Less (Expensive) is More
If you’re not buying enough fresh fruits and vegetables because you think
they are too expensive, you may be interested to know that you can eat seven
servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day for only 70 cents. Why it is so
inexpensive? Because a serving size is small—only half a cup. Americans
currently spend more money a day on soda, candy, and other foods with low
nutritional value (an average of 19 cents of every food dollar) than they do on
fresh fruits and vegetables (15 cents per food dollar).
A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture a few years ago
looked at the cost of over 150 different types of produce. They found that over
half of the fresh produce sampled was less than 25 cents per serving and less
than 20% of the produce in the study cost more than 50 cents per serving. The
report “How Much Do Americans Pay for Fruits & Vegetables?” notes
that canned, frozen, or dried fruits and vegetables are usually more expensive
than fresh with the exception of dried beans, apricots, and raisins. Actually,
the least expensive foods such as apples, carrots, and watermelon are often the
best nutritional value for your dollar. Blackberries are the most expensive
fresh fruit, but the price per serving was still less than 70 cents. It’s not
to say that you shouldn’t buy frozen or canned fruits and vegetables, but don’t
let the cost be an excuse not to buy fresh produce.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/september04/Findings/FruitVeg.htm
http://ers.usda.gov/publications/aib790/