America, which staked out its independence 241 years ago, is undergoing a new revolution of sorts, as consumers across the country opt for healthier meals.

In a country where people love to eat, quinoa, kale and grass-fed meats are fast becoming the normeven during July 4, which doubles as an unofficial eating holiday. In this environment, craft beers and infused water are supplanting Budweisers and sodas.

"There's a major shift going on," said Robert Moskow, an analyst at Credit Suisse. "Whole Foods ushered in a much broader array of options for the consumer that was more organic, more natural, more locally sourced. It ended up educating the consumer on what's going into the food and making them more selective and more sophisticated."

The shift hasn't come without sacrifices: It costs a lot more money to eat healthier. Consumers opting for more organic, locally sourced groceries can end up paying drastically more than their traditional food varieties.

"We as a species are now used to having our cake and eating it too," said Greg Fleishman, CEO and co-founder of Purely Righteous Brands, a consultancy that advises companies on green growth.

As a result, "people are willing to pay a premium for that kind of quality assurance," Moskow said.

As Americans fire up the grill to celebrate Independence Day, CNBC used data from Nielsen and the Beverage Marketing Corporation to figure out how much it costs to swap out classic ingredients for more health-conscious substitutes. In some cases, substituted items can end up costing almost twice as much.

Read the rest here:

Here are the cost differences for 6 organic July 4 BBQ foods alternatives - CNBC