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You can eat healthy on a budget! Photo by Young in Panama
I am honored today to be sharing an amazing guest post by my dear friend Mary Scohera of The Frugal Buzz. Mary lives in the DC area and has a long history of corporate work and writing. She decided a while ago that being her own boss and creating a dynamic life for herself was much more in alignment with who she really is. Using frugal strategies, she was able to create just such a life, and from her experiences, The Frugal Buzz was born! The site offers tips on how to be frugal, but not cheap in many areas of life and I think that there is a lot of wonderful information for all of us trying to create a good quality life for our family! Please visit Mary’s site and check it out!
Her post is something that is very close to my heart, how to eat healthy while on a budget. She pin points the major stumbling blocks in some people’s minds that stand in the way of them making healthy and more natural changes. After reading, you simply will not be able to say, well, its too expensive!
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Eating Healthy on a Budget
In today’s economy, many struggle to make ends meet. If your budget fits the typical American household budget, the top three expenses are: housing (33-38%), transportation (15-19%), and food (13-14%) It’s not surprising cost is often a deterrent for people buying organic or healthy food. However, there are ways to control your costs without compromising your family’s health.
Tip #1: Do what you can and don’t beat yourself up over what you can’t. You may not be able to buy all organic food and that’s fine. Not everything labeled organic or natural is good for you. If you buy processed food, it’s more important to understand and use the nutrition facts label than it is to buy something just because it’s labeled organic.
Tip #2: Be Choosy. Swap out commercially-grown fruits and vegetables that have the highest pesticide residue with their organic counterparts. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) estimates you can lower your pesticide consumption by four-fifths by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables. A full list of fruits and vegetables and their pesticide score can be found at EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides.
Tip #3: Shopping at farmers markets is good for the economy and your health. Use the Local Info box at the The Daily Green to find a market near you. You can also save money by picking your own fruits and vegetables and/or buying direct from the farm. Find a local Pick Your Own farm and learn all about canning and freezing food (another great money saver) on this site.
Tip #4: Be a locavore (one who tries to eat only locally grown foods) and buy seasonal produce. Find a list of currently available produce by state and month with Epicurious’s Seasonal Ingredient Map. Click on the food list to see ingredient descriptions, shopping guides, recipes, and tips. A large freezer or storage pantry makes seasonal buying or growing more manageable.
Tip #5: Grow your own. You don’t need a big yard or really any yard at all to grow your own food. As long as you have a windowsill or porch you can grow herbs, onions or tomatoes (and more) in containers. I have two brown thumbs and live in a 500 square foot apartment; if I can do it, you can do it! Check out Dummies.com to learn how to make a container garden for growing vegetables and herbs.
Tip #6: Save on basics. Basics do not have to organic to be good for you; save your organic dollars for the freshest food. Save on pasta, rice, canned beans, canned tomatoes, bread and any other grocery items you are comfortable with.
Tip #7: Plan your meals. No matter what type of groceries you buy, planning your meals and shopping with a grocery list are proven cost savers. Only dine out for special occasions or when the cook really needs a break.
Tip #8: Buy in bulk. Stock up and buy flour, grains and things like nuts and dried fruit in bulk. In addition to stores, check producer Web sites or factory outlets to maximize savings. Consider buying a year’s worth of things you can safely store or split with another family
Tip #9: Pass the meat. Reap both savings and health benefits by building meals around lower-cost items, or eating low on the food chain. Use more grains and beans and less (or no) high-cost foods like meat and cheese. Delicious and nutritious vegetarian recipes abound, starting on Alex’s Blogroll. I found yummy Black Bean Burgers on Angie’s Healthy Living Blog, Curried Chickpea Soup on Ann Kroeker Food, and to die for (really!) Cauliflower Like French Fries on Health Food Lover (linked from epicuriosa).
Tip #10: Use coupons. The best place to find coupons for organic and natural products is to go directly to the company/product Websites. If you ask, almost all sites will mail coupons to you (be sure to include your mailing address). Here are a few to get you started: Organic Valley, Nature’s Path, and Stonyfield.
I hope these tips help you eat healthy without breaking the bank.
Mary Scohera, creator of TheFrugalBuzz, helps others who may be struggling with finances to achieve a higher quality of life through frugal living. Like Alex (A Moderate Life), Mary believes that many of life’s challenges can be overcome through balance and moderation. You can reach Mary through her Website or on Twitter@TheFrugalBuzz.
This article is a part of Frugal Fridays, Real Food Wednesdays at the Kelly the Kitchen Kop site and Fight Back Fridays at The Food Renegade site, so please visit them for more great healthy living tips and recipes!
A Moderate Life also recommends these posts!
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June 16th, 2010 on 2:06 am
This is a great article! I am all about doing what you can and not stressing about what you can’t do. Thanks for linking to my Cauliflower-Like French Fries recipe!
