One of the biggest misconceptions about eating healthfully is that it is expensive. I would say, it is all in how you approach it. You can make it as expensive and complicated as you want, or as cost-friendly and simple as you want. In general, fresh or frozen fruit, vegetables, beans, whole grains, etc. are reasonably priced. The more processed health foods (yes, there are healthier processed foods - the key is to read labels!) and meat you purchase, the more expense you will incur. We've put together a short list of ways to keep your food bill down.
1. Bulk up. Buying from bulk bins lets you get just the amount you need, and try a variety without paying for excess packaging.
2. Real food. Choose whole foods vs. highly processed foods.
3. Go for store brands. Trader Joe's brands and Whole Food's 365 Everyday Value are often priced less than name brands.
4. Plan, plan, plan. Make a meal plan each week, along with a grocery list. Stick to it!
5. Reduce meat consumption. Plant foods are the way to go! In general, fresh produce, grains, etc. are much cheaper than quality meat.
6. Shop at home. Build shopping lists around what you already have in your pantry and fridge.
7. Stock up. If it's on sale, buy extra.
8. Reduce waste. Don't throw away anything! Eat leftovers. Pour extra smoothies into popsicle molds for healthy treats. Extra diced onion? Throw it in the freezer for another recipe. Bananas on their way out? Peel, slice, and freeze for smoothies. (My kids love to snack on frozen banana slices!)
9. Quit fast food. Every little stop at Chick-Fil-A, Subway, etc. adds up. Just dive in and commit to eliminating fast food as we know it. Or drastically reduce. We make almost no fast food stops anymore. It saves bundles of money, not to mention really protects your health since the options are usually not great. We now pack lunches or our new "fast food" is places like: Chipotle, Qdoba (I'm on a mission to get them to trade their white (=SUGAR!) rice for brown!), the food bar at Whole Foods, Urban Turban, veggie sub from a sub place in a pinch, etc...
10. Car snack bag. We both keep a bag or basket in our car at all times, of healthy snacks. This is great with young kids, but helps us when we're hungry and good choices are not readily available. Some of our car snacks are: LARABARS, nuts, apples, raisin boxes, fruit strips (TJ's), dried fruit (unsweetened), freeze dried fruit/veggies, little snack bags of WF Baked Woven Wheats (like Triscuits, but without the oil), clean cereals, homemade trail mixes (goji berries, chopped walnuts), etc.
One last thought we want you to consider: pay now or pay later. The INVESTMENT of feeding yourself and your family nutritiously is worth the potential hundreds and thousands of dollars you may pay later for sickness and disease that could easily have been prevented through feeding your body as the TEMPLE that it is. Our families, and other plant-strong families we know, have spent drastically less time at the doctor's office in the last year than ever. Hundreds literally saved on copays and medications. You have far more control over your health by diet alone, than you could even begin to imagine! Genetics is not the be all, end all of your health. Eating this way is a miracle on your plate. There is this fabulous quote from Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr: "If your body is a temple, then your mouth is the altar."
Make today matter-
dawn
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