Why are fruits and veggies so expensive in the US?

[beat...people...up?]

Actually, Europeans spend far more of their income on food than Americans do.... when I'm in Italy I don't notice that produce is so very cheap.

 

[Ultra O’Dia]

Too much farmland is being used to grow soy and corn to stuff the billions of pigs and cows to the gills as cheaply as possible. So, meat is cheap and there is a shorter supply of real crops.

 

[Alech33]

Supply and demand. Sure people want kale, a shit load more ppl want packaged and processed foods. Those are the ones that get mass produced and ordered in bulk

 

[William Huggins]

With EU subsidies to large farmers within Europe, it actually pays to leave your fields empty......

 

[method115]

I've always felt veggies were really cheap. Fruit gets more expensive and is probably where the bulk of your money went.

 

[The Audience]

Certainly organic produce has become somewhat of a luxury item here in the uk, and is priced accordingly. Your regular old monsanto stuff is still pretty cheap though (at the moment; brexit might change this). Not sure if TS is filling up the cart with organic stuff, but if it helps, a site called ewg (environmental working group) publish an annual list of the most contaminated produce, that it is recommended you always buy organic. The bottom of the list is the stuff that is 'cleanest' and that youre probably fine with the standard, non-organic variety. Can help to keep the costs down if you pick and choose where you spend on produce.

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php

 

[209 Life]

3 dollars a pound for asparagus where I live in USA

 

[Badger67]

Maybe try to buy them from a food market rather than a store if you have those available. They tend to offer better quality products for cheaper.

Direct opposite in my experience for pricing.

 

[PlayswellwithLawnDarts]

Transportation cost I would imagine. We import most of our produce from Mexico and South America.
Try your local farmers market or plant some vegetables. Their always better tasting and not laden with pesticides as if you need any other reason than that.

 

[TidWell]

Certainly organic produce has become somewhat of a luxury item here in the uk, and is priced accordingly. Your regular old monsanto stuff is still pretty cheap though (at the moment; brexit might change this). Not sure if TS is filling up the cart with organic stuff, but if it helps, a site called ewg (environmental working group) publish an annual list of the most contaminated produce, that it is recommended you always buy organic. The bottom of the list is the stuff that is 'cleanest' and that youre probably fine with the standard, non-organic variety. Can help to keep the costs down if you pick and choose where you spend on produce.

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php

who picks your fields in the UK?

I heard strawberries are the dirties fruits.

 

[lts5025]

I went to the grocery store today and spent 30 dollars on fruit and veggies and i only got some peaches,cherries,bananas,onions 2 different types,jalapenos,sweet peppers,green grapes and water. I was like WTF at the self checkout im trying to slim down but this shit is too expensive. Yes i have a good job too now finally but damn.

I bet at least a third of that was the grapes. Grapes are expensive as fuck.

 

[The Audience]

who picks your fields in the UK?

I heard strawberries are the dirties fruits.

I believe it is mostly eastern european migrants (the very same kind that much of the brexit immigration backlash was founded on). As for strawberries, the website i linked found a third of samples contained 10 or more pesticides, with one sample containing 22 different pesticides.

 

[William Huggins]

I believe it is mostly eastern european migrants (the very same kind that much of the brexit immigration backlash was founded on). As for strawberries, the website i linked found a third of samples contained 10 or more pesticides, with one sample containing 22 different pesticides.

We will do okay if we stop leaving fields fallow all the time and start compulsory picking for anyone on job seeking benefit and revoke the child labour laws...........<45>

 

[therealdope]

Transportation cost I would imagine. We import most of our produce from Mexico and South America.
Try your local farmers market or plant some vegetables. Their always better tasting and not laden with pesticides as if you need any other reason than that.

Yup. Just as an example corn is now in season. I was at a food store that sources local and it was $0.15 for an ear of corn. Typically it's a buck.

I can recall being in Italy and the fruit and veggies were both cheap and of amazing quality BUT there were about 6 of each, that's it. They prefer in season and fresh as opposed to the 'anything you want, anytime' model.

 

[rearnakedchoke]

Quality of food sucks in the US. I'm at the end of our vacation in France and it's just shocking how cheap and high quality food is at the food stores. Beef is super expensive as is most meat. Other than that, stuff like cheese and in season veggies/fruits are fantastic.

They should ne3ver be allowed to sell apricots and peaches in the US until they taste like they do here. OTOH - if you don't eat the fruit within 2 or 3 days it goes bad. I'm gonna guess that has a lot to do with why it tastes so good.

Im in canada and we are the same as US. I just found an old loaf of sliced bread among the rest of the bread. It was expired in july and there was no mould on it. Wtf.

 

[JabToucher]

I didn't know it was so expensive over there. Maybe because it's imported?
I can get a decent amount of broccoli for 50 p here. Pack of peppers for less than a quid.

 

[Beechwood]

As others mention earlier, I love beets. Beets will raise a persons nitric oxide levels which is known for providing a host of health benefits. That's why I became interested in them. When I began drinking beet juice it became easier to breath, had more energy and overall felt better. Don't have my own garden yet. Have a couple olive trees that should give fruit in a few years. Have thought about starting to grow a few vegetables though, beets, spinach, etc.

 

[Eisenhans]

Strange, I was of the impression that US food is pretty cheap? Seemed that way when I visited you guys, but then again, that was some years ago. Got threatened with a shotgun, got almost shot in another case, didn't get served at a Denny's in Albuquerque because I'm white and other things, but no, expensive food wasn't one of the things I experienced.

 

[TrueBias]

Because of demand, lack of production and off season prices.

Summer is off season?

 

[TidWell]

As others mention earlier, I love beets. Beets will raise a persons nitric oxide levels which is known for providing a host of health benefits. That's why I became interested in them. When I began drinking beet juice it became easier to breath, had more energy and overall felt better. Don't have my own garden yet. Have a couple olive trees that should give fruit in a few years. Have thought about starting to grow a few vegetables though, beets, spinach, etc.

you have to be careful with drinking it too often, just like with anything do it in moderation

I think drinking fresh made beet root juice is good 3 times a week and save it for when you work out or run it really kick starts the stamina and gives you energy.

I heard drinking it too often can cause kidney stones and liver damage.