Send all your eco-inquiries to Jennifer Grayson at eco.etiquette@gmail.com. Questions may be edited for length and clarity.
In the past two years, I lost my job, ran out of unemployment...long story short, I'm now on food stamps. Any tips for how I can still eat healthy and maybe organic? (I used to buy organic when I had money.) I don't want to live on junk food.
-Jared
First off, I'm so sorry to hear that you're struggling right now. But you're in good, though probably far from gleeful, company: More than one in seven American households now relies on food stamps. That's up over 58 percent since the start of the recession.
Not surprisingly, with so may people on public assistance, much of the stigma associated with government subsidies has disappeared. Last year, Salon.com ran a feature about hipsters using food stamps to supplement their diet with roasted rabbit and triple-crème brie. This, however, is not one of those articles.
Eating healthy -- even organic -- shouldn't be viewed as a privilege for the liberal elite. In fact, it should be common sense. Throughout the course of human history, people weathered tough times by planting edible gardens on what little land they had and stretching out their limited meat supply with beans and whole grains. Now they waddle up to (or drive through) the nearest fast food establishment and order a double cheeseburger and fries.
I may sound insensitive, but I'm speaking (or rather, writing) the truth: The less money you have in the United States, the more likely you are to be overweight. Cheap food is crap food, thanks to an agricultural policy that subsidizes commodity crops like corn and soybeans. We have come to blindly accept that a bunch of carrots costs more than a king-size candy bar.
It should come as no surprise, then, that many states permit fast food establishments from KFC to Domino's to accept EBT cards (the modern day debit-card version of food stamps). After all, this is what we expect poor people to eat; being skinny is a luxury for those with macrobiotic food delivery services and regular Pilates sessions.
So when it comes to eating healthy on food stamps, the odds are stacked against you. To maximize your money, I suggest focusing first on unprocessed, locally grown foods rather than organic, per se. But if you're determined to eat organic -- whether to reduce pesticide exposure or do your part for the planet -- I still say it's doable. It will, however, take a bit of effort on your part.
(How do I know what it takes to stretch those food dollars? Disclosure: I have a close family member who is currently on food stamps. I was also raised by a single mom who cooked healthy homemade dinners every night, despite a full-time job and a sometimes below-the-poverty-line income.)
For starters, with the average benefit per person nationwide at just over $33 a week, you're going to have to change your notion of what it means to eat organic. Microgreens, goji berry smoothies, and line-caught salmon may be out of reach, but that doesn't mean you can't eat a well rounded -- even delicious -- diet. Here's what you need to know:
Learn how to cook, if you don't know how to already (unemployed = more time on your hands). Organic packaged/prepared foods waste precious funds; a home-cooked meal is almost always more nutritious, anyway.
Think inexpensive sources of protein like tofu and eggs. Learn how to use dried beans, and a $2.99 bag of organic lentils will serve up soup for several days. If you're a meat-eater, look for a cheap cut on sale and use it more as a condiment than the main event.
Shop in bulk and you'll save even more money on staples like nuts, beans, and grains. My local market sells organic oats in the bulk bin section for 89 cents a pound -- that's an entire week's worth of belly-filling breakfasts.
Remember the clean 15 and you can avoid pesticide exposure without actually buying organic; these conventional fruits and veggies are sprayed the least. Conventional onions top the list, so pinch extra pennies by buying these for your aforementioned lentil soup.
Look to the hundreds of farmers markets around the country that now accept food stamp benefits. Bonus: Get the most bang for your buck by shopping near closing time, when most farmers offer their end-of-day specials.
Don't overlook classic budget meals like a good old-fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Stick to natural, no-sugar peanut butter on whole wheat bread, throw in an organic apple, and you've got a nutritious, plant-based lunch that will also cut your carbon footprint.
Next column, I'll be heading to the market to take these tips to the test. Stay tuned!
Follow Jennifer Grayson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jennigrayson
Or put another way, if you're overweight, you're more likely to be poor. This is one of those social justice chants that not only puts the horse before the cart, but in fact fails to establish any connection between the cart and the horse ... or even that there's a real horse involved.
Not all poor people are fat. And not all poor people are victims of the system. Which facts relate to which outcome? Some people are poor through misfortune, some people are poor through defective impulse control and bad decision making skills. Some rich people are fat. Some rich people inherited their wealth, some earned it, and I suppose some stole it. Which characteristics match up to which outcomes?
Without establishing correlation, this is simply socioeconomic posturing. Thinking like this leads to bad policy decisions. Bad policy decisions spin off unintended consequences. I know, it's only an article on food, but gee whiz. We're at a point in this country where we REALLY NEED to practice good thinking. We're just about out of "do overs".
I don't blame anyone for this, I don't point a finger in accusation. But I do state it is a set of facts that I have observed with my own eyes. Poverty does not have to mean bad nutrition.
I do respect what you said, and I do understand that overcoming the hurdle of a crumbled cultural nutritional infrastructure is daunting.
Spring, summer & fall - hit farmers' markets, buy bulk OR grow a few container plants & if possible a small garden. Extra produce can easily be frozen depending on type.
It also depends on the other "stuff" that is bought. Some of this "stuff" can be made for much less & with some organic bulk products. Buy dry beans instead of canned, bags of oatmeal instead of individual packs..... Stretch your dollars.
