Local Baltimore Shopping Tips

Okay, friends. I’ve been hearing a lot of concern about the price of healthy eating and I’m here to tell you that you can eat healthy AND organic on a budget. Deals I found at Trader Joe’s last week:

*10 ORGANIC granny smith apples: $2.49 (24 cents per apple) This is less expensive than many nonorganic apples!
*4 ORGANIC avocados: $3.49 (87 cents per avocado) This is less expensive than the nonorganic avocados I typically buy which are $1.29 each! I bought 3 bags because this is a steal on vegan protein as far as I’m concerned.
*8 ORGANIC limes: $1.99 (24 cents per lime) I typically buy nonorganic limes for 25 cents a piece…
*11 large navel oranges: $3.99 (36 cents per orange)

 

Other things I picked up Trader Joe’s…

 

*ORGANIC arugula $2.49

*16 oz carton ORGANIC grape tomatoes $3.79

*ORGANIC, Vegan, Gluten Free, Whole Grain Dijon Mustard $1.79

*Large bag mixed nuts $3.99

*Hummus On Sale $2.99

*1 lb Vegan Whole Wheat Tortilla Wraps $2.29

 

Other places I like to shop…

 

Richardson’s Farm, White Marsh, MD

They carry 1 lb bags of fresh, local grown spinach for $1.89 and 2 lb bags of fresh, local grown kale, collards, mustard greens, and other greens for $2. Their produce is nonorganic, but minimal pesticides are used.

 

Giant

They carry many Nature’s Promise organic products. Make sure to get a Giant card so that you get the best price on everything. My favorites are:

*Bag of 12 organic apples (three varieties to choose from) $5.49

*Organic leafy green containers $3.99 ($4.99 without Giant card)

Organic Versus Nonorganic

Please keep in mind that when it comes to organic versus nonorganic, while I am an advocate of organic, I have read multiple times that it is better to eat nonorganic produce than to eat no produce at all. I know it can be overwhelming for people when they become interested in healthy living and are bombarded with all of these different concerns—pesticides, GMOs, local versus organic, prices. I do not want to discourage anybody from converting to a whole foods lifestyle because of the prices of organic food. In fact, I have also read that in many of the studies regarding how a plant-based vegan lifestyle dramatically improves people’s health, conventional produce was used. Here are some things to keep in mind:

 

1.) What you are NOT eating is often more important than what you are eating. It is MOST important to eliminate processed food, fast food, junk food, and contaminated animal products. Getting rid of these toxic products is the best thing you can do for your body.

 

2.) Produce, organic or not, is far LESS expensive than animal products. By eliminating processed food, fast food, junk food, and animal products, you will be saving a significant amount of money to in turn, spend on less expensive items like fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, rice, etc…

 

3.) Adding fruit and vegetables to the diet you already have is going to seem expensive. If you’re a traditional meat eater (eggs for breakfast, turkey for lunch, chicken or beef for dinner) and you decide to add some organic grapes and celery into that diet, you will feel like you’re spending extra money. You cannot just add, you must replace. Make the conscious choice to eliminate all breakfast items from your grocery list. No longer purchase cereals, eggs, bagels, waffles and use that money to purchase high quality fruits and veggies for smoothies.

 

4.) Pick your battles. Use the Clean Fifteen list as a reference sheet. Shop for bargains. Go with your gut. Stock up on what’s on sale and in season. Pick your staples when you’re on a budget. For example, no matter what I else I choose to eat there are two nonnegotiable items always on my grocery list: bananas and leafy greens. Bananas fill me, give me good calories, and are extremely cheap and leafy greens are ESSENTIAL for a healthy, alkaline body. Aside from these two things, I am flexible. If mangos are on sale, I buy mangos. If apples are in season, I buy apples. If I have the extra money, I splurge on fresh berries.

 

5.) I will say it over and over again: grow your own food! Don’t let the next garden season get away from you. Do some research. Plan ahead. Make this the year you feed your family the old fashioned way.

