How Do You Afford it!?

[fruitandveggies]

So, my hubby and I had been about 75% raw for about 2 months. The thing is, it breaks my heart, but I simply can't find a way to eat raw cheaply and still get all the nutrition we need (AND get organic food!)! How do you do it? I realize that making "gourmet" raw meals will be more (it cost me 45 bucks to make two servings of raw spaghetti), so we've stopped doing that. How do you have so many green smoothies! They cost me about 8 bucks to make one! We now eat mainly salads and fruit and veggies plain, along with some nuts here and there. This costs me about 150 dollars a week. On mostly cooked, I could go two weeks on this much money (even being vegan).

I know our health is worth it, but honestly, I just cannot spend this much money on food, I'm going into debt doing it! How do you all do it without breaking the bank? Please share!

[cherries]

I don't do organic, I only buy expensive things like young coconut and cherries occasionally, I buy frozen berries instead of fresh, if something goes up in price (like apples are doing right now right before apple season starts) I stop buying them and I mostly live off the things that are in season or which are perennially cheaper.

[Revvell]

On mostly cooked, I could go two weeks on this much money (even being vegan).


Can you eat the same things raw as you were vegan? More fiber, more nutrients? Or, was what you were eating as a vegan, packaged?

[rawfoodistdavid]

Being raw is easier depending on your lifestyle/location/economic circumstances. We're currently living in a flat with no space to grow anything other than sprouts and herbs, while where we lived before we had a small garden where we grew a fair amount of stuff.

On the upside, we live in a city in the UK with a big off-beat/eco/ethical/boho/green population so there's no shortage of fresh and whole foods. If you live in a bland wasteland where a budget supermarket is the only choice it's harder.

On the econonomic front, the price of organic varies massively. There are some good box-schemes in the UK where they bring you a load of seasonal veg, but a £25 box isn't anywhere near enough for a week! We also have an indie organic supermarket where the prices are pretty high and a Fresh and Wild (now part of the US company Whole Foods) is off the charts - small organic melon for £3.50 (over $6). Our local (mostly) non organic shop has melons for 90p each.

I tend to buy only a proportion of organic, prioritising stuff that doesn't get peeled. It's not as good as all organic but needs must. Raw and unorganic is still pretty good.

On the flipside, we have great shops selling loose wholefoods (seeds, lentils, dates, dried herbs, etc) which are mostly organic and also cheap. Win, win!

Still, much of the high prices of good food is illusory. People in post-industrial societies spend a tiny percentage of their income food compared in a generation or two ago when nations relied less on imports. The price of good food has not fallen - it's just that unfairly traded third world produce and industrial monocultural production have appeared. Economists call this 'deflation' but it's no such thing as you're not comparing like with like when you take an organic-by-default apple of our grandparents days and a GM frankenapple of today.

We have friends and aquiantences that earn similar to us but have fancy new cars on hire purchase, mortgages they took on conviced sky-high price increases would go on forever, fancy phones, plasma tellies, interior-designed homes with oak-effect flooring, fancier holidays, middle-age spread, paunch, diabetes, stress about credit card debt, etc., etc.

Spend your dough on a raw food lifestyle that's good for body and soul, to me, beats a pile of consumerist landfill-in-waiting.

[fruitandveggies]

Cherries: Okay, it really relieves me to hear people say they don't do all organic. All I've heard is that I should never eat conventional, poison, poison, poison. Its pretty scary. Do you have any tips for cleaning produce? I'm pretty frightened about all the horrible crap they put on our food.

Revvell: Yes, I must admit, I was a junk food vegan! Mostly pasta and fake meats and things of that nature. Bah, its so depressing that junk food is so much cheaper than raw food!

David: I agree, location does help. I'm thankful to be near a Whole Foods (even though they are SO expensive) and a store that has in-house brand organics. Even so, I find myself struggling. I am with you, I don't agree with the consumerist notion that pretty much everyone (in America, anyway) has. I don't need a whole bunch of crap that will clutter my life. I suppose my problem is that I am stuck living in a super-expensive area on a secrtary's wages. I could move, but it would have to be done entirely on credit, we have no savings and we are seriously in debt from living in this area. Sorry to bitch, but this is so frustrating!

[Raw Angel Mom]

You can go pick your food for free. Check for dandelion or any wild eatable food. The rule of tump is 50 meter radian without having pesticide.

Check for your area for farmers selling produce. This is fresher and most the time organic and more affortable.

Eat and chew slowly.... You will absorb more your food and therefore eat less.

Wait a reasonnable of time before consuming the next meal. Again, your food instead of waisting in your guts will have time to digest more properly and therefore, you will be less hungry.

As you go along, you will find trick to save and good deal.

Sunflower seeds are economical, AND you can make many dish with them.

If you are a member of costco or know someone, arrange to go with them. They have organic greens very low price. I have a pack of baby argula and i can make 6 litres of greens smoothy with one pack and the pack cost less then $3. They have frozen mango that we buy and we typically use this with bananas in our smoothies.

You are doing good and don't give up.

[Thick]

As previously mentioned, having your own garden or community garden is the cheapest way to eat raw foods.

There are a lot of stores that will sell you their slightly older (but not moldy or disgusting) produce for 99 cents a bag or other discounted price. Don't be afraid to speak with your produce people and ask about what they do with their produce.

Some farmers markets or produce stalls are willing to make deep discounts at the end of the day.

Using sunflower seeds or walnuts can make many nut recipes less expensive.

When you are trying a new recipe, make only a fractional portion until you are sure you like it.

Some items might be cheaper for you to buy online.

There are food banks that collect produce and items from across your community that could help you.

Get comfortable enough with recipes that you can make cheap substitutions. I know in the very begining you feel the need to follow every recipe verbatim--but everything can be changed--as long as you understand the basic technique and what the most essential ingredients are.

[Dimond]

Maybe you can simplify your recipes more such as for the spaghetti & smoothies. Are you using a pasta sauce with a lot of ingredients? I found that using a real basic one tastes just as good. Smoothies-just use the least expensive fruit (usually bananas) & greens you can find and don't add anything else.

[freespirit]

eat seasonally, i dont make recipes with nuts but maybe once every month, dont shop at whole foods!! they are so expensive!!! on two people we could spend 200 a week easy there- now i spend maybe 70 a week at farmers markets

[hannahbee]

I agree with "don't give up!"

Your green smoothies don't have to be super fancy...try just romaine and a banana, maybe some frozen berries if possible? We got some large bags of frozen berries at Costco...the intital expense seems a lot, but then they last! I tried to find any community agriculture in your area, but was unsuccessful. Farmer's markets? Co-ops? Ethnic groceries? Our local co-op was selling young thai coconuts (a luxury item, but nice) for $2 each!! We were able to get a case of 9 for $9 at the ethnic market. Anywhere you can buy nuts and seeds in bulk will be cheaper, and you can make some nice "concentrated" dehydrated foods with those.

Trader Joe's in our area is good for some things like citrus fruit and avocados.

And finally, get into sprouting! You can make your own delicious, high-protein greens for pennies! You can have them all year round, and you'll know that they're clean. I'm not a sprouting expert, but that's what I've heard. :D

[Rawkincake]

I don't do organic, I only buy expensive things like young coconut and cherries occasionally, I buy frozen berries instead of fresh, if something goes up in price (like apples are doing right now right before apple season starts) I stop buying them and I mostly live off the things that are in season or which are perennially cheaper.

