Pinpointing the higher cost of a healthy diet
The healthiest diets cost about $1.50 more per day than the least healthy ones, according to new research from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The finding is based on the most comprehensive examination to date comparing the prices of healthy foods and diet patterns to less healthy ones. The study will be published online today in BMJ (British Medical Journal) Open. “People often say that healthier foods are more expensive, and that such costs strongly limit better diet habits,” said lead author Mayuree Rao, a junior research fellow in the Department of Epidemiology at HSPH. “But, until now, the scientific evidence for this idea has not been systematically evaluated, nor have the actual differences in cost been characterized.” The HSPH researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 27 existing studies from 10 high-income countries that included price data for individual foods and for healthier vs. less healthy diets. They evaluated the differences in prices...