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High food prices may mean better diet

Janet Babin Jun 19, 2008
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High food prices may mean better diet

Janet Babin Jun 19, 2008
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Scott Jagow: Where’s the bright side? Where’s the silver lining? I’ve been looking for it all morning. Just something positive to say about the economy. Here’s what I came up with: High food prices might actually be good for our diets. Marketplace’s Janet Babin reports from North Carolina Public Radio.


Janet Babin: Eggs cost about a third more than they did a year ago. Butter is up 10 percent and whole wheat bread will cost you almost 20 percent more than last year. These prices are stretching the family budget, and forcing us to rethink our food choices.

Dietician Linda McDonald runs the Web site Supermarket Savvy. She says this grocery store sticker shock might actually make us healthier.

Linda McDonald: This’ll get people back to the basics. They’ll spend more time in the perimeter of the store, where all the fresh foods are. I mean, basically that’s where your more healthy foods are — things that are more economical that maybe take a little more time to prepare.

For example, rice bought in bulk is cheaper, and healthier, than a microwave-ready side dish.

And food bought in bulk means fewer trips to the grocery store. When gas is 4 bucks a gallon, every food run counts.

I’m Janet Babin for Marketplace.

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