Gloss How-To: Afford Healthy Food

Can you afford to eat really healthy food? The question should actually be: Can you afford to NOT eat healthy food? Last weekend, I found myself with my daughter Lola in a very low-income area of LA. It was getting late and I needed some arugula and Mozzarella cheese for a homemade pizza I’d promised to make Lola that night.

After cruising past endless strip malls and convenience stores, I spotted a Vons/Safeway and we ran in. Unlike the same store in my neighborhood, there was no arugula in sight – in fact I was hard pushed to find any kind of green salad leaf that looked fresh. All the produce looked old/tired and the selection was extremely limited. If I’d asked for organic produce – I clearly would have been laughed out of the store.

We legged it to the dairy counter to grab some mozzarella. By this time I was pretty sure that Buffalo mozzarella would be out of the question and so I was ready to settle for one of those plastic-like blocks (which really shouldn’t even be called mozzarella,) but they didn’t even have that. The closest was a packet of pre-sliced thick, white plastic slabs and the label read “Mozzarella Style Cheese” hmmm style cheese – does that mean slices of plastic that have been styled after the real thing? We left empty-handed.

As we drove home, I got me thinking about how unfair it is that healthy, never mind organic food, is out of reach for so many folks in this country, and yet healthy eating is the first step in preventative health care. Every time I fork out extra hard-earned dollars for fresh, whole and preferably organic food, I just know that I’m filling my family’s heath bank account. More so than expensive supplements, whole foods can really go some way to preventing many diseases. The produce sections of mega health stores like Whole Foods, are like a God-given pharmacy.

Yes, Whole Foods is for very good reason also known as “Whole Paycheck,” so how can regular folks afford to eat healthy? Here are some tips that may help.

1. Prioritize: Over the past few years, I have met a number of families who were forced to get healthy. Often prompted by one family member getting sick, the main decision-maker decided to make a radical change and go for only organic and super-healthy food. One mom told me that they made it affordable by changing their priorities: they got a cheaper cable package, canceled a gym membership that she never used, shopped thrift stores for many of their clothes, and stopped eating out, and only stopped at Starbucks for a treat. She said the money they saved made the extra dollars for food available. Sometimes I have to ask myself if a pair of expensive boots or organic whole foods is more important!!!!

2. Less Meat: Cutting back on meat is just about the most positive step you can take in 2011. It will cut your grocery bills by at least a third, help your family to lose weight if they need to, and will just be healthier all the way around. I only buy food that hasn’t come from a factory farm, so it’s way more expensive. This prohibits our family from eating meat very often, so we have it on special occasions or if someone who likes meat is coming for dinner.

3. Less Waste: Americans throw 25% of their food away. Its a horrifying to realize this, but it’s a fact. The key to not wasting food is to plan your meals. Make a list at the beginning of the week for each of your planned meals and stick to it. I always get in trouble if I deviate from the list – I might spot something I’ve always wanted to try or I’ll grab another bag of spinach, thinking I’ll probably use it. The first thing that needs to be thrown out is generally veggies, so if you buy organic, be strict with yourself. The second is dairy – again only get what you know you’ll eat that week. If you buy sliced bread and aren’t sure if you’ll get through all those loaves, freeze half of it.

4. Only buy the items that need to be organic: Not all produce needs to be organic. For example, things like broccoli, bananas, avocados etc don’t have too many pesticides on them, whereas, potatoes, spinach, bell peppers etc do.

5. Beans & Legumes: One of the most budget-friendly and healthy staples that I recommend adding to your diet are beans and legumes. If you buy dried beans from bulk bins and soak them overnight, they are especially reasonable. Canned beans are easier, but be aware that most brands (Eden Foods excluded,) have can liners, which contain BPA. Lentils are a much overlooked food that are packed with protein and fiber. Try making a veggie chili or bulk out a regular chili, soup or stew with cups of different beans. I make a big pot of lentil soup almost every week.

6. Soups: At the end of every week, I make “Sunday Soup”. This is so satisfying because I clear out my fridge. Last Sunday I made a huge pot of veggie soup which contained carrots, leeks, parsnips, celeriac (celery root) and ginger. All these veggies were on their last legs but boiled up to make a luxuriously satisfying soup. I froze most of it in small pyrex containers for my husband to take to work with him (much healthier than all the to-go food they order up at his office!).

7. Go bulky: Whatever you can buy from bulk bins, do! Whether it’s rice, legumes, cereals or dried fruit, it’ll always be cheaper  – so much so, that you should be able to afford organic. I make my weekly batch of granola from the bulk bins. It’s truly more delicious than any granola I could buy in a box and costs half the price (even when it’s 100% organic.)

8. Store brands: Look for store brands. They often have sales on in-store brands – so keep out a beady eye. I use tons of Virgin Coconut Oil and have found the Whole Foods 365 brand to be really reasonable compared to other brands. Safeway/Vons also have their own organic brands that is nearly always on sale.

Above all, think of your shopping cart as being preventative health care at it’s best. Fill it chock-full of all the wonderful fresh, live foods that give us energy, vitality and that help ward off disease and premature aging.

About the Author

Sophie Uliano is a passionate environmentalist who has developed an earth-friendly lifestyle that appeals to women who don’t want to compromise their glamour and style. She is the New York Times Best Selling author of “Gorgeously Green”, “The Gorgeously Green Diet,” and the newly released “Do It Gorgeously.”

Read more amazing tips from Sophie at GorgeouslyGreen.com