I feel VERY fortunate to live in the Midwest USA, surrounded by many farms. A year ago I purchased an upright frost-free freezer (it holds about 450 lbs of meat). I used the Internet and did extensive research to find farms near to me. For the last 6 months I have only had meat from local farms. I purchase about 1/4 bison or 1/2 pig or lamb at a time, 10 chickens or some rabbits, 1/4 deer from hunters, etc. Everything is organic and naturally raised (grass-fed). I pay around $3.00 per pound on the average for all this meat and fat and organs. That is the average cost once processing costs are figured in. This includes tenderloin bison steaks, bacon, venison steaks, turkeys, pheasants, sausage, lamb chops, pork chops, ground bison (with ground heart), ground lamb, etc... that is the average price for all of the different meats. I often go in with others to buy larger amounts at even cheaper prices. Plus, I can communicate directly with the grower and processor of my food. I get what I want, things I could never get from the grocery store. I have tons of pig lard for frying eggs and bison fat to render for pemmican. I have the best (nitrate free) bacon I have ever tasted. The fat from these animals is around 1:1 ratio omega 6/3. That is optimal. The normal factory-farmed, grain-fed meat is like 20:1... add in all the grains most people consume, and you are looking at 30 to 60:1 ratios of omega 6/3 fat... horrible for the cells of any living mammal! It is no wonder why so many people have so many health problems!
I also get range free eggs from friends who have a bunch of South American chickens. I get these eggs very cheap. These chickens roam completely free. They produce the most beautiful eggs I have ever seen. I often eat the yolks raw. Taste wonderful (and talk about nutritious!). Other than that, I get whole fruits and veggies and some nuts and seeds that I put on salads. I try to buy in-season produce that is cheaper or on sale. It really does not cost me much every week to buy fresh produce. I drink herbal tea (at less than 5 cents per cup) and ice water. I never eat out. My food money is going to healthy food. Period. I eat for my health. I try to make interesting and tasty dishes, but I eat for my health over all other considerations. And I reep the reward of feeling wonderful because of it!
I love it when someone says how "expensive" my diet is. I just have to laugh, knowing how much this same person (a typical consumer) is spending every day for coffee at coffee shops, drinks at bars (and/or restaurants), fast food at drive-thrus, gum, sodas, candy, chips, etc at convenience stores, boxes and cans and bags of processed JUNK at grocery stores, etc. Not to mention soft drinks and alcoholic beverages and cigarettes and the list goes on... and of course all the headache medicine, digestive aids, cold/flu/sinus medicine, doctor visits, etc, that go along with that lifestyle.
I don't think Paleo diets are expensive at all!
But, I AM very fortunate to live in the Midwest, surrounded by farms (and quite a few progressive farms at that). Check the internet, do some searches, find others who you can buy bulk with. Negotiate with local farmers. It is do-able to reduce the cost of eating what nature evolved you to eat.
Last edited by PaleoDeano : Fri, Apr-16-04 at 15:38.
|