Bryan Bystol

09/20/21

Dr. Farley

PE 322

Cost of Healthy Food

Part 1:

1. List of fruits, vegetables, meats, and side dishes (McDonalds)

a. Chicken breast: Chicken Sandwich: $4.39, 1 meal @Mcdonalds

i. Meijer: 8 chicken breasts, 4-5 meals for $9.83, FRESH

b. Ground beef: Burger, $4.79, 1 meal @Mcdonalds

i. Meijer: 1 lb of ground beef, $4.06, 2 meals, FRESH

c. French Fries: $1.79, 1 side dish

i. Meijer fries: $1.69, 3 side dishes, Frozen

d. Apples: Slices, $1.00, snack

i. 3 lbs of fuji apples, $3.49, tons of snacks! FRESH

e. Fruit and maple oatmeal: $1.99, snack

i. Quaker oatmeal (10 count): $2.69, Canned**

f. Southwest salad (lettuce, tomatoes, peppers): $4.70, 1 meal

i. Spring mix: $3.49, Tomatoes: 1 pint for $1.69, Peppers: $2.99 (pepper

blend)

1. Can make 2-3 salads from these ingredients

g. The Meijer is a 10 minute drive in my car.

By doing this comparison, it seems to me that even though there is so much convenience in

going to Mcdonalds, the prices only suffice one meal for myself. While getting one chicken

sandwich for $4.39, I am able to make 8 sandwiches for just $4.00 more if I were to go to a

grocery store. Also, I am able to get the fruits and vegetables fresh from the grocery store and in
large quantities, unlike McDonalds. McDonalds does provide fresh fruits and vegetables, but

they aren’t in large quantities where I can take advantage of them.

Part 2:

1. Home-made burrito bowl (30 minutes): chicken ($9.83) rice (1.39), Guac ($4.99),

shredded cheese ($2.29) beans ($1.00), sour cream ($2.29)

a. 4 meals= $5.45 per meal

b. Calories: 1,016

c. Carbs: 60 grams

d. Fat: 39 grams

e. Protein: 77 grams

f. Sodium: 570 mg

2. Chipotle (25 minutes total): Chicken, beans, brown rice, cheese, guac, sour cream, corn,

lettuce

a. CALORIES: 1025

i. Calories from Fat:500

b. TOTAL FAT: 56g

i. Saturated Fat: 21.5g

ii. Trans Fat0g

c. PROTEIN: 85g

d. CARBOHYDRATES

e. 50g

i. Dietary Fiber: 17g

ii. Sugar: 9g

f. SODIUM: 1750mg

g. VITAMINS & MINERALS

 i. Vitamin A: 63%

ii. Vitamin C: 33%

iii. Calcium: 38%

Based on my findings, it is apparent to me that I need to figure out the chicken recipe

that Chipotle uses. If I were to make a bowl at home, it would cost me $5.45 per meal, which is

almost a third of my usual Chipotle meal. Also, the sodium intake difference between my order

of Chipotle vs a homemade option is mindblowing: a 1200mg difference! The high sodium may

be the chicken recipe. The time needed for these meals are pretty much the same, as the drive

to Broad Ripple is the same as cooking the chicken and preparing the food at home.

Regarding the claims of healthy food being more expensive, my findings have disproved

this claim in my eyes. By spending about $5.00 more, I am able to make at least 4 meals that

would be very similar to my single Chipotle order. My meal at home is also healthier for me as

the sodium levels are a lot lower while having very similar macronutrient values.