cleaning it up in 2014.
It’s January 20th and I’m happy to report we’re KILLING IT with leafy green salads and vitamin c and extra fiber. In fact, just last week Andrew and I completed a 5 day cleanse where I may or may not have seriously considered eating my own hand. But we successfully completed the cleanse, PRAISE THE LORD.
I’ve had a bit of a nutritional reawakening this month that I thought I’d share as this has always been my soapbox forum to blab about my thoughts on food, nutrition and budgeting. I’ll get into the specifics below but the jest of it is this: I’ve always thought I live and eat pretty clean because I cook most food from scratch and avoid processed foods…but I’m learning there’s so much more I can do to live clean.
Now please don’t get me wrong if I’m losing you: I realize it’s important to take one step at a time; in case you think I’m a wacky conspiracy therorist, I’ll tell you I’m taking baby steps here, implementing one change a month. I also realize this is a super sensitive topic for some people as we’re all doing the best we can to raise ourselves and our kids healthy. It’s also more expensive to live healthy (and WHY IS THAT?). I totally get it.
So with that, here’s what we’re doing to live a little more cleanly…
Increase Monthly Budget by $50 and Incorporate More Organics
I’ve increased our monthly grocery budget from $400 to $450, and here’s what I’ve managed to include for the $50 increase:
1. Dirty Dozen Fruits and Veggies
I used to buy from the Dirty Dozen list only if the organic options were available on sale. Not anymore. Now I’m only buying them organically. Period. That means apples, imported grapes (and raisins), peaches, bell peppers, berries, pears, spinach, lettuce and kale are now organic. But I don’t feel as worried about the Clean 15, or items like mushrooms, sweet potatoes, eggplant, asparagus, mango, avocado, pineapple, onions and whole corn so these are still just fine for us, non-organic. I’ve budgeted about $10 more per week for organic produce.
I have started purchasing corn products organically because of GMOs, which I’ll touch on below.
2. Free Range, Organic Eggs
Those pesky pesticides might pass from chicken to eggs, and we eat and cook with a lot of eggs. The organic eggs come from birds that eat organic food and aren’t pumped up with growth hormones or dosed with antibiotics.
I’ve found 2 dozen organic, free-range eggs for $7.25 at Costco. I’ve been spending about $2 per dozen a week so I figure it’s about $6.25 more a month to eat organic eggs.
3. Coffee
Coffee crops are some of the most chemically treated crops in the world, and considering I drink coffee EVERY DAY, sometimes several times a day, I figure I’ll skip the pesticide residue and opt for organic. I’ve found organic coffee (it’s not my favorite for a bold flavor but it gets the job done) at Trader Joes for $6.99/lb. That’s about $4 more per month for organic coffee.
4. Bye Bye Refined Sugar
I’ve been reading a lot about how sugar just might just be contributing to our society’s obesity and disease problem. And there’s just no escaping sugar – it’s in everything! So we’re ditching refined white and brown sugar and instead I’m using honey, agave, maple syrup and the herb stevia, which are also higher alkaline and therefore better for balancing out the body’s ph levels. This is going to make baking more challenging, but I’ll share new recipes I like here.
5. Non-GMO Corn
You guys, I don’t know for sure what’s up with GMOs (genetically modified organisms) but the potential health risks just scare me and I’m not excited about putting genetically altered food into my body. Because of that, I’m buying organic corn products (not whole corn but items like cornmeal, cereals containing corn, chips, etc.) whenever possible. This hasn’t affected our diet so much as we don’t eat a ton of corn but I do pop my own popcorn and we eat corn tortillas so I’m switching to organic or other alternatives.
6. More Vegetarian Meals
I simply can’t afford to eat organic meat, so we’re switching up our meals to be more plant-based and to include less meat. Whereas before I would make meat (protein) the centerpiece of the meal, we are now eating more hearty salads, soups, rice pasta dishes, beans and lentils than ever before, and enjoying meat just a couple times per week.
I’ve reallocated the money I had been spending on meat to more fresh fruits and veggies, nuts and non-refined sugars.
7. Cleanse and Detox
I’ve been learning a lot about cleansing and detoxing, so Andrew and I are going to try doing a cleanse/detox regularly throughout the year. So far we’ve tried this kitchari cleanse along with a detox supplement kit from our local Sprouts but we are also planning on taking more Spirulina (a “superfood” algea that helps detox the body). More to come on that…
Any advice for me or things that work for you, while sticking to a budget? I’d love your tips for clean living!
