Eating healthy on a budget hard to do

By Justin Thompson
Production Manager

A local man relying on the Ontario Disability Support Program is struggling to live a healthy lifestyle.

Phil Adams, 32, who has been diagnosed with manic depression and social anxiety, collects ODSP and has a monthly budget of about $1,100.

Adams said that after he factors in all of his expenses for the month, his budget to buy groceries and whatever else he might need comes to more than $300.

As his New Year’s resolution, Adams has been trying to make healthier lifestyle decisions. He takes the bus three times a week to work out at the Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre.

“I just wanted my life to change for the better and nothing I was doing prior to that was helping,” said Adams.

Adams is able to work out for free because he belongs to a group called Mental Health Connections that helps people with mental illnesses get out of the house and socialize. The program is funded by the Local Health Integration Network.

Despite working out consistently, Adams said he is unable to eat as healthy as he would like to because healthier food is expensive.

“A weeks worth of vegetables is probably $50 and four weeks worth takes most of what I have left,” said Adams. “Meat seems to be going up in price but chips and pop seem to stay down.”

According to research from the Harvard School of Public Health, a day’s worth of the healthiest foods costs about $1.50 more per day than the least healthy ones. Eating a healthier diet that includes fruits, vegetables, fish and nuts would increase food costs for one person by about $550 a year.

Cutting and chopping your own vegetables is one way to save money while eating healthy according to foodbankscanada.ca. Instead of buying a kilogram of pre-cut carrots for $4, you can buy three kilograms of whole carrots for $2.