Eating Well on a Budget

One of the most common objections we hear when we start talking about making healthy, organic, locally grown and fair trade food choices is that it costs more money. Well, yes, it can. Sometimes, the family budget is stretched so thin that this is a legitimate reason to rely on the cheapest food available. Many times, however, our unwillingness to spend more money on better food is simply a reflection of our spending priorities--cable TV over fair trade coffee, for example. We all have to make these kinds of choices, many of them difficult with lots of angles.

I would encourage people making such choices to remember the idea that where our treasure is reflects where our hearts are. We also need to be aware of "externalized costs"--that is, sometimes the price we pay for an item doesn't reflect its true cost. In the case of coffee, when we pay less on our end, it usually means the person who harvested the coffee also got paid less than a living wage, in essence paying for our cheap coffee. In the case of cheap, processed foods, we may pay less out of pocket at the register, but more in the long run from the physical effects of ingesting more chemicals, fat, sugar and salt than we should.

Eating well on a budget doesn't just have to mean eating rice and beans for every meal (although rice and beans can be prepared in some incredibly delicious ways), but it does mean being more creative with our food preparation and finances. Here are some practical suggestions for eating good food without breaking the bank...

• Learn how to cook. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to be skilled in the art of cooking. You don't have to be a gourmet chef, but you should be able to make creative, delicious meals from a variety of whole, inexpensive, staple ingredients, including using up all of your specialty ingredients like organic vegetables and meats.


• Shop local farmer's markets and local grocery store sales. Contrary to prevalent opinion, farmer's markets are not more expensive and often are cheaper because of the direct market (meaning wholesalers and grocery stores don't have to get a cut). Supporting a locally-owned grocery store, especially in your neighborhood, means more of your limited dollars stick around to contribute to your local economy instead of lining corporate pocket who-knows-where.


• Plan ahead and eat at home. You can save money on your grocery bills and make efficient use of what you have in the house if you know what you're going to make ahead of time, instead of running to the store or market multiple times or settling for more expensive prepared foods because you're pressed for time.


• Get a farmer's permission to glean in local fields. Most rural areas have networks of people who are tapped into what grows in which fields and when. Spending some time to get educated about local agriculture and building relationships with farmers can really pay off in terms of lots of free food that you can eat, preserve, store or give away to people in need.


• Grow some of your own food. This is a good supplementary option for people who have more time than money, as well as those who crave a couple of special luxury items that can be grown in the back yard for much cheaper. If you don't have room at your home or you've never gardened before, consider joining a community garden where you can enjoy company and free advice.


• Eat less (and better) meat and dairy. Animal products should be chosen with special care, since they depend on the lives of creatures who depend on us. Rather than buying the cheapest eggs, milk, cheese, meat and other animal products, eat less of these items and find local sources you can trust. You'll be able to invest a little more in quality and save money overall to invest in other items like local organic produce.


• Share meals. As the number of people around the table increases, the cost per person goes down. Math isn't my strong suit, so don't ask me how it works, but it does. The best setting for sharing meals regularly is a shared household, but you might also consider holding a weekly potluck with a couple of neighbors.


• Barter with local farmers. Some Community Supported Agriculture farms already have a system for work shares, where you serve for a certain number of hours in exchange for all or part of your produce share. Other farmers might be open to the idea if you just ask.


• Eat wild foods. Most of us have had the experience of stumbling on wild blackberries, but did you know you can eat most parts of a cattail? Or that garlic mustard is an invasive species that adds a great flavor to soups and salads? The more you know about wild foods, the more you can find free food growing almost anywhere you go.


• Dive in dumpsters! Yep, you read that right and here's a great article about why a Christian might be into such an activity.

Obviously, not all of these options will appeal to all people. My point is that with some creativity, there are so many possibilities for eating well even if you don't have a lot of money to spare. Believe me: I speak from experience.

That said, even those of us with moderate income should never let our relative privilege blind us to reforming our food systems so that they benefit all people, not just the wealthy. What if kids from low-income, inner-city families learned how to grow and maintain urban gardens as a means of accessing fresh, free produce? What if you and a few neighbors organized canning festivals to preserve locally-grown tomatoes for the neighborhood food pantry? What if your church started a garden and sponsored a penny farmer's market once a week during the growing season for those who can't afford fresh foods? We shouldn't let any obstacle be an excuse to shut off our imaginations to the infinite possibilities for making good food accessible to all people.