Last night on Mamavation TV, Tracey Mallet put forth the notion that buying organic and healthy food is less costly than buying prepared packaged foods.
Um . . . . .
Our grocery bill has definitely gone up since we started eating better. . . which is very ironic since we’re eating LESS at each meal than before.
I’ve switched to organic salads, more fresh veggies and fruits (as opposed to my usual frozen packages), and a lot more chicken and turkey (instead of just using the beef from my deep-freeze).
Oh, yeah . . and then there’s the organic yogurt, the specialty butter substitute, Olive Oil (going through a vat of that since I make our salad dressing), whole grain breads, etc., etc., etc.
Each time I check out, after suppressing my shock at the total, I find myself asking, “Is it really worth it?”
A year ago, I would have said no and just stuck with my $50 weekly grocery budget.
Now, as I’m learning more about how the body works, what it needs, AND how our food products are grown and prepared for purchase, I reach for those pricier items . . . and try to deal with the guilt of raising our household budget.
My husband enjoys our new fare but he’s not happy with the added expense. I remind him that it’s healthier, free of pesticides, free of hormones . . . and that the amount of food is lasting longer than one pre-cooked, packaged meal, making the per-serving cost cheaper.
He knows I’m right (which is a given around here — about any topic), but he still hates the fact that our grocery bill has nearly DOUBLED over the past month.
So, my new goal during these last two weeks of the Mamavation Boot Camp is to learn how to be frugally healthy . . . or, to put it more bluntly . . . how to eat well (healthy, organic) on a cheapskate’s budget. Yeah, I said it: we’re cheapskates (misers, really) around here.
So far, we have:
- Planted a garden and are impatiently waiting to reap the harvest.
- Obtained a bread machine so I can begin making my own whole grain breads (that will save me about 5 bucks a week!).
And . . . that’s it. Those are the only ways I’ve thought of to help out our grocery budget.
HELP! This is what I need from you healthy people this week:
How do you eat healthy (focusing on organic foods) without breaking the bank?
I need to figure this out — I don’t want money to become an excuse for lazy, unhealthy eating.
(As always, thank you, Mamavation Sponsors: Earth Footwear, EA Sports Active, Smooth Fitness, Gaiam, Dr. Renna, Tracey Mallet, and Pete Cohen)
