One thing that bothered me about the movie Food, Inc. was the excuse making of the family of four featured in the "Dollar Menu" segment. They claimed there was no money for food but in one trip though the drive-up they spent over $11 on garbage food packed in garbage wrappers and cups and placed in garbage bags so they could drive their big mini van as they ate. At the store they turned down two healthy pears in favor of a $.99 burger. This is nonsensical. It is proof that healthy eating is as much a mindset as it is a matter of finance. I do not mean to be unsympathetic, but the lady said that in the past they did not know the food was unhealthy...now the father's livelihood is threatened by diabetes and blindness and they are paying large amounts for medications to treat a preventable disease yet still they go to the junk food store, the only difference is now they feel bad about it.
Below is a picture of their choices, unhealthy sandwiches full of feed lot meat and refined grain, and soda pop loaded with sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Also pictured is an alternative. For less money the makings of four very healthy meals with enough left over to make the cost of the next four meals even less.They bought five cheese burgers, two chicken sandwiches, two small Sprites and one large Dr.Pepper. Total cost: $11.48.
I bought a large organic yam, a bag of organic brown rice, a head of organic cabbage, a bunch of organic kale, three organic carrots, a small bag of organic dry beans and one organic apple, total cost: $10.26