This

I also go to the local chinese market (H Mart by where I live)

[RawHeaven]

Fruit & Veggies, I feel for you. When I first started out I was spending upwards to $75-100 dollars per week on raw goods just for myself. Keep in mind I stocked up on a lot of "gourmet" items I no longer consume. It was a part of my transition to make lots of recipes. I have found in being raw for a year that there was a natural transition to eating more simply and I also discovered more ways to save $$$. I will admit I was a bit lazy when starting out in the sense that I would just shop at my food co-op and I was buying packaged raw items also. I would also buy a lot of produce that I couldn't eat and was wasting it!! :eek:

Eventually I knocked all of that off.

I shop 2-3x per week at my food co-op and make a beeline straight to the discounted produce section in the morning. They always put out the items that are overripe. Since I just put them in my smoothies, it works out great. I save at least 40% this way.

I discovered my local farmers markets which save me a huge amount of money. This past weekend, I bought enough produce to last for two weeks and I spent a whopping $18.00. 5 lb bags of stuff! 10 huge cucumbers for $3.00 type of bargains. I hope you have farmers markets in your area - check them out! If I compared how much I purchased to what it would cost me at my co-op, I have no doubt it would've been at least $150-200.

There are also CSA programs where local farmers will deliver a box of veggies to your home (I recommend researching this as well).

Several of my neighbors have fruit trees that go to waste!!! They don't pick the fruit, so I do. :D Lemons, oranges, apples...one of my neighbors even has a huge fig tree and they don't eat the figs. This is an even better way to save money - free fruit!

I sprout a lot now which is also is an inexpensive way to enjoy this lifestyle not to mention I'm getting so many minerals and sheer nutritive power from sprouting. At the farmers market they were selling little bags of mung bean sprouts for 2 bucks a pop. Comparatively, I can make 20 bags of sprouts myself for a less than $2.00 for the beans!


To recap:

* You don't have to put every vegetable or green in your smoothie. Just keep it simple...spinach, cilantro, an apple maybe and work your way up.

* Get into sprouting and start your own indoor or outdoor vegetable garden. The Sprouting Book by Ann Wigmore is an excellent resource.

* Ask your local natural foods co-op if you can buy items in bulk and save money. Talk to the manager about picking up food that might go to waste or watch for deals.

* Visit your local farmers markets.

* If you're near a Costco, I was surprised to discover when I went with a friend that they carry a lot of organic produce in bulk. I found a huge tin of organic medjool dates, lara bars and plums recently!

* Buy conventional produce if it is really tough for you, but try to add more organic produce over time or again look for bargains.

* Trader Joe's is also a good option.

* I personally steer clear of Whole Foods now. I refuse to shop there unless I absolutely need something and can't find it anywhere else. In my area, their produce is consistently at least 25-30% higher for the same items in other stores. even regular grocery chains.


Aside from money, you have to ask yourself why you're doing this for yourself - eating raw I mean. I consider it an investment in my good health and in myself. I only eat organic produce and have done so for the past 10 years even during times of financial strife. I made it work because I'm worth it. I do not eat out a lot and I make a lot of my own food and dishes. This also saves me a ton of money in the end. When I lived in SF I was spoiled and visited CF gratitude at least 2-3x per week. I love their food, but that was a bit expensive. I save the restaurants for special occasions now. Factor in how much you're potentially saving on medical costs as well...longer term. It helps to consider the entire scenario I think.

Don't give up and hang in there!

It will work. I wish you the best.

[Veganforlife]

How can one afford NOT to? My health is worth it's weight in gold.

I fortunately get the "old" produce from my local HFS (where I also work part-time). I took on a second job to make "ends meet".

Fast food (i.e. McSpit's, Burgerbarf, etc.) are expensive! Vegan/Vegetarian foods (pre-packaged) are expensive.

As you go on Raw with time, you will eat less.

I suggest connect with some local farmers, or farmer's markets or local grocery store and ask for the seconds.

Where there is a will there is a way.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i wanna see your $45 spagetti recipe! what the heck did you put in it? mine is zucchini and tomatoes... $2

have you tried ordering mattye's e-book (http://frugalrawnews.blogspot.com/)? it's all bout being frugal on raw. she's made some amazing stuff on cheap!

you know all that money you spent on crap... put it into apples and bananas. there you are raw!!! :D

[MiahTay]

I agree with cherries, I only buy organic when I reasonably can. I also buy my fruit for the week based on sales. I also shop at Sam's Club where I can get some organic stuff for the same price conventional would cost me at the grocery store. You can also buy some of your raw dry goods (nuts/seeds) on line for less, just shop around. I typically feed a family of 4 plus two additional adults for dinner HIGH raw for about $250 a week. You can also typically get better deals at produce stands and have the side benefit of getting locally grown (usually fresher) produce. But I agree with everyone else, don't give up, buy organic when it makes sense and remember that raw conventionally grown is still better than processed, SAD, DEAD food. Best of luck!

Blessings,
Heather

[fruitandveggies]

Wow, thank you SO much everyone! You all have made me feel so much better. I would always have come out of the grocery store feeling horrible thinking about how much I spent.
You all have some great tips! We do have a really good farmer's market here May to November and an international grocery not too far away. Are the international markets usually cheaper?
I suppose I get paranoid about the quality of my food. I'm kind of under the impression that produce is really fragile and not edible once it gets a certain way...is this wrong?
RawAngelMom, I really love your tip about eating slowly and chewing thoroughly. I'm coming out of an eating disorder, so I feel that I should be eating less and appreciating what I have more.
Sprouting is a great idea, too! I'd also love to try one of those in-kitchen Aerogrow things for greens and tomatoes. Has anyone tried those?

Thank you SO much again! You're all so helpful and supportive! :D

[fruitandveggies]

i wanna see your $45 spagetti recipe! what the heck did you put in it? mine is zucchini and tomatoes... $2


Haha, the recipe called for about 6 zukes and 6 huge tomatoes, onions, cashews, all sorts of stuff. Of course I was silly and got all of this at Whole Foods! No, I havn't read that book! I definitely want to look at that!

And you're right---I'd much rather spend my money on produce than fried faux chicken!

[Frugal Raw]

I have found Asian markets to be particularly cheaper. Get a good veggie wash from Whole Foods. I have also found a Mennonite-owned bulk foods store to come in quite handy out here in East TN! I buy raw sunny seeds for only $1.39/lb flax seeds: brown 99 cents a pound, golden $1.09 a pound and ground flax for only $1.69 a pound. They also have pecan meal, which I get for about $3 a pound - far cheaper than pieces! Even their raw cashews are a good deal! Do you have any such places near you in VA?

Oh - also out this way are produce stands that are also plant nurseries. They have local produce, which is also far cheaper than the grocery store.

Also look into tailgate markets - local farmers selling off their trucks!

[fruitandveggies]

No, I've never seen a Mennonite store! I havn't looked either, though! I live about two hours away from rural Pennsylvania, perhaps there would be some out there? How long do seeds last? I do have a couple of bags in the bottom of my fridge, but I'm not sure if they're still good.

[Frugal Raw]

I don't know how long they last - but I've had mine for months and they have never gone bad. Another good thing about this little shop is that they also sell buckwheat groats, soft wheat, rye - all sort of grain for next to nothing. Those are great for sprouting for breads, granolas, etc. I would think PA should have stores such as these. I'm originally from TX, and I lucked up on the place - I'd never seen anything like it until I moved out here! I love it:D.

[fruitandveggies]

Mmm, what a wonderful sounding place! I'll bet there are some places up in PA, I've ceratainly seen mennonites up there! By the way, I'm looking at your blog and completely drooling! Do you mind if I ask how much you pay on average a for a week of food?

