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Is Eating at Fast Food Restaurants Better for Your Budget?
Many Americans love to eat at restaurants and fast food joints because it is simply “more convenient.” But according to a new report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML), another reason why many people prefer eating at these places is because it’s cheaper than cooking meals at home.
Dr. Joseph Mercola gives his views regarding this issue and explains why eating at restaurants, even if less inexpensive, is still not recommended.
Is Grocery Shopping Really Expensive Nowadays?
The rise in food prices today is felt by many people when they go to grocery stores to replenish their food supply. But if you live in the United States, the problem is not just the continuous rise in food prices; it’s also because the value of the U.S. dollar is being decimated and continues to decline. This happens because the U.S. Federal Reserve continues printing trillions of dollars out of thin air, which leads to inflation and an increase in prices for food and other commodities.
Food costs today have been rising at least 2.5 times the rate of restaurant meal prices. These expenses are then passed on by grocery stores directly to the consumer. Restaurants are able to avoid some of these costs because they reduce wages or buy food in bulk. The consumer is therefore protected from rising food costs when they eat in a restaurant.
However, Dr. Mercola believes that cheap food – if you include the health costs, fossil fuels, and negative environmental implications – is actually more costly in the long run.
“You may very well be able to feed your family a meal of burgers and fries from a restaurant for less than you can make a similar meal at home, but is that really a savings to you?” he asks.
Buying Processed Foods Will NOT Help You Save Money
The typical American spends 90 percent of his food budget on processed snacks and pre-packaged meals, foods that provide almost zero benefits to his health. This fact was not addressed by the BAML report.
“I’m often surprised at the prices people are willing to pay for breakfast cereals that are nothing more than sugar, bags of chips that offer nothing good for your body, soda that is an absolute health disaster … these pricey processed foods will eat up your grocery budget in the blink of an eye and will actually cause disease in the long-term,” Dr. Joe Mercola comments.
He advises that if you want to be practical and beneficial when allocating your grocery shopping budget, you should avoid junk foods and invest in whole foods like grass-fed meat and vegetables instead.
This will also help you to avoid or break free from the junk food addiction that many have already fallen for.
New York Times columnist Mark Bittman says:
“… the engineering behind hyperprocessed food makes it virtually addictive. A 2009 study by the Scripps Research Institute indicates that overconsumption of fast food “triggers addiction-like neuroaddictive responses” in the brain, making it harder to trigger the release of dopamine. In other words the more fast food we eat, the more we need to give us pleasure; thus the report suggests that the same mechanisms underlie drug addiction and obesity,” (link)
The Truth about Five-Star Restaurants
Some people who do not like fast foods opt for fancy five-star restaurants with the hopes of getting a delicious and healthy “home-cooked” meal. But Dr. Mercola warns that many restaurants are actually buying processed frozen foods, popping them in the microwave, and passing them off as “homemade meals.”
In addition, some restaurant meals may put your health at risk. Many restaurants use meats acquired from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), where the livestock is fed excessive amounts of grain and GMO soybeans and corn.
Some restaurants also trick you by using cheap products and passing them off as expensive items. For example, the fish pollack is often used to replace cod, while Maryland-style crab cakes use crabs made from Vietnam.
Some “healthy” restaurant meals are also loaded with calories. A registered dietician and representative for the American Dietetic Association reveals that restaurant meals average from 1,000 to 1,500 calories. Since they come in large servings, you’re likely to eat more than you would at home.
How to Make the Most Out of Your Budget
Dr. Mercola says that eating at home is the best option for people who greatly value their health. “Rather than wasting money on expensive cereal boxes and bags of chips, put your money toward foods that will serve your health well, such as raw organic dairy, cage-free organic eggs, fresh vegetables and fermented foods you make at home,” he advises.
Here are some of his recommended strategies to eat healthy at home even if you have a tight budget:
- Appoint a person to prepare the meals. Someone should invest time in the kitchen to make sure the healthful food products you buy are cooked well and will not go to waste.
- Be resourceful. Think of ways on how you can use every morsel of food. For example, use chicken bones and meat scraps to make soup stock. Keep leftovers in the fridge, so you can serve them for dinner.
- Plan your meals. Prepare your grocery list before you go shopping, so you will only buy what you need.
- Do not waste your food. Find ways to keep your grocery foods fresher longer.
- Buy organic animal foods. The most important foods you should buy organic are animal-based (such as meat, butter, and eggs), because vegetables tend to concentrate pesticides in higher amounts.
- Opt for healthy grass-feed beef. Look for inexpensive roasts or ground meat. If you have enough freezer space, buy an entire side of beef – it will be cheaper in the long run.
- Buy non-perishable items in bulk when they are on sale.
Dr. Mercola also recommends buying from local organic farms or co-ops instead of supermarkets.
“Just as restaurants are able to keep their costs down by getting food directly from a supplier, you, too, can take advantage of a direct farm-to-consumer relationship, either on an individual basis or by joining a food co-op in your area,” he says.
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Tags: budgeting tips, Dr. Joseph Mercola, Dr. Mercola, fast food, food prices, grocery shopping, joe mercola, Joseph Mercola, mercola, processed foods, restaurant meals
