Recent news articles have reported that a healthy diet is expensive if one were to consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.  As the senior economist with the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion [1] (CNPP) with over 20 years of experience in the area of food economics developing food plans and market baskets, I agree.  Depending on the food choices, a healthy diet can be relatively expensive. However, there is a compelling fact that these news reports fail to highlight — a healthy diet can be relatively in expensive.  Now some readers of this blog may think that this is another case of economic double talk or spin, but healthy foods come in a variety of forms and a range of prices that likely fit just about anyone’s budget. To help consumers choose a diet that conforms to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans [2] , CNPP recently introduced a 7-day menu plan to help consumers improve their diet; you can find it at ChooseMyPlate.gov.  Averaged over a week, this menu provides food choices that meet the recommended amounts of key nutrients.  Based on national average food costs, adjusted to 2011 prices, the cost of this menu is less than the average amount spent for food, per person, for a 4-person family.  For example, the average food cost for a 2,000 calorie diet is $6.65 per person per day