Make-up artist Jeffree Star took to his Twitter account Sunday to complain about, in his opinion, the relatively high cost of fresh food in the U.S. The fashion designer and model suggests that the expense of food could make it difficult for the average person to eat healthy:
American culture is so stupid… They make it so hard to eat really healthy for the average person. All the fresh food is 4 times as much $
— Jeffree Star (@JeffreeStar) May 1, 2016
So is healthy eating possible while on a budget?
Healthy Food, Healthy Eating — Spend Less Money!
In an attempt to help consumers eat healthy food and spend less money, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released four food plans that people could follow at different cost levels:
- Thrifty
- Low-cost
- Moderate-cost
- Liberal
For example, a family that adopts the low-cost food plan could eat healthier and save money at the same time. In terms of nutrition, the low-cost plan contains more fruits and veggies, whole grains, and skim milk than what families generally consume. It also includes less sweets, oils and fats. When it comes to saving money, the USDA provides a more detailed example:
- An average family of four (i.e. 2 parents, 2 children) spend about $185 per week on food (as of 2010)—although this doesn’t necessarily buy a nutritious diet. The standard American diet needs improvement, according to the USDA Healthy Eating Index report card. The report suggests that
- Americans only consume 59% of the recommended daily intake of vegetables and 42% of the daily recommended intake of fruits.
- The low-cost food plan costs about $175 per week for a family of four as of 2010 (two parents and two children under the age of 11); About 40% of the food plan goes toward fruits and veggies and the plan meets USDA food recommendations (unlike a standard American diet).
- Under the low-cost plan, the average individual (as part of a family of four) would eat between 1.5 – 2.5 cups of fruits daily and two to three cups of vegetables per day.
Click here for further details about the latest USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food report for March 2016.
Read Next:
Kirsten Gillibrand: More Communities Should Have Access to Healthy Food
Sources:
Jeffree Star Twitter. 10:55 AM – 1 May 2016.
https://twitter.com/JeffreeStar/status/726832486387339264.
“Eating Healthy on a Budget: The Consumer Economics Perspective,” ChooseMyPlate.gov;
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/sites/default/files/budget/ConsumerEconomicsPerspective.pdf, last accessed May 2, 2016.