[Frugal Raw]

It really depends on what I'm doing and if I am preparing for my hubster and myself or just me. All of my recipes are frugalled down;) One of the things I do is I limit myself as to how much I can spend, and do a pseudo-iron chef thing! What that means is I will sometimes spend only about $10 for a few days worth of ingredients - buy everything I can for $10, then roll what's left into the next $10 for the next few days. It can be alot of fun, and with the bulk foods as staples, I am able to make quite a few wonderous things for not allotta!

Have a look at my vegan kitchen - some sample recipes from the book are there to give you an idea...the link is on my ebook site.

[annavon]

Fruitandveggies: Is there a Trader Joe's in your area? It is a good place to get some raw nuts and things like Sundiied Tomatoes. Also, I try to go organic, but not always. There is a list you can find on the internet of the "dirty dozen", which are the worst foods to get non-organic. Off the top of my head some of the worst offenders are Apples, Strawberries and Peachs. I have also seen a list of the foods that are the best ones to buy non-organic. Sorry, I don't have the link.:o

[fruitandveggies]

Mattye: That sounds like a fun idea! Making games of stuff is always a good way to make things more bearable. I will definately be checking out your book!

Annavon: Actually, I live within walking distance of a TJs. Are they really good? I found that they barely have any fresh food and what they have is wrapped in plastic needlessly. However, I've never looked for nuts there! I may try it again to find those cheaper than Whole Foods (I'm a little iffy since there is a very shady guy there that hits on me X@). I've seen that list, too! I will have to find it again. Thanks for reminding me!

[tanishamarshall]

I didn't have a chance to read all of the responses but I wanted to respond with this:

How much fruit are you using for green smoothies? In the beginning of my raw journey I used way to much and was running out of fruit fast and it was very expensive. I was putting to much fruit in my smoothie. I have learned to use at least 2 cups of water, 1-2 pieces of fruit and the rest greens, raw honey and most times I had lemon depending on what type of greens I'm using for my smoothie. I have now found that I end up with more fruit in the fridge and it last longer.

Like most said over time you will eat less.

Also have you tried making some dishes with veggies only? I love to make marinated Broccoli and mushrooms or cauliflower rice, or raw sushi using cumcumbers and carrots. There are so many inexpensive non-dehydrated dishes you can make. Guac wraped in romaine, I also have a new recipe I created, I can give it to you if you eat mushrooms, it's nut free and taste like taco meat, I wrap it in Cabbage and it taste just like a taco.

Also I recently made a Spicy raw chili made out of veggies and it was cheap and good.

There are also tons of raw soups you can make.

I am not sure of your location, as mentioned above that probably plays into how much yoru food cost. I hope you are able to make this work.
Sometimes it might be best to by some organic and some foods that are not. Why not try to purchase the ones that are highest in pesticides organic and everything else non-organic. I know one thing for sure HF is expensive, farmers markets are your best bet if you have access.

Check this out:
http://raw.tanishamarshall.com/2008/06/how-to-eat-raw-on-a-budget/

[annavon]

Annavon: Actually, I live within walking distance of a TJs. Are they really good? I found that they barely have any fresh food and what they have is wrapped in plastic needlessly. However, I've never looked for nuts there! I may try it again to find those cheaper than Whole Foods (I'm a little iffy since there is a very shady guy there that hits on me X@). I've seen that list, too! I will have to find it again. Thanks for reminding me!

I NEVER by fruit and veggies at TJ's as they are too expenses and not always organic. Only nuts, oils and sundired tomatoes. Also, I forgot to mention that I found some organic stuff at Costco. They had organic frozen blueberries, organic spring mix and baby spianach and 25 pound bags of organic carrots. I plan to get carrots next time I do a lot of juicing.

[fruitandveggies]

Docsharp: Well, I didn't use any fruit in my green smoothies! Haha, I didn't use any water either! It was all green veggies and herbs, no added liquid at all. I guess that's why it was so DARN expensive! Phew, that's a relief to know!
Oh boy, I would love your faux taco recipe! I love mexican stuff. I actually do have a dehydrator, but I havn't used it much now that I'm trying to eek out everything I can from my food. I don't want it getting any smaller at the moment, haha! Thank you for your blog link! It seems like everyone says sunflower seeds are the way to go cheap!

Annavon: Costco! So they have organic now! That's wonderful. I stopped shopping there when I realized lots of their fruit is coated in shellac (not happy about eating bugs), but I'm sure the organic would be fine! I will look at TJs for the nuts and oils!

[tanishamarshall]

Docsharp: Well, I didn't use any fruit in my green smoothies! Haha, I didn't use any water either! It was all green veggies and herbs, no added liquid at all. I guess that's why it was so DARN expensive! Phew, that's a relief to know!
Oh boy, I would love your faux taco recipe! I love mexican stuff. I actually do have a dehydrator, but I havn't used it much now that I'm trying to eek out everything I can from my food. I don't want it getting any smaller at the moment, haha! Thank you for your blog link! It seems like everyone says sunflower seeds are the way to go cheap!

!

I do wonder then if you don't use fruit how can your smoothies cost $8.00 to make? I find that greens are the cheapest food to buy. Where do you live? I'll send the recipe to you in a couple days as long as I can email you through teh website. If you have that option turned off please use the contact form on my website and I'll get back to you with the recipe.

[sarahtolson]

We have a Sprouts here that is like an indoor farmer's market. I went to a real farmer's market here and spent a bunch of money on very little.. so I am not a fan of those! Sprouts has bulk bins of nearly every raw nut and seed, and seeds are much more affordable than nuts. We are on a pretty tight budget as well, and can spend about $125-$150 for a family of 4 per week. I am the only high raw.. my family is about 50% raw. I only buy seasonal fruit and veggies, and stuff that is on sale. :)

I also disagree about TJ's. They have a great selection of frozen fruit.. their avocados are amazing (well.. here in California they are... when we lived in Washington.. not so much) Their price on peppers and cucumbers is pretty good as well. I also have to buy non-raw items for my family, so TJ's has a lot of that stuff for me. :)

Whole Foods can be very expensive. I only buy things there that I can't get anywhere else. Young Thai coconuts are only 1.99, and they have raw coconut oil, and some dried things that are good. I only go there maybe once a month.

I agree about the CSA's.. if you can find one, they usually give you a better deal on organic than conventional. I don't buy everything organic because with my budget.. I just can't.

Good luck.

[Bananna]

I haven't read all the responses either, but I am sure they are great, but one caught my eye...how can you afford not to?

Do you know how much you are increasing your earning potential by being a spry senior citizen instead a sick, decrepit and dying one?

You can literally work for Decades longer on raw. I don't know about the states but in Canada you no longer have to retire at 65, you can keep your job as long as your fit and able.

Just another way to look at it I guess.....but I guess that wouldn't make sense if you hate your job and hate working or something, lol.

[fruitandveggies]

docsharp: Yes, its amazing, I made the most expensive green smoothies ever, haha. I would use a few cucumbers, some celery, spinach and a LOT of those packaged fresh herbs you get at Whole Foods. With no water or anything--that's why it cost so much, the herbs! I live in northern virginia, near DC. Sure, you can email me thru the site. Thank you!!

sarah: that Sprouts place sounds amazing! I've never heard of it before, I guess that means they don't have them in my area. But I will look it up! Yes, our big farmer's market is actually comperable to the prices at Whole Foods. I think they can charge more because all the rich people around here are on a "green kick" because its trendy right now...

banana: Oh, yes, yes I very much want to be a fully kicking old person! No, I really don't want to work a job for much longer (I'd like a small business) and no, America would never let someone stop working if they still wanted to work (most people at this point CAN'T retire if they wanted to).
It ties in with the "in the long run..." point that can be made (which is a good one!) about things being cheaper. The thing is, I just can't spend more money, I'm scraping by on poverty here in richville. I suppose I could shut off my internet and buy a few more tomatoes a month...haha. Sorry, I'm grumpy!

