Why is Healthy Food So expensive in UK?

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owsnap

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Stuff is just unbearable, all of your shelfs are mostly full of processed junk food in huge packagings,let's not even start with the huuuuge variety of ready-made meals which taste like cardboard, I'm used to eating just simple vegetable based food with lots of fishes/ nuts etc- the stuff you call super healthy ( mediterranean diet as you would say).

However over there in UK it's marketed as something really luxury and posh and a must-have thing yet It's not affordable although it should be as it's the cheapest most basic form of food.
I have started to hate all of your supermarkets except Lidl/aldi because all you can buy there is just bunch of rubbish, If you want to buy some simple vegetables/fruits and make food yourself they are insanely expensive. I have seen cookies get sold there for like £0.5 per kg, wtf..It's cheaper to buy cookies than some basic vegetables.

brb £2 for a kg of potatoes which doesn't tastes like just water, what's going on?
 
Then don't buy the processed junk, and not sure what potatoes you're buying but on Tesco there are currently five different ones on sale for <£1/kg, you can have, plane whites, Maris Piper, Charlotte, King Edwards, or jackets. Your choice should be influenced by whether you want, roast, mashed, chipped, boiled, baked or fried. Personally i'd go with the Charlottes, boiled then tossed in butter and chopped chives.

Honestly I think fruit and veg are very reasonably priced, yes your soft fruit can get expensive, but overall in my experience prices are lower in the UK than in other European countries I've shopped in. Obviously fruits (peaches, oranges etc) will be cheaper in sunny Spain but root vegetables are more expensive etc etc.

F.
 
All of the better supermarkets have fresh fruit and vegetables readily available and cheap in season. Meat and fish counters likewise - quality wise you get what you pay for with proteins. You can also go to markets in many towns. Seek and ye shall find. Oddly enough we have managed to survive and thrive over here reasonably well....
 
owsnap":2tox1j7m said:
Stuff is just unbearable, all of your shelfs are mostly full of processed junk food in huge packagings,let's not even start with the huuuuge variety of ready-made meals which taste like cardboard, I'm used to eating just simple vegetable based food with lots of fishes/ nuts etc- the stuff you call super healthy ( mediterranean diet as you would say).

However over there in UK it's marketed as something really luxury and posh and a must-have thing yet It's not affordable although it should be as it's the cheapest most basic form of food.
I have started to hate all of your supermarkets except Lidl/aldi because all you can buy there is just bunch of rubbish, If you want to buy some simple vegetables/fruits and make food yourself they are insanely expensive. I have seen cookies get sold there for like £0.5 per kg, wtf..It's cheaper to buy cookies than some basic vegetables.

brb £2 for a kg of potatoes which doesn't tastes like just water, what's going on?

That diet you're on is affecting your mind. :p
 
I like your style, I have spend years gradually upsetting most of the forum members, you have gone for the "upset everyone whilst settling in tactic". Very effective.
 
doctor Bob":3f51k4ve said:
I like your style, I have spend years gradually upsetting most of the forum members, you have gone for the "upset everyone whilst settling in tactic". Very effective.

I think there has to be a lost in translation element to the post, else indeed he has pinned his colours to the mast early on!
 
So you don't like ready meals - then don't buy them. We are fortunate enough to have a huge selection of foods to buy in the UK so you can buy fresh fruit and veg. As for cost, I don't think it's bad but it's no doubt cheaper abroad I'd expect oranges to be cheaper in Spain etc. I also think our meet is the best in the world.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
owsnap":19yyur3x said:
Stuff is just unbearable, all of your shelfs are mostly full of processed junk food in huge packagings,let's not even start with the huuuuge variety of ready-made meals which taste like cardboard, I'm used to eating just simple vegetable based food with lots of fishes/ nuts etc- the stuff you call super healthy ( mediterranean diet as you would say).

