Healthy Foods Too Expensive for the Poor

What, dollar-store bread and ramen noodles aren't good for you anymore?

A new study out of the U.S. finds that it's often too expensive for low-income families to maintain a healthy diet as set out by the food pyramid. Pablo Monsivais, a researcher at the University of Washington estimates it would add about $380 more a year to the average consumer's grocery bill just to get to the recommended level of the nutrient potassium. The rising cost of food – and in particular, fruits and vegetables – needs to be incorporated in federal guidelines for healthy eating, says the study's author, noting that current marketing campaigns include such high-falutin foodstuffs as salmon resting on a bed of rice pilaf. As an interesting corollary, Monsivais found that the more people spent on food, the more likely they were to eat a properly balanced diet, indicating that yes, rich people are indeed better than you and me.