$ Eating Clean on a Budget $

Changing your eating lifestyle can be overwhelming, especially when looking at the cost of organic foods. But the truth is eating healthy can actually reduce your costs! By filling your body with nutrient dense, lean foods, you can reduce your health care costs, your Starbucks runs, and other junk food costs that may be "eating" your dollars. So here are some ways to save when shopping for organic, fresh, unprocessed foods.

1. Buy in Bulk: buying staples such as almond flour, coconut flour, coconut oil, oats. Know your essentials, the things that you find yourself using over and over. I purchase many of these things from Amazon.com. If you are a subscriber to Prime, shipping is free! Also online grocery shopping offers great deals as well. Thrive Market offers a huge selection of healthy grocery options. Plus you can search for coupons to receive a percentage off your orders!

2. Frozen Veggies: I love the look of all the fruits and veggies as we walk into Whole Foods, I just want to buy and eat them all! But did you know that purchasing frozen veggies is a great option as well. Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked at their peak season ripeness, and then frozen immediately. Freezing them preserves their freshness. Plus there are so many options for purchasing organic! 

3. Use in Season Fruits and Vegetables: Summer is a great time to find amazing fruits and vegetables. In season fruits and vegetables are in abundance so the prices drop when they are being harvested. Staff in the produce department can help you determine which fruits and vegetables are in season. 

4. Know When to Skip Organic: Ever heard of the dirty dozen? These are the fruits and vegetables that are a must for buying organic. However the rest don't necessarily need to be purchased organic if you are pinching pennies. Here is a list: 

12 Most Contaminated
Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes (Imported)
SpinachLettuce
Potatoes
12 Least Contaminated
Onions
Avocado
Sweet Corn (Frozen)
Pineapples
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas (Frozen)
Kiwi Fruit
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Papaya

5. Determine Your Costs: I often calculate what a meal costs me. The other day I purchased 2 bunches of organic kale for $3. I added them to soup consisting of chicken sausage, canned organic tomatoes, can of navy beans, and chicken broth. The dinner totaled $10 to feed 4 people. Kale contains 26 vitamins and minerals and cost me $1.50 per bunch. Now compare that to a candy bar. $1.50 for no vitamins and minerals, a huge amount of sugar, and no nutritional value. Plus I was able to feed my family of 4! 

It is possible to make the transition to clean eating on a budget. Use the 5 tips to help you get started!