Way to go! I love these changes…..we do the same so I love how your meal ideas will match up perfectly with ours now!
Thanks Heather!! I’m totally in process on this because it can feel a bit overwhelming and we don’t have an unlimited budget but we’re trying!!
great article! very inspiring! i’m doing an experiment trying to eat an organic whole food diet on $50/wk (but i’m single). so far it is really difficult! just going organic on coffee will make it impossible.
my goal is to educate as many people as possible about the hazards of eating non-organic items. maybe we can make a change!
thanks for getting the word out there!
Good for you! Any tips for keeping your organic budget so low? Do you eat all organic? Meat too? I’m so fascinated by it all
Kelly
Very cool. Hope it goes well!
How have the kids adjusted to this change?
I have a hard time making the kids eat more clean foods. They miss their crackers and such.
Any tips?
Hi Wendi! Kids are doing…ok. They have eaten lots of homemade granola, fruits and veggies, hummus, beans, etc. over the years and surprisingly they like the rice or corn crackers and chips. We do still allow a few processed foods (i.e. non-gmo gluten-free tortilla chips I found at Costco) as well as gluten-free cereals. They are more expensive for sure but I believe it’s worth it.
As I type I’m waiting for their cocoa-infused “overnight brownie oatmeal” to soak. We’ll see…:)
I just read Michael Pollan’s books and he talks about GMOs. They aren’t just in corn products they are in most food. Example: cows eat feed that consists of gmo corn feed. So, you eat that ground beef and you are eating GMOs. Grass fed beef from independent small farmers are the way to go. There is so much to the gmo topic. I urge you to read Pollan’s book and share with your readership.
Thanks Courtney! I know that GMO’s are in a lot of foods and especially soy (which we avoid altogether)…and we have cut back on meat as I can’t solely buy organic but we do buy for grass fed when it’s on sale. There’s so much to learn! I’ll take a look at Pollan’s books for sure. Thanks!
Hey Kel,
Where do you find your grass-fed meat on sale?
I buy it at Sprouts when it’s on sale – usually $4.99/lb on sale. I’d say it’s on sale every 4-6 weeks.
Hope all is well!!
I’m excited to see this! I’ve enjoyed several of your recipes the past year and I’ve been implementing most of the dietary clean-ups in your list, but struggling to bake without brown and white sugars, so I’m looking forward to your new recipes!
I remember enjoying this blog years ago and have just revisited it today. What a disappointment to see this post. Being frugal and feeding your family healthy food are great aspirations, but most of the points here are nonsense. You are needlessly spending extra money which is paradoxical. Allow me to provide a counter argument.
1. Simply washing pesticide exposed produce is sufficient.
2. Free range is good because caged eggs involve animal cruelty. There is no significant difference in terms of health.
3. Again, no need to buy organic for the health benefits.
4. Sugar is sugar, it doesn’t matter if it comes from cane or honey. It’s about calories, not how ‘natural’ something is.
5. GMOs are completely safe to eat. They have been studied extensively and the scientific consensus is clear – they pose no health risk.
6. Many people should be increasing vegetable consumption, and decreasing meat. Clear health benefits here!
7. Cleansing and detoxifying is the function of the liver. It doesn’t need your help. Without even knowing what supplement you are taking, I can assure you it is a scam. There is no such thing as a detox diet or pill.
Because there is so much misinformation about food and nutrition out there, it is best to look to government guidelines which are based on the best currently available science.
Wow. Thanks Matthew for your honest feedback!
i really do appreciate hearing from readers, regardless of how much they agree with me 
Perhaps there are differences between Australia and the US in terms of information and guidelines but I’m afraid I couldn’t disagree more with your comments. I absolutely believe that the decline in our world’s health has to do with the food we eat, most specifically because of the overwhelming amount of processed foods and the additional pesticides/herbicides/chemicals that taint the food that we end up serving our families.
Regarding washing produce, washing only removes pesticides on the surface, not pesticides that have seeped below the skin of the produce or that have been inbred in the produce from the beginning by genetically engineered (GMOs) seeds.
Regarding GMOs I don’t believe we have enough information to know over the long run what the health effects are. Also I believe the liver was created to detox to a certain extent but that we are dealing with an ever increasing amount of toxins that it must filter through.
When it comes right down to it my effort to feel our family what i believe are more wholesome choices are costing $50 USD more per month. I’m willing to invest that for what I believe are more natural options.
Thanks so much again for taking the time to comment! really. truly