September 8, 2026

Why Eating Out Is Costing You More Than You Think

"Eating healthy is expensive." I hear this constantly, and I completely disagree. But before I get to why, let's talk about the actual cost of the alternative, because I don't think people realize how much eating out is taking from their budgets, in both dollars and calories.

The dollar cost

The average fast food meal in the U.S. runs somewhere around $10-12. That's per meal, per person, and it adds up fast if it's a regular habit rather than an occasional treat.

And it is a regular habit for a lot of people. According to the CDC, roughly a third of adults eat fast food on any given day, and adults get almost 12% of their daily calories from it on average. That number has actually improved. It was closer to 14% about a decade ago, so the trend is moving the right direction, but it's still a massive share of the average diet coming from the drive-thru. Mind you, this is in averages. People who never eat fast food dramatically bring this average down.

The calorie cost nobody talks about

Here's the part that really surprised me. A study analyzing over a thousand fast food combo meals from more than 30 chains found that the default meal, meaning the one actually advertised on the menu, not some modified "healthy" version, averaged nearly 1,200 calories. The high-calorie version of these same meals pushed close to 1,700. To put this in perspective, the average woman in the US needs between 1,600-2,400 calories per day, and the average man needs 2,000-2,800 calories per day to maintain their weight. (Use our TDEE calculator to calculate your caloric needs!)

Almost all of these default meals blew past recommended guidelines for calories and sodium. And the single biggest driver of extra calories and sugar in these meals wasn't the burger or the sandwich, it was the drink. Swapping a soda for water cut a shocking amount of the damage on its own, more than most people would guess.

So a "meal deal" isn't just costing you $10-12. It's often costing you most of a day's worth of sodium and close to a full day's sugar budget, packed into 20 minutes of driving and waiting in line.

"But it's more convenient"

I hear this one constantly, and I'd push back on it. Driving somewhere, waiting in line, and driving back usually takes longer than making something simple at home. Cracking a couple eggs in a pan takes about 5 minutes, and you can toast an English Muffin in that exact same window. A lot of "I don't have time to eat healthy" is really just "I've never actually timed it against the drive-thru."

So what's the alternative?

This is where it gets fun. I'm going to show you the exact cost for a meal I frequently make for lunch, both in cash and calories. But first, let me talk a little bit about grocery stores.

If you've been around me for a while, you know I'm a HUGE fan of Aldi. A lot has changed in my life over the past decade, but that has stayed constant.

The BOGO trap

This week, Publix has their brand of sliced white mushrooms on a "buy one, get one" deal: two 8oz packages for $3.99. Sounds like a great deal, right? Except Aldi sells the same size package of mushrooms for $1.89 each. Buy two at Aldi, and you're paying $3.78, still cheaper than the "deal."

This isn't a knock on Publix specifically. It's a reminder that a BOGO sign is a marketing tool, not a guarantee. My theory is simple: stores use a good deal on one item to get you in the door, and once you're there, you might as well grab the milk while you're at it. Publix does have good deals sometimes, and their BOGOs can absolutely be worth it. Just don't assume "BOGO" automatically means "cheapest option," because sometimes it isn't even close.

As a general rule, we've found Aldi consistently beats both Publix and Sprouts on price, often by a lot. Sprouts in particular tends to run 30-40% more expensive than Aldi depending on the item, which is why I'd personally avoid it except for a handful of niche products, and even then, I'd price-check online first.

The lesson isn't "only shop at Aldi." It's that grocery pricing is not intuitive, and a few minutes of comparing prices can meaningfully change your bill.

What I actually ate for lunch this week

Let's get concrete, because this is the part that actually proves my point.

Tuna, rice, shredded cheddar, and a little mayo. Total macros: 484 calories, 39g protein, 36g carbs, 19g fat. That's a solid, balanced meal by any standard.

Here's what it cost me, itemized:

Rice: about $0.13 per serving (an 80oz bag from Aldi runs $6.99 and gets you close to 50 servings)
Mayo: about $0.06 per serving (a 30oz container is $3.99, good for roughly 65 servings)
Cheese: about $0.23 per serving (a 16oz bag is $3.65, and one ounce is a serving)
Tuna: $1.05 for the can

Total: roughly $1.47. For a meal with 39 grams of protein. To be fair, that's not including seasonings like soy sauce, salt, or pepper, but those barely move the needle.

Compare that to our fast food numbers: a $10-12 fast food combo meal packing 1,200+ calories and a hefty share of your daily sodium. The math isn't close.

Your challenge this week

Before your next fast food run, price out what the same meal would cost you homemade. Pick one thing you regularly buy out, like a sandwich, a bowl, a burger combo, and figure out what the raw ingredients would run you at Aldi. I'd genuinely bet the gap surprises you.

Eating healthy was never the expensive option. It just usually doesn't come with a drive-thru window.

Sources

About the author

Connor Blackmon is the owner of Heroes Fitness, a private personal training gym in Valrico, FL. He built it for the people who feel weird about gyms — the ones who've thought about canceling their membership before they even used it once. No mirrors full of strangers, no guessing what machine does what, just a private space and a coach who actually explains things instead of just barking reps. His goal is simple: help men and women get stronger without the anxiety that usually comes with it.