Eating Paleo Affordably
With the cost of food going up every month, you may be wondering what the financial impact of eating paleo is? With enough planning, eating a diet based on primal principals can be quite affordable.
Start by visiting your local farmers markets. Usually there are more than a couple going on every weekend and even indoor markets in the winter. Here you will find easy access to organic vegetables, fresh fruit and even quality proteins such as beef, buffalo and salmon.
In addition to farmers markets, many areas have organic grocery stores such as Sprouts, Sunflower Markets, Vitamin Cottage, Whole Foods and others. While some are more expensive than others, you can visit them and compare prices. Here in Fort Collins, Sprouts has double sale day on Wednesdays so that is a great day to go shopping.
Sam’s Club Shopping List:
– Pricing will definitely vary depending on season and location of store, but here are some examples of what we did.
– There are also other great items like: ground turkey, berries, bacon, bulk nuts, avacados, canned chicken in water, canned tuna in water, etc.
Zucchini: $2.98
Turkey Deli Meat: $7.98
[We agree that turkey deli meat from Sam’s is definitely not going to be the best. If you can afford it, getting the nitrate free meat from your local Whole Foods or equivalent store would be a much better option. Remember, that meat only lasts around 4 days without the nitrates so plan wisely.]
Sugar Snap Peas: $4.78
[People go back and forth if this is Paleo or not. Some say yes because there is more pod than bean, some say no because it has a bean. Its a personal preference in our opinion on how strict you want to go.]
Salmon: $19.98
[$19.98 seems like a lot, but it is 3 lb of salmon which is around $6.60 per pound. That is pretty good for salmon. While it isnt fresh cut salmon, we have found it to be a nice cut and good for putting on some paleo BBQ sauce or just some creole seasoning]
Pork Butt/Shoulder: $19.32
[This is a great cut of meat to get. There are two loins in there so freeze on and cook one up for the week. It makes enough for several meals so you definitely get your moneys worth]
Green Beans: $5.98
[People also go back and forth if this is Paleo or not. Some say yes because there is more pod than bean, some say no because it has a bean. Its a personal preference in our opinion on how strict you want to go.]
Eggs: $3.32 for 18
[When you eat paleo, you will probably find yourself eating a lot of eggs. They are a great source of cheap protein. At Sam’s they do have a 12 pack of organic eggs mos of the time. They didn’t have them when I was in there so I got the egglands best brand. They also have the super cheap Sam’s Club brand of around $4.48 for two 18 packs. It’s a personal preference on how organic you want to go. Personally, we love when we get farm fresh here locally in Fort Collins. Nothing beats it. There is a distinct color and taste difference in the farm fresh, free range eggs. Get them if you can. ]
Seedless Cucumber: $4.48
Coleslaw: $1.98
[Super cheap source of veggies. Be careful on dressing though. Make a paleo friendly coleslaw dressing as the processed ones have a ton of refined sugar in them]
Boneless Chick Breast: $11.22
[We suggest the Cornell Chicken Recipe on this. Have it for dinner or on top of salad. It is a cheap marinade and people will love it. ]
Celery: $1.98
Organic Carrots: $2.98
[Try Well Feds recipe for the cumin carrots. Quick, easy, and a great way to get your veggies]
Brussel Sprouts: $4.48
[If you cut the brussel sprouts in half, drizzle with oil and sea salt, these are quick and yummy veggie]
Total: around $91.46 plus tax