Why is 'real food' so darned expensive? in Another Open Diary refugee

John took me to Winn-Dixie this morning to get diabetic-friendly groceries... I got a ton of frozen vegetables (literally, they have several varieties in five pound bags for six bucks each - I've always thought they're too big but since we're off starch we need a lot more other veggies...), chicken thighs, two beef roasts for $3 a pound (actually $6 which is horrenous but they were BOGO), cheese, lunchmeat, some assorted sugar-free stuff for John, fresh vegetables, natural peanut butter and hummus, and ginger ale - sugar-free for John and regular for me. I had to stop shopping because I'd filled the scooter cart to the brim and it was starting to overload so the scooter wanted to stall! Total cost? $135! (it was nearly $200 before she scanned my Winn-Dixie card...) And I haven't even got everything yet because there's stuff that I plain forgot and a few things we want that they don't carry... John says it's okay because we have to do a total pantry restock but I was horrified at the cost. I hope this food lasts us a few weeks! I packed all our carbohydrates into boxes and gave them to our neighbour - he volunteers at a feeding program so he'll take our stuff in. I told him to help himself to anything he wants himself, but he's also diabetic and he just had a coronary bypass so he's supposed to be on the same sort of diet we are! But his daughter isn't...