Eating Whole Foods on a Budget
By AndreAnna
Three weeks ago, my husband and I took on our new way of eating full-force. We cut out refined sugars, processed crap, starches and breads. Instead, we eat whole milks, cheeses, eggs, butter, cream, local grass-fed meats, fresh vegetables from our CSA.
In three weeks, my husband has lost 20 pounds. I’ll let you process that for a minute. That’s like a fricken pound a day. BY EATING MEAT. And local cheese (I DO live in Iowa). I’ve lost 9 pounds in the same space of time and while it’s not 20 like Mike, it is awesome.
And to me, just as important as the weightloss is – for health and vanity reasons – is how I feel. My hair and skin are better. I no longer hit that 3 pm wall, I swear. I power through all day, task after task, and feel great. My clothes fit better, especially around my mid-section.
My husband, who has adult ADHD (yeah, I thought it was total crap too until I met Mike), swears he can focus better at work, that concentrating is easier. I feel less antsy and don’t get that jittery sugar-rush and crash. I feel calmer.
I am happy eating this way and I know that it will be a way of life for me. Of course, there will also be an occasional margarita in my way of life on occasion.But eating this way has proven to myself that biologically we as humans are not meant to sustain life and find energy on the government-subsidized grain and HFCS we’ve been feeding ourselves.
Speaking of subsidizing, I believe part of the reason most people don’t eat healthier, organic, local foods is because it’s expensive as hell. Like, a car payment or more per month. And for some people, they just don’t have it.
I am lucky that we both have good-paying jobs and that even though it sucks to spend upwards of 200$ a week on the way we eat, we CAN do it. I look at it as an investment in our health. That the money I’m spending now will be money I’m not spending on medications, doctor visits, surgeries, etc.
But I get that some people, on one income, no income, fixed income, etc., cannot afford to spend upwards of $800 a month on food. And quite frankly, even though we can, I sure as hell don’t want to. I wanted to find ways to still eat the way we do and put some of that money back in our pocket. Here’s what I’ve learned and what I’ve implemented.
For meats:
You have a few options here.
-If you have a large freezer, one thing you can do is buy in bulk at a local warehouse store. Better still, check into localharvest.org for CSAs or meat-shares in your area. Often, you and another family or families can literally buy a cow or a pig, and when it comes time, the meat is divided up. The average cost varies, but say you and three other families go in on one cow for $1200. That’s $300 per family and your share of meat would keep your freezer full for months.
-Buy a roast when it is on sale and make your own ground beef (if you have a grinder) 1) I try not to think about the stuff that gets into my meat at a plant were they grind it and 2) a 4-lb chuck roast can be on sale for like 7$ and you can get fresh ground meat.
-Check for sales after the holidays. Turkeys are on sale after Thanksgiving, the Angus nitrate-free hot dogs and grass-fed ground beef patties may be on sale after the 4th of July. So if you can, buy extra and sock them away in your freezer for later.
-Buy whole free-range chickens instead of breasts. The “roaster” tends to be cheaper since not as much work had to go into butchering it.Even if you don’t want roast chicken and just want the breasts for a recipe, cook the whole thing, set the breasts aside, then make a stock with the carcass. You’re saving money here too by using as much of the bird as possible.
-Search around the internet for deals and coupons. Natural on a Budget is one of my new favorite places on the web. She teaches people how to feed a family on a budget while linking to great deals and coupons on many natural items, not just food.
For produce:
-My most important rule that I suck at remembering myself: When buying produce, it’s better to make two trips to the store per week rather than have the food go bad. Often, I get so excited by all of the items at the farmer’s market or the new vegetables in season that I over-buy. And within three days, I’ve got wilted bok choi and squishy radishes because they didn’t fit into the meal plan right away. Make a meal plan for THREE days and buy ONLY those fresh produce items.
-If eating off-season the prices will be much higher for fresh. So the best thing to do is buy frozen. Anytime I see organic frozen vegetables on sale, I stock up. Which is likely why I have 11 pounds of chopped spinach in my freezer. Frozen has gotten a bad wrap, when in actuality, many studies prove that there are more vitamins and nutrients in frozen vegetables than in the ones you see on your local supermarket shelves. This is because they are often flash-frozen at the farm or almost immediately thereafter, preserving the freshness and nutrients a lot of produce loses spending days on trucks. So, buy local farmer’s market produce if you can; if not, try frozen.
-Grow your own. One tomato plant can keep your salads happy all summer. Herbs, which can also be pricey in the store, are so easy to grow. Even in a small space and even I don’t screw it up (and I’m a notorious plant killer).
—–
I’m not going to lie to you; it’s not cheap.
But neither is your body. It deserves the best fuel.
And with a little coupon-hunting, some tricks, you CAN fit this into your life.
Do you have any tips to share? I’d love to hear them!
June 22nd, 2010 at 1:42 pm
So happy for you and The Hubs on your improved health and weight loss! Are you following a specific plan? I would like to try this way of eating, but I don’t really know where to start. Can you give me some resources?
June 22nd, 2010 at 1:59 pm
That’s fantastic, AndreAnna! Do you eat fruits too? I’ve been trying to stick to berries as they are low cal and highly nutritious, but my pregnant belleeeeeh wants ALL fruit, including pineapples and mangoes, and grapes, and oranges, etc.
June 22nd, 2010 at 2:28 pm
I think you made a HUGE point in there that I just want to underscore: the money you spend now, is money you will NOT spend later on medications, co-pays, doctor visits, etc. It’s a fact, really.
It’s not like eating processed food helps anyone’s budget out in the end because the money ends up getting spent one way or the other — and why hedge your bets on your health?
