One of the top questions I’m asked, relates to the expense of eating Real Food. In a nutshell, inquiring minds want to know: “How does eating real food impact your budget?”
Of course, there’s no simple answer to this question, as there are many variables that need to be considered. My goal in this article, is to outline many different ways you can adopt a healthy real food lifestyle, while still keeping your budget in check.
And, at the end of this article, I’ve included a list of resources to help you further explore and implement some of the tips and suggestions listed below. In addition, I’ve provided a follow-up post “Buy Big, Save BIG,” which provides an example of how buying in bulk can truly help families save money.
1. Get a Handle on Your Current Food Budget
Before you can accurately determine how much making the switch to real food is going to impact your budget, you have to determine what you are currently spending each week/month on food? What about eating out? It’s critical to include what you spend on eating out with family and friends, daily/weekly lunches out with your office colleagues, and special treats, like trips to your favorite frozen yogurt place, Starbucks, etc. Most people are shocked when they discover how much they are spending each week/month in eating out and/or ordering take-out. It’s important to keep in mind that the more you stop eating out, the more you will improve your health, and the more you will free up your budget to purchase real food, that’s real nourishing!
2. Set Goals/Determine Priorities and PRAY!
I can’t stress how important this is! Once you get a handle on how much you’re currently spending on food, including eating out, it’s important to sit down with your spouse and discuss your goals/priorities together.
However, before we go any further, I want to be sure to address the importance of being a good steward. Followers of Christ are called to be faithful stewards – using all of our various resources for His glory. My time, money and talent are God-given gifts – so in reality nothing is mine, it is all His. So my first priority is nothing less than to give sacrificially of my time and money in serving God. Everything else has to come second!
So I encourage you to prayerfully consider how God wants you to use the resources He has provided to you and your family. Seeking the Lord in prayer should be the first step you take before you and your spouse set any goals or priorities of any kind. Ask Him for His will in this first, before moving forward in setting goals/priorities for improving your family’s diet.
And when you are ready to move forward … please don’t try to change everything at once, it will not only be overwhelming, but it will also be expensive. Taking time to prioritize, and make one change at a time, will help you to keep a close eye on your budget and also help you to not become overwhelmed.
Ready to get started on your real food journey? Here are some tips:
• List out your goals for healthy eating
• Talk to your spouse and pray about them together
• Prioritize – put your goals in order of priority
• Focus – select one of your top priority goals
• Make an action plan – list out the steps you will take to meet that goal, including setting a grocery budget and exploring options to keep your budget in check. (I cannot recommend enough my dear friend Tiffany’s “How to Create a Frugal Grocery Budget Series” – it’s a great way to help you to set a do-able food budget.)
• Just do it – start putting your action plan into action!
• Analyze your success – how’s it going with meeting your goal? What obstacles are you facing, what can you tweak or change to be more efficient and save money?
• Keep on moving – once you have successfully achieved a goal, initiate an action plan for your next goal, and keep on building from there. It’s slow, steady progress that results in long-term change!
3. Meal Planning Saves Money!
Whether you’re trying to reduce the frequency and expense of eating out, or you’re trying to save time and money on the meals you’re already making at home, it’s important to get savvy with meal planning. Mastering Meal Planning will not only help you to more efficiently get a healthy meal on the table, but it will also help to reduce the expense of eating at home. In addition, meal planning enables you to take advantage of other important money-saving strategies like repurposing leftovers and the time- and money-saving strategy of Cook Once, Eat Twice or More.
4. Beyond Organic: Get to Know The Clean 15
Most people know that eating organic is the ideal. Organic foods are free of harmful pesticides, herbicides and other toxic chemicals; they contain more nutrients; contribute to a healthier environment; and of course, they’re GMO free.
However, there’s also no doubt, organic produce is more expensive. We all know that you can’t put a price on good health, however, if you’re on a tight budget, it’s nice to know that there is a little wiggle room. It comes in the form of two great resources called: The Clean 15 and The Dirty Dozen.
