To be sad and appalled that a healthy diet is now beyond the reach of many.

[Darkesteyes]

Absolutely appalling. And it will have an effect on the NHS. Poorer people are bashed for being poor.. and bashed for being overweight. Why do I have a feeling its only going to get worse.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27225323

Corus yes...that's right. George Orwell said the same...and I agree which is why I do for instance buy some crappy food now and then as something to just eat for the sake of it...but in the main, I don't....I make sure we all eat healthily.

I don't have a freezer, my flat is just too small too fit one in anywhere. It makes such a difference price wise as I have to buy everything fresh and often from the more expensive Tesco Express as I don't have time to get anywhere cheaper.

It also means I can't make up big batches of things, which would work out cheaper in the long run. That in particular I've noticed making a real difference to how and what I cook both in terms of price and quality/nutrition. E.g. On the nights when I'm not home til very late, where I would have bunged a frozen but lovingly home made portion of decent bolognaise in before, now it's more likely to be some overly processed but quick to cook rubbish.

It's not just about the food, it's what's available to you locally and your ability to store it.

AwfulMaureen I just don't feel I have the energy to start cooking parsnip curry when I get in from work trying to put two children to bed on my own. It's just too much effort. Realistically, running a household, working full-time and doing everything, something has to give. I don't have time to shop at cheap non-delivery supermarkets more than once a week with a few top-ups here and there for milk and bread, and I am disappointed how quickly the fruit and veg goes off and doesn't last the week. It didn't used to, we had carrots that lived on for months (they were hard to peel though!)

I think it is possible to eat cheaply and healthily if you a)know how to cook b)have the time/energy to do it c) can get to a wider range of shops than just local super expensive cornershop type places.

We buy a lot of frozen veg and not a lot of meat. (I have a bit of a weakness for raspberries though and buy them all the time even though I think they are too expensive)

Yanbu

It is very worrying.

The answer the healthy diets is to invest in British farming, encourage seasonal eating and make it something everybody can afford.

It is not to raise "junk food" prices in a full bid be healthy whilst stealthily raising the prices of healthy food behind people's backs.

There is also the issue that people simply cannot cook as they once did. So making a meal out what one has in the cupboard is beyond many. If you had eggs, some bell pepper, broccoli and maybe some ham, what would you make? Simple but many just don't know.

That's why I really like Jamie Oliver, yes he is a bit annoying and goes on and on but he's trying to make cooking affordable and simple for everybody. The Save with Jamie book has taught me a thing or two about how to use leftovers.

I agree Corus but I think for a lot of people the lines are blurred with regards to what a 'treat' actually is.

To me it's something you have occasionally, to others it's part of a staple everyday diet.

Some people wouldn't dream of having a cup of coffee without a biscuit for example, whereas it would never occur to others.

With regards to people 'not being able to cook'

At no point in the history of the world has it ever been easier to learn as it is now.

No matter how poor most people are, they can still gain access to the internet where there are millions of simple recipes and video tutorials.

Someone said above she cooks several times a day. I work and barely have time to reheat something in the evening. DH does the cooking during the week, I try and get organised at weekends. But there's just too much stuff to squeeze into weekends. Such as driving miles on end for the kids' sports. It's all messed up and back to front in many ways. I also wish my kids were more adventurous with fruit and veg, it's not for lack of trying on my part.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_live_events/a1836958-Jamie-Oliver-webchat-Thursday-29-August-2-45pm

coruskate - what? why! didn't they just go all mushy/wierd/become sauce?

It is definitely cheaper to buy half a dozen bananas than half a dozen bags of crisps for lunch boxes.

Really? I don't find this. Crisps and snacks are either in offer or the cheap basics range are a lot cheaper than bananas (and nicer; I hate bananas, yuck!)

A bag of frozen chips is cheaper weight for weight than a bag of spuds. Lean meat is more costly than fatty meat. Fish is very expensive.

That's true Worra but also at no point in history have frozen/microwaveable meals been available so readily and with such variety

We eat plenty of fruit and veg very cheaply. My main tips are

• Learn to love frozen veg, no waste and good nutritionally. Asda has quite a good range for £1 a bag - currently i have baby corn, baby brussels, corn & pea, chantenay carrots, peppers and veggie mixture

• tesco stores at 7.30 pm are practically giving fruit and veg away. I buy all sorts for next to nothing. I try to go twice a week

• use what's in season and learn to use the less popular veg such as swede as these can often be snapped up at little cost. Tangerines, small apples and pears are often reduced but are low cost to start with.

• lidl veg is gooe value for money - i got aubergines for 39p each and Qs for 29p this week.

• grow your own - even if all you can manage is a few pots of salad, some radishes anx and cherry tomato you'll save money. Poundland seeds are good and come 8 varieties in a pack

And just to counter any "i haven't got time to do that", i work between 40-60 hours per week.

it's not what people eat, it's the amounts. When we wre in the Netherlands last year, I noticed there were very few fat people, and almost none who were obese. This despite the fact that they eat a diet rich in cheese, butter, cream, and fried foods (they love pancakes). i would guess that portion size is the important thing. Plus they cycle a lot.

And supermarkets sell things cheap because they pay the farmers who produce the food practically nothing, it's an absolute disgrace. See 'greedy Man in a Hungry World' by Jay Rayner, fascinating book. Food

Frozen/microwaveable meals may be more prevalent but they're also disgusting. What has happened to people's taste buds? These things taste awful, feel awful and are expensive. Have we all forgotten what proper food tastes like?

Time is a big consideration. I have a bag of potatoes we bought at the weekend. Used some for shepherd's pie. Then today I reheated some stew for the kids. I could have done mashed potatoes with it. But that would have taken time. So they had it with bread instead. Nothing wrong with that, but the potatoes will go off soon-ish. (And they'll still take time to peel and boil when I next need them.)

Six bananas, the Unbagged ones, will currently cost about 60p in Thr supermarket.

The Asda smartprice crisps are currently 66p for 12. Each pack is 18g which is about half the size of a normal packet of crisps. Effectively 6 packs of (pretty rotten) crisps for slightly more.

Also the crisps won't fill you as well as a banana, I won't mention the nutritional difference but in terms of filling your stomach, a banana is better.

To go up one level to edible nicer crisps, 6 are 85p at Asda.

I do appreciate not everyone has an Asda near.

Corus its the same here Doesn't matter whether I go in at 3pm or 8pm the prices are still the same And because im doing SW I have checked a LOT

aw your poor raspberries :( (my DP once put my beloved uni summer ball cocktail dress in with a normal wash when he was trying to be helpful)

I know prices in the supermarket have increased massively over the last 5 years. I'm not trying to detract from the argument, as I know it's an issue in the UK, but I was absolutely stunned at the price of food on a recent trip to France.

It was my first time in France and their supermarket shop must easily be double ours. I know their average wage is lower than ours. Maybe their housing costs are lower (I don't know). Everything (bar fois gras, fags and wine) was soo much cheaper here in the uk. Even french branded products like maile and bon maman are cheaper in the uk.

I would hazard a guess (and it is a guess because I'm not an expert) that it's really not food prices that are a problem. And I don't think it's wages either since ours are comparatively high. I think it's bloody housing costs and energy costs. That's (my personal opinion) where we're being screwed.