Cherry tomatoes, an Asian pear, cucumbers, blackberries, cubed pineapple, Edam cheese, and whole wheat crackers.
This shopping trip cost us $79.
After working in the yard to build our new compost bin, we lunched on a platter of fruit / cheese / veg with my sis-in-law (that’s 3 people for this meal). Later on, at dinner we sliced up the remainder of the fruit and poured out white wine spritzers between the two of us.
The Case for McFood
The thing that bothers me is that we spent 80 bucks for two healthy meals. There’s got be a cheaper way to eat fruit and veg in a day without spending the weekly food budget!!!
In recent years the media has latched onto this idea of food deserts--places in urban areas where it's impossible to bet healthy nutritious food (I have some different thoughts about this)...usually coupled with this concept is the assertion that poor people are spending a mint at corner shops and McFood restaurants when they could spend a lower or comparable amount for healthier options in real markets.
We talked about it and hubby set me straight, "No, it's not cheaper to eat healthy food. That's why McDonald's will always win that argument." He's right, the dollar menu is a steal--you can't buy one single serving of fruit for a buck.
I Googled it.
In order to make a cheaper fruit tray, we get to keep my cucumber, but must limit our options to slightly more mundane fare. To cut the cost down by over a third—and keep the quantity roughly the same—we’ve gotta replace the tropical items with melons (high in water, fibre, and vitamins), citrus fruit, grapes, and perhaps *apples.
As a Caribbean national, it goes against everything I believe in—you eat papaya in Papaya season. However, as a person who strives to lessen her carbon footprint, it makes complete sense. AND as a former nutrition major, it’s still a good idea.
* I hate apples
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