Heidih Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 I'm just about ready to start my first whole30! I have been following quite a few women on instagram and loving all their delicious meals however these lovely ladies are located in the states where groceries are quite a bit cheaper then Canada...I know this first hand from vacationing there...I'm curious if there are any fellow Canadians out there on whole30 and if they had any tips on grocery shopping...my husband and I already eat a lot of fruits and veggies however we pay an arm and a leg for them and starting to buy and eat more scares me and my wallet lol Im so envious of what the American Costco's offer compare to ours even...any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonnaR Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Hi Heidi, I am also Canadian, I try to buy the items that are on sale and are in season. Depending on were you might live in Canada, this could be pretty tough (season that is-what grows when it is -30). As soon as the Farmers Markets are up and running I go to them as well to get my produce. One thing that I did do late last summer is that I over bought on some of the seasonal items that were fairly cheap at that time but I knew would sky rocket once the colder months were upon us and I froze alot of them to use during the winter. Alot of it was fruit because I did not find out about the Whole30 until recently. So in the upcoming months I will be doing the same thing and try to incorporate veges. If you like carrots, they are usually cheap. I buy the 10 lb bag at Costco and peel and cut them up and have them ready whether to eat raw or cook. Hope this helps! Donna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malie Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I have no tips, but I sure sympathize! Our monthly groceries budget line has had to be beefed up big time since we went paleo/Whole30. But it's worth it to feel great and fuel your body and health. I have come to learn that I just can't get organic, grass-fed, free-run, pastured, etc. very often or even at all. So my eggs aren't always happy, oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidih Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 Thanks so much ladies I really appreciated it! I am in Nova Scotia with tones of Farming around me so I'm patiently waiting for the farm markets to get up and running... and will certainly stock up and freeze what I can... I as well wont be getting a ton of organic or grass-fed either so Im totally with yah there! We need some of these awesome companies to come north! like Trader Joe's and Whole foods! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadiankim Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Hi Heidi. I live in Manitoba, and have found that if I plan my meals and buy as much as I can in-season, then I actually don't spend too much. I've shopped at Whole Foods in Vancouver and found the prices to be high and unreasonable. So I prefer to shop for fresh veggies and fruits (you can always get carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash fairly reasonably) at my local stores and then buy my meat in bulk packages of chicken breasts or ground turkey, for example. A freezer is an invaluable help, as others have mentioned! Also, I shop often so that my fresh food is not spoiling and wasted. This makes a big difference! Because I am buying "real food" and not condiments or packages, I actually find I'm not spending money on those things at all. Eggs are always in my fridge, for example, but expensive cheese never is. So that helps. Yes, almonds and chicken breasts are expensive, but I don't buy peanut butter or packaged treats. And I'm not ordering out of eating at restaurants the way I did before starting my Whole 30. I love farmers markets and that's when I have a lot more options here in Manitoba. But prices can be high there too, so it's a matter of balancing the quality with the price. I may not always purchase grass-fed organic if I the price is too high....so I try to focus on making good choices within the Whole 30 and if I can go the extra way, I will. Hope that helps. Thanks for posting this question - always great to chat as Canadians! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiquiry Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Hi there, I am from Alberta. We have decent selection of veggies and beef/pork. Not so much with fresh chicken or fish or fruit. I try to go for organ meats to stay on budget, I actually like it. I also try to buy whatever us seasonal and on sale. I haven't explored farmers markets here yet, but I am looking forward to some local cucumbers. Thanks so much ladies I really appreciated it! I am in Nova Scotia with tones of Farming around me so I'm patiently waiting for the farm markets to get up and running... and will certainly stock up and freeze what I can... I as well wont be getting a ton of organic or grass-fed either so Im totally with yah there! We need some of these awesome companies to come north! like Trader Joe's and Whole foods!Where from Nova Scotia are you? I have a friend from Halufax who is starting his whole30 in few days. He is still trying to figure out where to buy produce and meats. I know you guys have a huge advantage with the best seafood! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidih Posted June 4, 2014 Author Share Posted June 4, 2014 Hi there, I am from Alberta. We have decent selection of veggies and beef/pork. Not so much with fresh chicken or fish or fruit. I try to go for organ meats to stay on budget, I actually like it. I also try to buy whatever us seasonal and on sale. I haven't explored farmers markets here yet, but I am looking forward to some local cucumbers. Where from Nova Scotia are you? I have a friend from Halufax who is starting his whole30 in few days. He is still trying to figure out where to buy produce and meats. I know you guys have a huge advantage with the best seafood! I live in the Annapolis Valley...so in a few weeks once our farm markets are fully stocked I will be set...I bought beautiful pork chops at costco last week, they were a great price and lovely cut of meat. Pete's frutique will be awesome for your friend as far as fresh and tones of variety... I married a fisherman's son so fish and lobster are easy for us... I did find Wholly Guacamole at super store tonight which is Whole30 approved! