The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) study concludes that healthy foods – including fruits and vegetables – are often no more expensive than less-healthy foods.
“We all know that we have room for improvements in our diets as we work towards the MyPlate goal of ‘making half our plates fruit and vegetables’ and this new study shows that we can make those improvements in an affordable way especially when it comes to whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and fruits and vegetables,” says Merrigan.
“We look forward to working with our partners in the produce industry to make sure that all Americans have access to healthy, affordable foods.”
The high cost of healthy foods is often cited as a potential barrier to consumers’ making healthy food choices. The study defines healthy foods as those that contain at least a specified proportion of a major food group and contain only moderate amounts of sodium, saturated fats and/or added sugars.
Measured by the cost per portion, or per pound, grains, vegetables, fruit, and dairy foods are actually less expensive than most protein foods and foods high in saturated fat, added sugars, and/or sodium.
Carrots, onions, pinto beans, lettuce, mashed potatoes, bananas, and orange juice are all less expensive per portion than soft drinks, ice cream, chocolate candy, French fries, and sweet rolls, as well as chicken patties, pork chops, or ground beef.
Source: USDA
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