4 May 2010

The Plight of the College Student

Recently, I got an email from reader Brooke, who asked a question I get fairly often:

I’ve always been interested in eating healthy and, just naturally, am kind of an “organic eater.” However, in college, I don’t have the money to necessarily shop at the organic, health food markets. Do you have any tips and tricks about ways to eat healthy and organic (or minimally processed) on a budget?

Oh yes, the plight of the healthy college student! Low on funds, but high on aspirations to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Before I get into some tips and tricks for Brooke, let me say one thing about organic food: It’s nice, but it’s not the most important thing. WHAT you’re eating is much more important than whether or not it’s organic. You can eat organic cookies all day, but it’s not going to do much for your health. So first, make sure what you’re eating is quality, unprocessed food, and then worry about whether you can afford to make it organic. That said, here are some ideas for eating healthy on a tight budget:

Shop recessionista-style! The following healthy, versatile foods are all less than $1 per serving (some as low as $.22!): brown rice, green tea, broccoli, plain yogurt, bananas, black beans, apples, lentils, and sweet potatoes. You can use most of these foods in hundreds of recipes and not get sick of them!
Buy in bulk. If you have a grocery store that sells grains, nuts, and other staples in bulk bins, GO FOR IT. You can get great deals on whole, unprocessed foods. Look for staples like rice, oats, quinoa, dried fruit, and other shelf-stable foods.
Hit the .coms. If you can’t find what you want in bulk (or otherwise) at your local stores, search for staples online! I buy a lot of my “health” foods (like coconut oil) on sites like Amazon. You can get great deals on items that cost an arm and a leg in stores! I got two large jars of coconut oil for the price one costs at my local store.
Look for the deals. For meat, fish, and even produce, don’t go into the grocery store with a closed mind about what you’re going to get. Maybe you wanted salmon, but the trout is $5 less per pound — go for it! Most of the time, you can adapt whatever recipe you were using to fit the new protein.
Go veg — but make sure it’s unprocessed. Yes, vegetarian protein is less expensive than animal protein. Stock up on items like tofu, tempeh, beans, and eggs. Just make sure that you stay away from heavily processed veggie burgers and other frankenfoods (those aren’t even that cheap)!
When it comes to organic, stick to the 2010 dirty dozen. If you can’t afford to eat organic all the time, just shoot for the foods that tend to have the most pesticide residue in conventional form: celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, kale, cherries, potatoes, and grapes. Print the PDF for a handy on-the-go guide!