Eating Healthy vs. Eating Cheap
COSTELLO: We all know eating healthy is the very best choice, but a new study highlights the fact it is hardly the cheapest choice. Christine Romans joins us now from New York. It's expensive.</s>CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN HOST: You know when you're feeding kids and you're busy, you have two parents who are working, you know. You can see why the grocery bill goes up and up and up. But the USDA has these new figures, Carol. Looking at, what it costs to feed the family every week. A family with two school age kids, this is what -- this is what the USDA said; for the thrifty plan -- about $146 a week. For a more expensive diet, $289 a week. Now, you look at those numbers and you say wait a minute, maybe those are too low for me. Or maybe I'm right in the middle of those. Why are they important? Because the USDA uses these number to calculate how much money to give to in assistance for people who need supplemental nutrition assistance, SNAP, or food stamps is what we used to call it. 46 million Americans receive food stamps. One out of seven people get government nutrition assistance. And these are numbers that the governor uses, $21 a day to eat for a family of four based on the lowest estimate carol.</s>COSTELLO: So how do you keep those costs down? It is interesting because the government actually has some ideas for this. They have a web site called choosemyplate.gov and they give you even some menu ideas for healthy things that aren't too expensive. They say don't buy precut, prewashed food. That tends to be more expensive. Try canned or frozen vegetables be careful though of the sodium in the canned vegetables, I should. Cook meals that stretch like casseroles and soups. And make a monthly -- a weekly meal plan, that can help you save. Don't by instant stuff, and cheaper fruits and vegetables the government says, carrots, greens potatoes, apples and bananas tend to be the cheapest fruits and vegetables. Focus on those. You know make food that stretch, like stir fry for example. Put as many on sale vegetables as you can in there. Again it's choosemyplate.gov. And there's some kind of some interesting stuff on there. The point here is to try to get fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet, not break the bank. Planning is a big part of that, the government says.</s>COSTELLO: It's like another job, right? You know, you're a mom.</s>ROMANS: You know me. There's nowhere on here does it say my $2 Target pizzas; nowhere on here living there.</s>COSTELLO: But now we know. Thanks for that tip. Christine Romans, thanks so much. We'll be right back.