I have been eating mainly organic for the past two and half years and the impact on my health (and weight) is amazing. I am not rich (at all) and friends are constantly asking me how I afford it.They usually respond by saying that eating organic is just too expensive for them. So I began wonder what the least amount of money was that I would need to eat Organic. So in December I decided to find out and attempt to live 85-95% Organic on less than $150.00 for one month. I learned first hand the importance of rice, beans, and eggs. I ended up spending $193.28 total for 31 Days and eating 87% of my food Organic.
For me one key aspect of eating organic on a very tight budget is coupons. I ended up saving $71.60 (37% of my total) with the use of coupons. If you have an internet connection and/or access to a library with a printer you can find some great (FREE) coupons. There are many sites that spell out the coupon scenarios for you- so you don't have to spend all day comparing deals.
It is all about mindset and planning. It might not be for everyone, but if you want to eat organic it can be done on a very tight budget.
More info on my personal blog "Budget Organic Challenge":
http://moderncrunch.com/organic_challenge/
Learn to can or dry what you grew. Keep yourself stocked for winter when fresh produce prices soar.
Buy organic milk and learn to make yogurt out of it. It's easy and far cheaper. A step up from this would be learning how to make simple cheeses.
Forage! It helps keep you in shape, keep you grounded (so to speak), and you can get a good amount of wild foods this way. (Consult your library first for identification books.)
Network. You might be able to make fantastic bread from organic whole grains. Your neighbor may make fantastic yogurt from organic milk. There's no reason you can't swap goods.
Learning to cook will be your biggest hedge for health. It is also a good thing to take on a pioneer mindset and discard most of our wasteful, modern ways. Drink more water. Take more walks. Learn new skills. Teach others what you've learned. Share.
Gleaning also!
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleaning
I can not speak for every area and supermarket but I find the following are cheap and will provide a lot of value when buying organic:
- Rice - It fills, it's versatile, and two cups cooked is usually a medium tuperware full.
- Potatoes - They can be as low as 80 cents per pound here. Which is in line with some of the non-organics funny enough. Another filling staple crop.
- Oats - Also, little known fact. You can make non-instant in the microwave. It just takes adjustments.
- Noodles!
- Natural Peanut Butter - Assuming you have no allergy, of course.
- Bulk nuts - Per pound a lot. But you won't need nor eat close to a pound.
- Oranges - Protip: the zest is healthy, flavorful, and because it's organic a more highly suggested thing to use.
- Bananas - Yes, I know, not the most eco thing in the grand scale but I find them often at the exact same price as non-organic.
- Carrots - Organic vegetables aren't cheap at the supermarket but mid-winter 1.19 a pound!
- Meat (if that's your thing) - Use less, but make it count. Take poor cuts and slow cook.
Shop around and note the sales. Learn what a good price is for your area. If you don't know, ask around. Best of luck to you. :)
But if money is tight, I wouldn't think about organic meat, dairy, or eggs, which generally cost twice as much as conventional, and we're still talking about a factory-farmed corn/soy-fed product in most cases. I would also be reluctant to pay more than a 25% premium on legumes, grains, and flours.
For example, the premium for organic strawberries is often less than 25%, and the consumer benefit is high because conventional strawberries are intensively sprayed and the flavor difference is noticeable.
If you pick your spots wisely, you can help push the food system without too much of an economic penalty. But on a tight budget, you really can't afford to pay $5/doz for organic eggs when the conventional eggs at $2-$2.50/doz are among the best nutritive values in the store and you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference in a blind taste test.
Don't know many people on a real budget who can afford strawberries, be they conventional or organic.
http://www.nyccah.org/programs/farm-fresh-initiative
Learning to cook is crucial. Loving to cook is a bonus.
Rice and beans baby! Bought in bulk these two are the basis of many meals while providing complete proteins.
Bulk oats are great. Make a big batch of oatmeal and freeze/refrigerate individual (or more) servings. Add nuts, syrup/honey and fruit, etc. when you reheat it. This saves money, isn't too hard and has the added benefit of being healthy and delicious. Relatively cheap & easy too.
Organic or no make sure and wash your produce. Vinegar helps.
Farmer's markets and local growers are the best!
I would ad...
Start a garden.
I just love picking a meal from the garden.
Gardening also helps reduce stress levels and gives you something worthwhile to do.
Jennifer you have a new fan.
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I live just south of Cape Canaveral in Florida which allows me to have a perpetual garden.
I am constantly adding to my garden. I removed my front lawn, except for a strip for the dog, and replaced it with raised beds.
My winter garden is winding down and the spring garden is going in.
I love knowing what went into my garden. It is all organic. The veggies all taste better than supermarket varieties too.
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Get the kids to help too!
The main costs being soil, planters, fertilizers and plants.
Everyone has a different situation and must adapt to theirs. I live by the beach in central Florida. I can grow year round but the soil is poor.
The soil here is sand so I either have to bring in soil or build it up. Building it up with organics is cheap but takes a while. It is worth it over the long haul. The way to do that is to constantly add organic material. Convert your yard waste into either compost or mulch. All compostable kitchen waste should be composted too. The compost will improve the soil by adding organics and nutrients. The mulch will help the soil retain moisture and will break down over time improving the soil. Bails of hay/straw are good for planter mulch and walkways and are fairly cheap at a feed store.
I use a variety of planters. I save all the pots from purchased plants and seedlings to start my own plants. I also collect them from others. Most people throw them away so if you are alert you should never have to buy any. Raised beds are nice and can be made from re-purposed wood or stones. Of course you can make a bed right in the ground as well. I would recommend a border around the bed to separate the improved soil.
TBC...