“There’s rice at home”
This is a phrase you’re familiar with if you grew up poor and black.
Especially if your parents are from Nigeria or the Caribbean.
Growing up poor in London, asking my mum for Mcdonald’s led to her telling me:
“There’s food at home”.
20 years ago – it was common knowledge that fast food is more expensive than home-cooked meals.
Fast food was a rare treat for us – because it’s expensive.
In 2023 – fast food is even more expensive.
The cost of living is rising like crazy…
But – the myth of healthy food being more expensive than fast food is spreading like chlamydia in a polycule.
This is false.
This lie is amazing marketing for fast food companies.
This lie is terrible for your pockets and your health.
In this newsletter – I’m revealing the truth.
Believing these myths lead to:
- being fat
- being poor
- being malnourished
Understanding healthy food is cheaper than fast food seems like common sense to me…
But, here are a few reasons why people buy into this myth:
1. “Food deserts means it’s hard for people to find fresh foods”
This doesn’t apply to anyone living in a city.
Brief research on food deserts in the UK shows me Bristol is classed as a food desert.
Less than 5 mins googling shows me you can order groceries online in Bristol.
If you can order a burger – you can order healthy food.
Another thing is:
Healthy food doesn’t mean you HAVE to eat fresh food.
The only vegetables I buy are potatoes. Potatoes last for weeks in the fridge.
Canned tuna & sardines are healthier than fries.
The crazy part is:
People making these arguments claiming “healthy food is expensive” aren’t educated about nutrition.
They have no clue what healthy food is.
I guarantee they assume vegan food is “healthy”.
Wrong – processed vegan food makes you fat & unhealthy too.
If you can buy meat + veg – you can create a healthy diet.
Frozen veg is better than nothing.
2. “Mcdonald’s is cheaper than eating at a healthy restaurant”
There’s a big flaw with this premise.
The flaw is that people aren’t cooking!
Yes – ordering healthy food will likely be more expensive than fast food.
Do you know what’s cheaper than both of these options?
Cooking at home!
Laziness and ignorance is holding people back.
A little research & effort goes a long way.
Here’s undisputed proof that eating healthy saves you money:
I’m revealing my shopping list for June.
I’m comparing what I spent to what it would’ve cost to eat Mcdonald’s every day.
(I’m writing this on June 27th)
My food shopping for June:
5kg Chicken breast: £28
430g pizza stuffed chicken breasts: £3.50
680g Ribeye steaks: £12
228g chicken burgers: £2.25
268g Melt in middle cheeseburgers: £3.99
600g bacon: $6.50
792g chicken & chilli sausages: £6
792g chicken sausages: £6
900g BBQ pork ribs: £6
12 pork sausages: £6
Total (minus discounts/offers and plus delivery cost): £79.29
Fruit & veg (sweet potatoes , grapes, apples): £13
Potatoes (from corner shop): £6
28 Eggs (from corner shop) : £12
8 liters Easiyo yoghurt: £24.99
225g PB fit: £4.51
Total: £139.79
By the end of today – I still have:
- 215g pizza stuffed chicken breasts
- 1.5 packets of chicken sausages
- 8 chicken breasts
- 2 steaks
That’s 12 more days of dinner left.
This is what I’d get if I ate Mcdonald’s every day this month:
Breakfast – Grilled chicken & bacon salad (219 cals): £4.49
Lunch: McCrispy Large meal (930 cals): £7.99
Dinner: Double Big Mac With Bacon Large Meal (1186 cals): £9.39
Snack: Hot apple pie (243 cals) £1.99
Daily order total: £23.86 + £2.79 delivery + £2.39 service fee = £29,04
£29.04 x 30 = £871.20
See the difference?
First – daily calories are 2578 = this means eating ANYTHING more makes the average man gain weight (average male maintenance calories: 2500).
This daily calorie amount leads to the average woman gaining 1lb a week (average female maintenance calories: 2000).
This is without getting an extra 3 bacon cheeseburgers like I would.
The difference in price is clear.
Healthy eating for the month: £139.79
Fast food eating for the month: £871.20
It’s not even close!
Fast food is more than 6x more expensive than eating healthy!
I used Mcdonald’s as the example cos it’s the cheapest fast food I have access to.
People claiming eating healthy is expensive haven’t done the maths or – they can’t cook.
If you think that somehow this myth is true in the US…
Watch this video where a lady shows the difference between what she can buy for $25 at Mcdonalds vs Dollar Tree:
Now you understand eating healthy food saves you money.
Now you understand cooking food saves you money.
Now you won’t be bamboozled into destroying your health and finances by believing lies you see online.
The first step to eating healthy is understanding basic nutrition.
Learn how to eat for better health & body composition using my 12 Lean Nutrition Laws on page 30 inside my book “Getting Lean”.
Here’s the link to learn more:
https://jaycartere.com/gettinglean
All the best,
Jay
