Diet excuses debunked

Source: skinnyms.com

What’s your excuse?  A poll conducted in June by ShopSmart magazine (published by Consumer Reports) suggests women have all kinds of excuses when asked why they choose pretzels instead of apples.  In fact, 88% handily came up with at least one excuse for eating junk food.

The number one excuse cited?  Healthy food is too expensive.

Is this one of your excuses as well?  If so, I’ve got some news for you: the idea that healthy food is more expensive than junk food is a myth created by food manufacturers in an effort to get you to consume more and more of their products.  Pretty sneaky huh?

Here are a few ideas to consider:

1. Experts agree sugary drinks, which Americans love to consume, fill us up with empty calories and contribute to the current obesity epidemic.  Water is free.
2. Slow Food USA recently launched a program to prove healthy food is affordable and easy to prepare.  Check out their website for loads of tips and recipes for meals that cost $5 or less.
3. Go to the grocery store and price items yourself.  You’ll find that, generally, the more processed a food is, the more it costs.
4. Put the shopping skills you’ve honed over the years to good use!  You can look for, and find, food bargains.    For example, you can buy loads of delicious berries, avocados, tomatoes, spinach, asparagus, apples, oranges, and peaches at Costco.  Their prices are a fraction of those you’d pay at a grocery store.  
5. Educate yourself about what fruits and vegetables are in season.  These are the items you will get the best prices on.
6. Go to your local Farmer’s Market at the end of the day and ask the farmers if they have any seconds.  They’ll give you a bargain for taking items that still taste great but may not look great.
7. Grow your own: if you have space in your backyard, you can plant and grow fresh vegetables to feed your family for meals and snacks.  If you don’t have the space, check to see if your community has garden space you can use.  It doesn’t get much cheaper than that.