Is eating healthily expensive?

My blog post: http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk
/2014/08/my-3-per-day-challenge-how-i-managed-to_10.html
on my challenge of eating for £21 for one week is my most read by far with almost double the views of my 2nd most popular one.  It just goes to show how many people are struggling with money these days and keen to hear sound advice on how to eat well on a budget.  I demonstrated that many healthy foods are affordable and versatile and that it's possible to still eat relatively well on a low budget.

So what's the problem?

The diet I ate on that week would not be considered ideal by many health professionals and maybe it's not.  We're told to eat a minimum of 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day, to eat a wide variety (or rainbow!) of fruit and vegetables, preferably fresh and preferably organic. Whilst I agree that doing this would most certainly be beneficial for many people, it's unrealistic, expensive and not really feasible for the vast majority of people.  When I worked in libraries I would often pick up cookbooks and be really excited about the things you can do with healthy food, making it enjoyable and not something you reluctantly force yourself to eat (partly why I chose to do the nutrition diploma!) But how does the food I actually eat compare with the stuff you see in those cookbooks? hmmmmm.  Have a look at my blog: if you want a sneaky peek at all my unhealthy habits! http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-good-look-at-girl-in-mirror-little.html

I'm sure there are cases where people could eat better with a bit more dedication, motivation and better money management (this is where nutritional therapists come in!).

Sometimes people spend a lot of money on alcohol, coffee-shops and cafes and could potentially afford to eat more healthily on their budget. Have I fallen into that category before? TOTALLY! In my last job I would spend quite a significant chunk of my wages on lunch and just getting snacks on the way home.  I was unhappy in my job, low on motivation and eating a nice (sometimes indulgent) lunch that I didn't have to prepare in a cosy coffee shop or cafe really helped me to get through the day and I thought it was worth the extra money.  I can certainly understand people not wanting to bring lunch in with them every day.  In central London there are many healthier lunch choices with places like Pret a Manger and Marks & Spencer doing some quite good options.  The sad thing is, not all of us work close to healthy outlets. McDonalds, greasy-spoon cafes and chicken shops are cheaper and ubiquitous and a lot of people will opt for this. I understand why people do it but it doesn't change the fact that it's a problem.

The kind of lunch I'd probably eat if I worked in
 central London. More expensive than a Maccy D's
 and rightfully so!

What if you can't afford to eat out at all? In my little experiment,  I managed to feed myself 3 meals per day for one week for £21, which is less than what I'd spend on just lunch in 5 working days. I was even buying mostly organic.  But what are the limitations of this?

Family size
As a single person, I'm just buying food for myself.  I can understand it's much harder for those with children, not only financially but when you have to account for their likes and dislikes.  Children can be extremely picky and a lot of the time finding something that a) your child will eat and b) you can afford, is your first priority and you don't always end up with the most nutritious options.  I've been told I was a nightmare when I was little, (sorry mum!) Home-made lentil soups and chicken nuggets are both cheap foods but I know which one I would have chosen as a child! If you're seriously strapped for cash and doing the best you can as a parent, try not to compare yourself with others and feel guilty.

Time! 
When I wrote the blog about eating well on a budget I was working almost full time and studying for my nutrition diploma (which was almost as much work as a degree.) The recipes I made weren't especially complicated but it was still difficult finding the time to cook when I had studying and assignments to do as well as my job.  This is another instance where those with children can be affected also.  Children demand a lot of our attention and sometimes it can be difficult to always cook from scratch.

Living situation
Many people are living in flat-shares or living with their parents well into adulthood and in over-crowded or cramped conditions.  A lot of the time we won't have a lot of storage space for food and have to take it in turns to use the kitchen.  It's not always a case of not being bothered to cook.

Lack of cooking skills 

This is also an issue for many people and they might feel ashamed to admit it but it's so common.  I learned to bake from a very young age and always loved it but my parents eat mostly traditional British 'meat and 2 veg' kind of food and I always knew I wanted to be vegetarian.  Because of this, when I went to university I didn't have the faintest clue how to prepare fresh vegetables and make proper meals and so I often relied on convenience foods.  Since then I've taught myself how to cook from scratch and I enjoy it but there are times when I'm so busy or there are other things on my mind and I would love not to have to prepare a meal. Shock, horror, not even nutritional therapists have endless motivation!

So in a nutshell:.....

Many of us are not just money poor, we're time and space poor!  So what's the solution? There are sadly some people in serious financial difficulty who are reliant on food banks or who have to choose between eating and paying their gas bills.  In this situation, understandably, nutrition is probably not the first thing on your mind and all you can do is the best you can and keep believing that better times are around the corner.  For those who do have some disposable income and spend at least £3 per day on lunch or coffee, it's worth bearing in mind that there are ways to get around this if you truly want to.  You don't have to try to be some kind of perfect domestic goddess or 'Deliciously Ella'!  If you're happy to try to make a change and cook yourself some affordable but healthy meals like in my previous blog on eating on a budget, that's wonderful.  But if you're not quite there yet, don't be hard on yourself & do the best you can.

We all deserve a chance to enjoy good health!