More at my blog Epicuriosa
June 16th, 2010 on 7:50 am
This is a great guest post Alex and Mary! I love the one about only buying the ones that we only need to buy organic and the tip about cutting meat out sometimes. I actually love lentils and food made with them! They are really tasty and so cheap! I love it!
And that tip about actually planning your meals is so true! That really helps to keep one on track with money!
Michelle (Health Food Lover) recently posted..Like What I’m Blogging? Thank Me By ‘Buying Me A Cup Of Tea’
June 16th, 2010 on 8:04 am
Great tips, thanks!
~Aubree Cherie
Aubree Cherie recently posted..My Fav (Top 10) Recipes from Last Week (6/8-6/14
June 16th, 2010 on 2:37 pm
Thanks for the good tips. I’m always looking to save a little money on food. One other tip I would add is make your own. Making yogurt and bread and beans are much less expensive (and healthier) than buying them already made.
June 16th, 2010 on 5:03 pm
Hi Channy! Thanks so much for the visit. Truth be told, your blog inspired me to start doing this and I still rave about your cresent roll hotdogs!
I also do love to make things and that does decrease the cost! I can make 2 weeks worth of Kombucha that would cost $56 in the store for under a dollar and my labor. I like them odds!
June 16th, 2010 on 5:03 pm
Thanks for the visit aubree! I love how mary gets right to the point!
June 16th, 2010 on 5:04 pm
Hi Micelle, yep, I like how Mary gets to the heart of what is important but reminds us all not to stress over it–babysteps is what I always call the moves in the right direction!
June 16th, 2010 on 5:07 pm
Mariana! Thanks for the visit and I am going to do your cauliflower because I love making veggies with some sparkle and jazz~! It is really all about taking small steps that add up to big returns and going with the flow on the other stuff~
Twitter: HungerThirst
June 16th, 2010 on 11:56 pm
Fantastic tips. It can be done, and I love the message of baby steps. It makes me really sad when I see people get overwhelmed and throw in the towel.
Here’s my tip – seek out local eggs. I currently live in a suburban area, and I only have to drive a few miles out of town to find people advertising eggs at the end of their driveway. Even when far pricier than the grocery store, eggs from a happy chicken which is allowed to roam and eat bugs are a nutritional powerhouse, and only cost a few cents apiece. And best of all, it only takes a few minutes to cook an egg meal.
Butterpoweredbike recently posted..(This Score is Not Final!) Bunnies 1 – Butterpoweredbike – 0
June 18th, 2010 on 12:36 pm
OOOOh BPB—that is a great tip~! Yes, I love buying local eggs, we have two locations, one is definitely pastured, the other is cage free but organic. Not sure which is better…I would think the pastured!
June 18th, 2010 on 12:44 pm
Alex-
Re eggs, I’ve got a feeling that the pastured may be better as they seem to be more free range then organic- the organic ones might still be cage-free but what does that really mean? but those are just my thoughts!
Michelle (Health Food Lover) recently posted..Wholesome Whole Foods #4- June 18th
June 21st, 2010 on 11:00 am
I think you are so right michelle, because when I crack open a pastured egg it’s yolk is so dark and the other eggs have very light yolks. I have heard that is an indication of high nutritional content.
June 22nd, 2010 on 8:59 pm
I’m not the kind to take the time posting comments on peoples’ blogs normally nevertheless after stumbling across yours I figured I’d shoot a quick line to give myself a short break from working. Needless to say I’ve become a lttle bit distracted after sticking around to browse a number of your posts. Keep up the great writing and i am already looking towards reading future posts. Kudos!
June 22nd, 2010 on 9:08 pm
Thanks for the visit Edwina and the comments!
June 25th, 2010 on 2:09 pm
thanks for the great tips
June 26th, 2010 on 1:04 am
Great list! I would add to buy your meat in bulk – a quarter of half of a cow at a time. We save a lot by buying from a local family that raises the cows – we know the cow is a happy one – not from a feedlot.
Christy recently posted..W is for Whipped Cream, Coconut Whipped Cream that is.
Twitter: frugalbuzz
June 28th, 2010 on 5:31 pm
First, thank you Alex for the opportunity to guest post and to everyone who commented. I am so happy to hear others feel empowered to make positive changes and to learn more myself (I love the local eggs tip, the buy meat in bulk tip: and from a local farm, and make your own yogurt tip, which I plan to try this weekend). What I mostly love about A Moderate Life is how welcoming ‘it’ is for all – whether vegan, vegetarian or ‘other’ – there is something for everyone who want real, healthy and nourishing food! Take care, Mary
June 28th, 2010 on 11:35 pm
Well, I for one love love loved having you with us Mary and I do hope you will guest post again! Everyone really enjoyed and got a lot out of your article! HUGS and thanks again! Alex