What can you really afford?
This NPR interview with Whole Foods’ CEO got me thinking. He makes some interesting points, especially about what food we can afford (or tell ourselves we can afford). He quoted statistics illustrating how little of their income Americans spend on groceries versus what people in other countries spend.
I really could afford to eat a lot more organic food, but the additional price would mean I’d have to give up something else - eat fewer dinners out, or take fewer trips. And really, shouldn’t I be spending my money on important things like healthy food? By not making my health a priority, I’m choosing to increase my risks of diseases, obesity, etc. If lowering risk of disease isn’t worth my hard-earned money, then what is?
I think the main problem here is that I’m not educated enough about the concrete health benefits of switching to more organic, high-quality foods. I do know better than to sit around eating Big Macs and Twinkies just because they are cheap, but I seem to have a psychological barrier when confronted with $2 broccoli versus $4 organic broccoli when I’m in the supermarket.
Are you willing to pay more for your food in order to make your diet healthier? To what extent?
Tags: diet, health, NPR, organic-food, vegetarian, Whole-FoodsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: News, Organic, Thoughts, Veg Health and Science
6 opinions for What can you really afford?
céline
Feb 27, 2007 at 1:53 pm
I am willing to pay a bit more for organic food if there is the guarantee that the food will also taste better. And it’s not that easy to find.
ruth
Feb 27, 2007 at 4:11 pm
organic food are not necessarily healthier, but they are more environmentally friendly, and that may be one reason why people patronize them.
i do buy organic veggies, particularly those which otherwise require a lot of pesticides to grow. unfortunately, the budget simply doesn’t allow for organic everything! :(
i think rather than switch to organic stuff, what’s more achievable is to switch to fruits and veggies that are in season. they are generally cheaper, and taste better.
Zandria
Feb 27, 2007 at 5:06 pm
It’s a tough call. I wish I bought everything organic, but the high price does turn me off. I do rationalize it by telling myself I’m doing good just by buying fruits and vegetables in general. :)
ric
Feb 28, 2007 at 12:38 am
Whole Foods is a great company with great products. A lot of the vendors are local and with local employees. Whole Foods uses a two tier purchasing system that allows individual stores to buy from small local companies and national brands. This system allows small start ups a chance to compete . Also they have a strict criteria in regards to how the product is made, the ingredients, and does the vendor give back to people and the planet. In an interview John Mackey said ” we’ve got very positive, upbeat, service-oriented people because we understand that the customer is the most important stakeholder in the business and we’ve got to make the customers happy and so we select team members who share that vision of service and then we empower them to do whatever it takes to help make the customers happy.” How refreshing to hear a CEO who thinks the customer is important.
Jul
Feb 28, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Zandria - true, plenty of people steer clear of the produce aisle almost completely!
Ric - nice of you to stop by, but please note you aren’t going to make many friends by leaving comments that are really just ads and not relevant to the discussion at hand. Very poor form.
Relieve Bloating
Jan 4, 2008 at 9:04 pm
I’m willing to spend some time looking for cheaper organic food. But if the organic produce are from my local community, I won’t usually mind paying a bit more expensive organic products because I know that it’s going to somewhat help my community.
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