Replacing fats and sweets with vegetables and fruits--a question of cost.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the association between diet quality and estimated diet costs.


METHODS
Freely chosen diets of 837 French adults were assessed by a dietary history method. Mean national food prices for 57 foods were used to estimate diet costs.


RESULTS
Diets high in fat, sugar, and grains were associated with lower diet costs after adjustment for energy intakes, gender, and age. For most levels of energy intake, each additional 100 g of fats and sweets was associated with a 0.05-0.40 per day reduction in diet costs. In contrast, each additional 100 g of fruit and vegetables was associated with a 0.18-0.29 per day increase in diet costs.


CONCLUSIONS
Diets high in fats and sweets represent a low-cost option to the consumer, whereas the recommended "prudent" diets cost more.
Drewnowski
Adam
A
Center for Public health Nutrition and the Nutritional Sciences Program, University of Washington in Seattle, 98195-3410, USA. adamdrew@u.washington.edu
Darmon
Nicole
N
Briend
André
A
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics*; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005502:Food / Q000191:economics; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D005638:Fruit / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014675:Vegetables / Q000191:economics*
D004041:Dietary Fats; D019422:Dietary Sucrose