Think, Eat, Be Healthy

Healthy Whole Food Diet On A Budget

healthy whole food diet vegetables

It is possible to eat a healthy whole food diet on a tight budget.

It is possible to eat a healthy whole food diet on a budget

Cost is one of the top excuses people use for not eating healthier diets. But the high cost of a healthy whole food diet is a myth. It is entirely possible to eat a healthy whole food diet, without highly processed or artificial ingredients, for the same or even fewer dollars less than any other diet. Following are several tips to help you achieve two goals: to eat a healthier diet and to keep more money in your wallet while doing it.

Change where you shop

A little bit of time spent exploring new food shopping opportunities could be worth big monthly savings on the food bill. Spend a free afternoon or a few hours on a day off to explore alternatives to your favorite supermarket and/or major health food store. Use the local yellow pages(yes, some of these places might not even have a website or FaceBook page) and on-line searches to find as many food stores, produce stands, farmers’ markets, etc… as you can within a practical distance. Then actually go to them and see what they have to offer and at what price.

You might be very surprised at how much cheaper a produce stand offering a wide range of fruits and vegetables can be compared to a large grocery store. Their operating costs are much less and that gets passed along to the customers. The building(if it is more than a tent) is smaller, is probably not air-conditioned, and is in a lower-rent area. The electric bill is less because there are probably no freezers, fewer or maybe no refrigerators and possibly not even lights during the day. Produce stands often get the food itself cheaper than the big stores because they go each morning and pick it up themselves instead of having it delivered. It all adds up to savings when you buy from them. Plus you are supporting smaller local businesses instead of a large corporation.

Because of demand, more and more of these independent stands are offering organic produce. Often the majority of produce is from local or at least regional farmers instead of from industrial farms in California, Texas or South America. And the produce if often better because it is fresher and has been handled less. This is the best way to spend less for a healthy whole food diet.

Everything in a healthy whole food diet does not need to be organic

Think hard and do your homework to decide what you really need to buy organically grown. Some crops like grapes, strawberries, apples and a few others are notorious for being the most heavily sprayed with pesticides and only organically grown is generally considered safe to eat. Many fruits and vegetables have thick or hard skins that are not eaten, such as avocados and mangoes and organic is not necessary. With locally grown produce, especially if you can talk directly to the farmer, it is often possible to find out if crops are sprayed or not and with what if they are. This is an issue with all root vegetables which tend to absorb whatever washes off the leaves when it rains and when they are not peeled to retain the extra nutrients in the skins.

The dairy products and eggs that I usually buy make a good example. Neither are certified organic. But the milk, cream, butter and yogurt come from a local grass-fed herd and I am assured the grazing pasture is not treated with herbicides or pesticides of any kind. They are much better than any equivalent sold at the local chain supermarket or major health food store. The eggs are from a pastured flock of free-range birds that get plenty of open air, sunshine and can eat all the bugs,worms and fresh leafy greens they want, not just grain. They are obviously better, by sight and taste, than any regular store eggs, even the organics. I know because we raised laying hens for many years and had freshly laid eggs from pasture-raised birds almost every day.

So ask lots of questions. Find out where your food is coming from and how it is grown. Make informed decisions to save money on your healthy whole food diet. It is often possible to get much better food at lower prices that is not organic but just as “safe” and healthy.

Reduce waste to make a healthy whole food diet more affordable

Stop paying for food and then throwing it into the trash. You might as well be throwing your cash directly into the trash. Figure out why you are wasting food and find solutions. This is the best way to make a healthy whole food diet more affordable.

If food is spoiling before it is cooked or eaten, perhaps you need to buy less on each shopping trip. Or maybe a combination of shopping twice each week but buying smaller amounts of food each time. This is what I do so I don’t lose fruit, tomatoes or cucumbers to spoilage.

Make sure leftovers are worked into the menu. I like to make extra when I cook, enough for two or even three meals, because it saves so much time and energy during the following days. But you must be willing to actually eat the leftovers or remake them into a different meal within a few days. If you have a hang-up about eating leftovers, make sure you only cook one meal at a time.

Save and use as many scraps as you can. I save vegetable ends, skins, etc… in ziplock bags in the freezer until I have enough to make a pot of vegetable stock to use for soups, cooking dried beans or whatever. If I am not going to use all of stock right away, I freeze that either in plastic containers or in ice cube trays. I do the same with all meat bones. I save frozen apple cores to use for making apple cider vinegar when I have enough. Almost everything else gets composted for garden fertilizer.

Saving money on food is all about getting the most out of what you buy. Whenever something “goes bad” in the refrigerator or pantry, pay attention and try to adjust for it on the buying end. If you are going to pay for it, make sure you eat it.

save money ona healthy whole food diet by reducing waste

Eat all of the food that you buy to save money. Save scraps in the freezer until you have enough for a pot of stock.

Eliminate packaging as much as possible

Whole foods do not really need packaging of any kind, except meats and dairy. And stores do not get packaging materials for free. The cost of packaging is passed along to the customer. And since most packaging is some form of plastic it is not very good for the food or our health.

Part of the reason independent produce stands are often cheaper than larger stores for the same products is the lack of packaging. It is better to be able to pick out individual fruits and vegetables. That way you can get a few that are perfectly ripe for today and tomorrow and a few more that are slightly less ripe for the following couple of days. I never liked being forced to buy three or four zucchini at a time, especially when I can only see one side of them, because that is how the store decided to package them. Zucchini don’t need to be packaged.

Buying mostly food without packaging is another sure way to stick to a healthy whole food diet, too. You know you are not getting any hidden ingredients or highly refined products when you choose mushrooms or tomatoes from a bin or case box. And you don’t have to waste a lot of time squinting at labels, either.

Try these tips for a cheaper healthy whole food diet

Try combining all of these tips for a few weeks or a month and compare to your previous grocery bill. I am sure you will see a difference for the better. You will also be eating better and doing your health a favor at the same time. Happy shopping!

For specific tips on how to save on healthy meat click here.

like-share blog insert 1