Is it Cheaper to Eat Out?
It’s true, food costs are on the rise. The consumer price index (CPI) - a measure of economy wide inflation, rose 7.7% between October 2021 and October 2022. In the first quarter of 2022, the CPI was nearly double what it was in 2021, and over seven times what it was in 2020.
According to the USDA, the cost of food has increased dramatically. As of November 2022, the cost of all food prices was up 10.9% compared with November 2021. Specifically, comparing numbers from 2021 to 2022::
Dairy prices are up 15.5%
Pork, and chicken prices are up 16.9%
Fresh fruits: while prices appear to be declining at this time, fresh fruits are predicted to be up a total of 8% in 2022
Fresh vegetables are up 8.3%
Processed fruits and vegetables (frozen, canned, dried) are up 11.5-12.5%
Shelf stable seafood (canned) is up 9.9%
Fresh seafood is up 9.3% on average ; finfish is up 16.2%
Frozen seafood is up 11.6%
Fats and oils are up 18-19%
Sugars and sweets are up 10.5-11.5%
Eggs are up 43% (largely due to the Avian flu epidemic that has significantly reduced the supply and has affected 46 US states)
The only decrease in prices has been in beef and veal, which is down 3.6%.
The USDA compared ‘food at home’ prices (food purchased to prepare at home) to ‘food away from home’ (food purchased from restaurants) and found that food away from home has had a lower increase than food at home prices (7-8% vs 11-12% respectively); which leaves a lot of people asking, is it cheaper to eat out?
No. For so many reasons, but here are a few things to think about.
First: Make sure you're comparing apples to apples. A homemade meal of grilled tuna steaks, roasted asparagus, and a fresh kale salad is going to cost you a lot more than a McDonald’s combo meal. But that’s like saying that silver cars are more expensive than white cars based on the fact that your neighbor’s silver Porsche is more expensive than your white Hyundai.
Second: Rethink your idea of the term healthy. There is a misconception about what is considered ‘healthy food’. The internet community will tell you it has to be fresh food, never frozen,boxed, canned, or processed. It has to be 100% organic. It has to be gluten free. It has to be grain free. It can’t have any sugar. It can’t have any oils/fats. It has to include kale / coconut oil / himalayan sea salt / (insert the trendy new ingredient of the day).
Social media is flooded with ‘healthy’ trends; food hacks, cooking trends, and new food ideas that are touted as healthier than anything that’s ever been done.
There is nothing wrong with striving for any of the above. But to consider anything other than that as unhealthy, and unacceptable, is a setup for failure.
Eating healthy means:
Starting with fresh, or minimally processed foods. This includes canned, frozen, and some boxed food items. When looking at foods with labels, look for items with the fewest ingredients, and ingredient names you can pronounce. If you regularly rely on convenience items, start looking for fresh foods that are also convenient, such as individually packaged baby carrots, indi containers of yogurt or cottage cheese, made-ahead hard boiled eggs, or canned tuna.
Increase your fruit and vegetable intake. Aim for 5-9 servings a day. A serving is ½ cup cooked or canned, 1 cup raw. High intakes of fruits and vegetables is associated with decreases in all chronic disease rates, reduced rates of depression / improved mood, improved gut microbiome and immunity, improved bowel regularity, and improved waist lines. Start simple by adding one extra serving each week.
Eat a variety of foods. This ensures you get a variety of nutrients. When we get stuck in food jags,we limit the range of nutrients we consume, often going overboard on some (fat and sodium), and not getting enough of others (vit D, vit B12, and magnesium are common examples of nutrients lacking in the standard American diet (SAD)). Make a point to try one new food per week.
Eat less fried foods, sugar, and ultra processed foods: Sounds self explanatory, but here’s one thing to remember; a lot of ultra processed foods are marketed as healthy. Think of ‘healthy’ frozen entrees, and especially, meat analogs; processed soy based foods made to taste like chicken, beef, and fish. Some products are better than others, but they are all ultra processed foods. Check the labels. See reference article on the Impossible Burger down below.
Eat less simple carbohydrates. In addition to the already mentioned sweets, think white bread, pasta, and rice. These foods provide lots of starch- calorically dense carbohydrates, with little fiber and fewer nutrients than their complex carbohydrate counterparts; whole wheat breads and pasta, legume pastas, brown rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, and legumes. Try swapping a baked white or sweet potato for white rice or noodles.
A note on going gluten free:
A gluten free diet has been helpful for many for a variety of reasons including managing intolerances and decreasing IBS symptoms. But gluten free is not a blanket recommendation for everyone. It is very individual. If you think you might benefit from going gluten free, try it (strictly) for 3 months. Then, try a test dose of a gluten containing food and monitor for symptoms. If you do choose to go gluten free, avoid commercial ‘gluten free’ substitutes such as gluten free breads and baked goods. Some have ingredients you don’t want. And, few of these have the same texture and mouthfeel, which are important for satisfaction. Instead, try to create new food favorites that are naturally gluten free.
