It's one of my passions to spread the word that eating well, and eating more raws foods, does not have to be expensive. I just posted this on a raw food forum, and wanted to preserve some of my thoughts on here. It's a start to some possible longer term ideas to spread the good word on affordable healthy eating.
~ Talk to farmers in your area, like, really- go to farmer's markets and ask them for 'distressed produce', 'cosmetically challenged', or stuff that doesn't sell by the end of their day, at a reduced price, and remember to offer buying in larger quantities of their 'seconds'(same stuff, perhaps a few bruises but otherwise good produce), at a reduced rate.
~Same goes to natural foods stores- ask about their bruised or discount fruit and veggies! The clerks might just know what you are talking about, many stores give these to their employees, because who can afford the prices of many health food stores?! Employees know this. How much do you think they are getting paid?
If they have a policy of not doing this directly, many times they will give away bins of their veggie trimmings ALONG WITH the bruised/cosmetically challenged produce, for folks' rabbits, composts, etc. Depending on the store, it could be just some outer lettuce and cabbage leaves you have to pick through to get a bunch of perfectly fine free organic produce, minus cutting out a few bruised spots. The things they put out for farmers aren't usually the gross stuff they are actually throwing away, it's jut not store pretty.
~ Eat seasonally! You'll be able to get local foods that are fresher and likely cheaper this way, besides the many other advantages of eating locally and seasonally. When there's an abundance of a certain type of food, it's price drops. You can also shop sales and freeze/dry many things as well.
Tips:
Freezing fruit- usually you want to keep things small, dry, and separate. Prepare fruits like you'd use them- trimming of the tops of strawberries, peeling bananas and slicing(thinly), etc. Freeze everything in single layers, then you can break up and store in bags or containers. This will keep things easy to use later, without an ice pick:). I like the method of using gallon bags, and layering single layers on top of each other.
Avocados freeze well whole. If bought firm, thaw and ripen, if bought ripe, use immediately.
Dried simple foods(ones that are just slice and dry) later in the year will be welcomed- I'd recommend only doing larger batches of drying/dehydrating simple things or you might wonder whether it's worth the energy.
Drying culinary herbs is simple- just tie a string around a branch and hang from the ceiling til dry, then break up and put in a container.
Keeping in mind a variety in your diet- don't go and buy fifty pounds of whatever for just one person, but take advantage of what's in season and experience the variety that comes with every season.
~ Sprout- for the love of your health, and your bank account, sprout!!! Try setting up a few jars and mixing up the kinds of sprouts you eat. It's amazing what a variety you'll get, how cheap it can be, and how good you'll feel. Some that I like are:
-radish
-red clover
-lentils
-buckwheat
-mung beans
-fenugreek( a few in with other leafy sprouts re like red clover or alfalfa, too intense on their own I think)
-mustard(try making your own mustard!)
-amaranth(in small quantities, can be a bit spendy but a nice flavor and decor)
-quinoa(in small quantities, can be a bit spendy but the sprouts are like white sprinkles so pretty and crunchy, though, I don't think all that tasty)
-sunflower seeds- seriously, just soaked a few hours and sprouted a few hours, will make them healthier and tasty
-raw nuts and seeds, soaked and sprouted a few hours, will often double in size, and will get rid of toxins like growth inhibitors in their skin, which is what stops them from sprouting until they have a good opportunity, aka, enough water around to support them sprouting. Soaking and sprouting them will make them easier to digest, easier on your liver, and they will make your food more "substantial" without weighing your body down
-microgreens, baby greens- this you need trays and a little soil, and seeds are cheap, so is a little bit of potting soil and a few trays that you can reuse. You can make your own baby lettuces and wild greens this way. I'd recommend making them part of your household decor and watering them like your houseplants
-many others like kamut, spelt, broccoli, rye, triticale, peas, wheat.. , but remember that bigger grains are more acid-producing in your body, so smaller grains if you eat grains at all are preferable. If you have problems with candida or other systemic infections, especially, pay attention to how much acidity you are producing in your body.
-Try the website sproutpeople.com :) awesome:)
~Make your own hearty fillings, sauces/dips/spreads/condiments-
Use things like soaked sunflower seeds or other seeds/nuts as a base, ground/blended/thinned/flavored to your tastes(like add lemon juice and garlic, and a bit of salt, for a simple hummous-type spread, or thin that out and add other herbs/spices for yummy salad dressing). For hearty fillings keep things rather dry and add herbs/veggies/spices to your taste and add to wraps or on top of salads.
~ Take some alkalizing superfoods, like a glass of barley grass juice or spirulina, every day. A little every days goes a long way.
~Bulk order through a co-op or the best deal on 'percent above wholesale' among your local natural food stores, on things you use a lot of. Make sure you are keeping a variety in your diet and not buying 50 pounds of buckwheat for the month if you are short on cash. If you preplan, and can afford to at the time, buying in bulk can save A LOT of money. You might even find that it really works well to buy a few staples you know you will use and storing them in a cool dark place, over a couple months. Things to sprout work well like this. You'll probably be amazed at how much cheaper you can get your foods this way!
~Culture veggies- This is not for the faint at heart. It requires a little space in a garage, pantry, or cupboard that you don't mind having a ferment-y smell to it. There's a lot of variety with what you can do with cultured veggies, besides the nasty briney saurkraut that you put on hotdogs. You can make delicious, healthy additions to your meals that are full of flavor- from spicy to sweet to salty to sour. Check out wildfermetation.com for a few ideas. This is a great way to take advantage of seasonal produce and preserve bigger buys of veggies, AND put a lot of beneficial bacteria back into your belly, which will make you feel better too. Tip- take advantage of sales on your favorite veggies to culture, as they last a long time in the fridge.
~Drink Water! You'll think clearer and be more creative with your food choices
~Seaweed- Go to asian food stores. Seaweeds are less expensive there and packed with minerals, and can be very filling(try cut and sifted wakame, hijiki, or buy sheets of nori and wrap up grated veggies, leafy greens and fruit/avocado/whatever you like; the nori really makes it filling and it really does make you feel good getting a mineral boost)
~ Eat with a happy heart, and you'll find you actually eat less most likely, or just what you need:)
P.s.~
~Note to beginning raw fooders on a budget- try to make raw treats yourself; the premade ones can break your budget!