However over there in UK it's marketed as something really luxury and posh and a must-have thing yet It's not affordable although it should be as it's the cheapest most basic form of food.
I have started to hate all of your supermarkets except Lidl/aldi because all you can buy there is just bunch of rubbish, If you want to buy some simple vegetables/fruits and make food yourself they are insanely expensive. I have seen cookies get sold there for like £0.5 per kg, wtf..It's cheaper to buy cookies than some basic vegetables.

brb £2 for a kg of potatoes which doesn't tastes like just water, what's going on?

it's time that you went to a market then! seriously, it's where I get almost 100% of my food, it's ridiculously cheap and far better quality. I only get a few things from supermarkets.
 
plenty of good food about if you look for it, local farm shops are good for seasonal veggies, fresh eggs, fresh fruit, for meat and fish you can't beat the markets for freshness,
 
Yes, lidl and aldi have cheap veg, but it isn't high quality and doesn't keep. I'd rather pay a little more and not throw any away. Waitrose for me!
 
If you buy things in season then prices are very good - but buying generally available foreign strawberries in winter, is a big no no. Expensive and generally tasteless.

We have a tremendous choice of fresh produce from all parts of the world but I always try to buy seasonal UK grown products as far as possible.
They are cheaper and taste much better.
Of course lots of stuff, like bananas, cannot be grown over here so if you like them there has to be a few exceptions.

Rod
 
NickWelford":36qk1w7t said:
Yes, lidl and aldi have cheap veg, but it isn't high quality and doesn't keep. I'd rather pay a little more and not throw any away. Waitrose for me!
I've not had any problem with Lidl fruit, I go there from choice. I bought £20s worth this afternoon. Three of us - by Sunday there'll be none left. :D
 
owsnap":61b1uxzd said:
Stuff is just unbearable, all of your shelfs are mostly full of processed junk food in huge packagings,let's not even start with the huuuuge variety of ready-made meals which taste like cardboard, I'm used to eating just simple vegetable based food with lots of fishes/ nuts etc- the stuff you call super healthy ( mediterranean diet as you would say).

However over there in UK it's marketed as something really luxury and posh and a must-have thing yet It's not affordable although it should be as it's the cheapest most basic form of food.
I have started to hate all of your supermarkets except Lidl/aldi because all you can buy there is just bunch of rubbish, If you want to buy some simple vegetables/fruits and make food yourself they are insanely expensive. I have seen cookies get sold there for like £0.5 per kg, wtf..It's cheaper to buy cookies than some basic vegetables.

brb £2 for a kg of potatoes which doesn't tastes like just water, what's going on?

As has already been said there are plenty of establishments (Farm shops, Markets, quality supermarkets and independent stores) that sell good quality wholesome foods that are readily available.
If you know how to inspect foods for freshness and quality you can pick the best quality from them.
Stop being lazy and go and look for them.
 
You can buy a 25kg bag of spuds for about a fiver.

They really are the cheapest things about.
 
Another vote for Charlotte potatoes (hammer)

I've also found Lidl's fruit and veg doesn't keep as well as Sainsbury's. Sainsbury's have also brought a lot of their prices down recently and on many items they are as cheap as Lidl's. Lidl's have the edge on tools though :lol:

Regards Keith
 
I realize I can't compare your prices VS some eastern european/asian country prices where the cost to grow stuff is cheaper.
but what I don't get around is why the Processed Junk food which you have full shelves of costs so little compared to the normal stuff, those rich tea cookies which comes in packs of 400-500grams cost like what, 20p? #-o .
800grams loaf of bread which is just nasty nasty thing (not sure why are they making it so terrible) costs like what, 35p?
Everywhere else it's the other way around, the vegetetables/fruits where there is no cost in making them other than growing them cost so little compared to processed cra.p which is more like a treat.
But in UK I have noticed it's the other way around , Your Junk food is your Regular Everyday food, but the Normal food is an occasional treat #-o
 

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