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i've been trying to switch up my diet but just cant afford it. it's also hard to find stuff that is gluten free.
i bought some organic pasta sauce but just read the ingredients and it says Made on equipment that handles Milk, Soy, Wheat, Eggs, Fish (anchovy), and Peanuts. i'm allergic to nuts and will avoid even stuff that says its made on shared equipment . that's 2.50 down the drain unless i take it back. i dont know whether the organic sauce is gluten free, it doesnt say. the classico sauce i usually eat is gluten free and only contains wheat but i know it probably has lots of crap in it.
they had some brown rice organic gluten free pasta which was 2 for $6 and that was on sale
any tips on things to buy or how to save? i look for specials and coupons all the time but its still expensive
I agree it is pricey!
I guess try and make the most of what you buy, I'm trying to eat healthier as well but on my college budget it's really really HARD ...
I don't have much advice except look our for sales and coupons as well as buy foods that you can make meals of throughout the week, like stuff for sandwiches so you don't go through what little you can afford at the store 
sometimes I have to just buy some cheap/unhealthy stuff here and there cuz I can't afford all 'healthy' foods =\
QUOTE (Dont Watch Me @ Mar 13 2010, 09:53 PM)
i've been trying to switch up my diet but just cant afford it. it's also hard to find stuff that is gluten free.
i bought some organic pasta sauce but just read the ingredients and it says Made on equipment that handles Milk, Soy, Wheat, Eggs, Fish (anchovy), and Peanuts. i'm allergic to nuts and will avoid even stuff that says its made on shared equipment . that's 2.50 down the drain unless i take it back. i dont know whether the organic sauce is gluten free, it doesnt say. the classico sauce i usually eat is gluten free and only contains wheat but i know it probably has lots of crap in it.
they had some brown rice organic gluten free pasta which was 2 for $6 and that was on sale
any tips on things to buy or how to save? i look for specials and coupons all the time but its still expensive
Organic food IS expensive but, think of it this way (as heard on Oprah):
Would you rather spend more money on what you put into your body NOW?... OR, would you rather spend your money LATER on medications to correct the medical conditions that you have as a result of the pesticides, herbicides, and antibiotics that were in your non-organic food. Who would you rather give your money to... pharmaceutical companies? Or organic farmers.. Some food for thought!
My suggestion would be to start off eating organic fruits and vegetables if you can only afford to eat a few organic things... Organically grown meat can be reeaaaaaaally expensive. Even baby steps are steps in the right direction!
I saw that Oprah episode! haha
I just wish it was easier to do! [Finance wise] If I had the money I'd definitely be eating better...but I'm pretty proud of the few steps I've taken for my personal health like cutting out fast food and eating more fruits and trying to incorporate more whole grains.
QUOTE (Geeking @ Mar 13 2010, 10:43 PM)
I saw that Oprah episode! haha
I just wish it was easier to do! [Finance wise] If I had the money I'd definitely be eating better...but I'm pretty proud of the few steps I've taken for my personal health like cutting out fast food and eating more fruits and trying to incorporate more whole grains.
Haha, awesome! It was a good show! I know, I can't eat 100% organic, I'm still in school aka poor, and eating organic is so expensive! If I can't buy something organic, I make sure the ingredients look reeeeeally good (no crazy named preservatices, absolutely NO CORN ingredients, the more I learn about corn I hate it!) Good for you!!! I've made the same choices as you mentioned, like cutting out fast food, eating more fruits and vegis, beans, grains, ect.. Like I said, baby steps are still steps in the right direction, you SHOULD be proud of yourself! I hope that one day I can afford an acerage (spelling?) and have my own chickens that lay eggs and organic gardens.. healthier, and less money than buying at the grocery store!
yea, i understand that i'll be saving medical costs and be healthier in the long run and completely agree but in this day its tough just making ends meet. i dont have much money and am currently unemployed so its hard.
another thing i always question is.......are they really as organic as they say? i mean, for all i know they could slap on that USDA organic symbol but not be completely organic. a lot of these products still contain some of the same ingredients as the normal stuff that people will say is bad.
i bought some organic baby carrots.....50 cents more than normal. i figure since i dont waste money on junk and rarely eat fast food the 50 cents dont matter much. id rather spend that extra to avoid all the pesticides they spray on normal stuff. plus, to me organic food tastes way better.