Grocery Shopping Tips

Let’s talk groceries! I wanted to share with you guys that I do not buy strictly organic. I buy organic, local grown, and clean fifteen. When it comes to small local farms sometimes they cannot afford or do not find it cost effective to pay for the organic certification fines, but they use very minimal pesticides, none in some cases. You have to do your own research, talk to your local farmers, an…d decide what is safest and most cost effective for you. I shop on a budget just like everybody else so I pick my battles. For example, apples are known to be sprayed with a ridiculous amount of chemicals and pesticides. I do not buy apples every week, but when I do get them I choose organic. Avocados and pineapples on the other hand are on the Clean Fifteen list, which means they are safe to buy nonorganic because they are rarely sprayed and have thick shells to protect them from chemicals and pesticides. Buying in-season fruits and veggies is another awesome way to save. For instance, spinach is a cold weather leafy green and is in season right now so you should be able to find it local and cheap. Watermelons on the other hand are a summer fruit. I just saw them for $11.99 at the grocery store! Out of season fruit is much more expensive. Here are my top three tips for stretching your dollar:

 

1.) Buy in bulk and in season. When it’s berry season, go berry picking at a local organic farm and buy a lot. Freeze them for winter smoothies when they are out of season. Consider buying a case of bananas and asking for a 10-20 percent discount from your local grocery store. Chop and freeze chunks of the ripe bananas you aren’t ready to use and use them for smoothies later.

 

2.) Grow your own food! I advocate organic gardening for anybody with a yard, a patch of land alongside their house, a porch, a flat roof, or a windowsill. If New Yorker’s can do it, so can we. Find the space or use a gardening box/pot. Whether you can find room for a giant plot or just one small pot for tomatoes, you will save yourself money and peace of mind by growing your own pesticide/chemical-free food.

 

3.) Reduce your consumption of animal products. You have MUCH more to worry about when eating pesticide/chemical/antibiotic/disease-filled animal products than you do when eating nonorganic produce. Nonorganic meat poses a great health risk of things like cancer and heart disease. Families often find organic meat to be way too expensive as it is more reflective of the cost of true meat production and not the unsustainability of factory farming. My suggestion is to save your money altogether and choose delicious, simple vegetarian meals that are already familiar to your family like spaghetti without meat in the tomato sauce, veggie burgers, beans and rice. You don’t have to worry about whether to spend $4 on nonorganic chicken or $10 on organic chicken when you choosing bean protein for $1 or less.

One Seed at a Time

They fill grocery stores with 80 percent GMO, chemical-filled, pesticide-sprayed, FAKE food that either didn’t exist 50 years ago or existed but was not contaminated. Then the entire population is sick with one thing or another, overweight in their 20’s, having heart attacks in their 40’s, DYING in their 60’s. Millions more children than ever are diagnosed with things like ADHD and Autisim. Girls bodies develop into women’s bodies in elementary school now. People of all ages have every type of cancer you could imagine…And not to say that every problem in the world boils down to food, but there is something SEVERELY wrong here. But people accept it as status quo. Far too few people ever stop to question what is happening to their bodies or put two and two together. God forbid if it was all as simple as what we are putting into our bodies every single day, 365 days a year. What a crazy idea that drinking chemical flame retardant soda and consuming diseased animal flesh could have anything to do with our health??? Well, I say we stop talking about it and actually DO something. Your money is your vote. If you chose to spend it on McDonald’s rather than produce, than you are saying you’re satisfied with the conspiracy as is. But wouldn’t it be great if we all banded together and made a real change. If we took responsibility for everything we consumed and put back out into the earth? Wouldn’t it be great if all of us committed to growing an organic garden this summer, big or small, whatever space you have will do. If people can manage on their windowsills and balconies in New York, surely we can. All I know is this generation has NO excuse. We don’t live in the time our grandparents lived. When people SMOKED in hospitals and there was no internet and people didn’t know the dangers of factory farming and pesticides. We live in a time where everyone knows what’s going on. You know that a documentary on factory farming is a horror film. You know that apples are sprayed with poison. You know that 80 percent of grocery store products are not real food. You know that our way of life is unsustainable. You know that people are sick and overweight and that we are the guinea pigs for the GMO project. We know what’s going on and we can absolutely change it if not for the world, than for ourselves and our families, one dollar, one meal, and one planted seed at a time.

