Another year, another resolution made that probably by now is getting really hard to keep. Like many of you, I also made the resolution to eat a healthier diet. This has to be most famous of all New Year’s resolutions. The thing about eating healthier is it seems really easy until you actually start the process.

Soon after beginning the process we encounter barrier after barrier and realize that eating healthier is difficult. One of those barriers you may not have prepared yourself for is expense. In addition to being time-consuming and complicated, eating healthy food can be expensive. There is nothing worse than a hungry person on a diet whose bank account has overdrawn. [Voice Editor Tim Jackson feels this is directed to him!] It has been suggested that one reason we don’t eat healthier is because we can’t afford to. So the question is, can we afford to eat healthier?

It depends on what you’re eating. It’s true that some methods of eating are expensive. For example, some programs such as Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig can be expensive. On average, the Jenny Craig program charges $36 for 6 weeks plus the cost of food, which is around $12-$19 per day, so over a course of six weeks you could spend $540 or more. Over the course of a year there is no doubt that these programs can run into some money. But with these programs you’re also paying for a support network that research has found to be essential for behavior change.

However, what if you’re just trying to eat healthy on your own? Is healthier food more expensive then? Let’s compare. Bananas run about 58 cents per pound at your local grocery store, so one banana and a cup of tap water would probably be around a quarter compared that to a 75 cent candy bar and $1.09 soda. So healthy here is cheaper. On the other hand it is true that some healthy foods such as fruits and veggies can be more expensive depending on the season. For example, strawberries cost up to $3.99 for a quart depending on the time of year purchased.

One suggestion is to inventory the foods you eat now and compare them to healthy alternatives by cost. For example, a jar of Jif peanut butter $3.19 versus the jar of reduced fat peanut butter that is $3.19—the healthy alternative is the same price. Make sure to also inventory all those meals you eat out. For example, a chicken sandwich and fries from Wendy’s for $4.95 compared to a loaf of whole wheat bread, sliced turkey breast, and mustard around $7. But keep in mind that with the loaf of bread and turkey you can make up to 10 lunches.

Then again, if you go out and compare healthier alternatives that are low-fat, low-sugar, or whole to their nonhealthy counterparts, often times the healthier food does cost a little more. If eating healthy can be more expensive what are the options? Purchasing items such as rice in bulk can save you some money. Another example of this is to buy the big bag of frozen chicken for $8 and only cook one serving per person (one chicken breast). Depending on the size of your family these bags can last over a month. In addition, some ways to make eating healthier affordable is planning meals ahead of time, watching the sales, collecting coupons, cutting back on other expensive items so more money can go toward buying healthier foods, and realize that even if it is more expensive that your health is worth the extra cost.

Consider nutritious eating and its impact on health and disease prevention. Research shows that by eating a healthy diet you can reduce the risk of several types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity-related diseases such as diabetes. According to WebMD medical news, the cost of treating a patient with diabetes and complications of diabetes cost an average of $10,000 per year. Insured patients generally pay about $1,600 out of pocket. Related studies have shown that eating healthy can reduce the amount of sick doctor visits per year. With the average doctor visit running around $65, usually at least $20 out of pocket copay for patient with insurance, the cost can really add up. Eating healthier may be more expensive but it may also reduce yearly medical costs.

It seems like we are willing to pay any amount for the car we want, or that perfect haircut, so why are we willing to cut costs when it comes to the food we put in our bodies. So can we afford to eat healthier? We can’t afford not to.

Shannon Hardwicke is an instructor in the Exercise Sport & Health Education Department at Radford University. She has two passions in her life, teaching health and the television show The Office.