QUOTE (Dont Watch Me @ Mar 13 2010, 11:06 PM)
yea, i understand that i'll be saving medical costs and be healthier in the long run and completely agree but in this day its tough just making ends meet. i dont have much money and am currently unemployed so its hard.
another thing i always question is.......are they really as organic as they say? i mean, for all i know they could slap on that USDA organic symbol but not be completely organic. a lot of these products still contain some of the same ingredients as the normal stuff that people will say is bad.
i bought some organic baby carrots.....50 cents more than normal. i figure since i dont waste money on junk and rarely eat fast food the 50 cents dont matter much. id rather spend that extra to avoid all the pesticides they spray on normal stuff. plus, to me organic food tastes way better.
You should do some research on the process that a company has to go through for one (or more) of their products to be certified organic. It's not just based on trust! Organic food DOES taste better, doesn't it? Like, stuff you get from a garden, I love organic carrots! When you say that a lot of the products still contain the same ingredients as the normal stuff that people say is bad, would you mind elaborating on some of those ingredients?
Some of the standards to become certified organic are:
-three-year field histories,
-description of crop rotations,
-acreage maps,
-sources of off-farm inputs like seed, inoculant and soil amendments,
-composting methods,
-methods of fertility management with descriptions of applications of soil
amendments,
-methods of pest, weed and disease management,
-record-keeping systems,
-type of storage system,
-types of equipment used, and
-products requested for certification
Search "how to become certified organic" on google and see what you can find!
Yeah... it's expensive. I usually spend $200-250 a week... 
I make $400-450 a week from my job... Not bad.... but I've decided to apply for UPS which I will be making $120-150.. Can't buy organic food anymore. 
I will just buy the one that needs to be organic.. because not all have to be organic.
A lot of people in here spend about $80-100 a week.
You don't HAVE to eat organic to eat healthy. A lot of people would assume not eating trace amount of pesticides is better for you, but it studies have shown that nutritionally, most organic things don't have much more nutrients than non-organic foods.
I don't buy organic. I'm not made of money and if I bought organic, I'd be even more broke.
It doesn't cost a ton of money to eat healthy if you fore go eating organic. This, of course, also depends on how much you eat. I don't eat as much as someone lifting weights might eat, so to me, it's actually relatively cheap. I can spend anywhere from 120-160 a month.
How to save on being healthy? Don't buy organic. You might want to, but if you don't have the money, it's still better to buy the same foods without the organic labels. You'll save a TON of money that way. This sounds corny also, but plan your meals for the week. Then, shop only for what you'll need for your meals. Buy frozen stuff in bulk. You'll usually get more for your money. For instance, I buy the giant bags of frozen strawberries for my smoothies instead of the smaller ones. I also buy a lot of frozen veggies because it's cheaper than buying all of them fresh only to have them go bad if I don't eat them in time. I also never buy anything exotic or lots of snack foods - healthy or not. I've found it incredibly cheap to spend most of my money on produce than boxed stuff.
You don't have to spend an arm and a leg to be healthy. Also, organic doesn't always mean healthy. Organic potato chips aren't much healthier than regular potato chips. Organic cereal still has sugar, too. You may also have to eat less if you're financially in a pickle.
QUOTE (Polska Laska @ Mar 14 2010, 12:09 AM)
QUOTE (Dont Watch Me @ Mar 13 2010, 11:06 PM)
yea, i understand that i'll be saving medical costs and be healthier in the long run and completely agree but in this day its tough just making ends meet. i dont have much money and am currently unemployed so its hard.
another thing i always question is.......are they really as organic as they say? i mean, for all i know they could slap on that USDA organic symbol but not be completely organic. a lot of these products still contain some of the same ingredients as the normal stuff that people will say is bad.
i bought some organic baby carrots.....50 cents more than normal. i figure since i dont waste money on junk and rarely eat fast food the 50 cents dont matter much. id rather spend that extra to avoid all the pesticides they spray on normal stuff. plus, to me organic food tastes way better.
