Yeah, what onesnowyowl said is good.
Generally speaking, try to pick food that is closest to its most natural form (i.e. foods as grown). In this form, it tends to be healthier and less expensive. If what you're buying is in a box and would require a recipe to make, you're likely paying way more than it would cost if you did it yourself.
I think what is at issue is that we tend to look at food and its preparation as a chore. It shouldn't be this way. Food should be a way of life, something we look forward to engaging with.
One thing some people don't realize is the other health benefit of food: Preparing and cooking food burns anywhere from 150 to 200 calories an hour. That is equivalent to a light 20-minute jog.
People who spend the time to prepare food tend to be the better for it, especially if it's kept simple. I know people are busy and perhaps tired, but if approached the right way, food preparation can be stress-relieving and rewarding. It also allows us to know what we're putting into our bodies and gives us control over quality and content. As an example, I just whipped up an awesome (and fully loaded!) spinach salad today:
- Spinach (plate load)
- Onion (1 slice)
- Tomato (1, wedged)
- Carrots (2, sliced)
- Tofu slices (approx 8 oz.)
- Feta cheese (approx 2 oz.)
- Balsamic vinegar (drizzled)
- Olive oil (drizzled)
Delicious. I would guess the same thing would have cost $7-9 dollars at a restaurant or $4-6 as a prepared item at a grocery store deli. What took me all of 5 minutes to prepare cost me a fraction of that. It's almost ridiculous.