Eating Organic and Plant-Based on a Budget That Don't Break the Bank

The first thought that may arise when wanting to transition to an organic, healthy lifestyle can be, how expensive will this be?

Wanting not to spend more just to eat better is a fair cause, and here are a few tips that can help save coins while still eating a fresh, nutritious meal every day.

One of the beginning steps to take is to go through the inventory of your fridge and cabinets, noting what you have and what you use to cook your meals daily. Sort through the dry goods, canned goods, produce, frozen foods, etc. that you purchase on a regular basis. Take note of how often you get these things and how quickly they run out. Making a list of these things will serve its purpose later when you are at the grocery store, ready to buy organic.

Next, make a list of the meals that you regularly eat + 1 meal that you would like to make for the week that's different from the rest. Add on that same list, the ingredients or snack foods that you eat, too. The reason for these lists is to map out what you are eating, what you don't usually eat, and how many of these items you'll need each time you go grocery shopping.

The next step will take a bit of time, going to various grocery stores to find out if 'the Price is Right'. Look online for weekly ads, grocery store sales and plan accordingly. Going to more than 1 grocery store is most likely going to be the way you plan out shopping, as different stores have different prices. Checking online beforehand saves you time (and of course, money).

Get Better at Storing Produce

The way we store our produce dictates how long they'll live while in the fridge or cabinet. Root vegetables need to be sealed with water to keep them, other plants, especially herbs, need to sit in a small amount of water. Strawberries need an ice bath before storing them in the fridge, and greens last longer with no moisture on them. Knowing how to store your produce and doing it - will add days to your produce, giving you more time to prep. when the time comes.

As we learn more about the hazards of plastic, glass or stainless steel covers helps keep food fresh and does not push off any harmful residues. Plastic is seriously hazardous to the health of your body, and the effects are sped up is the plastic is heated up while the food is inside. BPA - Bisphenol-A - is a known chemical agent that resides in plastic (unless otherwise stated on the labeling) and it's even been studied so much that scientists theorize that it resides in all of our bodies. With this knowledge, equipping ourselves with the best products to store our foods is VITAL in reclaiming the health of our body, mind, and soul.

Weekly Meal Prep

Meal prepping saved me and my child from many a night. Planning one or two days out of the week that you can cook your week's meals can help save you money and resist the urge to spend money at a restaurant. Set aside a day that you know will be the least busy for you, making sure that you have gone out grocery shopping for the ingredients you will need to make these meals.

Set out everything that you will need, from pots and pans to the seasonings that you will use.

Prepping has been proven to aid with weight loss, craving control, and spending money. Why? Because we actually are placed under stress when we have to figure out what to eat on short notice. Taking that element out of your day, or even week saves you from having a stressful moment and making a bad decision. We see you french fries.

Growing Food From Home

For the person with the tightest hold on their budget, branching into indoor gardening can help save money even further.

Herbs, leafy greens, onions, and vegetables can all be grown indoors. The right space will first have to be cultivated before you can see blooming produce, though.

My blog post, Cultivating Your Home for Indoor Gardening helps explain this!

Growing food eases any worry that may come up when thinking about the not-always-ethical business that is the food industry, giving you peace of mind knowing that the foods you consume were grown homemade.

Indoor gardening is also a good way to reconnect with Mother Earth, serving as just one of the ways we can give back to her.

So when we think about organic eating, consider some of these when you want to eat organic on a budget!

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Cited Sources:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/is-plastic-a-threat-to-your-health#:~:text=Studies%20have%20found%20that%20certain,including%20obesity)%20and%20reduced%20fertility.