Antioxidant Protein Smoothie

Antioxidant Protein Smoothie

Serves One

 

1 banana

1 cup blueberries, frozen

1 cup almond milk

1/3 cup pecans

½ cup ice

½ cup water

Blend all ingredients and enjoy ❤

 

Why this smoothie?! Blueberries slow vision loss, break down belly fat, lower blood sugar, keep your bladder clean, and protect against cancer and heart disease. These little berries have awesome benefits for people of all ages. They help develop your little ones’ bones and as well as reduce age-related memory loss. Don’t forget the pecans and almond milk for a serving of natural, uncontaminated protein.

Mango Smoothie

Another easy smoothie for those of you who aren’t ready to take the plunge and drink something green…

 
1 fresh mango, extra ripe (should be soft to the touch)

1 red navel orange

1 lime

1 banana

1 cup vanilla almond milk

1 cup ice

 

Peel and slice fruits. Add all ingredients to the blender. Blend. Enjoy ❤

Best Yet Berry Smoothie

Best Yet Berry Smoothie

1 cup red seedless grapes
1/2 cup cranberries
2 cups frozen mixed berries (raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, strawberry)
3 bananas
1 cup cold water

Blend all ingredients at once.

Tropical Green Smoothie

Tropical Green Smoothie

Serves two

 

3 cups fresh local spinach

2 cups cold water

3 bananas

2 cups frozen mango

1 cup carrot, finely chopped

1 whole lime, skinned

 

Blend spinach and water first until smooth. Add remaining ingredients.

Three Bean Quinoa Chili

Three Bean Quinoa Chili

 

Ingredients

1 cup brown lentils (will expand to 2 cups when cooked)

1 cup quinoa or quinoa rice blend (will expand to 2 cups when cooked)

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 red bell peppers

2 yellow bell peppers

2 green bell peppers

1 onion

1 carton mushrooms

2 cups cooked red kidney beans

1 can vegetarian brown beans

4 diced tomatoes or 2 cans diced tomatoes

Whole garlic bulb (About 10-15 garlic cloves)

Pepper to taste

Chili powder to taste

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place about 10 peeled garlic cloves in a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, fresh ground pepper, and a pinch of sea salt. Fold up the corners of the foil so the liquid does not drip out. Roast garlic in oven for about 25 minutes.

 

Wash brown lentils and pick through to remove any shriveled lentils, debris, or rocks. Combine 1 cup brown lentils with 2 cups water and a few chopped garlic cloves in a large pot. Bring water to a rapid boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered for 20-30 minutes. Add an extra cup of water if needed.

 

In a separate pot, bring 1 cup quinoa to a boil, then reduce heat, simmering on low for about 20 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, simmer bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms on medium to low heat in a frying pan with 1 cup water and a chopped garlic clove. Add a dash of chili powder. Do not overcook these vegetables. Bell peppers should still be somewhat crunchy and colorful.

 

Combine cooked brown lentils, cooked quinoa, cooked brown rice, vegetables, beans, and remaining ingredients in a large pot. Remove garlic cloves from the oven. Smash and stir them into the pot along with chili powder and pepper to taste.

Stuffed Tomatoes

Stuffed Tomatoes

 

This simple 25 minute recipe is quick, cheap, and cruelty-free! Not to mention absolutely delicious. Tomatoes never tasted so good…

 

Ingredients

4 medium tomatoes

1 cup brown rice, cooked (will make more than one cup)

1 carton mushrooms, chopped

½ red onion, chopped

¼ lb fresh local spinach, chopped

¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

7-10 garlic cloves, chopped

1 ½ cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

Pepper to taste

 

Simmer mushrooms, red onion, spinach, and several garlic cloves in vegetable broth for about 5 minutes. Allow other vegetables to cook first, adding spinach last. Mix cooked brown rice in with vegetables. Next, cut a circle into the tomatoes and scoop out the insides. Stuff tomatoes with rice/veggie mix and remaining garlic cloves. Drizzle each stuffed tomato with vegetable broth. Top with sunflower seeds and fresh pepper. Cook in a small pan with 1 cup water on 350 for about 25 minutes.