Tips for Eating Locally on a Budget
Change your mindset:
-Reframe thinking about spending money on fresh, local, and organic food as an investment, rather than a luxury.
-Prioritize spending money on food over other things.
Change your shopping habits:
-Every fruit and vegetable has a season. Within that season there is a peak season, which is the cheapest time to buy them. (check out the blog for a list of vegetables and when they are in season!)
- Walk around the farmers' market before you buy anything to compare prices.
- Don't go shopping when you're hungry to prevent over-buying.
- Get over "meat prejudice." Stewing cuts are cheaper than steak and hamburger. Whole animals and cuts with the bone in them are cheaper than, for example, a boneless, skinless chicken breast. Mutton is cheaper than lamb.
Change your cooking habits:
- Eat the whole vegetable (e.g. beet and the beet greens, chard leaves and stems).
- Use a slow cooker.
- Always cook enough to have leftovers.
Change your lifestyle:
- Grow your own fruits and veggies. If your yard is sunny and your neighbor's is shady, grow the appropriate plants in each of your plots and trade. If you don't have a yard, no worries! Growing your own herbs in pots is also great!
- Join a community garden or CSA
- Eat nutrient-dense foods. You'll need to eat less, and won't need to buy vitamin supplements.
-Reframe thinking about spending money on fresh, local, and organic food as an investment, rather than a luxury.
-Prioritize spending money on food over other things.
Change your shopping habits:
-Every fruit and vegetable has a season. Within that season there is a peak season, which is the cheapest time to buy them. (check out the blog for a list of vegetables and when they are in season!)
- Walk around the farmers' market before you buy anything to compare prices.
- Don't go shopping when you're hungry to prevent over-buying.
- Get over "meat prejudice." Stewing cuts are cheaper than steak and hamburger. Whole animals and cuts with the bone in them are cheaper than, for example, a boneless, skinless chicken breast. Mutton is cheaper than lamb.
Change your cooking habits:
- Eat the whole vegetable (e.g. beet and the beet greens, chard leaves and stems).
- Use a slow cooker.
- Always cook enough to have leftovers.
Change your lifestyle:
- Grow your own fruits and veggies. If your yard is sunny and your neighbor's is shady, grow the appropriate plants in each of your plots and trade. If you don't have a yard, no worries! Growing your own herbs in pots is also great!
- Join a community garden or CSA
- Eat nutrient-dense foods. You'll need to eat less, and won't need to buy vitamin supplements.
Rules of Thumb
- Pay attention to prices. Just like at supermarkets, prices vary market to market or even farmer to farmer. Try keeping records of prices of items at different places so you know when you've got a good deal.
- Don't plan dinner, instead buy what's cheap. See what is inexpensive and looks good at the market instead of looking for specific ingredients. If you don’t have a meal plan, you will find great food that you can then plan a meal around.
- Think more produce, less meat. Meat and poultry is often the most expensive items at food markets. If you can switch a lot of your vegetables from shipped to local the difference you make is huge.Pay attention to prices. Just like at supermarkets, prices vary market to market or even farmer to farmer. Try keeping records of prices of items at different places so you know when you've got a good deal.
- Prioritize your food! If you eat more eggs than eat fish, spend your budget buying local eggs! Once and a while purchases are great if they are local, but everyday eats add up at a faster rate.
- Don't plan dinner, instead buy what's cheap. See what is inexpensive and looks good at the market instead of looking for specific ingredients. If you don’t have a meal plan, you will find great food that you can then plan a meal around.
- Think more produce, less meat. Meat and poultry is often the most expensive items at food markets. If you can switch a lot of your vegetables from shipped to local the difference you make is huge.Pay attention to prices. Just like at supermarkets, prices vary market to market or even farmer to farmer. Try keeping records of prices of items at different places so you know when you've got a good deal.
- Prioritize your food! If you eat more eggs than eat fish, spend your budget buying local eggs! Once and a while purchases are great if they are local, but everyday eats add up at a faster rate.
Other Ways to Save
1. Pick your own.
Visiting a pick-your-own farm can yield greater results for less pay. Any excess food can be canned, frozen, or traded!
2. Can it.
Canning fruits and vegetables is a great way to save surplus. Buying in bulk is often cheaper, and canning ensures you don’t waste any of your food.
3. Find a community garden.
For those not blessed with a backyard, another option is to seek out a community garden. Not only will you get hands on experience growing food, whatever grows you get to eat!
4. Swap your food.
Oftentimes CSA’s or community gardens have an excess of one crop. If you know other members of your community who are part of CSA’s or community gardens set up a food swap. By trading extra you can have an even greater variety of produce without having to go out and buy more!
Visiting a pick-your-own farm can yield greater results for less pay. Any excess food can be canned, frozen, or traded!
2. Can it.
Canning fruits and vegetables is a great way to save surplus. Buying in bulk is often cheaper, and canning ensures you don’t waste any of your food.
3. Find a community garden.
For those not blessed with a backyard, another option is to seek out a community garden. Not only will you get hands on experience growing food, whatever grows you get to eat!
4. Swap your food.
Oftentimes CSA’s or community gardens have an excess of one crop. If you know other members of your community who are part of CSA’s or community gardens set up a food swap. By trading extra you can have an even greater variety of produce without having to go out and buy more!
Boston Bounty Bucks
The Food Project and the City of Boston have created the Boston Bounty Bucks program to help you eat locally no matter what your budget is. This program allows Boston Residents under SNAP (Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program) to shop at participating farmers markets and buy locally produced foods.
Want to learn more about Boston Bounty Bucks? Go to http://thefoodproject.org/bountybucks
Want to learn more about Boston Bounty Bucks? Go to http://thefoodproject.org/bountybucks