[dakinimind]

No, I've never seen a Mennonite store! I havn't looked either, though! I live about two hours away from rural Pennsylvania, perhaps there would be some out there? How long do seeds last? I do have a couple of bags in the bottom of my fridge, but I'm not sure if they're still good.

I freeze seeds, nuts, fruits for smoothies and the like, nut milks...anything that works. This has saved a huge amount of money for me in the end. I work at Whole Foods and use the small plastic containers to freeze things in...much easier to eye the freezer shelves using them.

Just a side note as to why Whole Foods in so much more expensive than other grocery stores. We have Whole Planet Foundation which does a significant amount of mico-lending abroad, we do small business loans in the US, we pay more than a fair price for the different lines of food items we carry...the list goes on and on. Mainly, this is why the price is so much higher at Whole Foods.

[Zella Juice]

Grow yer own.

I figured we can save $300 to $400 a month for my family if we grew some of our veggies and fruits.

We live in Washington, which means only a few months of sunshine. So I bought some of those grow boxes that grow indoors so I can move them indoors with a grow light when the weather goes bad.

Here's the link...

http://www.agardenpatch.com/storefront-c0.html

It's a little tricky finding the right potting mix and fertilizer that are vegan and organic..but I think I have almost figured it out.

We also have some things growing in Aerogardens.

They are more nutritious too when they are freshly picked.

We live in a very small space but I am willing to get rid of my couch and get a small recliner instead so I can have my indoor garden.

[VeggieMel]

Did you mention if you have room to grow your own food? It's saving me a bunch of money. At this very moment, I'm drinking green juice made from cucumbers, zucchinni, parsely and swiss chard. Every bit of it is right out of my garden.
Also, if no one else has mentioned it, Trader Joe's has fairly good prices on organic produce, especially red bell peppers.

[fruitandveggies]

dakinimind: Good idea to freeze nuts and fruit! I will definately do that! I knew that Whole Foods was doing something good with the extra money they tack on to everything. I do love them, but I can't afford them!

Zella: I've seen those grow boxes! They look nice. I think I might be able to for one of those on my porch. I really want an Aerogrow!

Mel: I live on the third floor of an apartment with a very small balcony. I probably have room to stuff a few plants out there, but I have a very bad history with gardening. I killed a cactus somehow! I seriously need to learn some better gardening skills!

[hannahbee]

... I have a very bad history with gardening. I killed a cactus somehow! I seriously need to learn some better gardening skills!


I feel your pain, f&v! I thought I had the blackest of black thumbs; I couldn't keep a single houseplant alive. But this season I grew MY OWN TOMATOES and NM green chile! I'm so psyched...and if I can do it, anyone can!!

[fruitandveggies]

Oooh, good job! It would be so nice to make some home-grown salsa... (drools)

[domestic goddess]

I second Mattye's book. Great ideas for saving money.

I live on a VERY tight food budget right now- about $150 for a family of 5.
I simply cannot buy organic. I buy from farmer's markets and local as much as I can, then I soak my fruits and veggies when I bring them Home. Scrub and peel...you do what you have to do. I also buy fozen fruit for my smoothies. Check the 'reduced' produce rack at your grocery store for things marked down that you can freeze.

My children and dh are not 100% raw, but I am. It is difficult, and no I do not make all sorts of fancy meals. I am taking advantage of the summer and sticking to salads, smoothies and just fruits and veggies as is. I do have a garden so all my greens for smoothies I am growing now, which saves me some $$$.

Don't let anyone make you feel like you can't be raw and get the benefits without being 100% organic/pure/etc. You do the best with what you have. You will get the benefits of the raw lifestyle by doing it in whatever capacity you are able. I have gained huge health benefits from raw, and I am not org. Would I be even MORE healthy if I was organic? I'm sure. It just isn't an option right now. I am happy to feel better and know I am on this Path.

Don't be discouraged...keep doing what you are doing! :D

[Bananna]

Zella Juice I am SO inspired right now!

My new goal is to transform my home into a tropical fruit-bearing paradise. The pic of that tomato plant is Huge relative to the box...

[Zella Juice]

I know! I think there are only 2 or 3 tomato plants per box. But they grow and grow. If you get too many and you can't eat them in time dry them in the Dehy and vacuum seal them for emergency food supply.

We make a huge bucket of pico de gallo which lasts us a couple weeks. Very economical. I am not the best at gardening. In fact it's all so overwhelming. But at one time I thought eating raw was overwhelming and now that I'm doing it and learning as I go it's not as hard as I thought. It's the unknown that makes us think we can't do something. I can't afford not to grow my own. I'm even gonna try baby watermelon in the grow box. They hardly sell them at the store and I am addicted to those things.

[fruitandveggies]

Wow, domestic goddess, you are an inspirtation! 150 dollars a week for a family of five! I'm seriously impressed. I'm definately going to freeze some fruit when I find some cheap stuff. Are the pre-frozen fruits and veggies you buy at the store raw? If so, I will certainly be getting some of those, too! You're right, I tend to get a little obsessive about being "perfect" with my food. I forget that eating non-organic raw is WAY better than SAD food! Thank you!

And banana--I agree, I seriously need some of those grow boxes, too! :D

zella: Good idea to dehydrate your extras! That's why I bought that thing, I guess!

[Bananna]

What are the advantages or disadvantages of the grow boxes vs the aerogardens?...which I'm just still learning about on this google search I just did.

Do you find the grow boxes are black thumb friendly.:o

[Zella Juice]

The aerogarden is small. I can only do small things in it. Nothing like full size cukes. The pump already broke on one of them. I heard they are really good about sending out another one. The veggies are probably going to be really nice and juicy but I haven't gotten to that stage. Everything is growing fast and healthy in the aerogarden.

The grow boxes are probably going to be easier because no pump to fuss with and be more "earthy" But I haven't started yet. I will let everyone know how it's going as I get further along. But, I think I will be relying on the grow boxes more than anything. I want to get a small aerogarden for herbs. Right now I have herbs in pots and they aren't growing very fast. Things just take off with the aerogarden.

There are forums for aerogarden and earthbox. I will just go on there when I have questions.

By the way, I decided to go with the garden Patch instead of Earthbox because I have read some bad reviews about their customer service. And they have deals when you buy 6 at a time. It's going to be interesting to see if I can fit 6 in my tiny apartment. But I just don't care. I will make do.

As far as black thumb. That's me too. But these are nice because you just plant them and pour the water in the tube and it goes in the bottom and wicks up. Nothing else really needs to be done.

I am going to buy some of the plants online that have already been started so I don't have to start everything from seed. It's also easy to start seeds in the aerogarden.

here is a link to the online plant ordering...

https://www.naturalgardening.com/shop/Plants.php3

[fruitandveggies]

Sounds like it might be good to get the grow boxes and aerogardens. Does anyone know of any good books for beginners (like, seriously, beginners) about produce gardening?
Also, has anyone tried those hanging tomato/eggplant/pepper planters? I hear they're great since you don't have to put up posts for the plant to climb.

