I had heard about this vegetarian restaurant a little while ago from a friend who couldn’t stop raving about the great food. I’m always up for trying something new (bonus if it’s healthy!), and so decided to give it a try.
I’m not sure if my friend was just a great salesman, or if I just happened to have a bad experience, but I have to say that I was not impressed. No wonder people don’t like to eat their veggies!
My unhappy tastebuds also had a buddy in my unhappy wallet.
Taste aside, why is it that to go out to a supposedly “healthy” restaurant is significantly more expensive than going to the local pub? Shouldn’t we be trying to make it easier for people to grab a quick and healthy meal at an affordable price?
I’ve been noticing several of these “niche” type of healthy restaurants and cafes pop up in my neighbourhood recently. By “niche”, I mean that a bowl of lettuce is $15, a cup of soup is $7, and a small healthy fruit-based energy smoothie is also $7. Is healthy food only meant for the financially well-off?
I think I’ve lost something in translation.
The other thing I’ve noticed is that these healthy food chains seem to be designed and marketed to an upscale and trendy population. A great effort at reaching a certain demographic, but also an arguably sad effort at reaching a group of people who would benefit most from such a diet.
We all know that the best option for a healthy meal is to go to the grocery store to buy the healthy ingredients for the healthy dish that you will make. But I can’t help but wonder whether dining out for a healthy meal is simply not an option for a large majority of the population. A healthy meal shouldn’t be limited to those who can afford it, nor should it be limited to those who have bought into the latest fad diet or fashion trend.
Perhaps I am being naive in thinking that such restaurants and cafes can exist without the branding and marketing efforts that have so far resulted in their success. But am I naive to think that barriers to accessing such healthy options can negatively impact an individual’s health?
If anyone knows of any tasty and budget friendly healthy restaurants or cafes, I’d love to hear from you!
Comments 3
When the majority of ingredients in a dish are either all natural or organic– which may have been the case at the restaurant you visited– one can almost always expect to pay more for it than they’d like… I’d definitely prefer not to do so (who wouldn’t want to pay less?) but if paying that extra bit means I’m consuming pesticide free, gluten free, colour free, sugar free meals with a completely transparent ingredient list then I’m all for it.
Healthier food options should be more accessible to those on a budget (and even to those who aren’t) but the fact of matter is that healthier usually translates into food that contains less preservatives and all of the other crap we’re used to seeing– the things that make food “cheap” in the first place…
Posted 20 Nov 2007 at 10:20 pm ¶You make some excellent points Greg. Strange how the more work we put into processing food, the cheaper it becomes…
In any case, I completely agree with you that if the higher cost of food ensures that we are consuming healthier, preservative, pesticide, JUNK-free food, then it may well be worth the cost. I also agree that there are times when food costs cannot be cut any more than they already have been.
However, I also think you have very clearly explained the disparity between the haves and the have-nots and how an individual’s economic wealth directly affects his/her own physical health and wellbeing.
If you can’t afford it and don’t have the resources in the first place, can you ever hope to be as healthy as those who can afford it?
Posted 22 Nov 2007 at 9:05 am ¶Thanks for sharing the nice post regarding the health topic. It would be very useful for many online users to know about the health topics, which one is good for there health.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 1:51 pm ¶Post a Comment