I was alarmed by statistics in a recent article ("Can I have a snack?" Aug. 7) on food insecurity. It said that, according to the USDA, 94 percent of food insecure households cannot afford to eat balanced meals. It quoted a University of Washington study that said junk food costs an average of $3.32 per 1,000 calories while nutritious food costs an average of $27.20 per 1000 calories. Really?
I made up a 13-item grocery list based on AMA and Mayo Clinic nutrition guidelines — which included low fat milk, 100 percent whole wheat bread, oats, tuna, beans, orange juice and five vitamin- and mineral-packed fruits and vegetables, four of them fresh. My per serving calorie total was 1,140.
Then I priced out the list at three major Salt Lake grocery stores (no club stores, no coupons, no bulk purchases). My average total was $3.36 with tax. Pro rated for 1000 calories that's just $2.95!
With diet-related health problems overtaking the U.S., I hate to think that people, even of limited means, will lean on studies like these to keep them locked in the mentality that they can't afford to eat a more balanced diet. It just isn't so.
Kathy Christofferson
Sandy