[hannahbee]

What are the advantages or disadvantages of the grow boxes vs the aerogardens?...which I'm just still learning about on this google search I just did.

Do you find the grow boxes are black thumb friendly.:o


They were friendly to mine!! I'm growing 2 tomato plants (1 Patio, 1 Goliath) in each of 2 Earth Boxes. So, 4 plants total. The Patio is a smaller plant, doesn't get so tall and leggy, and produces fruit pretty fast. The Earth Boxes were extremely easy to set up and my tomatoes are going GANGBUSTERS.

[Bananna]

Oh this is so exciting!

Food Should be Free, lol.

Ok, so with the aerogardens, what makes them grow so quick, like are there holes throughout the soil or something?

So, hannahbee you went with the earth boxes and zella juice you went with the garden patch....guess I'll have to make a decision then...

fandv - I am guessing that these boxes you buy probably have growing info and tips, either with their product or on their websites. Water, soil, sunlight right? My main problem is trying to grow plants that just aren't hardy and not withstanding a bit of neglect on my part, lol...so all you need to do is figure out what sort of plants are hardy and start or stick with those.

But from what I am gathering with the wick process, even a bit of neglect shouldn't be too much of an issue.


Here's some links to build your own earthboxes and start seeds...

http://www.josho.com/gardening.htm

http://correntewire.com/seed_starting


This is a huge prospect for me, with all the kids I have, I spend several hundred a month on food. bleh...

[Zella Juice]

with the aerogardens...the seeds are placed in these spongy things that fit in the holes and the water pumps over them. The roots get longer and set down in the water chamber where the water and nutrients are. My child loves watching it grow.

I printed out the instructions to build my own and just couldn't do it. Not enough time and it involved a saw. Not something I want to get into. Plus I don't like cutting into plastic and having cut plastic exposed. Maybe there is more of a chance of plastic leaching. Just my paranoia prolly.

I don't have much time or skill for growing veggies and I also live in a state with hardly any sunlight. So if I can make it work. I think anyone can. I will keep ya all posted.

As far as instructions...I just go to the fourms and ask my specific questions as they arise. Just like I do with my raw food questions here on this forum.

[souldanzer]

Hannahbee,
if only one of your tomatoe plant varieties is getting tall and leggy, you might want to check on the amount and intensity of light those plants are receiving. Are they in a different location than the one that is producing more fruit?
If it's insufficient, the plants will continue to put their energy into growing closer towards a light source as opposed to making flowers and fruit.

Also, for anybody who is growing stuff inside where there is barely any wind and pollinators around:
Flowering fruit/vegetable plants (tomatoes) need a little bit of a shake everyday when they are making flowers in order to be pollinated properly. Otherwise, you'll miss out on a lot of fruit because unpollinated flowers will just dry up and drop to the ground.

Souldanzer :)

[wiccedfae23]

Do the best you can!! I buy about half organic and half regular produce right now... i also hit up the "reduced produce" cart at my local stop and shop... they also carry nature's promise oragnics which are priced very reasonably.i wash all my produce with an organic citrus veggie spray, this makes me feel better about when i cant buy or find good organics. i also have been looking into local farm stands and farmers markets they really give you a great deal if you alot of stuff at once i've found. as for smoothies i use banana's what ever berries are on sale, and spinach which i find at S&S for a great price. But i dont think you should give up:) try adjusting what you buy each week for the next few weeks and experiment with some simpler recipes. Good luck it is hard but you'll find your way... i am still struggling too!!!;)

[fruitandveggies]

Thanks, Fae! We have Nature's Promise here, too--but I thought it was a house brand for our grocery store Giant! Do you have Giant's up there, too? Maybe its just a really common name to use. This "bargin bin" for produce...I've never seen one before! Maybe I'm not looking hard enough?

[saxmaam]

I feel your pain, f&v! I thought I had the blackest of black thumbs; I couldn't keep a single houseplant alive. But this season I grew MY OWN TOMATOES and NM green chile! I'm so psyched...and if I can do it, anyone can!!

Hannahbee, we should meet and tour each others' gardens. I've been getting a veg. garden going this past two years. I keep making mistakes (underwatering, underfertilizing .... sigh) but gradually am figuring how to grow stuff here. I started all sorts of kale this year and birds ate the seedlings. I've got a plan for that, next year.

Anyhow, if you'd like to meet, send me a private email. I tried to email you, but you've got that feature disabled.

Susan

[domestic goddess]

To answer the question asked about my froz. fruit- I am assuming it is raw, as it does not have to be blanched as veggies do before freezing. I by straight fruit, no sugar, etc. added. BJ's/Cosco is a great place to get frozen fruit for smoothies on the cheap. Trader Joe's is good for frozen fruit too...and their froz. organic fruit is very well priced!

I shop TJ's for raw nuts and seeds as well. We have a great HFS near me that sells bulk org. grains on the cheap. I have a dehydrator so I can make dried fruit too. Stuff from the 'past due' fruit cart makes great fruit leather or dried fruit for 'granola' or trail mix. F&V the 'bargain bin' could be a bin, cart, or one of those rolling shelf thingy's and usually they are off to the side or near the doors to the 'back room' in the produce area. They don't put them out in the open ;) or, you can ask the produce people where it is in case they don't actually have it out.

Yes, $150/wk for 5 is tough. If all 5 of us were 100% raw there is no way I could do it. My dh is not raw (though he does drink green smoothies!) and my kids are 50-75% raw (I push for 75% :D ) so the fact that they eat some cooked food actually saves me money. Which, in a perfect world, would not be the case. They eat whole foods, and veg/vegan and I do most of the cooking from scratch, which saves money (not time, lol) Not eating meat, drinking milk, etc saves money as well.

I am fascinated with these grow boxes! I have a garden and HIGHLY recommend the book The Frugal Gardener by Catriona Tudor Erler. It is fantastic and gives you all the skills needed to have great gardens on the cheap, and utilizing space well. AND I am gardening impared! Her book is so helpful. My garden is ok, it could be better and had I actually done everything she said it would have been great! (sometimes I am slow on the uptake, lol) Anyways, it is on Amazon.com and if you can afford it, I recommend getting it as there are many things you can do year 'round :D

[fruitandveggies]

Oh, goodie! I'm so excited about getting some frozen fruit. That will save me so much money! Do you happen to know why veggies have to be blanched before frozen? If I freeze my own veggies, do I have to blanch them, too?

Yes, its so sad that we have to sacrifice potential health to save enough money to get by on. It should not cost 3.50 for an avacado--I could buy 3 bags of Doritios for that much (not that I want to)!

I will add that book to my list of books to get! I have a little savings account set up just for saving up for things like this.

What does everyone do about getting produce/growing produce in the winter? Here its either blazingly hot or super-cold!

[michigan roman]

good thread on raw on a budget =
http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=22555&highlight=raw+on+a+budget ..

[fruitandveggies]

^^Oh, thank you! I was wondering if there was a thread on this already!

