Last updated: May 2026
Eating healthy is something that is incredibly easy to do, but also incredibly easy not to do. It should not be hard to eat healthy, but in today’s time poor society we have so many other things to worry about. It is very easy to put your own health and fitness further down the priority list than it should be.
In the previous blog we discussed some simple tips to making nutrition easier, as well as the benefits of food preparation and how social media has impacted the perception of food prep.
Today we will finish off the series with a discussion around the costs vs perceived costs of eating healthy, along with some quick and easy recipes that can save both time and money.
Please keep in mind that we are not doctors or nutritionists, we are simply reflecting on our 45+ years in the health and fitness industry and the learnings gained over that period.
Costs Vs Perceived Costs
A consistent comment that we have always been given about healthy eating is:
“It is very expensive to eat healthy.”
Let’s be clear on one thing from the outset.
If you are always looking for the absolute cheapest way to eat, then yes, you will almost always find cheaper options than healthy alternatives.
You could eat $2 frozen meals all the time and spend very little money.
Most people however, do not actually want to live that way.
Why?
Because it is incredibly unhealthy.
To get the best out of your body, you need to put the best fuel in.
It really is that simple.
So the argument that “healthy eating is too expensive” becomes a bit redundant if your own health and fitness are genuinely a priority.
The majority of people we speak to about healthy eating costs also fail to take into account the TOTAL amount of money spent on food throughout the week.
When discussing healthy eating costs, people are usually only thinking about the supermarket shop itself.
There are however, many other factors that contribute to total weekly food spending.
For example:
- How many coffees are you buying each week?
- Are you buying breakfast or lunch during work hours?
- How many nights per week are you eating out?
- How much alcohol are you purchasing?
All of these expenses need to be factored into the overall weekly total.
Understanding where your money is actually going is one of the biggest reasons people improve results once they stop struggling with exercise consistency and start approaching health with more structure and awareness.
It All Adds Up
When you add your food shop and all the “extras” together, the total weekly cost rises quickly.
Reducing unnecessary external purchases means there is far more potential for savings.
We are not saying that everything needs to be cut out completely. Life is there to be enjoyed.
What we can guarantee however, is that planning ahead, preparing meals and reducing convenience purchases will almost always work out cheaper in the long run.
A few tips to make your weekly food shop cheaper while still buying quality produce include:
- Buy meat wholesale where possible
- Plan your meals ahead of time
- Shop around weekly fruit and vegetable specials
- Avoid shopping while hungry
Buying healthy ingredients consistently also makes it much easier to stay on track long term, which is one of the major reasons personal training can work so well for weight loss when combined with better nutrition habits.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead removes a huge amount of stress around healthy eating.
If you already know what your week looks like, then it becomes far easier to make better decisions around food.
- Know when you are busy
- Know when you are eating out
- Know what meals you want to prepare
The more structure you have around your nutrition, the less likely you are to fall back on takeaway and convenience foods.
This same idea applies to exercise as well. People who understand how often they should train to see results generally find it much easier to build sustainable routines rather than constantly starting and stopping.
Mini Frittatas
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 500g shaved leg ham
- 200g chopped mushrooms
- 1 chopped spring onion
Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees
- Place leg ham, mushroom and spring onion evenly into a muffin tray
- Whisk eggs and pour evenly into each portion
- Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through
Can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen for later.
Protein Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond meal
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/3 cup coconut cream
- 3-4 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 tbsp protein powder
- ¼ cup LSA
- 2 tbsp cacao
- 2 tbsp cashew butter
- 2 tbsp tahini
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Method
- Mix dry ingredients
- Add wet ingredients
- Add coconut oil slowly until the mixture reaches rolling consistency
- Roll into balls
Store in the fridge or freezer.
Sweet Potato & Salmon Cakes With Dill Yoghurt
Ingredients
- 500g sweet potato
- 400g salmon
- ½ red onion
- ¼ cup fresh dill
- 1/3 cup natural yoghurt
- 1 garlic clove
Method
- Boil and mash sweet potato
- Cook and mash salmon if raw
- Combine sweet potato, salmon, onion and dill
- Roll into patties
- Bake for 15-20 minutes at 200 degrees until golden brown
- Mix yoghurt, garlic and dill for dipping sauce
Simple, nutritious and easy to prepare in advance.
Final Thoughts
This concludes our 3-part series discussing whether it is really that hard to eat healthy.
Overall, we believe the answer is NO.
Healthy eating is not as hard as people make it out to be, but it does need to become a priority.
If it is not important to you, then it will always feel difficult.
Plan ahead, prepare where possible, enjoy the process and focus on consistency over perfection.
Your body will thank you for it in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is healthy eating more expensive?
Healthy eating can appear more expensive upfront, but reducing takeaway, alcohol and convenience purchases often balances overall spending.
Does meal preparation save money?
Yes. Preparing meals ahead of time usually reduces unnecessary purchases and improves consistency with nutrition.
What are some easy healthy meals to prepare?
Simple meals like mini frittatas, protein snacks and homemade salmon cakes are quick, nutritious and cost effective.
Ready to make a change? We are here to help.
If you are struggling with nutrition, consistency or building healthier long-term habits, we can help.
At Authentic Personal Training in Crows Nest, we focus on creating realistic and sustainable lifestyle changes designed around your goals.
Start with our 3 sessions for $30 intro offer and let our experienced team help guide your health and fitness journey.
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