How to be healthy RAW on a shoestring budget?

[Orange]

Hi,

I thought this could be a thread for tips, grocery lists, menus of how to go raw if one were on food stamps and lived in an apartment.

I am neither, but I wondered how one could do it. If the economy smashed you and/or your family onto welfare and food stamps, how would you go about raw? What would you buy? Oh, also figure you have no juicer, blender dehydrator.

I live in Sarasota Florida, and this is my first post. I have dabbled raw before maybe 6 years ago. But have been full-on for a week. I didn't want to post in the intro thread. I would love to see compiled a short free e-book about how to go RAW on welfare, not saying I'm for sure doing it, but I'd like to compile the information and have it out there ya know?

Anywho, I'm glad to be on board : )

In Kindness,
Orange

[VeganMainstream]

Hm... interesting thread. I would focus a lot on sprouting. Seeds are fairly cheap. Join a food co-op. I think simple foods (fruits/vegetables) compared to Lara bars, ect. are already not as expensive as a lot of processed junk. Here is a list of fruits/vegetables that are not extremely expensive:

- Bananas
- Greens
- Cucumbers
- Apples
- Oranges
- Raisins
- Seeds
- Sprouts

[Rawhoney]

Raw sunflower seeds (Trader Joe's) $1.99 nice sized package
Kimchi (Korean market is the cheapest/Costco--they take EBT)
Lettuce
Carrots
Pears
Fruit in its Season
Celery
Raw Oatmeal
Beets

Good luck Orange with your shopping. I too am on a shoe string budget, but I get through nevertheless. Don't give up.

[sport]

Lots of sprouts and lots of bananas. Get to know the produce manager in your local stores and get the fruit that they may be discarding but is still edible.
I got an entire box of bananas once because the frost had got them and the skins were black. I peeled them and put them in the freezer and had lots of free ice cream.

[Mitja]

You might want to check this out: RAW ON $10 A DAY (OR LESS!) (http://www.rawon10.blogspot.com/).

[katchmoleen]

Interesting blog. Though I spend a lot less than $10/day for raw for 2 people who are all raw and 5 people who eat a LOT of raw. I feed my family of 7 for $150/week (sometimes more). Buying bulk from Azure Standard helps a lot. I do not buy organic produce (unless I can find it for the same price as regular) so that makes a difference. We are growing a big garden this summer. I want to get into sprouting but haven't found the organization yet.

[Raw Angel Mom]

I found an interesting recipe for green smoothie from rawfamily.com

1 bounch of dandelion (free, you pick in nature)
4 roma tomato ( i just use cherry tomato)
3 cup of water


Blend and enjoy

p.s Look for recipes that use edible wild plant. The rule of tump, you can pick up dandelion when you know they are free from pesticide about 50 meters radius. In my town, we aren't alow anymore to use pesticide so i just pick dandelion from my backyard.

[Orange]

Wow katchmoleen, if you are doing raw for yourself on only a few dollars a day could you give what a typical days menu is?

It seems so easy to do RAW more and more expensive.

But how do get all your nutrition/calories from the least amount of money would sure help the majority of people who can only spend a few dollars.

There really isn't information out there on what exactly to eat.

10 dollar site was interesting for sure, yet 70 a week for one person to eat is cost prohibitive. There is a reason burgers are a buck, it is affordable. (Yes I know meat and dairy and I think grain is government subsidized) but until that is changed, if you have little money why go raw if you can't go raw?

We would be doing a real benefit were we to "figure it out" and have the information. And katchmoleen, you seem to have done it nicely. Please share.

In Kindness,
Orange

[katchmoleen]

Well, I don't do organic produce. From the prices in that blog, I'm pretty sure she does. So that doubles everything right there. I try to buy what is on sale, almost always. I try never to pay more than a dollar a pound for produce. I will go from store to store getting whatever is on sale. I buy my nuts and seeds in bulk for the cheapest price. I do often get organic for that because I can buy organic bulk for less than non-organic non-bulk. So right now I have a huge bag of organic coconut in my freezer. It will last me a loooooooooong time. I buy coconut oil in a 5 gallon bucket from Mountain Rose Herbs. I buy from the Azure Standard Co-op truck (www.azurestandard.com)

[papaya-berry]

Great thread. I will be reading this to get advice. Thanks!