’s proven that corn syrup makes you fatter than sugar cane.
I have seen tins (cans) of sugar cane in syrup in a local Asian shop. I have never had this before. I wash canned fruit when it is canned in syrup. Is sugar cane high in fibre and are there many valuable vitamins or minerals in it? Do you chew it and not swallow the cane?
Thanks!