Health dorks

[Anubis]

Personally, I found that eating healthy and eating cheap do not need to be exclusive. I recently started going to the gym regularly, and while doing so I've been searching for healthy foods that are cheap and help muscle growth. It wasn't that hard to do.

It's actually turned out to be really cheap to start eating much healthier.

Some canned chicken, diced apples, pickles, and spinach make for a killer chicken sandwich or chicken salad. Add in some decent wheat bread, and you have a lunch that is high in carbohydrates as well as protein.

Chicken and pasta are cheap, they are a great way to get a full. Also, since I've stopped eating junk food and drinking soda, I feel much better overall. I feel like my overall energy level has increased quite a bit.

Also, as someone else said, eating smaller portions is not only cheaper, but healthier. All it takes is the commitment to learn how to cook.

[Jrecee]

Fat people have it easy, they just have to eat less. I, on the other hand, am underweight. So eating healthy for me would require money I don't have.

[MrPopo]

Fat people have it easy, they just have to eat less. I, on the other hand, am underweight. So eating healthy for me would require money I don't have.

There is no hate like the hate a fat guy has for the "I'm too skinny" guy.

[Hobie-wan]

Fat people have it easy, they just have to eat less.

Not true. One of my friends eats like a bird, tries not to eat too much that's really terrible, and at goes walking at least a few times a week and she still stays a little bit squishier than is healthy.

[yomomma1]

I never understood that expression.
birds eat EVERYTHING.
Rocks, anything that looks like food.

[Limewater]

It's expensive to maintain a healthy diet.
Rather than eat cheap food that barely holds the nutrition you need.

This isn't true at all.

The following are U.S. prices. Of course, they vary a bit by region.

Store brand dried beans are usually in the neighborhood of $1 per pound.
Store brand brown rice is often around $0.50 per pound.
Dried lentils and split peas are often less than $1 per pound.
A big tube (I think about 2.5lbs) of old-fashioned oats runs between $2 and $3, depending on where you live and where you shop. 1/2 cup dry rolled oats, a little sugar and cinnamon, some milk, and some water microwaved together gives you a better breakfast than a bowl of sugar-based cereal for a lot less money. My wife likes to buy frozen berries to put in hers. They're a little expensive, but they last a while, and she really likes them a lot.
In Atlanta, for example, Purdue boneless, skinless chicken breasts occasionally go on sale for $1.99 per pound. Watch the sales, and you can stock up. Just freeze what you can't eat right away.
Bananas are usually under $0.80 per pound.
Carrots are also usually under $0.80 per pound.
In different areas, fruit that is in-season can often hit $0.99 per pound or less. Where I am, right now apples and oranges are a little pricey, but one grocery store in the area has peaches for $0.77 per pound! Right now green beans are in season, so they're $0.99 per pound. Corn's coming into season. Its price has already come down a bit, but will likely come a little further.
Peanuts are great. I can get a one-pound jar of store-brand, unsalted peanuts at Wal-Mart for just over $2.00. If you have an ALDI nearby, they almost certainly sell them for less than that.
Depending on where you shop, frozen produce can be really good and very cheap. A lot of frozen vegetables now come in bags that you can just pop in the microwave. The vegetables will steam in the bag. Even if you don't have that convenience, you can still cook most frozen vegetables in the microwave for adequate results. They won't be as good as if you steam them in a steamer basket, but they'll be better than the crap they stuff in processed microwaveable meals.
Salt, pepper, bullion, garlic, and sugar are all cheap. A lot of better spices are expensive, but once you've bought them they last a really long time.

I don't see where this barrier is to eating healthy. If you don't have a kitchen, sure that's a huge problem. You honestly aren't going to find a whole lot of foods that are cheaper than what I mention above, and they're all healthy, unless you're allergic to peanuts or something. If you're looking for cheap energy (low cost-per-calorie), you won't do a whole lot better than beans and rice. You certainly won't do any better eating McDonald's or potato chips or something.

[vash23n]

Fat people have it easy, they just have to eat less. I, on the other hand, am underweight. So eating healthy for me would require money I don't have.

There is no hate like the hate a fat guy has for the "I'm too skinny" guy.

Awesome

I never understood that expression.
birds eat EVERYTHING.
Rocks, anything that looks like food.

That's the point, rocks are very low in fat and calories.

[Hobie-wan]

I never understood that expression.
birds eat EVERYTHING.
Rocks, anything that looks like food.

I think the idea is that birds don't gorge themselves because they'll have trouble flying then. *shrug*

[yomomma1]

Your definition of eating healthy is obviously different than mine.

Sure, you can buy food that is supposed to be healthy, but isn't due to quality.

Also, corn has no nutritional value practically.

[Jrecee]

Your definition of eating healthy is obviously different than mine.

Sure, you can buy food that is supposed to be healthy, but isn't due to quality.

Also, corn has no nutritional value practically.

That was kind of the point of the cracked article (with is pretty factual), even if you eat something that's supposedly good for your like salmon, it's still filled with dangerous chemicals. Our society doesn't really lend itself to healthy eating, even if you want to. Yeah a banana is good for you, but the ones that are 80 cents a pound are probably filled with pesticides.