I just think it’s a huge point and I’m glad you brought it up. And kudos to sharing creative ideas on how it CAN be done instead of a bunch of “IT CAN’T BE DONEs” — Can’t wait to check out Natural On a Budget:)
June 22nd, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Thank you for linking back to my blog, Natural On A Budget. I am so glad to hear that it has been helpful for you. Hopefully you will visit often.
Is there anything you can think of that may be helpful that I am not covering? I am always open for suggestion.
June 22nd, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Just wanted to share a tip for when you do overbuy at the farmer’s market. My fiancee’s mom bought me the Lock and Lock tupperware set (I think you can buy it on QVC) and it is AMAZING. Seriously, produce stays so fresh in that stuff that it’s almost a little bit creepy. It’s definitely saved me money, and it comes in pretty colors like red and purple.
June 22nd, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Bachelor Girl – We’re not following any particular plan or diet. Rather I did a lot of reading on low-carb, primal-like eating, whole foods, etc. I did read the New Atkins for a New You (which I found incredibly awesome and helpful), The Primal Blueprint, South Beach, and links and articles in medical journals. And I guess they way we eat can be described as close to Atkins – but unfortunately the “Atkins diet” has a bad rap as a fad diet where you eat bacon all day, and I get sick of defending it, ya know? Reading and researching has been a key factor for me in this.
Christine: Right now, I’m trying to give my body a month free and clear of all sugars with the exception of vegetables. I plan to add fruits back in slowly starting with berries soon. Being pregnant, I say eat what the baby wants, especially if it’s as healthy as fruit. It’s only for 9 months.
Lorrie: Thank YOU for running such an awesome website. I’ll keep in touch if I can think of anything I think may be helpful.
Aubrey: thanks for the tip!
June 22nd, 2010 at 10:09 pm
I’m glad to hear you’re having good success with eating this way. I’ve found it to be a good experience too. I started eating this way in an effort to lose weight, but I can tell my energy levels are more stable too and it’s really nice to not be hungry all the time. When I was eating grains I was hungry all the time, and exercising just made me more hungry. Now, I get full when I eat, and I find I get full on less food.
For money saving tips, we bought a freezer and bought the cuts of meat from 1/4 of a grass-fed cow. It was a good chunk of money up front, but it has lasted us (a family of 3)almost a year. It’s very convenient to have it in the freezer to just pull out and defrost.
Also, when I buy vegetables, I try to buy at least some that can be eaten raw or cooked. So for example I’ll buy fresh spinach and bell peppers and carrots. I can make salads out of them, but if they start to get kind of wilty, then I can cook them and they’re good that way too.
June 23rd, 2010 at 6:25 am
I think this is awesome. I have been intrigued by the thought of eating the way you are, but frankly I’ve been too scared to try it. What will I eat?? If you have a chance, I’d love to see what you’re eating for breakfast and lunch. I feel like I could do dinners, but I eat cereal every day for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. Halp!
June 23rd, 2010 at 7:09 am
Bachelor Girl, definitely check out marksdailyapple.com. That site is a wonderful resource for the Primal Blueprint lifestyle which I like a lot more than Atkins.
June 23rd, 2010 at 10:45 am
Yes, Lindsay and Bachelor Girl – visit his site or read the whole book. So fascinating and it’s definitely a liefstyle that is worth it to maintain (you know 95% of the time – the other 5% I’m having a goddamned Frito. LOL)
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-book/the-primal-blueprint/
June 23rd, 2010 at 7:57 pm
I really love this idea of eating “whole” food. I definitely plan to look into it further! While I always seem to be on a diet, in the back of my mind, I’ve always known (and my dad has always been there to remind me every time he sees me with a Diet Coke) of what really goes into “diet” food and how bad it really is for your body. I guess I just didn’t know where to start. Thank you so much for writing about this! I’ve been lurking around here, but haven’t ever really commented, I always really look forward to your posts though!
June 24th, 2010 at 8:06 am
After reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma and watching Food Inc, I have switched over to a non-processed, grass-fed/no antibiotics/no hormones way of life too. I definitely noticed a difference in my energy level!
It’s a bit hard to do when you go out to restaurants, but I have found a few in our little town that serve grass-fed steaks. Yum! It has also helped that we started our own garden this year. We have already started to eat the lettuce and swiss chard…I think that we will have at least one green pepper and some zucchini ready to pick by this weekend!
June 27th, 2010 at 11:46 am
Costco can be a great resource. They have loads of organic stuff and, if you have the freezer space, great prices. The local part isn’t always a guarantee but I have been pleasantly surprised what I am able to find (though I define local as surrounding states, so that helps)
June 30th, 2010 at 7:16 am
Yay, I’m so happy to see that it’s still working for you – that gives me hope. I had a road trip day yesterday for work, and broke down and got fast food on the road — chicken sandwiches, fries, diet soda. It’s amazing crappy I felt this morning for a momentary sugar high then…
This also reminds me of my feelings about shopping at Wal-Mart. My husband and I used to be all militant about it, and I understand it isn’t as bad as perhaps it used to be about ten years ago and these days I don’t turn into the Rage Beast about it, but the most frustrating thing to me used to be the “I can’t afford not to shop there” response. Yes, actually, you can generally do it — you just have to think about it a little more. (And okay, I’ll admit, I’m pretty proud of the fact that I haven’t set foot in one in almost a decade. They want to dominate the world, but they don’t have me! I win!!! I jest, but it does give me a perverse satisfaction.) So, if I can change my lifestyle in that way, I figure I can change my lifestyle in this way too.
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:43 am
We “eat clean” as much as we can. As far as the money goes, I have to say that it settles down once you get in the groove, I think I spend less because I eventually end up buying only what we can eat. Our appetites are smaller, and over time, I start to think of food as fuel (still cooking delicious and fresh but not needing all the ‘inbetweens’ and it seems to be what governs how much we eat and how much I buy.
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