A few months ago we had a house guest that asked me something that really got me thinking. After being with us for a day and getting a view of the innards of our kitchen, he said, “don’t you all buy groceries?” as if he’d opened the fridge and only seen a half eaten pickle, some left over Chinese food and a bottle of ketchup (a real life bachelor pad scene I wish I’d made up). I looked very confused because the fridge was full. I even went and looked just to be sure I wasn’t crazy, but there was left-over home made chicken and mashed potatoes, a stocked fruit and veggie drawer, some vegetable broth, a freezer full of Sunshine burgers and frozen vegetables, etc. It definitely did not look sparse. Of course in the pantry I had shelves full of canned beans, bags of dry ones, bags of rice, split peas, lentils, Thai noodles, you name it. So this house guest decided to go get some “groceries” during their stay to not feel like we were a bed and breakfast and to not have to eat out every single meal in expensive NYC.
He came back with 2 bags of Tostino’s pizza rolls, a loaf of Wonder bread, some ham and cheese, and a bag of BBQ Lays potato chips.
Yes, my thoughts exactly.
So this is what it means in America today to have groceries on hand. Well, it got me thinking. People say buying organic and quality produce and meats is too expensive. But how much in one shopping trip do we spend on soda, chips, ice cream and other foods that hold absolutely no nutritional value and in reality do much more harm than the good instant gratification of appeasing taste buds? I’m not sure how much that pizza/bread/chip run cost, but I can assure you it is the same amount of money I save by not buying those kinds of things at all. If I want ice cream, I splurge on a small pint once in a blue moon, but it’s not a required staple in the freezer. We occasionally like to indulge in chips and salsa, but I can’t tell you the last time I purchased beverages other than boxes of tea or liquor for hosting a party.
I see people in the grocery store all the time purchasing things like this and it really does boggle my mind. If you are what you eat, and I FULLY believe that we are, that means we’re a nation of genetically modified corn, by-products, and food stabilizers, all up and walking around not at all aware of why we don’t feel healthy (or happy) most of the time…
So how much do you spend on groceries? How much of it is actually feeding you and what percentage of it is going to complete nutritional waste? I probably spend $50/week on groceries. My grocery list consists of nothing but vegetables, fruit, maybe some peanut butter, occasionally some almond milk, or vegetable broth, and sometimes organic chicken. These are the things I buy weekly. Almost always organic, especially for certain fruits and meat. Does that sound so bad? I don’t feel like I’m spending much more on groceries than the people who complain about how much quality food costs…
Also take this into consideration- and this is HUGE. How many of you know somebody with a medicated condition? High blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type II Diabetes? Something chronic that you know could be remedied if they lost a few pounds, started exercising, and stopped eating a lot of the junk you know they eat. Type II Diabetes is one of the best examples. The last major report on Diabetic costs was in 2007. Take a look at this:
Seattle, WA, April 10, 2007 – A first-of-its-kind report looking at the prevalence and cost of type 2 diabetes complications shows that an estimated three out of five people (57.9 percent) with type 2 diabetes have at least one of the other serious health problems commonly associated with the disease, and that these health problems are taking a heavy financial toll on the United States. In 2006, the nation spent an estimated $22.9 billion on direct medical costs related to diabetes complications.*
The new report, titled State of Diabetes Complications in America, also shows that estimated annual healthcare costs for a person with type 2 diabetes complications are about three times higher than that of the average American without diagnosed diabetes. These complications, which can include heart disease, stroke, eye damage, chronic kidney disease and foot problems that can lead to amputations, cost a person with type 2 diabetes almost $10,000 each year.* People with diabetes complications pay nearly $1,600 out of their own pockets for costs that are not reimbursed by insurance, such as co-payments and deductibles.* This amount is significant, considering that according to the National Health Interview Survey, an estimated 40 percent of adults with diabetes reported a family income of less than $35,000 per year in 2005.”
This is a disease that is completely PREVENTABLE and REVERSIBLE. That was 3 years ago. We’re not doing any better. Now it is estimated that 1 in 3 children being born today will get Type 2 Diabetes, and that rate goes up to 1 in 2 in black and Hispanic communities. That also doesn’t take into consideration the costs associated with people that have pre-diabetes and the pregnant women who develop gestational diabetes. Cha-ching.
So tell me now, how much do your groceries really cost? Is it worth it to save a few dollars now to have to pay it back 10, 20, or even 30 fold down the line not only with money but with possibly a limb or your eyes??All the while complaining about your stressful job, your low back pain, your lack of energy for the next umpteen years? Eating junk foods doesn’t just lead to being overweight and type 2 diabetes, though. The list of conditions that are preventable through healthy eating and exercise is endless. Infertility, cancers, heart disease, inexplicable body aches and pains, libido, mood, depression, you name it… can all be improved or prevented entirely by eating and exercising the way your own body needs to.
So really take a good hard look and ask yourself how much do your groceries really cost?
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