“They who have health have hope; and they who have hope have everything.”

~ Arabic Proverb

 

Save Money While Eating Healthy

by | Jun 19, 2018 | General Health

As a community of healers, thinkers and doers we are making small yet powerful modifications to our lives. The “think globally, act locally” movement comes to mind.

There is little doubt that eating organic is healthier, but doing so can be an expense many of us feel we can’t afford. The good news is that with some creative shopping and cooking you can still enjoy healthy, organic, whole foods.

Here are 6 Easy Actions That Save You Money at the Grocery Store to help you make every dollar count.

Know Where Your Food Comes From
Shop around and compare prices. You can buy organic food from a variety of places. Farmers markets are often a budget friendly alternative, but be prepared to ask questions. Farmers may not be certified organic, though they could be using other ethical farming techniques. If you consume animal products, speak to the butcher or farmer about how their meat is raised and processed. When it comes to animal welfare, I think organic is always best, and even better is not eating animals at all.

Also, try to find and make use of local and seasonal products. They tend to be less pricey, you support your local economy, and you lesson your carbon footprint.

Plan to Shop More Often
In order the get the produce you want, you may have to search different stores to cut down on the costs and increase variety and quality.  If a cheap market opens on Sundays, then make shopping on Sundays a priority.

Produce goes bad quickly so buy less more often. This will also save on wastage. I recently attended a produce auction from Menonite farmers – an unusual, but affordable source of high-quality local produce.

Bulk Up and Freeze
Fresh produce is cheapest when in season. Buy a large amount of seasonal fruits and veggies to freeze for use at a later date.

Do the best you can to have inexpensive, nutrient dense staples in the cupboard. This includes items like dried beans and lentils, sprouts, oatmeal, rice, pasta, chia, flax, herbs, olive oil, nuts and seeds.

Grow Your Own Food
It can be time consuming to grow your own veggies, but it is very rewarding and over the course of a year can shave hundreds of dollars from your grocery budget.  Purchasing seeds to grow yourself is very inexpensive, and ensures that you know how your food is being grown.

Buy Whole Foods
You want to eat healthy? Cut out processed foods. Consider buying all of the healthy ingredients and make your food from scratch. Load up on vegetable dishes, whole grains and lean proteins.

Practice Being Flexible
Be practical and choose wisely. Not everything needs to be organic and expensive. Premade “health food” can be very costly. Do your potato chips really need to be organic? To shop even smarter, check out the Dirty Dozen List and Clean Fifteen- these are the fruits and vegetables you definitely want to be organic due to their high levels of pesticides.

5 Key Nutrients Keep You Healthy While Stretching the Budget
While most of us have felt the pinch of our global economic and environmental crisis, many are facing the severe reality that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to pay for one of the most basic necessities of life – healthy food. Healthy, whole food that is produced sustainably, ethically and humanely, is a right for all humans. This is the dream. This is what we are all working towards. In the meantime, here are 5 Key Nutrients that can help all of us eat healthy and stretch the budget:

  • Antioxidants: frozen berries, prunes, apples, cherries, bananas, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprout, canned or dry red kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans
  • Fiber Rich: legumes, pears, apples, spinach, kale, oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta
  • Monounsaturated fats: cold pressed olive oil, raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds, avocados, and raw nuts
  • Omega – 3s: chia seeds, ground flax (keep in freezer), raw walnuts, canned sardines, canned salmon
  • Proteins: organic free run eggs, low fat cottage cheese, beans and lentils, quinoa, non -genetically modified tofu, nuts and seeds
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is not meant to replace treatment with a licensed health care practitioner. It is for informational purposes only. Consult with a licensed health care professional to determine which treatments are safe for you.

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