A new study from the journal Health Affairs finds that healthy eating is a privilege of the rich.
In 2010, the U.S. updated its guidelines for nutrition and called for Americans to incorporate more potassium, dietary fiber, Vitamin D and calcium into their diets.
Adding potassium to the diet can tack on $380 per year to the average consumer's food costs, the study found. It is the wealthiest consumers that are able to most closely meet the guidelines.
Consumers who spend the least amount have the highest intake of saturated fats and added sugar.
But there are inexpensive ways to to eat healthy. Potatoes are one of the cheapest and best ways to get potassium. There are increasingly more farmer's markets offering fresh fruits and vegetables in low income neighborhoods where before it would have cost residents to travel for healthy food choices.
