"It costs so much more to eat healthy. I can't afford it." 

Many a holistic nutritionist is used to this common mantra. The truth is, it can actually be cheaper to eat a healthy diet. I should know. For a number of reasons, including a dismal economy for freelance writers, this past year my income matched what I made 20 years ago when I was first starting out after college (when food was actually cheaper and I didn't have a mortgage to pay!). Despite this, I am eating more delicious and nutritious food today
than I ever have in my life-fresh, organic, varied and even (according to my husband) gourmet.

Is it always easy and convenient? No. Is it affordable? Most definitely.

Here's the secret: Buy only what I call real food. Eat whole foods-unpackaged fruit, vegetables, grains, dry beans and legumes-prepared at home.

Lack of time is another issue that some people raise when I point out that eating healthfully doesn't have to break the bank. Eating healthy, and the time it takes to do so, must be a priority for anyone truly interested in being healthy. After all, those of us who don't take the time to ensure a healthy diet now will be forced to take time out of life one day when we're sick.

Here are my top 10 tips for eating a healthy diet without spending more (and probably even spending less):

1. Think outside the box! This is the most important way to eat healthy without spending more money. Eliminate as much packaged food from your diet as possible (including organic and "healthy"
packaged foods). With the money you save, you will have lots of money left over to purchase whole, organic foods.

2. Buy in bulk. Again, leave the packaging behind, buy in larger portions and store what you can to save a lot of money, especially if you buy in bulk at a sale price. Buying dry beans and other legumes (like lentils) instead of canned varieties has to be the biggest saving strategy on earth.

3. Eat in season. Do you really need to eat strawberries in the winter when they're most expensive? If you do, freeze some while they're in season and then enjoy them for free in the winter! I freeze and preserve lots of seasonal foods to eat throughout the year, which saves money.

4. Grow your own food. Everyone can grow something, even if it's herbs in a sunny window. Seeds or even plants result in an ongoing supply of something that costs much more in the grocery store.

5. Cut down on meat. Meat is a big expense that most people eat too much of anyway.

6. Think outside the grocery store. Ask around about organic outlets for shopping, food buying clubs, food coops, good places to buy in bulk, community supported agriculture options, and
home delivery services, all of which can save you both time and money. I only ever go to a grocery store if there's a great sale on something I normally use.

7. Know your priorities. Why get angry about paying a dollar more for organic peaches if you turn around and easily spend money in ways that really aren't necessary? Keep a spending journal for a week to see where you money is actually going and see if your cash flow matches your priorities.

8. Know your budget. If you can't afford something, just forget about it and buy something else. If and when you do have to pay a bit more for a healthier
choice, remember that quality counts and you will save in other ways, such as with your health and often the health of the environment.

9. Act like a healthy person. If you act like a healthy person, you will make healthy decisions. For many people, it's not the money that's a problem so much as the desire to eat processed, convenience foods. Save eating out for special occasions, not just because you feel tired. By the time you decide on a restaurant, drive there, order food, pay, eat and get home, you no doubt could have just as easily driven home and been eating better food at a fraction of the cost and time.

10. Plan, plan and plan some more. Eating healthy on a regular basis without spending more is almost impossible without some good, ongoing planning. Organize meals for the week or at least for the couple of days ahead. Have food on hand by preparing extra or making dishes that will be waiting for you when you arrive home. Choose simple
meals if your time is tight. Planning also helps with shopping. Another thing you should plan for is a transition to a new way of shopping and eating. Expectations to change overnight will not work. Allow time to change your habits and enjoy the healthy, tasty, affordable journey.


Comparison of Packaged vs. Whole Food

• BlueWater Grilled Salmon (179 g box) at $3.49 versus wild salmon for the same price, but with 16 more grams (and without the added modified corn starch, hydrogenated vegetable oil, many unpronounceable ingredients, plus flavour and colour).

• Campbell's Gardennay squash soup (500 ml carton) at $2.99 vs. 1 litre of homemade squash soup for a savings of $4.11(and without the modified corn starch and sugar ingredients).

• Hunts Thick'N Rich tomato sauce (680 ml) at $2.39 vs. a can of organic tomatoes plus spices and fresh veggies for the same cost (but without the salt, glucose-fructose, corn syrup and sugar). Make tomato sauce from homegrown tomatoes and it's even cheaper, more nutritious and delicious!

• Whole Grain Brown Minute Rice (1 kg) at $8.49 vs. $3.84 for the same amount of bulk organic long grain brown rice from an organic outlet.

• Quaker Quick Oats (900 g) at $4.49 vs. 10 kg of organic regular rolled oats at the same grocery store for only $19.99 (a savings of more than
$25 over the long term).

• Pre-washed, packaged salad container (142 g) at $4.49 vs. one head of organic green leaf lettuce (340 g) for $1.99 (more than twice the lettuce for less than half the price).

• Packaged basil (10 oz.) at $1.79 vs. months of basil on the kitchen widow ledge for the same price or less when you plant a seed or buy a plant.

***

Sandra Tonn is a freelance writer and foodie
living in Powell River, BC, where she enjoys
organic food from local farmers and from her
backyard garden.

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