But Aren't Raw Fruits and Vegetables Expensive?

A resounding YES! They are expensive. I will spare you the spiel of how the costs are less than in the long run, how do you place a price on your health, etcetera etcetera blah blah blah. We've all heard it before. Bottom line: how do you fit this into your budget now? Most of us can't wait to reap the financial benefits ten years from now.

As a single mom on a strict budget, I have found a few ways to mitigate the high cost of raw fruits and vegetables.

First, I buy a lot of my produce at Costco - the spinach, tomatoes, pears, pineapple, avocado and bell peppers, to name a few. The trick here, though, is staying on the perimeter of the store and not walking out with "extra" items. You don't save anything if you spend even 20 bucks more on things you didn't come for (when in reality, most of us spend much more "extra" than that).

Second, find a local market. The local markets tend to be less expensive. I don't know why, but they are. You can also get more personal service at a local market.

Third, shop in bulk! There's not many stores left that still sell food in bulk, but health food stores like Good Earth still do. If you don't have a Good Earth store near you, almost any health food store will sell in bulk. I buy all of my nuts and seeds in bulk. You're saving money because you buy only what you need, plus you're not paying for packaging that's only going to end up in the landfill. Choose a store with high turnover to ensure you're getting the freshest products.

Fourth, and this may seem obvious, purchase what's in season, which will vary depending on where you live. If you don't have quality seasonal produce, buying frozen fruits and vegetables are a good backup. They're usually less expensive than their fresh, off-season counterparts and, it can be argued, is probably healthier than something that was picked 6 weeks ago and is still sitting on your grocer's shelf. 

Fifth, grow what you can. I grow my own sprouts with a sprouter I picked up at Good Earth. The sprouts cost pennies on the dollar and we always have the freshest sprouts available for sandwiches and salads. My oldest son even likes sprouts in his smoothies. If you're in a position to grow a garden, do it. Unless, of course, you have a brown thumb and kill everything you touch... no, wait, that's me... You can also grow those expensive fresh herbs.

Do you have other ways of reducing the cost of healthy foods? I'd love to hear from you!