[kaybee]

hey fruits and veggies--

I dont know if you are in DC frequently, but if you are, check out GLUT food co-op. its in Mt Rainier, MD, a couple miles outside the city, to the NE side. basically, if you take Rhode island avenue out of the city until you cross into maryland just after eastern(?) avenue, take the road at the roundabout thats at about "9 o'clock" position. anyway, Glut has reasonable produce, cheap medjool dates, reasonably priced nuts (walnuts, etc; though i dont know if they are low-temperature dried, but then again, we dont know that about whole foods either, and trader joes are probably pasteurized; at least gluts come right out of the bulk-box). its a great little place. probly not worth the trip in just for that but if youre in town anyway. oftentimes the organic fruit there is close to the price for non-organic in safeway or giant. integrated-pest management apples (not organic, but getting there) for under a buck a pound last time i was around there, also pears and sometimes oranges reasonable, organic ripe peaches, cheap lemons and limes, etc. also, SOME things are reasonable at MOMS (my organic market), and honestly, I think that you cant beat the prices on some things at Whole foods--theres a brand of cold pressed below 100 degrees olive oil ?napa valley naturals? , also some of their produce really is reasonably priced--big bunches of organic parsley for under $2 bucks all the time, same for cilantro, etc. (WHAT I WOULD GIVE FOR A WHOLE FOODS RIGHT NOW!! living in ireland at the moment you cant even GET bunches of parsley, amongst a billion other things you cant get, never mind organic for a couple of bucks.....)

ALSO, i woudl BEWARE of trader joes. see previous threads on this forum on this. the nuts are all pasteurized, which means dead, and apparently even alot of the produce is irradiated.

good luck

kaybee

[joyfulmama]

I have 8 people in my family- 6 of them 15 and under. All are not raw but we are working towards 50% raw and the rest vegan for them.. I am at the moment 100% raw but not sure if will stay 100% raw forever but will not consumer meat or dairy again. I have a lot of weight to lose so my goal is to stay 100% until I get close to my goal weight- then it will be one day at a time.. but would like to stay high raw vegan..
So.. how do I do it?? We have been fortunate enough this summer to get 1000's of dollars of produce donated.. yep.. I canned a lot of salsa, pineapple and some grapes for the kiddos and dh.. I have 2 freezers full (which is why I had to can fruit!) We have gotten over 100 pineapples (so good in smoothies) we had gotten 40 cases of mangos one week- which we ate tonsssss fresh and the rest got frozen.. we have gotten 8 cases of bananas over the summer. Lots of other fruits, cucumbers, chili peppers, corn, mushrooms (which I dehydrated), zucchini.. yum.. This last week we got tons of organic baby spinach (we have been lucky that some has been organic- like the organic cukes we got the first week- about $600 worth and the 8 cases of organic blueberries- filled 8 gallon freezer bags) that I put into the freezer for smoothies, and 50 lbs of italian parsley that we also froze for smoothies..
Like you I was wondering how I could do it. We were spending over $1000 on food- sometimes closer to $1500! This did not included processed foods, nuts, seeds, raw nut butters, or meat and dairy (when we were eating them). I prayed and prayed that God would show me how to stretch my food dollar and we got blessed with the produce donations.. Not every grocery donates the produce that are reaching expiration- thankfully ours does and it blesses a ton of families in our little town.
This was the first time we got greens- so I watch for the best sales price for parsley, spinach and kale and get it in cases- just call and have them order it for you. I wash and stick in the freezer for smoothies.
Our smoothies are always greens and bananas- and whatever other fruit we can get on sale- but sometimes it is just greens and bananas.
We eat whatever produce is on sale.. lots of smoothies, salads, other fruit.. now that I have a good flax cracker recipe they will always be in the fridge.
If there is a will there is a way.. I am proof of that.
Good luck to you..

[Rawzula]

I spend between $30 and $50 a week for produce.

I drink a lot of green smoothies, and I'm the only one eating raw in my house (my roommate is very SAD)

I try to buy things when they're on sale and often get things from the reduced items rack.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc123/barjonproductions/Miscellaneous_Photos003.jpg

[fruitandveggies]

Kaybee--I've never heard of that place! I will certainly check it out if I'm ever over that way! Are you orginally from the area? I've never actully been to MOM's, just heard about it! I should probably find my way over there sometime. I will go to Whole Foods and look for that olive oil, I didn't know about that, thanks! What you said about being over in Ireland makes me really appriciate my WF! :D

Debra: That's so great that you can get donations! Is that something that you normally will get or is it just a temporary thing? Do you have plans when you do get any donations to save on food?

Rhazula: Wow, that's pretty cheap! That bag of lettuce looks familiar--I just got some of that today! Its great for "sandwiches" and wraps!

[joyfulmama]

It may be a permanent thing as far as I know.. it is every couple of weeks or so.. we are talking cases of produce.. on the off weeks we eat from what is on sale.. I can get a case of bananas for $20 and a case of spinach for $25.. if I can't get inexpensive fruit other than the bananas then that is it for smoothies..
I usually do smoothies for everyone in the am.. save 32 ounces for me for dinner. then salads and veggies for lunch- everyone.. then the rest of the family has a cooked vegan meal (unless it is really hot-then everyone wants smoothies.). hubby is eating more and more raw too..

[Rrose]

I won't step foot in Whole Paycheck anymore. They are way too expensive!! I shop Farmers market and glean the leftovers toward the end of the day.:rolleyes:

[RawSinger]

I personally can't afford to eat organic right now, so I don't. I figure that 100% non-organic raw is better than, say, 60% organic raw, and 40% crappy, processed, non-organic, non-raw, like Ramen noodles and canned everything. But my plan is, when I've been 100% raw for awhile and my appetite decreases, I'm going to eat organic.

[RawSinger]

I won't step foot in Whole Paycheck anymore. They are way too expensive!! I shop Farmers market and glean the leftovers toward the end of the day.:rolleyes:

Whole Paycheck!! LMAO!!!! That's great. I've never been in Whole Foods before and I don't think I ever will (at least not with the intent of shopping for myself). I've never seen one in my area anyway.

[Rrose]

i like your name, "Francesca". That is really pretty!! I've heard of Fran, but I like Francesca tons better!!

Whole Paycheck has a great wonderful variety and the staff is really top notch, but heck, can't they lower even their "bargain bin" of produce down to the average cost at a regular store??:eek: I mean, that's no bargain if you ask me. I only will buy there if I simply cannot find my stuff anywhere else.:cool:

I have been given much Organic Produce from local growers who had an over abundance just by driving by their farms. They usually put out their excess produce in free bins at their driveway entrance.... I always donate some money to them because I don't like just to get free stuff like that and since I'm not destitute (far from it, lol) then I feel I should pay something for the produce recieved. Usually I'd pay about 20.00 for a bananna box of produce, which is cheap and lasts me along time.

[Thick]

Whole Paycheck

ROFL!!!!!!!!!!I'll be thinking of you everytime I have to go there for the rest of my life !!LOL

[RawSinger]

i like your name, "Francesca". That is really pretty!! I've heard of Fran, but I like Francesca tons better!!

Thank you!! That's really sweet :)

[raw_danceruk]

Hehe wholepaycheck is a rip off!

I mainly buy bulk direct from wholesalers thesedays, box of lemons, box of oranges..DONE cheap and cheerful. I worked out its upto 60% cheaper than the supermarkets.

Otherwise I use farmers markets and shop around for offers weekly.

Mostly fasting is certainly cheaper..however buying bulk I enjoy a variety of foods when I am having solids.

Enjoy :)

[fruitandveggies]

Hahaha, Whole Paycheck..that's great! XD

I went to Costco yesterday, its SO much cheaper, goodness. I got BIG boxes of blackberries, peaches, avocados, bananas, lettuce, carrots, strawberries, tomatoes...things like that. I am so getting my own membership now (I went with my mother) so I can go and get 6 huge avocados for 7 bucks whenever I want! :D

[fuggles]

Freeganism and dumpster diving .

Just joking, but it was even in The Independent newspaper, about rummaging through the bins of supermarkets and getting loads of food.