The Clean 15 is a list of the top 15 non-organic produce items that are considered safe to purchase, whereas the Dirty Dozen are the top 12 foods that you definitely want to be sure to purchase as organic in order to avoid high levels of toxins. Knowing which non-organic produce is safe to purchase will help you save money without compromising your family’s health. The great news is, the Environmental Working Group provides a free downloadable pocket guide with all of the details.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The “Clean 15” shoppers guide is based on the highest and lowest pesticide levels on produce. However, it does NOT cover another important health issue – GMOs. For a free shoppers guide about how to avoid GMOs, please visit Non-GMO Shopping Guide. If you’re unfamiliar with GMOs and why you and your family should avoid them, or if you are interested in knowing the “secret” PLUs that reveal which produce is GMO, please check out What are GMOs & How to Avoid Them.
5. Convenience Verses Saving
Another great way to save money is to be aware of convenience versus saving. Those convenient premade/prepackaged foods that we’ve become completely dependent upon in modern society don’t come without a price. It’s not just the poor nutritional value that costs us, it’s also the price-per-serving that is oftentimes much more expensive than when we commit to making these same products ourselves using real food.
For example: Organic whole milk yogurt costs from $3-5 for a 32oz. container. A loaf of GF bread runs around $5-7. A box of “healthy” organic cookies runs about $4-5 per package. However, these items, homemade with healthy real food ingredients, will not only save you money, but are also substantially higher in beneficial nutrients and do not contain any unwanted added preservatives or fillers (“natural” or not).
Additionally, precut and packaged fruit and veggies are generally much more expensive than if you take the time to cut them yourself. For example, a container of precut pineapple at Trader Joe’s runs about $3.50. However, a more frugal option is to purchase a 3 lb. whole pineapple at the usual going rate of 99¢ a pound and slice it yourself, because for just $3.00 and five minutes of your time, you will get nearly double the amount of pineapple!
As a personal example, one of the first steps I took in eliminating packaged foods was to stop buying boxed cereals (which number one are not healthy, no matter what the label says and number two are expensive). When it comes to “cereal,” the grain lovers in my home eat homemade soaked granola and breakfast porridges, such as soaked oatmeal. (Personally, since I’m GF, I enjoy a delicious homemade grain-free “granola” blend made from various nuts, seeds and dried fruits.)
In addition, I make all of our healthy baked goods and sweet treats from scratch (i.e. cookies, muffins, cakes, biscuits, breads). I also make my own Kombucha, salad dressings and more – and WOW do I save big for my time invested in making these items. (Visit the Healthy Recipes section of this website for lots of homemade recipes.)
So, eating real food on a budget comes down to a barter system between time and money. It’s not always feasible to completely make everything from scratch. Believe me, I know! But, if you invest a little extra time by making many of the key staples in your diet, you will save money and even better, you and your family will also enjoy healthier foods. So if you really want to reduce your food budget, you need to take a look at your time, and determine how much time you have to save even more money by making more of your family’s food.
6. Buy Big, Save Big
Once you find a staple real food item that you like and plan to use frequently, be sure to buy it in the BIGGEST size you can afford and will use before its expiration. Larger-sized containers are almost always significantly less expensive per ounce, than their smaller counterparts.
Take honey for example: If I purchase the largest size (48oz) at the market, I will pay 26¢ less per ounce than if I purchase the 16oz size. So if I use 16oz of honey each week, that would equate to me saving more than $4.00 a week on honey alone.
Flour (whether whole grain or grain free) is another great example. I highly recommend buying your flour in bulk sizes and storing it in the freezer (up to 6 months) to maintain freshness. You can even divide the flour into smaller portions, if you’d like, so you can keep the majority in the freezer and have some on hand in your pantry for ease of use.
One of the best ways to save BIG, is to buy direct from the manufacturer in bulk. Even with the shipping, it’s oftentimes substantially less than grocery store/health food store prices. Especially if they run sales.
Even better is if you can join a co-op. There are many out there and I am blessed to be part of a co-op through Azure Standard. I’m completely thrilled, because many of the products are significantly less expensive than store prices, and with a co-op you don’t have to pay shipping! So now, instead of paying $8 per pound online for my blanched almond flour, I pay just $5.75 per pound through Azure Standard! That’s a savings of $2.25 per pound – what a blessing!
