We have a locally owned store very similar to Whole Foods near us. This is where I went shopping the first time I was looking for “real food” ingredients. I naively thought it would be easy and that just by going to that store I was buying organic and real food. Not so. I quickly realized that not everything is organic and that just because it is sold in a whole foods store it may not necessarily be good for you. This realization and the realization that not everything labeled organic is even good for you made my first real food shopping trip a little like rocket science. I survived with all three kids in tow but I don’t really think I bought much that fit the rules of real food. At that point, I was just happy to have a plan and making more meals from home. Since then, I have become a bit more educated on ingredient lists so while it still takes time to look at the ingredients on an item I can quickly make the decision about whether or not to purchase it.
I got a ton of food and was very satisfied at how I managed to stay within budget too. Fast forward three weeks and I haven't had a full week's worth of shopping to do because I wanted to use up all the food we already had on hand (prior to my first shopping trip even). So, I still haven't really spent much at the grocery store. I am anxious to plan my first full week of meals, shop for all of the items, and see if I am still able to stay within budget.
I also tried out Trader Joes for the first time. They did have decent prices but I wasn't able to get everything I needed there. I am very much a shop at one store person so if I can manage to stay within budget at one store I would rather do that.
We also have a Life grocery store near us that I haven't been to yet but I plan to go there to see what all they have and check prices.
I have big dreams of being able to price out all of the recipes that I try and figure out how much they cost. Being realistic though, I might just be okay as long as I can stay within my weekly budget...we'll see!
This post is part of a series. To read previous posts in this series please click below:
Real Food – Series Introduction
Real Food - Learning and Making Changes
Real Food - Eating Habits/Changes
Disclaimer:I am not a nutritionist or any other food expert. All information shared here is based on my personal experience, research, and opinion. You are the only one who can make decisions regarding the health choices of you and your family.
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4 comments:
I applaud your ambition. We should all eat healthier and cheaper. I cannot comprehand how much work it would take to figure out how much each meal cost. I love the idea of only eating things with 5 or less ingredients, but that does cut out a lot. I feel like I am doing well if we eat in at all.
Aldi has cheap produce, but there is no way it could be a "one stop" store.
By the way, a friend of mine named Ellen M. used to manage that Life Grocery store. She may still work there. Tell her I said Hi.
Thanks so much for blogging your Whole Food journey! I am taking baby steps and some days it seems one step forward and five steps back but, we are making progress.
I will say though I loved the 100 Day Meal Plan -- I just do not have that much time in the kitchen during the school year. So, I cannot see myself making tortillas or bread from scratch.
Please keep blogging your journey! I love hearing how other families are making this plan work for them.
Hi Alicia,
I totally feel like you do sometimes (1 step forward 5 steps back). If I had to spend as much time schooling as you do I wouldn't be able to make quick progress either...not that I have it all figured out by any stretch of the imagination.
The time issue is what got me considering the once a month cooking but I am so not ready for that right now either. I think I am just going to do time intensive things every other week (if needed).
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