[acjazz28]

I'm on a budget myself, and I guess I'm the only one here who can find some serious bargains at the "Whole Paycheck" store. :D I always shop the bulk section of Whole Foods and get great deals on organic nuts and seeds--especially sesame and sunflower. They have great deals on beans for sprouting--it's my only source for organic chickpeas and lentils. It's cheaper buying organic stuff there in bulk. Other than that...everyone else is right. :D

...and seriously look into sprouting. Last week I sprouted two jars of a sprouting mix (organic alfalfa, broccoli and red clover seeds) using only two tablespoons of seed for each jar and ended up with 8 CUPS of sprouts in total! I also sprouted a cup of chickpeas for sprouted hummus and ended up with two cups of beans to work with. Same with raw almonds as well. You can achieve some serious savings when you start sprouting seeds, nuts and some beans...

acjazz28 :)

[joyfulmama]

Another source is Azure Standard. If they deliver anywhere near you can you have it shipped for free- you do have to place a big order $400 worth but you don't have to order every month. I can get 25 lbs of flax seed for $20. Nuts are also soooo much cheaper. It carries all health food- vegan, vegetarian, organic foods- it also carries meat and dairy- organic. anythiing you would find in a health food store.. and you can get grains, beans, seeds etc.. in 25 lb bags. For someone like me who has a large family it is a plus. I plan on placing an order next month for honey, seeds, dates, some nuts (not a lot as I am losing weight) some oatmeal for the kiddos (who are not 100% raw). I can easily hit $400 every 2 months or so.

[joyfulmama]

ok, I went to Azure Standard . com to see what I could get for $400.. so here it is.. it will last for several months I am sure.. some things will last much longer and that means I can order something else to expand my pantry..
So I can get:

1 lb of broccoli seeds
1 lb of chia seeds
5 lbs of sprouting mix- alfalfa, clover, radish and something else
25 lbs of raw sunflower seeds
25 lbs of flax seeds
25 lbs of raw almonds
11 lbs of medjool dates
25 lbs of lentils
50 lbs of wheat berries- soft white
100 lbs of thick cut rolled oats
1 lb of chili powder
1 gallon of raw clover honey
1 lb of coriander seed
5 lb of raw carob powder
1 lb of celtic sea salt
10 lbs of raw cashew large pieces

This comes to just a few dollars over $400 and they will deliver to my door since I live right off one of their routes. I see us running out of oats, nuts, dates, before anything else- which means next order I can add in some different types of nuts and dried fruits..
So check to see if they deliver- it is washington, idaho, parts of nevada and California- but I hear they are expanding over- a friend in Michigan is getting stuff from them.
they have organic choices of everything.
If you have friends who can go in with you then even better. There are other buying clubs out there- you just have to look.. there is one called bulkfoods.com I think and if your order is over $75 they ship free.
if you are using a lot of the same things it pays to ask for a bulk discount at your store or to see if you can order by the case when an item of produce goes on sale.. I do it all the time.

[fruitandveggies]

acjazz: that's cool that your WF has so many bulk items! Mine has barely any and the only raw ones are cashews and sometimes some almonds. Perhaps I will go to another location to see if they have any good bulk stuff.

Debra: that place sounds great! I went to their website and their "drop points" are, like you said, all in west and left midwest territory--its got a far way to go to come to me on the east coast! Do you know if they would ship smaller amounts across country?

[joyfulmama]

they do ship- it is by ups ground- so you just have take that into acct. We figured that we would be paying $1.41 a pound after we calculated how many pounds of food we would be getting. I can't think of a single thing on my list I could get for $1.41 a pound! not to mention how nuts are from $5-$10 a lb.
I am off this morning to meet a gal who I found through freecycle. She offered up zucchini and yellow squash for free- she had an abundance. I emailed her, told her I was eating an all raw food diet and the family mostly raw. she emailed back that she had a good deal of lettuces too, and maybe some other veggies she could give me. That got me thinking.. for those of you who are struggling with the food costs. what about placing an ad in craigslist or freecycle- looking for free produce- fresh from your garden- will even help pull weeds. I bet you would get a lot of replies- especially if you live close to a rural area

[fruitandveggies]

That's a great idea about the freecycle and craigslist! I know my own grandmother has lots of tomatoes in her backyard, maybe I'll make a trip to West Virginia to get get some! Very good idea!

[Ilse W.]

Hi fruitandveggies,
I didn't read the whole thread, so I'm not sure if anybody answered how to best clean conventionally grown produce. Next time you stop at Trader Joe's buy a bottle of their Veggie-Wash. I use it on everything I don't peel. I used to buy everything organic, but I'm retired now and want to live within my means. I grow the easy things like salad greens, zuccini, tomatos, swiss chard, herbs myself, and also have some currant and gooseberry bushes. I only buy those things organic, that cannot easily be washed with the veggie-wash stuff and also are on the list of things most heavily contaminated with pesticides and herbicides, such as strawberries, cherries, etc.
Cheers,
Emma

[pinkkpanthur]

I really am no expert at being raw. I'm making a gradual transition, but my budget for myself is about $30 a week. That means lots of sprouting and basic fruits and veggies, and I do eat cooked rice and store bought organic peanut butter on a fairly regular basis. That said, some of my staples are:

peanut butter and banana (fills you up for hours and it's so amazing!)
1 cup sprouts with fresh fruit (like a large orange or kiwi or a few strawberries)
green smoothie (obviously - consisting of an apple, 1/2 zucchini or cucumber, 1.5 cups spinach or romaine lettuce, sometimes a couple cubes of melon for more sweetness)
breakfast fruit puree (I figured out if you blend a grain like oatmeal (I know, not exactly raw but again - 30 bucks a week) in the blender or food processor with a fruit like apples or bananas, maybe a tablespoon of sweetener, it has this awesomely light but filling quality, kind of like breakfast cereal, but better!)
sliced squash or chopped celery with raw pesto (which will last you forever!)

All of the above for well under $1 per meal (per person of course).

And thanks to everybody else! I had no idea there were so many tricky ways to get you local organic produce ;)

[joyfulmama]

I just got back from the freecycle lady. It is all organic- huge- I mean huge zucchini's and yellow squash- a whole big crate of them. a paper grocery bag of beets and 2 bags of lettuce! and she said she would call me when she has more- soon will be corn.. yay! And I learned stuff about gardening in my neck of the woods.

[annavon]

One thing I forgot to mention in my earlier reply is that as a newbie I had a tendency to over-buy. For any newbies out there, I suggest trying to follow the shopping list in Alissa's book, it helps. I still shop at "whole paycheck" too, but not as often now that I figured out that my grocery bill doubled. I am using the veggie wash now. For me, the trick is to figure out how much produce I need each week that I can actually eat and not have to throw it away because it spoiled. (picture me, cleaning an entire box of spring mix leaf by leaf because some if it started to spoil!!!:p )

[fruitandveggies]

Emma: Yes, I do have some veggie-wash! I love that stuff, I was surprised it didn't taste like anything!

Pink: I am amazed that you can do $30 a week. Wow! I seriously need to sprout some stuff. I guess I'm intimidated by any gardening because of my black thumb! All of your food ideas sound so good!! I want to go and have some PB and bananna now...yum!

Debra: that is so cool that you found that lady!! I am so going to freecycle to see if anyone with the same situation is giving stuff away!

Annavon: Seriously, I have a horrible habit of over-buying, too! I'm very used to my pre-packaged, last a few months vegan lifestyle. I've wasted a horrible amount of produce that way!

