Fast food and ultra-processed foods dominate many American diets and contribute to widespread overweight and obesity. Americans commonly consume an excess of roughly 200–600 calories per day, about 10–20% of daily intake. That excess implies households waste money by buying more calories than necessary. Redirecting spending from eating out, convenience foods, and discarded food could fund healthier purchases. Behavioral choices, not just prices, drive diet quality; overspending sustains unhealthy eating. Financial reshuffling and reduced food waste can make healthier foods affordable without large price changes. Evaluating food costs on a per-calorie basis reveals potential savings for fresh, minimally processed foods.
The population currently loves to talk about how expensive healthy food is. It's one of the primary reasons people use to explain the nation's obesity and health epidemic, 'If only healthy food were more affordable, we would buy it! Right?' Well, probably not. Here's a point that people rarely ever talk about. Our spending behavior. The population will talk about the price of healthy food as if we don't already overspend on our diets, let alone throw money away.
In the USA, almost 75% of the population is classified as being overweight, while 40.3% are obese. That's a lot of extra calories we're eating. Getting a specific number is tough, but the average American is eating an excess of 200-600 calories daily, about 10-20% of their daily caloric intake. If the price of their groceries were all equated on a per-calorie basis, they would spend 10-20% more money than they need. This is wasting money that could be spent on healthier food.
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