Which to choose?

[Taleena Ratliff]

I am going to be doing the Whole30 soon, but am feeling a little overwhelmed. We live in a very small town, with only a Walmart and a Brookshire's. The closest Natural Grocers is 45 miles away. My husband and I are both college students, with a 2 year old, and on a very tight budget. I know that we are not going to be able to afford the good quality meat we would like, or organic produce. My thought is that I will be basically do a Whole 30 with what we have available, food wise, and eventually do another Whole 30 and continue to improve our diet when we can afford better quality foods. Does this even sound worth it? Our budget will be $350 per month to feed 2 adults and one child. We survive off this now, but that's all we do is survive. All of us have health problems, and none of us are as healthy as we could be. I think that once I get the hang of cooking and meal planning, I will probably be able to afford some organic produce, but I know that there is no way we could even afford grass-fed organic beef, which is around $6+ dollars per pound. Does anyone have any tips or ideas for finding good, affordable food, and reaaallllyy stretching the dollars?

[TracyP]

Try http://paleoonabudget.com/

Also, grass fed is suggested but not required. They say buy the best quality you can afford, so buy what you can and do as they suggest and cut off the fat. Replace with coconut oil and olive oil.

Do an Internet search for local farmers in your area... You might be surprised and what you might be able to buy direct from the farmer. Order some thing's online Amazon has some great prices on pantry items. Know anyone that hunts? That might be a good source of quality protein for you depending on the season... It can be done and is completely worth it. Do the best you can with what you have... It will improve your health and your energy level... Nothing is perfect no matter how hard you try... So do the best you can, you will see results!

[AmyS]

Do it! Buy compliant foods that you can afford. You won't regret it.

[Sharon Simpson Thumann]

Do you have a Costco or Sams? You should be fine shopping at the two stores you mentioned though. Don't worry about buying the best of the best unless you find a really good sale. Wal-Mart has some a decent selection of affordable meats, fish and veggies. Don't be afraid to buy frozen veggies and fish, be sure to trim or drain fat from conventional meats. Roasting whole chickens can stretch meals, also chicken legs and thighs are reasonable, I remove the skin. Soups and stews are also a good way to stretch meals. The only meat I shy away from unless it's pastured is pork.

[dragonfly7]

Do the best you can with the money you have. For my family, that means all of our eggs are local, cage-free, and organic, a pound of grass-fed ground beef each week or so, and some organic vegetables (usually lettuce and carrots). The rest is conventional. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

Try searching for local farmers at http://www.localharvest.org. That is how I found my eggs, and when our budget can include local grass-fed beef, I have a few options available.