Can We Eat Better Spending Less? Economy and Priorities in the Shopping Basket

Affiliation

¹Agencia de Salud Pública de Cataluña, Departamento de Salud

²Universidad de Barcelona, Campus de la Alimentación de Torribera

³Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria & Nutrition Research Foundation (FIN), Barcelona, Spain

Corresponding Author

Serra-Majem, L.L, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria & Nutrition Research Foundation (FIN), Barcelona, Spain; Tel: (+34) 928453475; Fax: (+34) 928451416; E-mail: lluis.serra@ulpgc.es

Abstract

A healthy diet is essential to good health. The quality of food depends on food choices which are largely conditioned by the price, availability, culture, preferences, social environment and the level of training responsible for the acquisition and preparation of food, among others.
The increase in food prices, the strong economic crisis suffered in recent years and therefore the high level of unemployment have resulted, among other things, in a reduction in the budget for food in Spanish families. Some studies link the reduction of food expenditure with a lower nutritional quality diet, as well as with weight gain and an increased risk of cardio metabolic complications. The following article proposes a number of strategies to “eat well” (healthy, accessible and sustainable) by changing the shopping cart without increasing the budget, prioritizing the acquisition of plant-based foods and “star foods” (better nutritional value/ price) following the pattern of the traditional Mediterranean diet.