Replacing fats and sweets with vegetables and fruits--a question of cost.

OBJECTIVES We examined the association between diet quality and estimated diet costs. METHODS Freely chosen diets of 837 French adults were assessed by a dietary history method. Mean national food prices for 57 foods were used to estimate diet costs. RESULTS Diets high in fat, sugar, and grains were associated with lower diet costs after adjustment for energy intakes, gender, and age. For most levels of energy intake, each additional 100 g of fats and sweets was associated with a 0.05-0.40 per day reduction in diet costs. In contrast, each additional 100 g of fruit and vegetables was associated with a 0.18-0.29 per day increase in diet costs. CONCLUSIONS Diets high in fats and sweets represent a low-cost option to the consumer, whereas the recommended "prudent" diets cost more.