Day 9!

Paleo on a Budget

Eating healthy does not have to break the bank.  Many of you have been asking how to eat paleo on a budget.  We discussed how to navigate the grocery store previously.  If you pair that with a little planning and some helpful websites you will find that eating paleo is very do-able and very worth it.

Where to buy:
Eating paleo does not mean that you have to buy everything at Whole Foods.  Costco, Trader Joes & of course the farmers market are all great sources for clean meat and vegetables.  Here are some of my favorite sources for my go-to ingredients:

• Costco: The membership cost is well worth it.  You can find organic chicken breasts and thighs, wild caught fish, broccoli, spring mix etc.  I find I can get a great deal of my shopping list completed at Costco.  The one main exception is red meat.  My local Costco does not carry any grass-fed meat. (If your local Costco does post to comments I would love to find one that does).  
• Trader Joes:  TJ's does carry grass fed meat as well as organic chicken and free range eggs.  The produce tends to leave something to be desired.  What are your favorite go-to items at TJ's? Paleo on a budget provides a weekly list of current TJ's deals that comes in very handy.  
• The Milk Pail:  (located in Mtn. View)  The Milk Pail is a small european style market located in Mtn. View.  They offer grass fed beef and organic chicken.  Unfortunately the organic vegetable section leaves much to be desired.  Post to comments and let us know if there is a local market in your part of town that you like to frequent.
• Farmers Markets: Your local famers markets offer fresh, local protein as well as local, sustainable fruits and vegetables.  The California Farmers Market Association has a user friendly website that can help you find the farmers market closest to you.  

What to buy:

• Meat, Fish & Eggs 
• Vegetables & Fruit
• Fat

Easy as that. Well, almost.  Whole9 has an awesome step by step guide to the grocery store and what to buy when you get there.  Paleo on a budget provides a handy weekly meal plans that cater to what's on sale.  Robb Wolf just came out with a whole book on how to eat paleo on the cheap.

Pick your battles and figure out what has to be organic.  There are some fruits and vegetables that are considered especially toxic if not purchased organic.  These are known as the "Dirty Dozen" (see below).  In terms of fruits and vegetables there are some that are considered "safe".  These are known as the "Clean 15".  You can print out your own copy here.

Have any great tips that you want to share? Post them to comments.  Enjoy!