The next time you’re grocery shopping, ask yourself this: Would you still be tempted to buy that box of cookies if it cost ten bucks instead of just three? Scientists say probably not. The more expensive sugary sodas and junk foods are, the less likely people are to buy them, according to a new study in the journal PLOS Medicine.
Researchers from the University of Auckland and University of Otago analyzed data from 32 different studies examining pricing models and food consumption. They found that raising the price of sodas by 10 percent is associated with a 1 to 24 percent decrease in the consumption of soda. Likewise, a 1 percent price hike in foods with saturated fat is associated with a 0.02 percent decrease in consumption of those foods. And even more promising: Turns out, lowering the price of fruits and vegetables by 10 percent could result in a 2 to 8 percent increase in consumption of produce.
In short: If it’s affordable, people will buy it—regardless of whether it helps or hurts their health. That’s why food companies price large items at a discount—they know it’ll drive sales, says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University and author of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health. Unfortunately, healthy options tend to be much more expensive than junky items. “The Department of Commerce says the indexed price of fresh fruits and vegetables has gone up by about 40 percent since 1980 whereas the indexed price of sodas has declined by about 15 percent,” Nestle says. “That’s a big incentive to buy sodas.”
The good news is that you don’t need to be a member of the 1 percent to maintain a nutritious diet. These five meals are hearty, full of nutrients, and will cost you less than $ 28 altogether. See all the recipes, including chicken lettuce cups and curried chicken couscous.
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