Another similar “buy big” concept is to buy more when it’s on sale! In other words, if there is an item that you use regularly and it goes on sale, buy as much of it as you know you’ll use before the expiration date. For example: I found my favorite brand of pure maple syrup on sale. Well, not only did I save money by buying the larger size container. I also saved money because the larger size was on sale. So I bought three of the jumbo-sized containers on sale and saved $3 each per container. I know that doesn’t seem like a lot ($9). But every dollar (or penny for that matter), adds up. And if you know you are going to use it, you might as well save as much as you can!
Be sure to check out my Buy Big, Save Big: Real Life Example article for a cost comparison of four common real food staples to help you discover how buying BIG results in significant cost savings!
7. Buy Local Produce
Next to organic, pasture-fed meats, fresh produce can be one of the top budget breakers. However, a great way to enjoy more fresh organic produce, while still saving money, is to buy local. I highly recommend that you take a trip to a local Farmers Market or Farm Stand and compare prices with your favorite whole foods market. You may be surprised to find some great deals!
Another money-saving option for many families is to join a CSA … It’s important to note that joining a CSA may require you to be a bit more flexible, as the boxes generally contain a set selection of seasonal produce and there may be limited ability to pick and choose what you’d prefer. So a CSA may not be the best option, if you have a family of picky eaters.
IMPORTANT NOTE: When purchasing organic produce at a farm stand or anywhere, be sure to look for the certified organic label (sticker) on the produce to ensure that what you are paying for is truly certified as organic.
8. Plant a Garden
Planting a garden and growing some of your favorite organic produce is definitely a budget-friendly option. And even if you don’t have a green thumb (or the real estate), consider starting with a simple herb container garden. I couldn’t believe it when I realized how much money I could save by something as simple as cultivating an herb container garden.
Let’s do the math … It costs about $2 for one small box of a fresh organic herb, like rosemary for example. By purchasing the boxed herb, you get 1-3 meals out of it, and then you have to buy another box. However, you can buy an organic rosemary plant at a local nursery for virtually the same price and enjoy free rosemary thereafter all year long! Saving just $2 a week for a year on just one variety of fresh herb equals $104. Now imagine if you grew all of your favorite fresh herbs! (That’s what I call saving money!)
And depending on how adventurous you are, you can take it even further depending upon your time and resources. This spring, my boys and I are planning to start a strawberry container garden to grow some fresh organic strawberries. It will be fun to learn how to grow strawberries and perhaps, depending on our yield, make some homemade strawberry ice cream together!
One final word of encouragement …
It’s important to not allow healthy eating or maintaining a budget to become an area of over-importance and stress in our lives. Eating healthy should not break the bank and it should not become an idol – something we pursue rather than whole-heartedly worshipping and trusting God. He knows what we need and has promised He will provide for us (Matthew 6:26) and He also reminds us that what we really need is to seek true nourishment only found in His Word and in sweet communion with Him (Matthew 4:4).
Helpful Resources
Online bulk flour and other staples:
• Azure Standard
• Bob’s Red Mill
• Honeyville Brand Blanched Almond Flour
Consider joining a co-op or starting one:
• Azure Standard
• Local Harvest Food Co-ops
Shop at a Local Farmers Market:
• Certified Farmers Markets in Orange County, CA
• Search for a Farmers Market Near You
CSAs/Organic Farm Stands in Orange County, CA:
• South Coast Farms
• Tanaka Farms
Additional Help for Creating a Real Food Budget:
• “How to Create a Frugal Grocery Budget Series” by budgeting guru friend Tiffany at Don’t Waste the Crumbs
• Real Food on a Real Budget (e-book) by Keeper of the Home
Lorissa says
Hi! Wow I am so happy I found this website. I’ve read through nourishing traditions but got so overwhelmed that I put it away. Your step by step understanding is giving me hope and a perfect starting place-with my goal being to start soaking my grains and adding more fermented foods etc.
I do have one (kinda personal) question- what is your typical monthly budget for the meals you have in your meal planning and how many people are you feeding? I take into mind you’re doing co-ops and bulk as well. I could really use some help in this area!
