Taste it Tuesday: 7 Tips for Eating Healthy, Without Going Broke

Yesterday my family and I attended a Memorial BBQ, filled with lots of flags, water balloon fun, and of course FOOD! It was hosted by a very kind and hard-working family who have 8 children, with a 9th due any day now.

Now before you go questioning the reasons behind this decision or sanity of these parents, please know that though I could NEVER fathom raising that many kids, these children ranging from 3 to 20 years old, are some of THE most articulate, industrious, and sweet people I have ever met.

But you know what my first thought was when I found out how many children there were, and that 5 of them were BOYS....."How in-the-heck do you feed them all!?"

I mean lets be real. My family of 5 devours $200 worth of groceries in only a few days. Granted those foods include many organic products, gluten-free stuff for my middle son, and TONS of fresh produce for juicing, but there aren't 10 of us!

Many times when watching the weekly grocery bill being tallied up I pray and cross my fingers that I don't exceed $250. I mean really that seems crazy. I wondered, "Are we the only family spending this much on food?"

As I was grazing over the enormous spread of BBQ chicken, fruit salad, and fresh squeezed lemonade I sparked a conversation with a fellow crunchy mom. We of course began talking about our kids, and then the conversation shifted to food. She told me that she, and everyone in her 5 person family, was gluten-free, with the exception of her husband, and that they try to stick to a mostly organic and natural diet.

I seriously gave a sigh of relief when I found out her grocery bill was as ridiculous as mine. But it got me thinking...why does it have to be so expense to nourish ourselves with real food?

So I did some digging and found out, you don't have to hock a kidney on the black market to get affordable, healthy food. You've just got to get a little crunchified knowledge!

Here are 10 little ditties that can help you cut down your food bill, without giving up on quality.

1. Grow it.

I said to my husband the other day, as we drove through a suburban neighborhood in our town, I loved seeing so many houses with backyard gardens. Maybe I just never noticed it before, but growing your own food is one of the easiest ways to ensure the quality and cut down on the rising prices of produce. Now you don't have to be like our friend's family of 10 who have 5 gardens, with rows and rows of fruits and veggies. Start small. Whether you have acres at your disposal, or a little bitty terrace on a de-luxe apartment in the skyayyyyy (who doesn't love the Jeffersons' theme song?), you can still shave off the bottom line, by doing it yourself.

2. Buy Local and In Season

Do you know why supermarkets can charge $3.99/lb for a bag of grapes in the dead of winter? It's because those grapes had to be flown thousands of miles from Chile or some other warm country that involved lots of fuel, lots of labor, and probably more pesticides than you can count. When at all possible, buy your produce fresh, in season, and from a local farmer. Not only will the quality be more noticeable, but the price won't be inflated to account for transportation AND you'll be helping to sustain your local economy.

3. Barter

So now you've got your garden growing, but you've done such an awesome job that you've got 4 lbs of green peppers you're not quite sure what to do with. You could freeze them, but what if you REALLY wanted some fresh blueberries for a tasty new smoothie recipe? Try taking your bushel of peppers down to your local farmers market and asking for a trade. Many times farms have a surplus of one particular item, so if you have something to offer them that they don't sell --- it might be your lucky day! The farmers are able to make more of a profit and you just scored fresh berries. Sounds pretty sweet to me!

4. Shop for Deals Online

I know this might sound obvious, but keeping up with sales and catching them before they expire can be daunting. The online market is riddled with deals, discounts, and bargains you might not be able to find in your local store. Vitacost.com is an online store that has slew of healthy living products. Most of these sites not only have lower prices, but they also reward you for referring a friend or throw in free shipping.

5. Buy in Bulk

I'm not talking about going down to BJ's or Sam's Club and loading up on 5 lbs of cheese balls. BUT, when grocery stores are giving two for one deals on items you KNOW will get eaten in your house, stock up. If I see that strawberries are on sale I'll load up on them, take half of the batch, wash, hull, and freeze them for juicing or to add to a delicious bowl oatmeal and honey (YUM!)

6. Don't Buy Organic EVERYTHING.

I'm all for having pesticide and herbicide free food. But as the Dirty Dozen list points out, there are only a handful of fruits and veggies we need to worry about having high levels of contamination. The rest can be put through a simple vinegar wash to rinse away the chemicals. Don't waste your hard earned money on foods that don't need to be organic.

7. Make A Plan

I have to admit, this is NOT something I do enough. When going food shopping I have a rough idea of the meals I'll prepare the upcoming week. But, there are many times when I run out of one item I really need to finish a meal or buy duplicates of things I already have. Making a menu for the week can really help with avoiding excess and making sure everything you do have gets eaten.

8. Support Your Local CSA Program

Community Supported Agriculture is the freshest way to get produce, picked from the farm that day. Here's how it works: local farmers sell "shares" of their harvest to the public, customers buy a share and each week get to pick up a box of locally grow, seasonal food. The cost will vary from program to program, but will usually run you $20-$40 per week for the growing season, which is about 22 weeks. You can find your local CSA program here.

I hope these tips help to keep your money in your pocket and good food in your bellies.

Do you have any tips for eating health on a budget? Share with your fellow crunchy peeps below!

Pinching My Pennies in Granolaville,

Posted in: budget,CSA,food,money,organic,taste it Tuesday