Hey there, Food Fighters! Vintage Eats here, who is now considering changing her name to Recession Eats. My day to day struggle, as is yours, I’d imagine, is to bring healthy and local food to the table in a way that is as economical as possible. It takes some planning, but if there’s a will, there’s a way..
Sure, it’s easy to buy cheap food. It’s everywhere. Our food system, in its horribly screwed up way, has made cheap, nutritionally-devoid food readily available, while maintaining local and organic food at a more expensive price point. So what’s a price-conscious locavore to do?
1. Investigate Spring – Summer CSA options, where you can buy a share directly from a farm near you.
Many of these CSA options are affordable and convenient, and provide you with a diverse selection of fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables. In our kitchen, we like to say that if you have high-quality and healthy ingredients, you don’t need to do much else to them (hence the convenience factor). Greens get a nice saute in olive oil and garlic. Carrots get diced and added to everything. Any unknown vegetable becomes a challenge to use in an effort to “waste not, want not”.
2. Run, don’t walk, to your local farmer’s market (when it opens)!
Farmer’s markets are bevys of bountiful produce, and often feature local food that’s cheaper than (or non-existent) in supermarkets. Keep your eyes peeled for savings on particularly non-mainstream vegetables and learn how to use them. Chances are, they probably pack a nutritional wallop, but most people are afraid to approach them! Ask your farmer or fellow shoppers what to do with them.
3. Get to know your bulk bins, especially if they contain local grains.
Bulk bins, oft-overlooked by the busiest among us, are one of the best ways to get nutritional bang for your buck. There you can find all sorts of cheaply-priced grains and cereals. Buy yourself a rice cooker, dump some rice and water in it, and ignore it. In 40 minutes, you’re set. If you find yourself with more time, soak grains like wheat and amaranth overnight and then sprout them a few days. Sprouting increases the B vitamins in grains, sometimes hundreds-fold, and also makes them more digestable.
4. Embrace the beanage.
I’ve been fortunate enough to discover beans grown here in Massachusettes. Are there beans being grown near you? Beans are highly nutritious and super cheap. The prep involved isn’t too bad – just soak them overnight, drain them, and set them on the back of the stove to simmer. Eat them as a main dish, as a side, put them in soups.. They’re a versatile thing, these beans, and full of fiber and protein without much saturated fat.
5. Be smarter about meat.
I’m not going to preach at you to eat less meat because chances are, you’ve already heard everything about it. I’ll say instead, to be smarter about it. Grass-fed, humanely-raised meat is more expensive, but if you’re willing to put in a little extra work, you can actually save money. Look for lesser-known cuts that require a bit more effort or cooking time. When you buy chicken, purchase it whole and break it down yourself. It’s not hard, I promise – and you get all the meat, instead of paying double for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. And most of all, use it as a garnish instead of a main course (okay, I said I wouldn’t preach, but there it is).
With a little more organization and a little more effort, it’s possible to eat nutritious, local food on a budget. Onward, Food Fighters! How do you save while still eating locally?
Buying bulk is a great strategy. Take as much or as little as you like, and plus, less trash-packaging to deal with later. It’s also great to head to the bulk aisle first if you want to try something new. That way, you don’t have to buy a big box or bag of it all at once.
Bulk-buying is great, not to mention it’s a way to get fresher grain. As I understand it, the nutrients in grains deplete just like produce if they sit too long. If you buy “dead” grain, you’ll not only be getting a less healthy product, you also won’t have the ability to sprout them.
Great idea! Now. If only someone had written something about sprouts….
Oh those sprouts.. they’ve been so demonized as “dirty Hippie”, but they’re pretty damn tasty! A good side project for the kids in the kitchen, I think. Compared to waiting for your garden to grow (a precious thing in itself), it’s pretty instant gratification
Sprouting isn’t just for grains. Taking the thirty seconds each day for three days to sprout beans (lentils only take about a day) make them less gassy and lower in carbs! OMG, who knew a cheap meal like beans could be something other than a carbfest!!?? They don’t need long tails, either, just sprout ‘em till they crack.