You should do some research on the process that a company has to go through for one (or more) of their products to be certified organic. It's not just based on trust! Organic food DOES taste better, doesn't it? Like, stuff you get from a garden, I love organic carrots! When you say that a lot of the products still contain the same ingredients as the normal stuff that people say is bad, would you mind elaborating on some of those ingredients?
Some of the standards to become certified organic are:
-three-year field histories,
-description of crop rotations,
-acreage maps,
-sources of off-farm inputs like seed, inoculant and soil amendments,
-composting methods,
-methods of fertility management with descriptions of applications of soil
amendments,
-methods of pest, weed and disease management,
-record-keeping systems,
-type of storage system,
-types of equipment used, and
-products requested for certification
Search "how to become certified organic" on google and see what you can find!
You also have to understand that some places who DO practice organic farming might not be able to afford or want the hassle of becoming certified. You may be eating an organic tomato and not even know it.
I also don't think organic tastes any different than regular. I went on an organic spree once and when I realized it was too much of a cost, I went back to regular. There was absolutely zero taste difference to me. This was comparing tomatoes, avocados, apples, cucumbers and bananas. I think taste is a placebo affect you get from eating organic in most cases. People pay more. They expect more. So they think it tastes better, but if directly compared, there's little, if any, difference.
QUOTE (Dont Watch Me @ Mar 13 2010, 10:53 PM)
any tips on things to buy or how to save?
Use your brain to save money. Data suggesting "organic" is better by any particular clinically relevant measure is relatively thin. Pesticides are not used uniformly on all crops -- learn about which crops require the most pesticides and eat less of them, buying organic when you can. Shift more to things that nobody likes (cabbage, leafy vegetables, etc.) and away from the high-fructose stuff that fruit breeders get people hooked on (apples, mangoes, etc.). The result will likely be higher anti-oxidant levels that are more relevant to your acne anyway, regardless of pesticide use.
QUOTE (databased @ Mar 14 2010, 12:56 PM)
QUOTE (Dont Watch Me @ Mar 13 2010, 10:53 PM)
any tips on things to buy or how to save?
Use your brain to save money. Data suggesting "organic" is better by any particular clinically relevant measure is relatively thin. Pesticides are not used uniformly on all crops -- learn about which crops require the most pesticides and eat less of them, buying organic when you can. Shift more to things that nobody likes (cabbage, leafy vegetables, etc.) and away from the high-fructose stuff that fruit breeders get people hooked on (apples, mangoes, etc.). The result will likely be higher anti-oxidant levels that are more relevant to your acne anyway, regardless of pesticide use.
You really ought to do more research on fruit and stop preaching that it's practically poison. No, it shouldn't be the main source of food in your diet, but eating 2-3 servings of fruit daily is perfectly acceptable. Turning people completely off to fruit is just as stupid as turning people away from other healthy foods, cabbage.
For me I don't want to make shopping for food a burden, cuz I love food! and it shouldn't be such a hardship I'm just trying to be a bit more health conscious and not going for 'brand' names or 'organic' more so food I enjoy and if it's healthier [apples] than stuff I used to eat [potato chips]
Well, you only named processed foods. So don't buy them.
As for real food, buy organic in the case of foods that absorb the most pesticides. Not organic in foods that don't.
Gluten free is another matter. If you want to eat gluten free versions of foods that normally have gluten, it will be expensive. Just keep them to a minimum and make most meals out of real food.
QUOTE (databased @ Mar 14 2010, 12:56 PM)
Shift more to things that nobody likes (cabbage, leafy vegetables, etc.)
Nobody likes???? What are all those bags of greens doing in every supermarket then if the masses aren't eating them? People who eat like grown ups like them. I love cabbage and greens.