Eat less red meat, more poultry, fish, and (natural) plant sources of protein. Red meat is more inflammatory than other meats. High intakes of red meat is associated with increased risks of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality. If meat is a common part of your diet, start by substituting a vegetable rich, meatless meal once a week, and use leftovers for lunches.
A note on going vegetarian / vegan:
Cutting back on animal products and eating more plant proteins is part of a healthy, anti-inflammatory lifestyle. If you are interested in going vegetarian or vegan, learn how to get proper nutrition from plant foods and create a new list of favorites, rather than trying to mimic the taste of your favorite animal products - the two will never compare and you may find yourself feeling as if it's not worth it.
Eat less dairy. Dairy can be inflammatory. And frequent intakes of milk and other dairy products have been associated with some cancers. Start by cutting back on the serving sizes you use, especially with cheeses added to things like nachos, baked potatoes, and casseroles.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to mean eating expensive, exotic foods that take hours to make. Consider these options: A peanut butter and banana sandwich with a side of strawberries, or a tuna bowl with canned tuna, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and a few tbsp of feta cheese topped with greek salad dressing.
The third reason why eating out is NOT cheaper than cooking at home: The cost of unhealthy food. Poor nutrition is linked to most chronic, debilitating, and fatal diseases; most notably- obesity, heart disease (including hypertension and stroke), diabetes, liver disease, and multiple cancers. When we consider how much food costs, the cost of these consequences should be a factor. Direct costs (to the individual) of some of these conditions have been estimated based on past data:
Obesity: $2,500
Heart Disease: $20,000
Cancer: up to $80,000
There are also indirect costs, which include lost wages due to missed work or early disability. And then there is the long list of the non-monetary costs associated with chronic illness; disability, pain, social isolation, depression, inability to participate in favorite activities, loss of independence, relationship problems, poor quality of life, etc.
Note: If you are used to eating out or getting take out for most of your meals, you have likely gotten used to the taste of highly seasoned (high salt, fat, and sugar) foods. The same can be said for those who regularly rely on grocery store purchased ultra processed foods. These foods are designed to increase desire and elicit strong taste sensations. Eating healthier, whole and minimally processed foods may taste a little bland. The good news is that our taste can change. The more you eat healthier foods, the more you will enjoy and crave them; the more you will recognize the natural sweetness of a carrot, or saltiness of a celery stick. If switching from take out to homemade is a big change, start slowly. Aim for home prepared meals once or twice a week at first. Gradually build to making take out the exception, rather than the norm. And remember, each step closer to that goal is an improvement for your health!
If you still think eating out is cheaper, check out this comparison:
McDonalds Cheeseburger Combo meal: cheeseburger, medium french fries, medium soft drink
$8.59
10-15$ time to get to and go through the Drive Thru
1130 calories, 20g protein, 28g fat, 8g saturated fat, 131g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, 1035 mg sodium, 65g sugar, (40 g added sugar- soda, bun)
vs:
Homemade Turkey / chicken cheese burger: baby carrots, grapes, iced tea (half & half sweet)
$3.50
10-15 minutes to make at home
560 calories, 44g protein, 20g fat, 8g saturated fat, 54g carbohydrate, 10g fiber, 566g sodium, 20g sugar (5g added sugar - half and half sweet tea)
Or this:
Chipotle Burrito Bowl : chicken, black beans, rice, veggies, cheese, quac, salsa, organic mandarin aqua fresca
$14.10
10-15$ time to get to and go through the Drive Thru
1041 calories, 50g protein, 27g fat, 9g saturated fat, 97g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 2150mg sodium, 52g sugar (47g added sugar - drink)
vs:
Homemade Burrito bowl: chicken, black beans, rice, veggies, cheese, quac, salsa, fruit infused water
$4.75
10-15 minutes to make at home
471 calories, 40g protein, 17g fat, 8g saturated fat, 39g carbohydrates, 8g fiber, 719 mg sodium, 7g sugar (0 g added sugar)
* Nutrition analysis using data from McDonalds, Chipotle, Cronometer
* Costs analysis based on current costs from restaurant menus, current grocery store prices
* The majority of the saturated fat in all of these meals comes from the cheese.
* The majority of added sugar comes from sweetened beverages
Don’t fall for the hype. Healthy food is not too expensive, and it is definitely less expensive than eating out.
If the idea of preparing healthy meals overwhelms you, or you don’t feel you have the time to fix a healthy meal, think again! Check out the resources at thefivetenfifteen.com
The5/10/15
Fuel, Energize, Unwind - on Your Time
References:
USDA food price outlook, Nov 2022
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings/
CPI year to year comparison
Impossible Burger
Common food ingredients to avoid
:https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/common-food-additives#TOC_TITLE_HDR_14
https://www.eatthis.com/worst-food-additives/
Fruit/veggie intake and mental health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7019743/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7831325/
Red meat and disease:
Cost of poor nutrition