Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Yes and it is awful. It really ought to be the other way around, but the processed junk is cheaper than quality...sad.

I rarely feel like I have to buy processed instead of more natural, but I do often choose to buy a lower quality or less-preferred brand (not that I am a name-brand user/snob-type or anything).
For example, buying the bulk bag of russet potatoes when I wanted red, cheaper cuts of meat, or less meat period, more frozen bagged veggies than fresh etc.
Fruit is the one that gets me. I really like berries and by this time of year I am out of the ones I froze from picking last summer, yet the cost even of frozen is outrageous, never mind fresh. Natural 100% juices too.

I shop at Aldi and Wal-mart more now, especially for dry goods. I choose more items that take more prep (like dry beans) and make more breads as those are quite cheap to make at home.
On a few things I would rather go without/eat less of, than eat the discount processed version. (Butter vs. margarine/decent cheese vs. the plastic processed etc.)
I have found buying in bulk/larger packages is a bit cheaper, so long as I am willing to portion/freeze/pre-cook many items for later use.
We also simply eat a bit less overall, which is not all bad for me!
I scrimp with food more, and make more one-dish meals that have lots of filling items that aren't too costly. I try to use everything and cut down on waste to help too, like making stock from bits and pieces, and being creative with leftovers.

I feel worst for folks who can't/don't like to cook or have much time, as the processed foods win over in convenience if not much else, and will replace fresher foods when it comes right down to dollars for so many.

I really feel bad for anyone trying to feed a family right now, thankfully I'm just feeding two of us (and assorted animals) and I havent had alot of problems yet. But I also dont buy much in the way of meat and seldom if ever lunch meat of any kind. However before health concerns, many years ago I saw this trend, Somehow it has for a long time now, been cheaper to eat garbage food. unfortunately, good food and its preperation has been seen as something for people with alot of money and time, while "eating out" is seen by alot of people as being quicker, easier and cheaper. maybe its time to put home economics back in schools and make it mandatory, I dont mean learning to make an apron, I mean learning to make and stick to a budget, shop and prepare inexpensive good meals at home, and basic home repair. Its shameful the way our kids are growing up when they have to spend 15$ to have pizza hut make a bowl of pasta!

P.S. I didn't mention "health" as you did, PumpkinBear and I should have.

If the "junk" food had ever affected the health of either myself or of my children then I would have more concern. It has not, though - and even though we indulge when we please, it has not made any of us fat, either.

So perhaps there is "junk food" and there is "junk food" or perhaps even more likely it affects different people in different ways (as do so many things in life!).

I've integrated some junk. I now buy crummy white sandwich bread and sliced american cheese from the deli counter. I eat a grilled or cold cheese sanwich for breakfast or lunch several times a week. It's just super cheap. Not like I never ate grilled cheese sandwiches before, but as prices rise, they are on the menu much more frequently.

I only buy fresh fruit and veg that I know I will be able to use in multiple recipes- I can't stand seeing a half bunch of asparagus go bad in the fridge.

I really think this idea that processed junk is cheaper is generally a myth. Yes, they do get the larger markdowns (sponsored by mfgrs who want to lure in new consumers), and are much more likely to have coupons, but in my experience, it's much cheaper to buy healthier "real" food than "junk" (i.e., processed). The idea that generic brands are somehow crap is mostly a fallacy. They're mostly made by the same companies that make the name brand stuff. Sometimes you'll come across a plain wrap item that just sucks the big one, but overall, they're just fine.

Also, there's nothing wrong with using frozen vegetables. Some don't take to freezing well in terms of texture, but nutritionally it's been demonstrated that they are often better than fresh, since they go from field to freezer in less time than it takes to get "fresh" ones to your supermarket.

There's no way that a 6 oz. pkg of turkey lunchmeat for $3 ($8/lb) is a better deal than buying a fresh raw turkey breast that you cook yourself and slice for sandwiches ($2/lb). Let's not even discuss taste/quality.

Lean Cuisine chicken fettucine with broccoli is about $4 a serving. For less than $3 per serving, my similar recipe contains no fillers or preservatives, is an elementary dish (yes, even beginners can do it) and can be made in a flash. And it almost certainly tastes better.

I can go on and on.

It depends on what you're comparing, I guess. I think, on average, I spend less on food that most people who buy a lot of junk. We don't drink soda (pop, cola, whatever) and I seldom buy chips or cookies, or much that's pre-made or boxed.

I can bake a whole lot of bread and it costs next to nothing per loaf when I buy the 25-lb bag of flour and buy the yeast in 1-lb packages. Same with baked desserts, unless we're talking about something with exotic ingredients. Okay, sometimes the boxed cake mixes are on sale for 99 cents each, but what's really in there? Flour, salt, leavening, flavoring? You still have to add eggs and oil. Even under a buck, I think it would be cheaper to make the cake from scratch, once again barring crazy expensive exotic ingredients.

The other day, I was looking at some boxed rice preparation at the store (I don't know why, but I was looking) and it was about 3 bucks for the box. I could buy a bag of rice for a lot less, and add my own flavorings. By the feel of that box, I'd bet there wasn't even a cup of rice in there.

I generally shop sales when it comes to meat, and there are still some decent prices. I bought pork roasts for 99 cents a pound recently. Buying whole chickens is still a good bargain, and I'd probably end up making soup from the carcass, which can be a few meals.

Some veggies are a little high, but I bought 5-lb bags of carrots for $1.99. Bell peppers were a buck each which is a little high, but buying red bells and roasting them is still cheaper than buying the ones in jars. When the farmer's market gets into full swing, there's one stand that does bulk deals -- anything you can fit into a bag for a set price. Sometimes five bucks, sometimes seven. You can jam a lot of veggies into a bag if you try, and it easily lasts me a week -- and I don't need to buy other veggies at the grocery store.

Fast-food places sound like they're going to be cheap, and they can be if you just go in and get the dollar sandwich, but how many people really do that? You get the sandwich, fries and drink and you've spent five or six bucks somehow. I'd rather have a slice of my homemade bread and some peanut butter. Or fruit and yogurt.

Hey LoCo - What's your chicken fettucine with broccoli recipe, then? :)

I happen to be a very very busy person: I work 2 jobs and go to school part time. So, most times, I don't feel like coming home to make myself a proper dinner and get a lunch together for the next day. It's so much "easier" to grab something frozen or pre-packaged. However, I do see the flaw in the reasoning here, because I know I do have time (on the weekends, maybe) to actually do some healthy cooking for myself. I've just gotten into a trap of grabbing something premade.

I think a lot of it is that I was never really taught how to cook, and I still consider myself a miserable failure in the kitchen. It's less about money for me, and more about convenience and lack of cooking skillz.