Help!!

[pinenut]

I know, I know, before everyone here starts to give me the "future of your health" speach, I just need to express my dismay at how expensive it's been to start going totally raw. Maybe it's just that I live in a very isolated part of the world and any sort of raw fresh produce isn't easy to come by down here withour paying an arm and a few legs for it, but I'm really starting to become concerned about how I'm going to be able to make my new wonderful discovery of eating raw healthy foods work out in the long term. I'm on a pretty tight budget and I will often go through a week or more of eating nothing but rice and beans or frozen vegies and vegan garden burgers in order to have regular meals each day just to make it to the next paycheck. It's not always possible to buy fresh produce every week, as it literally takes nearly one whole paycheck (all but $100) to pay my rent each month.

What do you all do when you're budget it stretched thin and you aren't sure how you'll be able to afford your fresh produce for the week? What sort of suggestions/tips do you have to make a raw food diet work on a "dollar menu" budget?

[misslinda]

Pinenut.........LOL yur funny. Oki Oki no "WE THE PEOPLE" speech :D


Can you give us a detailed list of what IS available to you?

[lavendarJ]

I understand your position. Initially, I had some concerns about going raw 100% and finance was a factor...I am doing a MC right now and then plan to transition into 100% raw by starting out with the 30 day challenge. At times, I get into this "it has to be exactly this way mode" meaning I was starting to feel guilty thinking I would not always be able to enjoy the recipes in the cookbook and I was worrying about food combining and everything ...I had to get a grip and just relax a bit. In the beginning, the majority of fruits and veggies that I buy will be whatever is fresh (organic) and in season for my area (southern il)....hopefully I will be blessed with a better job and be able to fully embrace all the wonderful raw food recipes I've seen on here. I just figure at least I am getting some wonderful fruit and veggies...I like just about all veggies and I haven't found a fruit I don't like yet...so I am just going to have to start off that way with fruits and veggies in season and make lots of wonderful salads...later I hope I'll be able to incorporate some other things (like the nuts and other things which can be quite expensive). That's just the way it is -for now anyway- I have 3 wonderful volunteer jobs that I love passionately and 3 part-time jobs that I only generate about 22-35 hours from every two weeks and so I really have to stretch my budget but hopefully the education will pay off and I will be blessed with what I am seeking. If you can buy fresh that is in season then do that, and just know that change will come and you will be blessed to fully enjoy raw living as you desire one day soon. That's what I believe and tell myself. :)

[karenisraw]

Hi, I am in the same position. I would do the best that you can. If you have to "compromise" then you have to compromise.

My tips are:
sprout if you can
buy cheaper nuts and seeds like sunflower seeds
buy cheaper fruits like oranges or apples or bananas
buy cheaper veggies like romaine lettuce, tomatos, carrots
make things like crackers and add in the cheaper sprouts as filler like Quinoa, lentils pureed
look for sales and coupons
go to asian markets if possible (they may not be organic though)

I also stopped buying ANYHING unless I absolutely need it. I also shop at thrift stores if I do need anything like appliances, dishes, clothes, shoes, etc. (My boyfriend cannot tell I buy things at the thrift store)

I hope this helps you.

k
:)

[pinenut]

Pinenut.........LOL yur funny. Oki Oki no "WE THE PEOPLE" speech :D


Can you give us a detailed list of what IS available to you?


Thank you :p

well we only have 4 grocery stores on the island and about 98% of the food gets shipped in, so duty is added to everything. That means if, back in the States, you are paying 89 cents a pound for apples, we're paying 99 cents a pound for the same apples. And forget about organic anything. Since it is all shipped in, the organic stuff doesn't last a day.

So you kind of get the economic picture.

Basically all the normal produce is available here: apples, citrus, bananas, lots of topical fruits (of course), mellons, lettuces, root vegies, onions, garlic,(the tomatoes doen't survive the shipping too well), avacadoes squashes and anything that survives shipping . The "exotic" vegies like red or yellow peppers, are outragously expensive ($7-$8 a pound). I'm kind of limited to the very basic and common produce. There are a handful of frozen organic vegies and non-gmo foods, but they are not raw and are also waaaaay out of my price range. Any sort of berry is out of the question as they, also, are outragously expensive here ($10 for a pint of fresh strawberries). Frozen berries are a bit more reasonably priced, though.

We don't really get produce "in season" as our stuff is shipped from both South and North America so the seasons don't really affect us. The only local produce is breadfruits, papayas, mangos (which I can't eat because I'm deathly allergic to), coconuts, a variety of banans, jicama and salsify root.

[greeninlosangeles]

Do you have a yard or a balcony - you could raise a lot of things yourself, even in the containers. As for greens, gather them in the wild, not just they are free, they are several times more nutritious than people raised.
Sprouts, wheatgrass and baby greens can grow even inside next to the window.

[pinenut]

Do you have a yard or a balcony - you could raise a lot of things yourself, even in the containers. As for greens, gather them in the wild, not just they are free, they are several times more nutritious than people raised.
Sprouts, wheatgrass and baby greens can grow even inside next to the window.

I tried doing this initally. I have a little back yard in the apartment that I'm in so I can grow stuff in pots outside if I wanted to. But to my horror, I've discovered that everything I tried to grow became infested with ants, and the ants began to make their little homes in my apartment!!!! They love the black fertile soil I tried growing my plants in, instead of the sand that they normally have their homes in.

