MrsJim
03-30-2004, 04:32 PM
Ahhh...spring is here, which means that the produce section has a fresh new appeal! Strawberries, fresh young greens and other yummy stuff is in abundance.
But...how often do you hear this:
"It's too expensive to eat healthy" or
"Fast Food is SOOO much cheaper than fruits and vegetables".
Many of us here at 3FC are on tight budgets, especially those of us with hungry young mouths to feed :) so I figured this would be a good time to offer some thoughts, based on what we have here in the Bay Area. (Yes, I realize that here in California we are blessed with a plethora of healthy whole natural foods...)
What I enjoy doing when I have time is going to my local farmer's market. Here in my neck of the woods, we have the California Federation of Certified Farmer's Markets which has an online listing of markets in my area.
http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/
I feel good about supporting local farmers, the cost is generally the same or LOWER than the supermarkets (last summer I got 8 ears of sweet white corn, picked just that morning, for $1.00!) and they're ORGANIC for the most part. It's also a nice outing - a cool morning with my little market bag, going around and enjoying the sounds, aromas and tastes of a farmer's market is quite invigorating and relaxing all at once. The advantage of a Farmer’s Market is that you can select exactly what you want, out of the locally-grown, in-season produce, and because you are buying directly from the farmer, you can ask questions about how the food is grown!
Okay - if you want to get even MORE hands-on - why not grow your own? What? You say you *want* to but you live in a dinky apartment with no yard...hmmm. Have you checked with your town or city to see if there is a community garden in your area? You might be pleasantly surprised - around here, many city park & rec departments have set aside space for these community gardens. Cities in my area with these gardens include San Carlos, San Mateo, Palo Alto, San Jose and Berkeley. If your town doesn't have a community garden program set up, then it's time to step up to the plate and ask. As my dad (an old N. Carolina farm boy) would say, there's nothing like digging in the earth and growing your own food...and getting your kids involved - when I was growing up, my sisters and I helped plant the vegetable garden in our backyard every year and would watch with excitement as the little plants sprouted and grew. Vegetables that we normally wouldn't eat became totally edible once we 'grew them ourselves'. I well remember pulling radishes out of the ground, washing them off with the garden hose, and eating them right there - because *I* planted them and took care of them myself. :)
Community Sponsored Agriculture - dunno if you've ever heard of this, but the concept is positively growing in our area! Here's how it works: You become a member of a CSA organization. For a nominal cost (usually $12-14 a week) each week you go to your selected pickup point and get a weekly order of seasonal organic produce (enough to feed 2-4 people). A wonderful concept since you are supporting LOCAL farmers and the vegetables are positively fresh...here are some Bay Area links to give you a general idea.
http://www.fullbellyfarm.com/index.html
http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/
Okay...then there's 'the rest of us' who shop at our local Safeway or Albertson's. The key words to saving money are "Buy in bulk" and "buy in season". Generally, veggies and fruits IN SEASON are MUCH less expensive than buying, say, peaches in December.
For example - here's this week's Produce Specials at Safeway:
Emerald Globe Zucchini Squash - 99 cents/lb.
Cameo Apples - .99/lb
4 pound bag navel oranges - 2 bags for $5 (or 62 cents a pound!)
Texas Ruby Grapefruit - 2 for $1.00
Asparagus - 2 lbs for $5.00
2 lb bag 'baby' carrots - $2.50
D'Anjou Pears - .99/lb
And I bet if you go to the store there's a lot of other sales on produce.
What about frozen or canned veggies and fruits? Well, frozen is great - I buy frozen veggies all the time, especially when they're on sale. Just stay away from the ones that have sauces and such in them - those are calories you DON'T need. Canned veggies - except for tomatoes - is a whole 'nother thing altogether. Most of the nutrients have been 'cooked' out of them, and they generally tend to taste awful anyway, so I stay away from them. Not to mention that they're LOADED with salt!
