Myth or Fact: Fruits and vegetables are always more expensive than other foods.
Compared to a candy bar, soda, or snack grab bag, fruits and veggies are a bargain!
To test this myth/fact, I checked the prices from a big-box store of some commonly eaten foods.
These 4 items will cost you $16.02.
These 7 items will cost you $14.20.
As you can see, the healthier option has a savings of $1.82. Fruit and vegetables are affordable. When you purchase fruits and vegetables, you are getting more nutritional value for your money. Also, think about the number of servings you can get from the fruits and vegetables you purchase not to mention the recipes you can add them to.
The chips will provide calories from fat and have sodium.
The cookies will provide calories from fat and sugar.
The soda will provide calories from sugar.
And, the ice cream will provide fat, sugars, and calories.
The fruits and vegetables on the other hand will provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
Since fruits and vegetables are filled with vitamins and minerals that are important to your diet, it is important that you make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
You might consider using these tips to stretch your food dollars when purchasing your fruits and vegetables:
Sources: USDA, www.fruitsandveggies.org, and Fruits and Veggies More Matters
The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture