Is Raw Too Expensive?

Our grocery bill has almost doubled since we switched over to Raw Foods, and it wasn't low to begin with. Part of the reason for the increase was that I stocked up on a lot of staples--agave nectar, Raw honey, coconut oil, Raw cacao, raw nuts--and these items can be expensive, especially if you don't know where to shop. Of course, you don't actually need most of them to go Raw, but I took the approach of making our meals very indulgent. It eased our transition.

Now we're bringing the grocery bill down. We receive a basket of organic produce from South Coast Farms each week, for the very reasonable price of about $35 per 30-pound basket. We shop at the local farmer's market. We buy prepared Raw dishes, then figure out how to recreate them at home for a fraction of the price. We eat simpler meals.

Does living off plant parts seem cost prohibitive? Check out this link I found through the Daily Raw Inspiration. LocalHarvest helps you find organic grocers, farmers' markets, CSA programs, and farms in your area. I found a couple of nearby resources that I hadn't known existed.

Yes, it costs somewhat more to eat Real food. I could feed my family a lot more cheaply if we ate from boxes at every meal. But you can make it work--even on a budget--if you learn to work your resources. This month's grocery bill will be more reasonable.

Eat Food

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Thus begins the introduction to Michael Pollan's latest book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. It's a call to action for people everywhere to move away from processed junk, to limit meat consumption and to depend once again on a wide variety of plants to nourish us. Mr. Pollan is not a vegan nor a raw foodist. He's not pushing a diet or any supplements. He simply wants us to go back to eating food in its recognizable forms and to stop relying on what the fake-food industries push on us--all things boxed, bagged and canned for our convenience.

This books walks us through food history, describing how man hath fallen from enjoying what nature intended for our nourishment, to devouring whatever scientists suggest. After pointing out some of the damage being done by currently popular food-like substances, Mr. Pollan spells out some specific steps the reader can take to move away from a Standard Western Diet and begin eating food which our great-great-grandmother's would recognize as such. (What the heck is a Frito anyway?)

This book has the nerve to suggest that we shouldn't stuff ourselves with whatever's cheapest and easiest to attain. It has the nerve to state plainly that scientists don't really know much about why certain foods are good for us. It has the nerve to encourage us to enjoy what we eat. It's a worthy read.

Should We Buy Organic?

The more I learn about about our food industry, the more I lean toward buying organic, locally-grown food. I'm fortunate to live in Southern California, near an organic farm. Even so, my budget still doesn't allow for me to buy all things organic. Perhaps I'll continue to discover resources that will allow me to buy all of my produce from local, sustainable, organic farms. Until then, I've got to include some conventionally grown foods.

Some conventionally grown produce is more likely to contain pesticides when it arrives in the store. Washing can get rid of surface residue, but the chemicals absorbed by the plant are there to stay. Buy locally grown when you can, and consider the following lists of most and least contaminated when deciding where to invest in organic.

12 Cleanest non-organic foods

1. Asparagus
2. Avocados
3. Bananas
4. Broccoli
5. Cabbage
6. Corn (though most is genetically modified)
7. Kiwis
8. Mangoes
9. Onions
10. Eggplant
11. Pineapples
12. Peas (sweet)

12 RISKIEST foods AKA "The Dirty Dozen"

1. Apples
2. Bell Peppers
3. Celery
4. Cherries
5. Imported Grapes
6. Nectarines
7. Peaches
8. Pears
9. Potatoes
10. Lettuce
11. Spinach
12. Strawberries & Raspberries

A more complete list can be found here.

My CSA Bounty

What a pleasure to pick up my first basket of fruits and vegetables from South Coast Farms yesterday! It was about 25 pounds of organic produce for $30. I paid in advance for the last quarter of the year, so I was holding my breath to see if I'd be happy with it. The variety included: tomatoes, cucumbers, oranges, broccoli, 2 kinds of lettuce, kale, basil, red peppers, carrots, melons, apples and peaches. Those are string beans and the most delicious grapes in the two paper bags on the left.

While I still have to supplement our produce at the grocery store, this will force me to include more variety in our meal rotations. The Farm sent recipe suggestions for the less commonly cooked, or uncooked, ingredients. I think this is going to work out just fine.

Mad props to Wonder Girl who washed and dried all the produce! She has her triple wash down!

Local Organic Food - A Great Source

This morning I slipped into the traffic flowing south on the 5 freeway and visited a local organic farm in San Juan Capistrano. South Coast Farms has a great stand, selling their own produce alongside fresh fruits and vegetables brought in from 5 other farms with which they're affiliated. They had almost everything I'd normally buy in my grocery store, but all organic. As I checked out, the cashier pointed out that one of my mangoes had a bad spot. "I won't charge you for that one," she said.

I went over to the farm office, a small red building with its entrance curtained by the fronds of a huge palm tree. The women there were as friendly and helpful as the cashier had been. I signed up for their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. A CSA allows consumers to prepay for their produce for a certain period of time. For the next three months, I'll get a 25lb box of produce every week, for $30 per week. It's mostly local and in season and all organic.

Many communities have CSA programs; some even deliver the produce to you. I didn't know the programs existed, or that there was one so close to me. Check out this CSA Directory to see what you can find in your own town, and support the organic farmers and get the freshest foods.