This was also inspired by a recent Dr. Phil "Weight Loss Challenge" rerun where a guest claimed that it was too expensive to eat healthy. Dr. Phil's nutritionist, J.J. Virgin, accompanied the person to her local grocery and gave her some tips on how to eat healthy. :)
Simple Strategies for Supermarket Success
By JJ Virgin, CNS, CHFI
You may feel that eating healthy is more expensive, but it can be done economically with careful planning and preparation. It is far cheaper in the long run to make the effort now and to take care of your health, rather than having to pay more medical bills and miss time from work and fun later.
Bring a list and stick to it! Make a menu plan for the week and consult the store ads and coupon offers to see what is on sale that week so you can incorporate it into your plan.
Don't make the grocery store a restaurant — avoid this by never going shopping while hungry.
Navigate the outer aisles of the store first and avoid the aisles that aren't on your list.
Never, ever, eat in the store or the car!
Beware of the "sample ladies" — just say no!
Skip the specials. It's not a deal if it's not on the list. Conversely, stock up on staples like chicken breast that can be frozen or stored in the pantry and won't tempt you to overindulge.
Buy real food and the least prepared foods to save money. Processed and packaged foods are much higher in cost and frequently lower in nutritional value than those that you prepare yourself. Buy bulk sizes of items that you use often and that have a longer shelf life. Here are some examples of ways you can save money:
Buy whole broccoli stalks rather than pre-cut broccoli florets to save money and to preserve vitamin content.
Marinate chicken breasts with your own healthy homemade marinades rather than buying pre-packed marinated chicken, which is more expensive and usually has added salt and sugar.
Make your own healthy salad dressings with your favorite herbs, vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. Steer clear of store bought dressings, which often contain added salt, sugar and damaged fats.
Buy fresh vegetables or plain frozen vegetables rather than the vegetable medleys with sauces.
Buy brown rice, whole grains and legumes in bulk bins or large sizes and store in sealed baggies.
Buy the 36-count eggs.
Hope this helps out - I don't want you guys to miss out on those fresh veggies and fruits that are coming our way!
(BTW...you 3FCers in other parts of the country - anyone out there do the community garden thing? Farmers Market? Pick Your Own? Let's hear from you!)
But...how often do you hear this:
"It's too expensive to eat healthy" or
"Fast Food is SOOO much cheaper than fruits and vegetables".
Many of us here at 3FC are on tight budgets, especially those of us with hungry young mouths to feed :) so I figured this would be a good time to offer some thoughts, based on what we have here in the Bay Area. (Yes, I realize that here in California we are blessed with a plethora of healthy whole natural foods...)
What I enjoy doing when I have time is going to my local farmer's market. Here in my neck of the woods, we have the California Federation of Certified Farmer's Markets which has an online listing of markets in my area.
http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/
I feel good about supporting local farmers, the cost is generally the same or LOWER than the supermarkets (last summer I got 8 ears of sweet white corn, picked just that morning, for $1.00!) and they're ORGANIC for the most part. It's also a nice outing - a cool morning with my little market bag, going around and enjoying the sounds, aromas and tastes of a farmer's market is quite invigorating and relaxing all at once. The advantage of a Farmer’s Market is that you can select exactly what you want, out of the locally-grown, in-season produce, and because you are buying directly from the farmer, you can ask questions about how the food is grown!
Okay - if you want to get even MORE hands-on - why not grow your own? What? You say you *want* to but you live in a dinky apartment with no yard...hmmm. Have you checked with your town or city to see if there is a community garden in your area? You might be pleasantly surprised - around here, many city park & rec departments have set aside space for these community gardens. Cities in my area with these gardens include San Carlos, San Mateo, Palo Alto, San Jose and Berkeley. If your town doesn't have a community garden program set up, then it's time to step up to the plate and ask. As my dad (an old N. Carolina farm boy) would say, there's nothing like digging in the earth and growing your own food...and getting your kids involved - when I was growing up, my sisters and I helped plant the vegetable garden in our backyard every year and would watch with excitement as the little plants sprouted and grew. Vegetables that we normally wouldn't eat became totally edible once we 'grew them ourselves'. I well remember pulling radishes out of the ground, washing them off with the garden hose, and eating them right there - because *I* planted them and took care of them myself. :)
Community Sponsored Agriculture - dunno if you've ever heard of this, but the concept is positively growing in our area! Here's how it works: You become a member of a CSA organization. For a nominal cost (usually $12-14 a week) each week you go to your selected pickup point and get a weekly order of seasonal organic produce (enough to feed 2-4 people). A wonderful concept since you are supporting LOCAL farmers and the vegetables are positively fresh...here are some Bay Area links to give you a general idea.
