Think it’s cheaper to pick up a pre-packaged pizza than browse your supermarket’s produce aisle? Recent studies are saying, “Absolutely.”

According to an article written on Food Navigator-USA by Elaine Watson last week, studies released by searchers in the U.S. and the UK have concluded that more nutrient-dense food (meaning foods better for you with more beneficial nutrients for the body) do cost more than your average bag of chips and hot dog.

In a recent paper, ‘Nutrient Intakes Linked to Better Health Outcomes Are Associated with Higher Diet Costs in the US’, authored by several researchers including Adam Drenowski, the director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington, Seattle, one equation was adamantly upheld:

Diet + Nutritional Food = Higher Costs

Drewnowski, according to Watson, has “urged policy makers to take a ‘reality check’ after repeatedly highlighting the disparity between ‘aspirational’ diets and hard reality based on actual eating patterns identified from federal nutrient composition and dietary intake databases.” People don’t eat unhealthy because they want to. It’s just the most affordable, the study says.

But that’s probably just referring to supermarket browsers. How does eating out, and fast food fit into the equation? The study doesn’t exactly address that.

So what happens when we compare a healthy, home-cooked meal to eating fast food? A whole ‘nother ball came, according to http://www.healthyfamilyfun.org.

 Well – that’s a little sobering. So, if these numbers are right, what’s the problem? Convenience. As a friend of mine recently said, “American people are being killed by convenience.”

People don’t make time to cook anymore, and so they depend on the fast food, processed foods, and junk food to fill their plates. If people realized the money they’d save, I think it might start turning some heads. For now – it will remain an eternal debate among researchers. Try googling “what is cheaper fast food or healthy food.” The results I got was one link sending you to a page that said yes, the next one no. Next one yes. No. Yes. No.

I don’t know. I think the numbers above speak for themselves. Don’t you?