POLL: Are You Buying Cheaper, Unhealthier Foods?

No one said eating healthy is cheap.

But a report from The Huffington Post finds Americans are spending less money on groceries these days, and the cash they do drop pays for processed foods and sweets:

Nearly 23 percent of the grocery bill is for processed foods and sweets, making it the single biggest category for household's grocery spend; meat comes next with just more than 21 percent. Compare that to 30 years ago, when meat made up the biggest portion of the grocery bill, fruits and vegetables second and processed foods ranked a distant fifth.

One explanation could be that as American households struggle to keep up with regular bills, buying cheap, unhealthy foods appear to be better options than foods from the produce, dairy and meat aisles that are more expensive.

So we put the question to you, Patch users, whether or not the bottom line is forcing you to buy cheaper but unhealthier foods? Tell us in the poll below and discuss it in the comments section.