Healthy food vs. your wallet

[RCA]

Does anyone else get discouraged trying to eat healthy? For me the main deterrent is cost. The second would be the lack of knowledge or time to cook. I can eat sandwiches or ravioli at home for a fraction of what it would cost me to eat each meal consisting of organic veggies, meats and drinks. I know in the long run you end up paying more anyway by eating unhealthy due to dr.'s visits, and accompanying bills, but everyone time I walk into an organic grocery store, I walk out with a few items in my basket totaling $50.

[LibertyEagle]

When it gets warmer, try growing a few of the vegetables yourself. You can grow a lot in just pots out on your patio. You might also check into your local Farmer's Market. At least where I live, these are substantially cheaper than Whole Foods. You might also want to find out which farmers in your local area have organic. They're also usually quite a bit cheaper.

It's too bad that Wild Oats was bought out by Whole Foods, because it was a lot less expensive than Whole Foods.

[decatren]

If they pass codex alimentarius, I dont think it will matter aanymore.

[RCA]

I'll have to look into my farmers market. I can't believe I haven't been there yet. I just found out it's the oldest farmers market in Florida:

http://www.jaxfarmersmarket.com/

I'm also going to stop by a new Whole Foods, the first in town. Thanks for the advice!

[LibertyEagle]

Whole Foods is majorly expensive, but they have great stuff.

[Ninja Homer]

Farmers markets will save you a lot of money. They do for me anyway. $20 will usually get me 2 weeks of veggies for my family of 3. Organic drinks will kill your food budget if you're trying to eat all organic. I mainly just drink water now, and some green tea in the morning. If I get a craving for juice, I just eat some fruit. Whole fruit is better for me anyway. I hardly ever go out to eat any more, so although organic costs more, I may actually be spending less on food now. Of course, I probably spend an hour and a half every day cooking meals from scratch, but that's okay, I enjoy it. :)

[ihsv]

You might also want to find out which farmers in your local area have organic. They're also usually quite a bit cheaper.

Keep in mind that some states won't let the farmers advertise "organic" unless they're government "certified", even if what they grow really is organic. So ask the farmer rather than looking for the government certified label.

As with most government permissions, it's expensive to be "certified organic".

[Ninja Homer]

Keep in mind that some states won't let the farmers advertise "organic" unless they're government "certified", even if what they grow really is organic. So ask the farmer rather than looking for the government certified label.

As with most government permissions, it's expensive to be "certified organic".

Great advice!

I've heard it costs about $100,000 to become "certified organic." I just ask if they use chemicals at the farmers market, and a lot of them don't.

[lucius]

This helped me. I used a 600 watt blender for almost 8 months, but it didn't really do the job. So I got a blender with some horsepower. I tried both a vitamix and a blendtec and the blendtec was far superior. And I now use one to make quasi-raw-food soups and smoothies. They are delicious and fast to prepare. Here is a cold soup that I made tonight, took less than ten minutes:

1/8 cup virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt (non-iodized)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon cumino seed
1 avocado
1/2 lime squeezed
1 large jalapeño pepper
1/4 bunch of cilantro
four cloves garlic
two leaves of kale or mustard/collard greens

Use the pulse setting until this is semi-liquid and looks like a bright green guacamole.

Then peel and slice two large cucumbers and add
1/2 half onion
two Roma tomatoes

Pulse three or four short bursts to semi-chop to give the soup texture. You have enough for two people; it is out of this world delicious. Throw a party and serve with corn chips as a substitute for guacamole.

I do go to farmers markets in season, but spend about $30 a week for vegetables and fruit at the store (about 30% organic).

One thing that I have notices after fasting is my whole perception on food has changed. I now pass on chewing gum, chocolate, cookies, candies, sugar, deli-meat (all meat in general), chips, milk (still eat cheese/eggs periodically), sodas, fast food/eating out (big savings here), ice cream (I use to think that a pint of ben/jerry's cherries garcia was delicious/a-treat--now the thought of eating that is repulsive).

Before the fast, I was eating a mostly raw food diet, but it felt like a major sacrifice/missing out on the finer things; I choked it down because my health was becoming rapidly unattainable. The fast acted like a reset on my eating habits with insights to so much more. I came to an epiphany that much of my existence revolved around stuffing my pie-hole full of preprocessed/manufacture crap that ultimately was killing me, and mostly because I was stressed/bored. Now it is easy for me to eat the right things. I feel great and the weight just keeps shedding off.

What I have to guard myself, is from developing an air of superiority, when I am coerced into social settings with joe/jane six-pack, or extended family, who are still stuffing their pie-holes with preprocessed/manufactured crap--it is a self-evident realization now; yet I remain silent. They deserve all the ill-health coming their way, and the best way I can educate is by example only.

[Crowish]

you can also sign up for csa (community supported agriculture) boxes from local farms http://www.localharvest.org/ & google gives me this http://www.magnoliafarms.org/magnolia_farms_csa.htm

[raystone]

you can also sign up for csa (community supported agriculture) boxes from local farms http://www.localharvest.org/ & google gives me this http://www.magnoliafarms.org/magnolia_farms_csa.htm

One of the great things about CSAs, besides saving money, is that they get you of any food rut you may be in. You'll get amazingly tasty food in a box every week or 2, some of which you probably haven't seen or tasted before.