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What to eat first?!?
Hello, I'm new to this board. In an attempt to save for our wedding this past June, I became coupon queen a few years back. I got so good that I was saving $.50 on every $1 AND THEN, it hit me....the food I'm eating was SO cheap what could it possibly be made of? You can imagine the rest and the terrible time I had at pronouncing the names.
So...the new plan is to switch to whole foods.
This brings me to my question: How do I start? Any suggestions? I work full time so I'm looking for EASY! And since our food bill has nearly doubled....CHEAP! (Don't forget people-I'm a turned couponing queen...)
We have Trader Joes (love it, maybe its the shirts?), Fresh Market (like the scene but didn't get anything good), Whole Foods (Geez.Talk about expensive!) and of course our trusty Kroger (a great transition--I can justify my purchases with discount they give on gas!)
Thank you in advance.
Re: What to eat first?!?
I started with what's called the Dirty Dozen (google "organic dirty dozen" for a list). Then there's a list called Clean 15 that I tend to buy conventional and feel ok about it. Buying meat and dairy is our biggest expense because we eat a lot of it. If we cut out some of the meat in our diet, we'd save a bunch. I've bought meat in bulk (ie. 1/3 pig) from a local farmer and it ends up being almost the same price as conventional meat. We're going to shop the farmer's markets this summer because it'll be cheaper, local and more fresh. I've started meal planning which helps me buy only what I need (not just what catches my eye) and helps reduce our food waste/spoilage. I'm starting a garden this summer (raised bed, square foot garden) and I'm going to grow some of the things we eat the most. Bulk bins at places like Whole Foods offer good discounts on organics.
I also read Michael Pollan's book Food Rules when I got started. It offered a quick, fun read that outlines some guidelines to follow when eating a whole, natural foods diet.
"THEN, it hit me....the food I'm eating was SO cheap what could it possibly be made of"
Exactly!! I often wonder how more people don't think about this. I like a good deal, but I also want clean, well-made food.
For the most part, I don't think coupons are a good deal. Most of it is stuff you don't really need in your diet! That said, check out coupons on websites for particular products, like Organic Valley always has coupons on their site, and in their mailer Rootstock.
I think that keeping your overall diet the same, and wanting to buy organic and better made is expensive. The key is changing your diet to eating less meat, eating more seasonally, and recognizing that animal products use a lot of resources in production and are thus expensive.
I am on a very tight budget, but I shop almost entirely at Whole Foods or a local chain that is similar. I also shop at a local year-round produce stand, and then as the markets open will shop at the farmer's markets.
Whole Foods can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. Their big box of greens is better, and cheaper than the same size of less nice greens at Safeway here. Organic pasta and organic pasta sauce there are only slightly higher than regular. And they sell real parmesan where you get a pretty decent block for $3-4. And things like bulk organic steel cut oats are a LOT cheaper than those tubs of Quaker oats! Yes, the eggs I buy are a lot more expensive (mine are regional, otherwise I'd recommend them they are so good), but they are tastier, humane-certified, and really, is .30 an egg too much to ask? Its not just about the nastiness that is chicken farming (for eggs, for meat, whatever), its also about the nastiness the factory farms dump into our waters.
I'm actually not a big Trader Joe's fan. Over time I've realized that its not that much of a bargain. Most of the foods are pretty processed. Its a good price on cheeses, but they don't have much in the way of organic or really good cheese. Their own label of organic dairy is questionable. Produce isn't local, and is always packaged in a ton of plastic.
Its hard for me to say what to pick to change, because I think everything is important! I would say just take baby steps. Try having 1-2 meals a week be meatless, like a pasta dish or enchiladas, whatever. Go check out the bulk bins at Whole Foods (be careful!! a lot of the stuff is$$$) and grab some of their pasta. Their pizza shells (in the bread aisle) are super convenient, organic, and 2 for $5 -- way cheaper than Boboli. Just remember when in Whole Foods, you are seeking the deal. Even if you think you are just picking up a few splurge items it adds up fast! Grab some pasta and sauce, parm, lettuce mix, see if they have any veggie deals, eggs, and run! Organic Valley milk is cheaper for me at Safeway.
LOL Miss Manners this is exactly what I do too! Too funny. The dirty dozen is here: http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php. I started with Michael Pollan's The Ominvore's Dilemma which led me to Food Rules. I second the bulk bins at WF, their dried organic beans are cheaper than bagged dry beans and much cheaper than canned! I love my local farmer's market, it has really spoiled us with good quality food. Whenever DH and I eat out, which is rare, we often leave going "we could have made that better at home." I've been meal planning for a long time, it really helps with getting costs down. I go to the Farmer's Market, buy what's fresh and awesome looking, then come home and make my weekly meals out of that. Like if the market had great eggplants, Eggplant Parmsean goes on the meal list. I also buy when good quality food is on sale, like organic pasta and sauces, and use coupons for speciality things like Organic Valley cheese. This results in a well stocked pantry. So when I have Eggplant Parm on the meal list, often I don't have to buy anything at all from the store, it's all in the pantry. This year, we plan on eating from our backyard garden and canning/freezing the produce from the Farmer's Market so we can eat local year-round.