Eating well on a budget - Part 2 of 2

Here are a few more tips that might help reduce your food costs when transitioning to a real food diet.

4. Discover your farmer’s market. Something you may not know is that organic certification is a costly process and can be a big reason those organic fruits and veggies in the store seem too costly compared to the conventional foods. My husband and I used to eat cucumbers daily – as a raw snack, dipped in hummus or chopped up in a salad. But at $2.50 a piece, there was no way we could justify the expense. The same went for zucchini and squash. It was out of our price range. Until I went to the farmers market. Organic (not certified, of course) cucumbers for $1 a piece. Same for zucchini – and these zucchini were the size of my forearm! Tomatoes were less expensive. Watermelon, too! And these were brought in by the truckload – priced to move! Additionally, I would find that more often than not a farmer would add an extra squash to the bucket, throw in a couple more tomatoes. I cannot promise this will happen to you, but these farmers have avoided the cost of certification. Also, sometimes you can find a sweet gardener that simply wants to share his/her excess with the city dwellers and isn’t trying to make a profit. It may not happen on the first trip, but if you spend a couple weekends perusing the farmers markets, it might just pay off. But be sure to get there early, as they can sell out quick! And don't be afraid to ask. If it says conventional, ask about their pesticide and fertilizer or if they have any no-spray produce. If the eggs say free range, organic, just ask how often they are outside and what they are fed. Most everyone at the market understands you want to know what you are paying for.

5. Find a cooperative or bulk buyer program. I am blessed to have an organic cooperative in my city. Every week I can order a box of organic fruits and veggies, sourced nationally, but from local, family farms as much as possible. Again, here I can pick up additional items often at a discount to the grocery store. Search for a cooperative in your area or look for a Costco if buying local isn't a priority.

6. Start your own garden. Whether it’s a couple plants in pots or digging up a row in your yard, this is an easy way to work against some of those grocery costs. Buy some good soil, water regularly (catch rain water if possible!) and keep away the pets (some like real food as much as we do!). My husband and I haven’t gotten our garden up and going yet (it’s only been a couple months) but the one thing we haven’t had to work much at is our herbs. And these can be difficult to find fresh, organic at the store. Uncle Sam's been preaching it for decades!!! (not that I always listen to Uncle Sam, but he got it right here!)

7. If all else fails, go to the internet. When it comes to nuts and produce that isn’t necessarily located in my area (I love cranberries, but don’t live in the northeast), I take advantage of the fact that we live in the internet age. My household invested in an additional freezer to order things in bulk (whether from our local rancher or at an online farm.

That's all for this week. I promise along the way to continue sharing all my tips and tricks to making healthy eating as easy as possible. I have learned a few things over the past year and continue to learn new things every day! Stay posted. Next week I will give you some ideas as to the costs of the various protein sources.

Have a wonderful weekend!