Kelly says
Hi, Lorissa! I’m so glad you found my site too and that its inspiring you to get started. It’s definitely all about taking slow, steady steps forward. In fact, it’s slow, steady progress that leads to lasting lifelong healthy changes. When it comes to setting a budget, this is going to be very different for each family, depending on access and costs in the area. Yes, I do belong to co-ops and also buy in bulk, which really helps. So I don’t like to share a dollar figure, because again costs are going to be so different based on where you live, what co-ops you can take part in etc.
The key is to figure out what you’re spending right now, including what you’re spending on eating out, and then formulate a budget that you’re family can comfortable live in. Then, once you set a budget, start slowly by making small changes and evaluate the impact on your budget. Then keep going from there.
One recommendation I cannot emphasize enough is the negative impact that eating out makes on both your budget and health. (Don’t get me wrong, there are some healthy restaurants out there, but they are not the norm and they’re still more expensive than making your own healthy meals.) By eliminating eating out (as much as possible), you’ll be surprised at how much money you can free-up to invest in healthier real foods that can be used to make delicious meals at home.
Also, as you mentioned, by buying the items that you use regularly in bulk, you’ll also save money over the long run. Another tip is, we don’t eat meat as a main dish, meaning, we don’t have a big slab of meat. We eat small palm-sized or less portions of meat and instead load up on healthy sides. Not only is this healthier because we’re getting in more veggies, fruits and healthy carbs, but we’re also reducing our food cost because meat is so expensive, especially pastured meats.
So I hope this helps a bit to give you some ideas for how to wrangle in your food budget. It’s all about doing what you can, without making healthy eating an idol in your life, or a major source of worry or stress. As with everything in life, if we seek first God, He will provide for our needs.
Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
Alaina says
Hi Kelly ; I am so glad I found your blog. You have some great ideas!!
I have a couple questions:)
1 I noticed on your facebook page you are in southern ca; I have been looking into ordering from azure standard but have not found a group that is open to new people. I am in the la Habra/brea area ; is your pick up near me? And are they open to new people? Also; does your family drink raw milk? And how do you deal with the prices in your area? It seams crazy to me to pay close to 20$ a gallon on milk. I was doing it for a while but I don’t feel like I am being a good Stuart with the money God has provided us. Thought? Thank you! 🙂
Kelly says
Hi, Alaina. Thanks for your kind words. I’ll send you an email about the co-op! Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Maleah Clark says
I am fortunate to live near the Bob’s Red Mill factory store. I go every 1-2 months and pick up my flour and other staples. We love their thick rolled oats and recently committed to A 25 lb bag to cook for breakfast each morning.
Kelly says
That’s great, Maleah! We’re a big fan of oatmeal as well, hope you’ll check out a few of my soaked oatmeal recipes. Thanks for taking the time to leave a note. Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Rainy says
Love all the fantastic resources you have available for traditional foodies! However, I must get on my soap box about one thing you mentioned here,
“IMPORTANT NOTE: When purchasing organic produce at a farm stand or anywhere, be sure to look for the certified organic label (sticker) on the produce to ensure that what you are paying for is truly certified as organic.”
Being from a farming community, there are LOTS of local farms – and some of them are tiny… I mean, it’s more like a jumbo garden that they are able to sell extras from… and the little guys are the ones I want to support, because they do less environmental damage than the guys growing 2 acres of “local” lettuce. That said, the guy growing 2 acres of “local” lettuce has contracts with grocery stores and all sorts of markets to sell his/her produce. The little guy has to rely on Jane and John Consumer to purchase at the market every week. The big guy has money up front to pay the COSTLY USDA fee for certified organic produce, the little guy might not make a profit greater than the cost of the fee for USDA certified organic produce in a year.
Instead of looking for the sticker, PLEASE TALK TO YOUR FARMERS!!! They can tell you what they do and don’t put on their produce, in their cows, in the feed bins, or on the fields. A local dairy is not certified organic because they choose to treat their cows for mastitis (and keep them out of the milking herd until the anitbiotics have cleared the milk) instead of selling the cow to a CAFO; because they have given a cow antibiotics for an existing infection, they can not be called organic. If I hadn’t chatted with the farmers about their practices, I wouldn’t have known – because they don’t have the bureaucratic sticker on their bottle.