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidih Posted June 4, 2014 Author Share Posted June 4, 2014 Thanks again everyone for your awesome support and suggestions! Love hearing that fellow canadians are doing this as well...I found out about whole30 actually following a few blogs and from instagram of all places! However all the lovely ladies were from the states and like I said before they have so much more options and selections there... Im on Day 3 and doing ok...fruit and veggies are adding up $$$ but our Farm markets are just getting up and running so I will be in luck very soon... Im a shift worker and work nights and came to work with a little less food then normal last night so the chocolate cake and peanut butter cookies were staring me in the face! didnt even have a sniff and tonight they are still here and I could care less! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiquiry Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Heidih, I am jealous of all the lobster and seafood you guys have, and blueberries haha Great job on wining the stare off with the cake. My morning started with a tray of timbits. Usually I would be so tempted, but not anymore. Does Costco in NS sell grass fed meats? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chantelle Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Hey fellow Canadians, I've found here in BC that joining a CSA ( community supported agriculture) is super affordable to get organic local veggies. When it comes to meat, if you can put down the chunk of change ( wish I could) to buy 1/4 or 1/2 of a pastured cow, your in the money, per pound it's even cheaper than conventional without all the gmo feed and hormones. BC is really expensive but I think it comes down to priorities, cut the cable bill to buy more nourishing food, bike instead of drive, ditch the cell phone (haha I know most people are rolling there eyes but i assure you there is life after cell phone) Anyhow happy times for us now, abundance is just around the corner and it's like those -30 days never existed at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna M. Holland Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I am on my second day of Whole30 and I am in BC, glad to meet some other Canadians!!! I am totally jealous of the lobster as well, we have tons of great seafood here (I am on Vancouver Island) but I know from experience that NOTHING is better than Nova Scotia lobster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiquiry Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 A friend of mine dared me to try a gigantic fresh prawn off the boat at Granville Island. It was actually very tasty, like sashimi. Where do you guys source grass fed meet? Is it grass finished? I am still confused about this whole thing, it appears to be different than in the states due to regulations. Also, all pastured chicken we get in Calgary is from BC somewhere by Kelowna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmcbrien Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Hello all, I am in Calgary and actually get food delivered from Spud.ca - the meat deliveries are frozen but good. I usually go for stuff from TK Ranch which is Alberta based. I believe they. Are also in Vancouver and Edmonton.... Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiquiry Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I'm waiting to try spud, a friend of mine promised me a coupon for 1st time users. Can't wait till she comes back from vacation. I think she bought few coupons for spud.ca on livingsocial, but not sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiquiry Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 How do I delete post hmm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiquiry Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Here is the referral code for spud for $40 off if any one is interested to try it. Details: 1. Go to http://www.spud.ca/refer%C2'> 2. Enter your information and add referral code CRCAL-KRYOKS to the field marked "Referral Code" 3. This referral code entitles you to $40 off your first order. Another code for those who are members already is SPUD25 at checkout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiquiry Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Sorry my mobile forum app glitches... I can't see how to delete my post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paleomedic Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I'm in Canada too! We did a freezer order for our meat with a company that sources grass fed beef and free range chickens. I'm in SW Ontario so lots of farms around for farmers markets and CSA orders. I've been eating Paleo for a while a while so I didn't notice a change in the cost of my groceries yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tygger Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Hello, I'm also from SW Ontario, just hit a bunch of markets and farms up today. I will definitely be putting my name on the CSA list with a local farm next year, it makes it a bit cheaper, if it was a good year! I have been mainly eating SCD for the past while and look forward to starting the Whole30 tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidih Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Heidih, I am jealous of all the lobster and seafood you guys have, and blueberries haha Great job on wining the stare off with the cake. My morning started with a tray of timbits. Usually I would be so tempted, but not anymore. Does Costco in NS sell grass fed meats? Im not sure if costco sells grass fed meats...we buy a bit of meat there but really have never paid attention! I will check next time I am in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidih Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Heidih, I am jealous of all the lobster and seafood you guys have, and blueberries haha Great job on wining the stare off with the cake. My morning started with a tray of timbits. Usually I would be so tempted, but not anymore. Does Costco in NS sell grass fed meats? oh and the lobster! I married a lobster fisherman's son! say no more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidih Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 I am on my second day of Whole30 and I am in BC, glad to meet some other Canadians!!! I am totally jealous of the lobster as well, we have tons of great seafood here (I am on Vancouver Island) but I know from experience that NOTHING is better than Nova Scotia lobs I married a lobster fisherman's son! however its not lobster season right now! actually just started eating lobster 7 years ago! grew up on the ocean and didnt like seafood! that has since changed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidih Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Hey all! I've been done my first whole30 since July 1 and found getting the fresh produce was very easy once our farm markets opened up and it wasn't as pricey as it was at first! Did anyone fall off the wagon after their first whole30? and if so did you immediately start another whole30? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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