I take it back- I love my website. Last week I was ready to break-up with my website...I guess you could say my frustration from my last post was more user error than anything else - so I'm sorry Wix! You are the best!
Last post I talked about how to get your sweat on for little to no dollars (if you missed it, click HERE to check it out), so it only made sense to me to do my next article on how to do the same with nutrition. In a perfect world we could all afford all organic produce and dairy, as well as organic meat that is free range and fed their proper diet. But I get it; the bills add up and sometimes the funds just aren't there to support that grocery bill. I find myself standing in the grocery store by the chicken, doing the math on whether or not we can afford the organic chicken this week (which is normally about TRIPLE the price).
Luckily there are probably a few tricks that you haven't thought of that can save you some big bucks all while eating that ideal diet. But let's talk about that for a minute...
What is the "ideal diet"? Well, everyone has a little bit of a different take on this, but some of the most educated nutritionists all agree on ONE important factor: WHOLE REAL FOODS. That's right; if it didn't have a face or it doesn't come from the earth, it doesn't belong in your mouth. So all that delicious food in the center aisles??? Fagettaboutem. Those foods, while I know they taste good, are crap. No matter what labels say they are enriched with blah blah blah... CRAP. Those foods are created in a lab to be addicting. So the phrases, "Once you pop, you just can't stop," or, "You can't just have one," is actually kind of true. Yes, you physically CAN stop but everything that they put in and on that item is designed to trigger your brain to want more, which leaves you un-satiated and yet overfed on empty calories.
Once you cut all that out of your grocery budget, that saves you quite a bit of money - yay! I know you are thinking, "But what will I snack on?" Realistically, if you are eating whole real foods at each meal, you will find that you are only snacking out of boredom, not hunger, so snacking will essentially cease to exist. But if you are hungry between meals, keep fruit and veggies that are easy to snack on handy. Think seasonal fruits depending on where you live, and baby carrots, snap peas, and broccoli. All of these are easy to eat raw and often come prepared ready to eat. If you can't stand the thought of eating those veggies by themselves, pick up some organic hummus for dipping. But, going back to my original statement, you will find when eating better you will be less hungry or not hungry at all between meals. If you consistently find yourself needing a snack, you probably aren't eating enough and need to up your intake at mealtime.
Alright... let's talk meat. As I said earlier, in that perfect world we would be able to eat free range, organic meat and dairy products all the time, but man... have you looked at the prices??? Sometimes the organic items are 3-4 times the cost of the others! BUT there is a good reason for it and you can literally TASTE the difference. One of my hubby's friends recently gave us a bunch of venison, which is basically as organic and free range as you can get, and it's amazing how much flavor it has. Also, meat raised as naturally as it is supposed to be (meaning not on a feed lot, eating their natural diet, and not being pumped full of hormones), has TONS of micronutrients (red meat in particular is one of THE MOST nutritiously dense items when raised correctly). When an item is nutritiously dense, the brain signals satiety much more quickly which prevents overeating. Often when you are still reaching for more food and you've eaten quite a bit, it's because the food is not meeting nutrition requirement(s) and so your brain demands more trying to fill that gap. Buying more quality meat in turn, means that you end up eating less, so you don't need to buy as much, which saves you money, OR it ends up being about the same cost.
Still not able to buy organic all the time? Fine. Just do your best. Keep an eye on the ads and buy what's on sale that week. Almost always stores overstock on something, and to get it off the shelf, price it very reasonably. Checking out the frozen meats is also not a terrible option. There are often organic frozen varieties at good prices, so while they might not be the highest end, they are definitely not the bottom. Another quick tip is that when meat is on sale, buy a very large cut, portion out what you need, and then freeze the rest for another week (just remember that once you defrost frozen meat, you should never freeze again).
For produce a lot of the same rules apply. Buying fresh, organic produce is obviously best but not always plausible. For this I like to check out my local farmer's market. Because there is no middle man, you can often get BETTER produce than you would at the store and it will cost you LESS. The website Local Harvest (#localharvest) is a great source to find a farmer's market near you (Remember: just because it is sold at a farmer's market does not guarantee organic. Be sure to talk to the farmer's on site about their produce). There are also companies like Imperfect Produce (#ImperfectProduce) that take produce that is "unsuitable" for the grocery store and sell them to minimize waste. Because the farmers cannot otherwise sell this produce, you get your produce at a fraction of the cost (and it's hardly imperfect! Normally it just has a weird shape or something). There are ways to customize your boxes and you have the option to choose organic produce only.
If you are simply cannot buy all organic produce due to cost, avoid #thedirtydozen (see picture at right!), and keep in mind #thecleanfifteen. The Dirty Dozen are produce items that should be avoided unless they are organic. The reason for this is pesticides are able to more easily penetrate certain fruits and vegetables depending on the skin or outer covering of the food item, which makes certain foods absolutely intoxicated with...well... POISON (because don't kid yourself that's exactly what pesticides are).
Lastly, I quickly want to mention the power of meal prepping. I know it probably seems tedious but taking 2-4 hours one day to plan your meals for the week, will not only save you money (hello portion control!), but will also set you up for success in making smart choices nutritionally. You will find that when you meal prep the food that you buy will last longer and you will not generate as much waste -both of which save you money!
Alright- in a nutshell - here are your five main points to save that dough:
1. NO PROCESSED FOOD - stick to eating whole, real foods
2. Shop the bargains! Each week there are organic meats and produce on markdown - capitalize on this!
3. Plan ahead by shopping at cheaper venues like your local farmer's market or utilizing discount websites.
4. MEAL PREP! This not only controls your portion sizes but eliminates you needing to grab take-out or make snap decisions on snack food while shopping.
5. Buy frozen meat and produce when you cannot afford fresh.
Sticking to a budget can be tough, and changing the way that you eat is probably one of THE hardest things to do. But let me tell you this... it's also one of the BEST things you will ever do for yourself. Challenge yourself to stick to your new diet plan for 4 weeks. The first two weeks will feel the hardest as your body and brain adjusts to the new way that you are fueling it. Keep a journal, grab a buddy to do it with you, and reach out to me if you need help or motivation to keep going! Nutrition can taste good, be good for you, and fit in your budget - try it and see!