Last week I spent $8 on a box of spelt chocolate chip cookies, slightly cheaper than the flourless cashew cookies ($12.) This is entirely too much to spend on a luxury food, I know it, but I was having a lazy day and the snack attack struck rapidly, demanding cookies as payment. At least that’s how I justified it, it was still ridiculous and in the end an unnecessary purchase, and I could have made a tastier, more cost efficient cookie at home. 

I spend money on health food like it’s my job and to be honest, it kind of is. As a nutritionist it is very important for me to eat well and practice what I preach. I am quite minimalist, but, I do care about the quality of my food and if that means spending more money on it than most deem “reasonable” that’s alright. It’s what I think is important. Unfortunately health food in Canada is expensive so it is important to find budget friendly ways to eat healthy. These are some of my top tips for eating healthy on a budget.

1. Grow your own food – This year I grew my first garden full of fresh herbs, tomatoes and greens. Although my garden didn’t blossom into the masterpiece that first generation European Grandmothers are cranking out year after year, (I got busy, didn’t tend to it and turned into a small weed-forest-oops) I still had food I could eat.  From my garden! It tasted amazing and was a whole lot cheaper than buying it all at the grocery store. The Canadian climate doesn’t allow you to grow outside all year round but you can still cultivate some of the essentials indoors, such as herbs. You also have the option to can/bottle or freeze veggies and keep them throughout the winter.

2. Buy in bulk – I use a lot of nuts, seeds, and different flours, which can get pricey. The best way to save money on these products is to buy in bulk. A lot of health food stores have organic food in bulk.

3. CSA’s (community supported agriculture) and organic delivery services – This is a great way to support local farmers. CSA’s allow farmers to offer shares or memberships so consumers can receive fresh harvest. This is advantageous for both farmer and consumer and relatively budget friendly. Organic delivery services come right to your door with a box of produce with options to customize or get creative with new veggies/fruit you may not eat on a regular basis.

4. Eat seasonal and local/ visit farmers markets – The removal of a middle man (grocery store) is typically more cost effective than buying all your produce from the grocery store. Online services are available to allow consumers to check what produce is seasonal in their area (ontario.ca). Also it feels good to have a personal connection to your food and the farm it was grown on.

5. Eat more veggie meals – Let’s be honest, meat and fish are expensive in general. Especially if you are buying organic (which I recommend), so all aboard the bean and lentil train. Whether you are participating in meatless Monday’s or having daily veggie meals this will both cut costs and improve your overall health. There are a ton of amazing books and online resources that will help assist in this, some of my fav vegan cookbooks are: Ohsheglows by Angela linden, Thug Kitchen, Crazysexy Kitchen by Kris Carr, and Doug Mcnish vegan cookbook (or recipes I post on my blog cough cough).

6. Do your research/ search out sales – I know this takes extra time but if you can get $2 off organic cheese that’s a huge win. Pick up the flyers from your local health food store. Shop around to see what stores typically have the best prices on health food/supplements. For those of you who live in Toronto, one of my fav spots for affordable health food is Kensington market (Super cool down there).

So there you have it, no more excuses it’s time to start eating like you give a sh*t about your nutrition. 

To quote Jim Rohn ” Take care of your body it’s the only place you have to live”

Sylvie
OG lifestyles