Veggies are not cheap here, its cheaper in the UK and even in Singapore where everything is imported than in California.
Banana (0.25 kg) 0.63 $
Oranges (0.30 kg) 1.04 $
Tomato (0.20 kg) 0.85 $
Potato (0.20 kg) 0.60 $
Onion (0.10 kg) 0.26 $
Lettuce (0.20 head) 0.28 $
Not the best source probably, but by looking at https://www.numbeo.com/food-prices/in/Los-Angeles it doesn't seem like one can easily go broke from buying vegetables.
But, even given that; I can buy a head of lettuce for $1.40. Okay. Or, I could buy an 8 pack of little debbie snack cakes for the same amount. 5 servings of lettuce that has nearly no nutritional substance, and that I have to combine with something else anyway to make it palatable...or 8 servings of convenient, enjoyed food.
If I wanted crunch, I can get a giant bag of tortilla chips for $1, too. Why would I buy a head of lettuce for 40% more, when it takes more work, and more ingredients inflating the price even higher?
> Or, I could buy an 8 pack of little debbie snack cakes for the same amount. 5 servings of lettuce that has nearly no nutritional substance, and that I have to combine with something else anyway to make it palatable...or 8 servings of convenient, enjoyed food.
Right. I would never eat that, though. There are also plenty of ways to make vegetables palatable: eggplants with tomatoes with spices are very tasty, for instance.
I'm also not saying that junk food isn't cheaper, just that healthy food is affordable for everyone.