Green Lemonade

No one would argue with you if you said that you wanted to save a little money – but still eat well. Books in the market advising you on how to save money on your grocery bill by strategically buying lots of packaged foods, canned goods, and gratuitous meats, however, are not that helpful for you. You prefer to eat as fresh as possible. You are loving how great you are starting to feel by eating more fresh foods. Sure, you recognize that it might cost a little more to eat more fresh foods but it’s worth it. Longer term, you know you’ll save money at the doctor’s office by investing each day in a way of eating that helps you look and feel your best.

Feel Good Foods + 5 Money Saving Tips:

1. Leafy green vegetables. Leafy green vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and blood alkalinizers for superior health and energy. These nutrients help with the awakening and releasing of toxins in the body as well as aid in the rebuilding of the body’s terrain. This also includes a rebuilding of the biological terrain of the colon where the majority of the body’s immune system is housed. Leafy greens such as fresh baby spinach, lettuces, kale, swiss chard and collard greens however might seem to be a little pricey when you look at your weekly grocery store bill. These greens average $2-$3 a bunch year round, pretty consistently. This is one area, where I do think the investment is worth it. The health-generating power of these foods is really quite amazing. The good news, from a value perspective, is that deals on these goodies can occasionally be found.
   • Shop weekly specials. Specialty grocery stores will usually place one kind of green on special each month. Keep watch for those monthly specials.
   • Shop farmers markets. I have noticed pricing at my local farmers market will sometimes be a little better than the grocery store. When it rains however, comparable prices at the farmers market really shine. Leafy greens on these days usually get marked ½ off just because the market traffic on those days is much lower.





2. Other fresh produce. When it comes to other fresh produce including sweet fruit and vegetables, buying in season is key. (Learn more about what’s in season near you.)
   • Shop in season.The prices on in season fruit and vegetables is often 50% to 75% less than off-season prices. Often I will freeze organic fruit including peaches, strawberries and blueberries in the summer to use in my green smoothies all winter long.
   • Shop weekly specials. Keep an eye on the weekly produce specials at your local grocery store. There is always a vegetable or fruit on sale. Take advantage of those specials in your weekly meal plans.
   • Consider buying frozen on occasion. Lastly, consider buying organic frozen fruit and vegetables. Frozen produce can be a great money saver and it can be an especially tasty and affordable addition to soups and stews. For instance, frozen butternut squash is one of my favorite go-to frozen goodies – especially because in New York City fresh sweet potatoes and butternut squash often price at $2-$3 a pound or $7 for a medium-sized squash. (Yikes.)




3. Soups/stews. Hearty vegetable based soups and stews are a great way to save time and stretch your weekly produce budget. Consider adding healthy grains such as quinoa and brown rice to do so. Beans, sweet potatoes and squash are also great additions to a soup to stretch your produce budget.




4. Go generic.: Don’t shy away from generic brands. Many stores now offer their own organic produce, like Vons in California.
   • Check out store-brand non-food generic goods too. Whole Foods, for instance, actually makes a nice generic Almond Milk that I use occasionally along with the Blue Diamond brand of Almond Milk I enjoy.
   • Check out Sam’s Club or BJ’s. For those of you near a Sam’s club or a BJ’s you might consider buying non-food/paper items in bulk at competitive prices.
   • Amazon and iHerb are also two of my favorite online resources for some of my pantry favorites including a good price on coconut water and the occasional supplement (such as a good probiotic).




5. Shop the sales. In general, I try each week to shop the sales at the grocery store. I do not use many coupons because they are typically for processed foods which I do not normally eat. I find that planning for 3-4 specific meals that week (this doesn’t have to be a time consuming process) can also help with strategic purchasing.

Notes: If you do shop at the farmers market for leafy greens including lettuces, spinach etc try and go in the morning when the produce is best. Also try and go organic here when you can. Leafy greens (and all thin-skinned produce) absorb a tremendous amount of pesticides which just gunk up your body’s efficient system keeping you from feeling your best.