Hubs and I went bike riding on the first warm day of spring. Leaving our house at 11:30 with no food in tow, we knew we’d need some lunch by the time we got to our state park destination. We stopped at a local organic market to get some goodies. Now, we hadn’t been to this market in awhile, and their shelves were fully stocked with new items; we went a little crazy. What was supposed to be a quick stop for a bite on-the-go turned into:

-1 package of flatbread (4)
-1 package of Field Roast deli slices (yum!)
-2 avocados
-1 bag of Mary’s Gone Crackers! Twigs and Sticks
- 1 block of raw cheese (for Hubs–he can’t quit cheese)
- 2 bottles of Kombucha (so addicting!)

The total was around $30.00. Ouch!

I’m not complaining, because Hubs and I have made a deal that we will never feel bad about doing good things for our bodies, but we could have easily bought a loaf of white bread, a package of bologna, 2 avocados, 1 bag of pretzels, a package of cheese slices, and two bottles of soda for oh, I’d estimate, $12.00. 

Another example: a few weeks ago, Hubs and I were doing a “cleanse.” We fasted on a Friday night and then all day Saturday. We drank a fiber&scillium-rich drink mixture and juice. Hubs went to the store to buy two bottles of juice for our “meals.” As he waited in the check-out lane, the woman in front of him bought a Banquet frozen dinner, two frozen pizzas, and a two-liter of soda. Her total: $6.49. Hubs bought one bottle of organic apple juice and a bottle of organic grape. His total: $8.99!

We’re pretty good at figuring out how to make cheap and healthy, quick meals. However, a cheap AND healthy meal is ALWAYS more expensive than a cheap, NON-healthy meal.  Add in the fact that most people don’t know how to cook anymore, and there you have it, the disappearance of a healthy diet.

I’m hoping that as organic food becomes mainstreamed the prices on it will continue to drop. Until then, we’ll have to cut out those $30 unplanned lunches…