I know, I work in a supermarket, not even one of the high end ones, and you can buy a kilogram of raspberries for less than regular big mac meal. That's 2.2lbs for under £5. When my mother was visiting family in America , and she was shocked by the price of fruit and veg.

I can agree only on some parts. When I was a poor student, McDonalds counted as luxury food I could only afford rarely. So that's true. However, that doesn't mean that poorer people in Europe eat especially healthy, home cooked food. While it's true that fresh vegetables and meat are cheap, especially in Germany, convinience food and frozen dishes are too. A 1kg meat lasagna is maybe three or four Euro. 500g of frozen Chinese rice or noodles are two Euro. You can't beat that price with fresh ingredients and you'd also need the time to cook. Poor people working in several jobs don't have that. I don't know where you get that idea from, when obesity is a rampant problem in Germany.

I could write a thesis, but basically, if you're working two-three jobs to make ends meet, the drive-thru for $3 feeds three, and you can just sleep that extra half-hour, or have time with the kids. For me, it's proof that the socioeconomic model of the US is deeply flawed as it stands. Eat local/seasonal and PAY PEOPLE DECENTLY SO THEY CAN WORK ONE JOB ONLY. Sorry, this is a long-standing irritation for me. (About 50 years!) And the garden centers convince people that htey have to spend hundreds to grow veg on their own. Please. We bought seed for a few bucks, end and done. It's all worked into the profit-reaping, IMHO, and yes, I'm rather a socialist by US standards. (Or a Green, in Germany, I'm told.)

I need to disagree on this. Except basic vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots) most vegetables and fruits are incredibly expensive in germany, the netherlands and belgium. Perhaps mcdonalds here is more expensive. But eating pasta and cheap sausages or frozen pizza is still way cheaper than eating healthy.

Yeah a lot of other stuff is more expensive in the uk but I recently paid pence for carrots that cost me several dollars in the us. Idk about exotic fruits and the like but the fresh staple veg is cheaper.

That's because our government subsidizes things like corn, soy, and wheat (which all go to large industrial food companies) but not fruits and vegetables. The result is that you can buy a pavk of 48 oreos for about the same price as 2 apples.

Depends on a country really. The cheapest food here is macaroni. The processed stuff like weenies and meatballs which are garbage are much cheaper than greens and fruits.

It doesn’t even really apply in the US. McDonalds is cheap but there’s way cheaper stuff in every grocery store. A bag of beans and some canned vegetables lasts way way longer and is cheaper.

Unfortunately you are not right about Britain. A certain type of mother will feed their kids junk food because it is easier, they do not work or can not afford better, they just go for ease and cigs.

Try and add SPICES - the magic ingredient that will turn ol' same pinto beans into Mexican food, Peruvian food, German food, Polish food and much more.

Don't get me wrong, I love beans (and that there are many tasty varieties of it), but this reminds me of an unhealthy mono diet. It' OK for a while, but not on the long run.

How're they going to do that if they're working 16 + hours a day. Indefinitely.

McDonald's is food and it doesn't make you sick by default. Stop peddling that nonsense. For some people, it is their only option at times. Lucky for you, it's not. Lucky you.

Problem is many poor communities do not have grocery stores with beans or rice. They only have a gas station to buy food or fast food. And the gas station prices are way higher on let's say a gallon of milk than any grocery store. They are forced by limited options to eat fast food or cheap packaged gas station food.

you forgot parameters like time, expenses, and resources.

Avocado. You are so out of touch

Ya. Right. A week of that you'll be blasting the roof off your house.

Where's the meat in that list?

you say 15 dollars of rice and beans its better than 15 dollars at mcD, but ist not really 15 dollar for the healthier opcion, it s 15 + the basic ingredients like salt, oil and some spices. And if we want to be really objective, you have to add add the gas, water etc that you use to prepare the meal

Ohhhhh yes, but the fast food industry saw that coming A LONG TIME AGO and decided to pander against it. They make addictive food super cheap and.... well, they cook it so you don't have to.

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Plus beans & rice with chopped onions & tomatoes is a grand dish that costs just a few bucks to buy. Grew up in a big fam home.

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Heck, you can even make delicious desserts with beans! Lentils, beans bring protein and combined with rice they are filling and a MUCH healthier meal than fast food. One could buy frozen veggies, which could be less expensive and toss them in there. Wash the rice the night before and let it sit in fresh water, then it will be cooked faster the next day. Prepping food for two days, freezing meals amd toss them into the microwave, use a slowcooker/thermomix. So much can be done here to make a few small changes for our own health. After all, its better to take care of our bodies preventively than to receive enormous hospital bills later on, at least in the US that is.

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You're absolutely right! Rice and beans combined create a protein powerhouse. They're also flexible and can be seasoned any way you like. You can season them and mix them with veggies and meat. And a rice cooker is quick and easy to use--I've worn out a couple of them over the years. Okay, I'm rambling, I'll quit.