OK, off my soap box. 🙂 Really, just one little point to make. Keep up the lovely site!
Kelly says
Hi, Rainy! Appreciate your comments – they are well taken. Unfortunately some of those who claim to be selling organic produce have not been on the up-n-up, but just because there are some dishonest folks out there, doesn’t mean we should’t give our honest local small farms a chance and reward them for their environmental responsibility. So I totally agree, that the best bet is to know your farmers. It’s also a great idea (if you can) to go out and visit the actual local farms your purchasing from as well. Everyone has to do the best they can in making smart choices. I couldn’t agree more that we need to support local farmers who are doing it right. You are right-on that unfortunately our government subsidizes GMO crops, yet makes it costly and ridiculously labor intensive for small farmers who produce organics to label them as such. I truly appreciate your kind and thoughtful comments. Lots of blessings to you! 🙂 Kelly
steve says
Hi blessed friend in our Lord and Savior
I am so thankful for mom’s like you who talk about healthy nutrition and the benefits of this lifestyle. Putting our Lord and Savior first in our lives is not only important, it is bibical. I recently went through some health issues, and one being a detach retina. When this happen, which by the way was something that I was totally aware of, but being a man I ingored, until it was impossible to ingnore any more. Long story short, l went to eye doc’s and they set me up with a top eye surgen, whom operated and put it back together. One thing that got me through all this is my prayers and faith in the our Lord and Savior, it was by his present, in my surgery guiding the hand of the doc’s that pulled me through. Also l had to write down what i was taking, and when i did that the doc’s were quite surprised with my vitamin and food regime. The food that fuels our bodies to keep it healthy, should all be our goal. Unfortunately most are not educated enough to know what’s what, that’s where a web site like yours comes into play. May God’s bessing be apon you and your family, this will be one more thing to add to my prayer list. Happy thanksgiving, l being Canadian have already celibrated our Thanksgiving in Early October.
Gods Bless
Steve
Kelly says
First, I want to say thank you so much! It really blessed me beyond words to read your kind note above. I appreciate you offering me encouragement and your prayers. I know the Lord sent you with your kind heart of encouragement just at the right moment! So thanks for taking the time to write this! We all need Barnabas’s in our lives (Acts 11:22-24)! So thank you! And second, please know that I will be praying for you, that the Lord will continue to heal your vision and bless you in your walk with Him. Thank you again for your kind encouragement! Lots of blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
Wendy says
Um, maybe you want to correct your spelling: it’s versus not verses. Verses are words that rhyme. Like your pantry but I’m not sure praying about food budgets is up my alley! 😉
Kelly says
LOL! Thanks so much, Wendy! I appreciate your eagle eyes! As far as praying goes, it’s always good to pray about decisions your making on how best to use your resources to bring glory to God. That is the concept I’m trying to share – simply to take our concerns and plans before God so He can direct our path. Thank you for taking the time to point out the typo. Blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
Bert says
Hi Kelly,
I feel blessed to have found your site. My highest motivation is to learn to eat according to God’s principles, and it can be confusing to try and follow what’s true biblically in some areas (ie whether the Bible instructs to soak or sprout nuts, etc). Like you’ve said, it’s a gradual process in terms of taking the whole picture. We need to trust God to personally guide us on this.
Kelly says
I am so happy the Lord led you here, Bert, to be encouraged. Yes, it’s most important to take our health concerns to the Lord and ask Him to guide us. He is our creator and knows what is best for each of us. My heart here is to encourage people to seek the Lord and focus on eating what He’s provided. I’m glad that message resonates with you as well. Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind note. Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Teresa says
Great site! Thank you so much. I was wondering do you use fresh flaked oatmeal groats? Is that why you soak them? I want to make a granola with fresh flaked oatmeal but i’m not sure how to get it more tender and soft. Thanks!
Kelly says
Thank you, Terersa. I’m assuming by flaked oats, you’re speaking of rolled oats? Either way, yes, you would soak them, as well as oat groats or any grain. I no longer consume grains as I am following a grain-free diet now. But you can learn more about soaking here: http://thenourishinghome.com/2012/03/how-to-soak-grains-for-optimal-nutrition/ Blessings, Kelly