http://www.fullbellyfarm.com/index.html
http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/
Okay...then there's 'the rest of us' who shop at our local Safeway or Albertson's. The key words to saving money are "Buy in bulk" and "buy in season". Generally, veggies and fruits IN SEASON are MUCH less expensive than buying, say, peaches in December.
For example - here's this week's Produce Specials at Safeway:
Emerald Globe Zucchini Squash - 99 cents/lb.
Cameo Apples - .99/lb
4 pound bag navel oranges - 2 bags for $5 (or 62 cents a pound!)
Texas Ruby Grapefruit - 2 for $1.00
Asparagus - 2 lbs for $5.00
2 lb bag 'baby' carrots - $2.50
D'Anjou Pears - .99/lb
And I bet if you go to the store there's a lot of other sales on produce.
What about frozen or canned veggies and fruits? Well, frozen is great - I buy frozen veggies all the time, especially when they're on sale. Just stay away from the ones that have sauces and such in them - those are calories you DON'T need. Canned veggies - except for tomatoes - is a whole 'nother thing altogether. Most of the nutrients have been 'cooked' out of them, and they generally tend to taste awful anyway, so I stay away from them. Not to mention that they're LOADED with salt!
This was also inspired by a recent Dr. Phil "Weight Loss Challenge" rerun where a guest claimed that it was too expensive to eat healthy. Dr. Phil's nutritionist, J.J. Virgin, accompanied the person to her local grocery and gave her some tips on how to eat healthy. :)
Simple Strategies for Supermarket Success
By JJ Virgin, CNS, CHFI
You may feel that eating healthy is more expensive, but it can be done economically with careful planning and preparation. It is far cheaper in the long run to make the effort now and to take care of your health, rather than having to pay more medical bills and miss time from work and fun later.
Bring a list and stick to it! Make a menu plan for the week and consult the store ads and coupon offers to see what is on sale that week so you can incorporate it into your plan.
Don't make the grocery store a restaurant — avoid this by never going shopping while hungry.
Navigate the outer aisles of the store first and avoid the aisles that aren't on your list.
Never, ever, eat in the store or the car!
Beware of the "sample ladies" — just say no!
Skip the specials. It's not a deal if it's not on the list. Conversely, stock up on staples like chicken breast that can be frozen or stored in the pantry and won't tempt you to overindulge.
Buy real food and the least prepared foods to save money. Processed and packaged foods are much higher in cost and frequently lower in nutritional value than those that you prepare yourself. Buy bulk sizes of items that you use often and that have a longer shelf life. Here are some examples of ways you can save money:
Buy whole broccoli stalks rather than pre-cut broccoli florets to save money and to preserve vitamin content.
Marinate chicken breasts with your own healthy homemade marinades rather than buying pre-packed marinated chicken, which is more expensive and usually has added salt and sugar.
Make your own healthy salad dressings with your favorite herbs, vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. Steer clear of store bought dressings, which often contain added salt, sugar and damaged fats.
Buy fresh vegetables or plain frozen vegetables rather than the vegetable medleys with sauces.
Buy brown rice, whole grains and legumes in bulk bins or large sizes and store in sealed baggies.
Buy the 36-count eggs.
Hope this helps out - I don't want you guys to miss out on those fresh veggies and fruits that are coming our way!
(BTW...you 3FCers in other parts of the country - anyone out there do the community garden thing? Farmers Market? Pick Your Own? Let's hear from you!)