Have you noticed that healthy foods are on the outside aisles of the grocery store? Produce, meat and dairy are the healthiest foods, largely because they are not processed. And the price of unprocessed food does not include wages for processors.

The government now encourages people to eat 8-12 servings of fruit and vegetables each day. Is that possible on a budget? One serving is generally about half a cup. One small apple or banana is one serving. One serving of leafy vegetables is about one cup.

If you purchase a large bag of apples, each one costs about 50 cents, less than buying them individually. A banana costs less than 50 cents. What can you get from a vending machine for 50 cents? Even those pre-portioned 100-calorie snack packs are more than 50 cents each, with no nutritional value.

Fast food restaurants advertise lunch specials for $5. Most include sandwich, fries and soda. Generally the meat is fatty. The fat content of the fries is scary. At a grocery store deli you can get four ounces of sliced turkey, half a pound of veggie salad and at least one serving of fruit for less than $5. You might even be able to add a loaf of whole grain bread (on clearance) without going over $5. Then you would have bread for 2-3-4 days.

Food manufacturers add ingredients that make you feel hungry, even when you are full. Eating foods as close to nature as possible helps eliminate food additives.

Healthy diets and healthy budgets are choices. Sticking with them can take some determination and creativity. The questions is, Are you wanting to play Russian Roulette with your health?