In America, Eating Healthy Can Break the Bank — In Spain, It’s Just Shopping

A Valencia market haul shows how affordable real food can be

Source: Author / A “surprise” pizza in Valencia, Spain

In the U.S., eating healthy often feels like a luxury hobby. Something you have to budget for like a vacation.

In Spain, it’s just Tuesday.

My wife and I moved to Valencia in January.

Here, I can walk half a block to my neighborhood market and leave with fresh vegetables, fruit, chicken, eggs, and olives for less than I used to spend on a single “healthy” grocery run in Los Angeles.

I can walk a few more blocks to my bakery of choice and buy a loaf of fresh-baked centeno (rye) bread for €3.50.

Our olive oil comes from a local cooperativa and costs €30 for 5 liters that will last almost the entire year.

And the quality across the board? Higher by default — no “organic” label required. But you — and millions of others — already know this.

The point of this article is simple: in Spain, there’s no excuse for most people not to eat healthy. Even if you don’t make a lot of money. In a minute, I’ll price this out, showing how we food shop in Valencia.