Processed foods are not cheaper than healthier options. People constantly repeat this, but it's flat out wrong.

The best way to apologize for people who, is to say that they don't have enough time to cook between all the jobs they have.

> cheaper than heather options

Due to spoilage concerns grocery stores price food based on shelf stability not just production costs. Processed foods are generally shelf stable enough for this not to be a major concern.

Similarly economies of scale apply in many situations. Slow cooking beans takes more energy the smaller the batch size due to surface area to volume ratios etc.

Combined with the opportunity costs associated with cooking + cleanup means there’s very few healthy options that can compete with highly processed foods.