I also don't have access to any sort of widow sills to put pots on, and I can't open my blinds here as I'm not living in a very safe safe district. Opening one's blind here basically invites anyone in to take whatever they can see from the window!!

[misslinda]

Aloha Pinenut!

You're right, your situation is unique. Here is info guide to which foods are most contaminated to least......(see below) at leat this way you can make more effective choices for your raw foods even if it is not organic.

from this great site http://www.foodnews.org/reportcard.php

HOPE FOR PINENUT!!!!!!! let's build on what you CAN do for now.......


You can sprout nuts and seeds on your counter and doesn't have to be directly by the window but if you are home, put it by the window and then move it when your'e not.


Keep in mind that the longer you are on raw...the less food you need to eat.

I would keep a good portion of monies on greens--they tend to curb appetite and provide balanced sugar blood levels so your not hungry as quickly.

Eat every few hours but smaller meals

If you're in an economical situation...try to just by foods for every few days taht way you never waste anything

Do you have any applicances?

Food processors are great for expanding your food. Example: I put 1 apple and 2 celery stalks and it yields like 3-4 cups of food!!!!!!!

Chewing your food very well.

Increase water intake

Exercise curbs appetite

Raw foods will make you more full vs the cooked foods.....althought the begining stages will have some fluctuations until your body become leveled.

You don't have to do all the fancy raw stuff all at once.

BTW, what were you invisioning with this raw thing? that we all have vitamixes :p








12 Most Contaminated
Buy These Organic

• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Imported Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Red Raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries






12 Least Contaminated

• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn (sweet)
• Kiwi
• Mangos
• Onions
• Papaya
• Pineapples
• Peas (sweet)

[pinenut]

thank you sooo much misslinda for that infor, very intersting.

I do have a juicer, food processor and blender. So I can make up some pretty good things when I can affor the produce.

How disapointing to hear that apples are so contaminted with pesticides!!! I hate that I have virtually no access to organic foods here in Cayman. Apples are my number one buy at the grocery store everytime!! :(

[misslinda]

Hey but alot of people here that are raw foodist can't always afford organic some dont' even buy organic but you can also use juices and herbs to rid the toxins from the pesticides--you know nuttypine :D OH i mean, pinenut!!!

SUre the apples are at the top of the list but it's not going to hurt if you eat them---especially DON"T eat the seeds. You can lessen the pesticides by scrubbing and cleanig your fruits and veggies.

Do you access to spices,herbs etc?

Do you have Alissa's book?



;)

[pinenut]

No I can't get Alissa's book here at all. If I were to order online it would cost double the price because of the duty charge and it would take about 3 months to get it shipped here!! :mad: I'm limited to what I can read online as of right now. I will be ordering the book, but I have no idea when I'll finally get it.

We do have a GNC here that has some medicinal herbs available, but, again it is limited.

We do, however, have acces to an array of exotic spices as we get shipments from all over the world here. So that's kind of cool.

[JinxieKat]

Do you have access to dried stuff Pinenut? Like dried mung beans, dried wheat berries, lentils, quiona, and such? Alot of those make really good sprouts and they are normally alot less expensive than buying fresh produce. And normally a 1/3 cup of seed will turn into a cup of sprouts or more depnding on the sprout. If you have questions about sprouting just email me. I love to sprout!

Jinx

[pinenut]

I actually just started my hand at sprouting----lentils and garbanzo beans. The G. beans kinda turned to mush on me, but I think it was because I didn't give them enough air. The lentils turned out great though. I'm already starting 2 new jars this morning with the last of my beans.

Thanks for the offer, Jinxie. I think I will send you an email, as I do still have some questions.

[misslinda]

Pinenut, here is a thread of simple recipes

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=102852#post102852



btw, I meant herbs to eat. adding spice and such can make dishes fun to eat! Yes, sprouting yields great and is simple to do. You don't have to be a gourmet raw chef overnite. ;)

:)

[Nenyath]

The list is awesome Misslinda! Really needed that info as we are on a tight budget too and I have been in doubt of what to buy non organic.. Good luck Pinenut! I think I would eat whatever the beautiful island could offer me! Except what makes you sick though, that just wouldn't be smart though.. :p

Fly forever free,
Nenyath

[pinenut]

thank you so much for all the help and advice. It can be a bit discouraging when I'm the only one in my whole country who is a raw vegan!!!

[rawpriestess]

This is a thread you might find helpful

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7287&highlight=free

also

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10937&highlight=cheap


there are some ideas for you.

[pinenut]

Those did help. Thank you

I know that I'll just have to learn to keep plugging away a little at a time and can hopefully establish a good budget and programme to be able to draw from.

I need to get a good basic centre from with I can draw, so that I'll know if I start dipping below that, I can say: OK I'm running low, I have this much money to use, how can I buy to make things last until the next paycheck and still be able to stay on the raw track.

I know right now, that if I can buy enough things to sprout and enough dried herbs and spices, I should be able to figure out how to make this work....even if I have to do a lot of mono eating in order to make ends meet.

I'm sure I'll be on here a lot in order to draw a lot of inspiration and to keep me going through the lows.