[petaltothemetal]

I just moved from there. Really, you are very lucky to live in an area with so many food options.

First, STAY OUT OF GIANT FOODS AND WHOLE FOODS!!! They are by far the most expensive place to buy produce. I don't even like Trader Joes except for citrus and avocados.

Decide what you are going to buy where so you don't splurge unnecessarily and group your errands together. I didn't live in Reston, but in Fauquier County and I made frequent runs to Manassas to Global Foods on 234 when I wanted something exotic. Their produce section is amazing. Also they have nori and tamarind and other exotics. However, organics are a little slim. Here's my rule for what to buy organic:

If it's soft or I'm using the outside, ALWAYS buy organic. This would mean all leaf veggies, summer squashes, most non-citrus fruits, and even citrus if I intend to grate the peel into the dish.

If it's got a hard shell or a thick peel/rind you will not use (like walnuts and grapefruit) then I decide based on my financial needs at the moment. I prefer organic, of course (have had an organic garden for 10 years, but there's a lot I can't grow).

There are so many mom and pop health food stores with bulk bins in Northern Va. They are a great place to buy nuts, seeds and spices. If you buy it in a package (like at Trader's) you will always pay more for the package.

Examine your choice of recipe books. Some of them (Like Raw Food, Real World, despite it's title) use outrageously expensive ingredients. Most of us can't afford three young coconuts and two cups of macadamia nuts in a single recipe. And when you look at recipes, try to figure out the purpose of a particular expensive ingredient. Is it for protein, for silky texture, for crunch, for heat or sweetness...? Then try to figure out a low cost replacement.

I agree with adding water to the smoothies. If you use just fruits or just veggies, not only will you be using more $ per drink, but also consuming more calories. I think most of us agree the "5 a day" fruit and veggie serving guide isn't enough, but we sure as heck don't need to eat "25 a day!" (By the way, I'm guilty of this with fruit smoothies, myself... it's more like ice cream if it's all fruit! :) But I can't afford the calories or the money so your post was kind of a kick in the pants to me to stop being so indulgent!)

[petaltothemetal]

[QUOTE=joyfulmama;444627]Another source is Azure Standard. If they deliver anywhere near you can you have it shipped for free- you do have to place a big order $400 worth but you don't have to order every month.


They only ship UPS to the east coast, and that drives up the price quite a bit. I buy from Azure now that I live on the west coast. (and would love to find people in my area -western Oregon - to share orders with me!) However, with some legwork, I think you can find a similar source anywhere.

[fruitandveggies]

OMG, I have to stay out of Giant? Wow, its really the only place I ever go--I didn't even know they were expensive (no comparison)! There is a place called Grand Mart that is international on route 7 in Sterling that seems to have a bunch of stuff! The place is a little...unsavory looking...so that's what's steered me away from there as of yet. I will check out Global Foods next time I'm down in Manassas!
Are there a lot of mom and pop places? You know, I've lived here since I was born, but all I know about is Healthway in Sterling, and that isn't exactly cheap!
Yeah, I have a book...Living on Raw i think? And it calls for so many ingredients. That's where I got my 40 dollar "pasta" recipe from! I've just been kind of..eating plain produce since that trauma.
Once I get my juicer back in working order (yes, I melted a bunch of its parts when I forgot to take them out of the oven before I preheated it), I will make some more watered down juices and smoothies. I always thought they were really rich tasting!

Where did you move to?

[petaltothemetal]

I'm in Oregon now, in a little town with less than 900 people and I work in a town with less than 25000 that is so WHITE OMG that there isn't an ethnic store for 60 miles! I am happy to be here for most reasons, but food choices aren't one of them! :rolleyes:

I used to work on Rte 50 in Chantilly at the Lexus dealership and there was a discount grocery across the street almost that was pretty good, as I recall... although the last time I shopped there was in 2003! But I remember it really opened up my eyes to how much I'd been spending at Giant! Food Lion never had much of a selection. Blooms is ok. But the discount grocery (come on, brain, you can remember the name!) is the same chain I used to shop at when I worked in Fredericksburg, too. And they have pretty good produce, you just have to be prepared to buy LOTS of whatever looks good that day and is a good price and design your meals around your purchases! Then if you buy 6 pineapples because they are on sale, you will actually USE them and that automatically means you're not overspending, right? :D

I stayed out of Reston and Leesburg as much as possible because the sudden growth in both towns confused me (I also spent most of my life near there, and both towns were LITTLE when I was growing up. Then to go back in my 30's and early 40's a couple of times and get horrendously lost... miles and miles of strip shopping centers and townhouses... ick.) So I can't say I recall where the mom and pop stores are, just that I had friends who lived in both Leesburg and Reston who said it was a lot easier to find natural foods where they lived than where I lived. I know Leesburg has an awesome farmers market, I've been to it.

[fruitandveggies]

Oh man, me and my hubby's dream is to move to the Portland area, we swear we aren't meant to live in Virginia (even though were were born here!). You are in a tiny town! I think we'll need to be near city so our businesses will get some business (goth/alterna apparel for me and tattoos for him).
Yeah, Food Lion also smells like rotten meat, all of them have since been turned to Bloom round here.
My mother told me to go to Shoppers---have you tried the produce there?
Yes, Reston and Leesburg have become big! Its only because I've been lost there so many times that I don't get lost anymore (I'm from Sterling).
Oh, Azure Standard, I was just looking at them on suggestion of joyfulmama. I was put off by them being west coast, but I suppose I could do the UPS shipment thing.

[joyfulmama]

do a google search for health food buying clubs. you may be able to find something in your neck of the woods.. I mean your local health food store gets it from somewhere.... oh! that raises another option.. some health food stores will allow you to order in bulk from whereever they order their stock from- for 10% of the wholesale price- this is the going rate so don't be bullied into more. that way you could order seeds, nuts and the like for much cheaper. if you go in with a friend then you can save more by splitting the price. And most health food stores- even if they don't carry it can order organic produce from the companies they get the rest of their stock from. You just have to order it by the case.
So it pays to look around..

[petaltothemetal]

yes, that's it! Shoppers Food Warehouse... for frozen and fresh fruits and veggies when you can't get to a farmers market. If you go to Portland, you will find a community that embraces counterculture clothing, tattooing AND raw foods. You'll love it. Where I live in Oregon, the people who get tattoos wouldn't touch a green leafy veggie!

[fruitandveggies]

Debra! Good idea again! I should go over to my little healthfood store and see if they can do that for me. I would love having a big ol' bag of sunflower seeds in my kitchen...

Petal - I will try Shoppers! The one near me in Sterling has some unsavory characters, but I'll bring my pepper spray as I shop for produce..haha.
Yes, everyone I've told that we want to go to Portland says we'll LOVE it. I told my hubby about what you said about it and we both started getting depressed about how we're stuck in Nova for now. I've never been there, but I just know its the place for us!

[goobygirl]

If you want a good gardening book, get the new Square Food Gardening book (the newest edition). I read it yesterday and it looks like it is super easy to do. You don't plant in rows, but in 4x4 boxes that are filled with a special soil mixture. Weeding is very easy, planting easy, harvesting, easy. You could even pick up the wood for free to build the 4x4 gardening boxes at construction sites (ask first). Lots of photos and descriptions in the book. He has tips for extending the growing season and for basically planting and harvesting food in stages (who needs 40 rows of squash??). The author used to have a PBS show about the method and has taught people around the world. Check it out:

http://www.amazon.com/All-New-Square-Foot-Gardening/dp/1591862027/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222143361&sr=1-1