Day Twenty-Three

Paleo on a budget? Never fear, it can be done and is being done by people just like you every day.  Read on for some great tips and strategies.  

Excerpt from Whole9's Paleo Poor Guide to the Grocery Store

We’ve heard it a million times – how can I afford to eat like this?  (“Like this” meaning “Whole30” or a general Paleo diet.)   We can’t argue the fact that it’s cheaper to eat a McDonald’s value meal than to craft your own healthy healthy dish by hand… but then again, diabetes medication is pretty expensive too.  We’re not here to argue for all of the reasons you should eat better.  If you’re reading our site, you already know that, and are trying to do something about it.  We’re also not going to get on one of our favorite soapboxes, called, “You just spent $5 on a latte, and that’s not even food.”   Ultimately, it all comes down to making healthy eating a top financial priority, but there are plenty of ways you can make your current food budget work a little harder.

Whole9′s Guide to the Gro-Sto

For those of you who are on a budget (all of us), and trying to eat better (all of you reading), let’s talk about some really specific strategies for making your healthy eating dollar stretch just a bit further.  No, we’re not just going to say, “Buy on sale, buy in bulk!”  We’re about to walk you through our specific grocery store strategy – what we do, step by step, every time we hit the Whole Foods, Liberty Heights market or our local downtown Farmer’s Market. Because while we make food our top financial priority, right behind rent and electricity… we aren’t made of money either, and need to make our Paleo pennies work as hard as possible.  One caveat, however.  If you are truly committed to eating as healthy as possible, you may have to sacrifice some of your selfish food desires. I maywant grapes in March, but at $8 a pound (and coming all the way from Chile), I just can’t afford them.  The same goes for any of your food choices – we’re going to encourage you to buy for quality first and foremost, even if you have to compromise on taste and preference.

Keep reading the rest of the article here.   Log your points and keep up the great work!