You Don't Have to Be Wealthy to Eat Well...The Truth About Your Grocery Budget

by: K.C. Craichy

Many people complain that organic foods are more costly than conventional. In many cases, organic foods are priced higher. However, people aren’t weighing the costs of eating healthy against the costs of eating poorly. Americans spend millions of dollars each week on “coffee house foods”—fatty lattés and sugary frappucinos, not to mention the white-floured, trans fatty pastries that go along with them. If you were to keep a strict accounting of all the money you spent on soda, pizza, potato chips, pastries, etc., then the question is not so much how much things cost, but where the money is being spent.

And the costs don’t just stop there. The health hazards of the fungicide, pesticide, herbicide and chemical residuals found on conventional foods have been well documented. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 60% of herbicides, 90% of fungicides and 30% of insecticides to be carcinogenic. Such substances also compromise our immunologic defenses and are disruptive to our endocrine systems.

But not only are conventional foods more harmful because of chemical contaminants, they are also less nutritious. Organic produce has consistently shown significantly higher levels of nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. Can you really put a price on the safety of the foods you and your family eats?

There are ways to eat well, without taking a huge bite out of your wallet:

1. Join an organic co-op;
2. Go to local farms to pick and purchase fresh, regionally-grown produce;
3. Check out stores like Trader Joes, discount grocery stores that have begun to offer a greater selection of organic products;
4. Scan the coupon sections in the paper . . . more and more grocery coupons are applying to organic products now;
5. Make two lists—one list of “non-negotiables”—products you won’t compromise on, and a second list of items that are of lesser priority. For example: organic bananas aren’t as critical as organic strawberries, as berries are heavily sprayed and not protected by a thick skin.
6. Processed foods often come in a box or can, are intended for single meals, and do not preserve well as leftovers. Organic, whole foods on the other hand lend themselves more readily to stews, soups, and casseroles, which means more leftovers. The investment of time in preparing these meals is more than made up for in their multiple uses throughout the week. Incredible savings can be found in cooking this way.
7. And finally, the more people demand and purchase organic foods, the more the prices will drop!

Super Health Nutrition Tip: Put these low-calorie, nutrient-dense Superfoods at the top of your grocery list:

• Grain grasses (like wheat grass)
• Sea vegetables (like kelp)
• Dark green vegetables (like spinach and broccoli)
• Bright-colored vegetables (like bell peppers)
• Berries (blueberries)
• Eggs from free-range hens
• Grass-fed/grain-free/organic beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, venison, bison, etc.
• Rice and yellow pea protein
• Goat milk protein
• Non-denatured why protein
• Stabilized brown rice bran
• Sprouted legumes and grains such as kasha (buckwheat)
• Fresh-squeezed combinations of vegetable juice
• Sprouts (alfalfa or mung bean, for example)

About the Author:

K.C. Craichy is Founder and President of Living Fuel. He is a health consultant and sought-after speaker on the topic of Optimal Health. Since 1981 he has owned and operated multiple companies in a variety of industries. After his first venture into the health club industry in the mid 1980s, Craichy went on to become a Founder, CEO, Investor, and Consultant for conventional and alternative healthcare companies. Through his healthcare endeavors, Craichy has worked with many of the top medical and nutritional practitioners and researchers in the United States.