The price of produce

There are more and more reports about the effects of inflation on produce consumption. Here is another one.

Posted on the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service site, the article compares the cost of calorie-dense foods versus low-cal, nutritional items like fresh produce.

It should come as no surprise that fresh produce can be way more expensive than some of the fatty, starchy snacks out there. The article stems from research conducted by Adam Drewnowski, director of the Center for Public Health and Nutrition at the University of Washington, and his colleagues, who examined the prices of 372 foods sold at Seattle-area supermarkets, comparing the prices with calorie density.

Taken directly from the article: Based on a standard 2000-calorie diet, the researchers found a diet consisting primarily of calorie-dense foods costs $3.52 a day, but a diet consisting primarily of low-calorie food costs $36.32 a day. The average American eats a variety of foods throughout the day, spending $7 a day.

"If you have $3 to feed yourself, your choices gravitate toward foods which give you the most calories per dollar,'' Drewnowski said. "Not only are the empty calories cheaper, but the healthy foods are becoming more and more expensive. Fresh vegetables and fruits are rapidly becoming luxury goods."

While I think you could effectively eat low-cal foods for much cheaper than $36 a day, this clearly shows that fresh produce marketers have a challenge in conveying to consumers the value of eating fruits and vegetables.