How to eat real food for cheap
Building and maintaining a nutritious diet comes down to two things: Time and money.
Sure, if you have lots of cash you can have someone source Organic vegetables and pasture-raised protein for you. Hell, you could even pay them to bring it all back to your kitchen, prepare it for you!
It would be real nice, but this is the real world we’re living in here. Most of us can’t make that happen. I know I would love to have a personal forager and my own Chef, but that’s an unnecessary luxury. You don’t need that stuff to eat well, as a human being should. You don’t need piles of cash.
My wife and I are Farmers. We also forage for food. Together we cook what we grow and find for our little family. I believe this is where health and a long, happy life begin.
I know it might seem like a big project. But you have to realize that it’s just like getting in shape, or lifting more weight in the gym. You have to start what you have, because that’s all you need. Then you immediately start making the best possible decisions on a daily basis.
That how you develop skill and abundance. It’s how you become more like a Weightlifter or something, right? Well, daily repetition and those decisions teach you how to see food like a Farmer see’s food.
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If you don’t have the money that’s OK. You just have to be willing to work a bit for your health. You have to be willing to put in the time! It’s an effort thing.
Using the excuse of not being able to eat a real food diet because of lack of budget is exactly that, an excuse. Get off your ass and make it happen! This is YOUR life we’re talking about here. Not mine. I already eat like a real king.
The very first step is to expand your mind and set some goals around your eating habits. In my honest opinion, the best diet for humans is locally sourced organic fruit and veggies, as well as an occasional serving of locally sourced pasture raised proteins (beef, pork, poultry, etc). Mix these things in with some awesome, fresh grains and legumes. BINGO! You never have to eat processed food ever again, even if you’re reading this from a disgusting dorm room.
Don’t be a savage when it comes to your food. Treat yourself and your family with respect and do the work. Source real food and set your priorities.
Here’s exactly how you can do it:
- First, do some research. Are there farms in your area? If not how about co-ops? If not still, are there delivery services of CSA Farms that come close to you?
- Find your closest warehouse retail store, where you can buy bulk organic grains, dried beans, etc. Find your closest farmers market, if there are none available find your closest supermarket with a decent organic section.
- What season is it? Local, seasonal fruits and veggies are always the cheapest, whether straight off the farm, or off the shelves at the supermarket.
- Buy in bulk, things that will last: Rice, Quinoa, Dried Beans, etc.
- Learn how to make your choices go a long way.
My wife and I often roast a chicken with vegetables on a Sunday for dinner. Then we use the excess meat to make chicken salad for a couple of days worth of lunch. Then we boil the carcass to make broth and separate the meat from the bones. Hey, you’d be amazed at how much meat is on there still. Use the excess veggies for soup with rice and beans. The soup is good for another dinner and a lunch! Let’s do that math: 1 free-range roasting Chicken for $20, Vegetables for $10, Misc ingredients are about $10. That means for something like $40 I can make my family 2 dinners and 3 lunches. This is about $8 per meal for a family of four. That’s pretty affordable, and it’s also superior to just about everything you’re putting in your mouth right now, if you’re anything like the majority of Americans.
The bottom line is this – If you don’t have the money, you’ve got to put up the time. Shop on Sundays with all the meals for the week in mind. Prepare your meals at home, and then take them with you. Prioritize your diet over other budget items (alcohol, dinner’s out, shitty and fake supplements, all that). Eating a proper diet – while hydrating properly and exercising a bit – could save you HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS in future medical/prescription fees. Like I said on Barbell Shrugged with the guys, have you priced out disease lately? What do you think something like cancer costs you? In dollars, in years of love and life, please think it over.
Eating a proper diet – while hydrating properly and exercising a bit – could save you HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS in future medical/prescription fees.
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CERTIFIED ORGANIC!!! We just received our badge of organic pride and what a sweet reception it is! Introducing Sweet Georgia P’s certified organic produce! #sweetgeorgiap #organic #organicfeelsgood #certifiedorganic #certifiedorganicproduce #nofavt
We have been fooled into thinking that only the rich can eat well. That’s just crap. It’s not true. Start thinking outside of the box. Do the work! It’s more than worth it. It’s everything.
To love and life,
Farmer Joe
Learn more
- Check out Joe’s CSA and learn more HERE. You can also find him on Twitter and Instagram.
- Don’t miss Farmer Joe on Episode 146 of Barbell Shrugged
- Check out the Faction Foods Course for more great diet info that will improve your performance in the gym, and help you get the body that you want.
3 Responses to “How to eat real food for cheap”
[…] and that means less money spent on medical care throughout your life. As this great article, How to Eat Real Food for Cheap, says, “have you priced out disease […]
I love this! Especially the quote, “have you priced out disease lately?” As I tell people, it’s about where you decide to invest your money and time – is it in the handbag you carry, the car you drive, or your health and well-being? If you don’t invest in it, you won’t get the results.
[…] most other things, a little hard work can reduce the monetary cost of the endeavor. Check out this article from organic farmer Joe Pimentel on how you can eat real food for cheap. Like he says, […]