Doing Away with Nutrient-poor Foods
Once we decide to do away with processed foods and the traditional nutrient-poor foods found in most supermarkets, the amount of money we are going to spend on food is probably going to increase a bit. The next time you are looking at the low price tags on some processed foods, keep in mind that they are cheap because many of them are just a mixture of inexpensive fat, sugar, flour, and salt with barely any nutrients. On the other hand, when we consume real nutrient-dense foods, these will keep us satiated for a long period of time. We won’t feel the need to constantly have snacks throughout the day. Although at first it may seem you will be spending more when trying to eat cleaner, applying some of these simple strategies below will help to eat healthy on a budget.
Strategies to Eat Healthy on a Budget
Here are a few of these strategies, as described in The Wild Diet, by Abel James:
- Buy in bulk and cook large meals ahead of time.
- Shop at a food co-op (member-owned “cooperative”).
- Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm.
- Shop at farmers’ markets.
- Look into volunteering at local farms.
- Grow your own garden.
There is also what is called “cowpooling.” This is when you decide to buy with your friends a whole butchered cow at a local farm, each one of you getting a section of it.
To locate where you can buy meat and produce in your area, you can check eatwild.com, localharvest.org, americangrassfed.org, and slowfoodusa.org.
Online, Thrive Market is an awesome option to buy low-cost paleo and keto products.
In Summary
Eating healthy on a budget doesn’t have to cost a fortune. It is also important to keep in mind that eating nutrient-dense foods will most likely save you some money down the road by providing better overall health in the many years to come than would the traditional processed foods. Knowing that we are all unique individuals with specific requirements and sensitivities, as always, see which foods work for you and buy accordingly.
Until next time!
References
James, Abel. The Wild Diet: Go Beyond Paleo to Burn Fat, Beat Cravings, and Drop 20 Pounds in 40 Days. New York, Penguin Random House, 19 Jan. 2016, pp. 300-301.
Sisson, Mark. The Primal Blueprint : 21-Day Total Body Transformation. Oxnard, Ca, Primal Blueprint Publishing, 2016, pp. 94-96.
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