I LOVE healthy and organic foods. Sometimes though, if there is a HUGE price difference between the non organic and organic, I will def opt for the non organic. I have to do what I can afford as well. It honestly stinks that organic is so darn expensive. Alternavista, would you please give us an idea at to what you're talking about? Which foods absorb more of the pesticides that we should buy organic of? AND also, arn't practically all produce now GM (genetically modified)? I don't think we can even find produce anymore that isn't.
QUOTE (ckko25 @ Mar 15 2010, 11:16 AM)
I LOVE healthy and organic foods. Sometimes though, if there is a HUGE price difference between the non organic and organic, I will def opt for the non organic. I have to do what I can afford as well. It honestly stinks that organic is so darn expensive. Alternavista, would you please give us an idea at to what you're talking about? Which foods absorb more of the pesticides that we should buy organic of? AND also, arn't practically all produce now GM (genetically modified)? I don't think we can even find produce anymore that isn't.
Strange, I hardly go a week without seeing the lists of foods with the most vs the least pesticides mentioned on TV. And they are posted here constantly as well.
Greens, bell peppers, all your stone fruit, carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, apples, pears, spinach, lettuce and most other greens, berries--especially strawberries, grapes, should be organic.
And no, it's mostly grains and soy that are gmo'd.
Here's a list of the 12 foods with most and least pesticides:
http://www.worldshea...a...ip&dbid=372 There's a link to a list of even more which you should check out. Because while imported grapes make the top 12, domestic grapes are just a little bit further down the list. Same with peaches vs nectarines.
Of course, that's just about the produce. Animal products should come from pastured animals which tends to be expensive. And salmon and most other fish should be wild caught, not farmed. Trout farmed in the U.S. is ok, cheap, and it's high omega 3, you just have to learn how to deal with whole fish.
Intersperse expensive meals with cheap ones and it will even it out. Canned wild salmon, jack mackerel, sardines and herring are some inexpensive quality protein to keep on hand along with lentils, sunflower seeds and quinoa. Free range eggs aren't too bad. Buy other stuff on sale.
And look up the diet on the cheap thread we just had about a week ago. Here:
i just got back from the market.......got some brown basmati rice ($2. something a lb) and quinoa ($3.45 for 16 oz) as well as some greens. whats the difference between black and white quinoa? i got the white because it was cheaper. they have a bunch of different stuff there
oh yea if you've never tried santa cruz organic lemonade its good! not too much sugar. got it on sale for a buck at my grocery store.
When I lived in a small apartment I grew my own veggies on the small porch out front. Don't forget that method!
I just bought a wicker laundry basket, filled it with soil and a liner, and then grew bell peppers, tomatoes, and a tiny bit of lettuce. I also made an indoor 'greenhouse rack' that I hung grow-lights on for starting the seedlings from seed. I grew both pretty stuff and tasty stuff (flowers, and veggies). Some flowers (research which ones) make a lovely garnish on salads.
You don't need a huge space, just a small area of garden if you live at home, to make a little garden that will give you some nice edibles for guaranteed organic. The veggies won't be as pretty as those found in grocery stores because they'll be subject to normal predation by insects/birds, but you can share some with those creatures just fine.
You can usually get organic produce from local farmers for rather cheap.
Yeah, that varies a lot. Our farmer's markets are rather expensive. Which I think is common in large cities. Organic produce is actually cheaper in a couple of our big supermarket chains.
We do have a place that's been called a farmer's market for decades, but it's really people trucking things up from the Rio Grand valley and Mexico. So not a farmer's market, local or organic. But it is cheap. The market in my mom's small town is cheap, but half the vendors there aren't the farmers so it's not really a farmer's market either.
When I was a kid, my mom used to belong to a coop that would take turns going to that 'farmer's' market and buy things by the bushel and then split them among the group making it even cheaper. Perhaps you could do something like that. If not at a farmer's market, then maybe a produce vendor or even Costco, which has a lot of organic foods, just packaged in too large amounts for me.