Wishing you could find a simple way to encourage your family to eat less junk food, fast food, and processed food in 2015? Be sure to check out the FREE 14-week online mini course from 100 Days of Real Food.
Each week, for 14 weeks, you’ll be given a specific challenge to do that week. The challenges are fairly simple, but some of them may be harder to complete than others — especially if you don’t eat fairly healthfully right now. (See all of the challenges here.)
Along the way, you’ll learn so much, make baby steps to better health, and will (hopefully!) prove to yourself that you can make lasting changes.
To find out more about the challenge and sign up to participate, go here.
Want Step-By-Step Help To Start Eating Healthier?
Looking for more ideas, practical tips, recipes, and step-by-step help to live a healthy lifestyle? Through midnight tonight (December 30, 2014 only), you can get The Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle for just $29.97. This Bundle is packed with ebooks, e-courses, and some cool free bonuses.
Here's a sampling of what you'll get for just $29.97:
And much, much more! See all the contents of this bundle here (it's over $1,000 value!).
I’m honored and excited to be joining Sally Clarkson, Angela Perritt, and Sarah Mae for a free online webcast to celebrate the launch of Sally’s new book, Own Your Life.
This online Girl’s Night will be Tuesday, January 6, 2015 at 9:00 pm ET/8 CT/7 MT/6 PT
If you need some encouragement from other women to live your life on purpose and not just barely survive each day, be sure to tune in. It’s going to be so much fun!
We’re going to be discussing some great topics, including:
- Learning to love who God has made you, leaving guilt and inadequacy behind
- Finding contentment right where you are, single, married or somewhere in between
- Building a home environment that gives life to all who come there
- Becoming the friend and lover of all, that God created you to be
- Embracing your ministry of parenting and learning how to do it with grace
- Building a long term story of faithfulness in your marriage
- Leaving a legacy of a strong faith, generous love, an intentional life
Plus, you can be sure that there will be a lot of honesty from each of us imperfect women as we talk about our own struggles in this area, things that have helped us, and what we’re still learning. 
Is it possible to feed your family well on a tight budget? Yes, I completely believe that it is.
Sure, you might spend a little bit more than someone who is eating a diet composed mostly of processed foods, but it really doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg as some people will make you think — especially if you're willing to get creative and think outside the box.
Here are some suggestions and ideas for how to eat healthfully on a budget:
1. Plan a Menu Based Upon What is In Season and On Sale
If you want to feed your family on a budget, you need to have a plan for what you'll be eating. If you can make your menu plan mostly based upon what is on sale at the natural foods store, what is in season at the Farmer's Market and/or what you're reaping in abundance from your garden, you're going to significantly reduce your grocery bill.
If you happen to come upon an incredible sale on tomatoes at the Farmer's Market, or the health food store has organic frozen vegetables on a great sale, stock up. Buying items you routinely use when they are at their lowest price is another surefire way to savings.
3. Plant a Garden (Or Barter With Someone Who Does!)
If you can pull it off, plant a garden. Produce is typically only pennies per item from your own backyard, it's tremendously fresh and you know exactly what you did or didn't spray on it. Plus, you can can or freeze your extras — or bless your friends and neighbors with them!
Have a brown thumb? Find a friend who loves gardening and trade services (babysitting, breadbaking, car maintenance?) in exchange for their garden excess.
4. Stick With Simple Meals Using Inexpensive Ingredients
When you're planning your menu, think about how much your recipes will cost you to make. It doesn't have to be a scientific to-the-penny figure, but just having a good idea that there is a $10 difference between the price of making one meal as opposed to another meal can help you decide whether you can afford to make something or perhaps should save it for a special occasion.
5. Serve Meat as a Condiment
I shamelessly stole this idea from Family Feasts for $75 Per Week because it's so brilliant. Serving meat in soup or on pizza is going to be a lot less expensive than serving roast and sirloin, especially if you're buying high-quality meat.
Need ideas? Laura shows you how to make six meals out of one chicken.
6. Buy in Bulk
It is usually much more cost-effective to purchase meat and staple ingredients in bulk. Call around to local farmers and see what they would charge you for purchasing half a cow. In many cases, it's at least $1 cheaper per pound to purchase in bulk. Buying grains, beans, as well as many other basic ingredients with long storage lives in large quantities will almost always save you at least 20%, if not more.
Costco, as well as many bulk foods stores and local co-ops, offer great pricing. You can also check with your local health food store to see if they'd offer you a discount for bulk purchases.
7. Consider Joining a CSA or Co-Op
If there is a co-op or CSA in your area, check into pricing and details for joining. You might find that it is an affordable and money-saving option for your family. If you can't find an affordable co-op in your area, you could consider starting your own co-op.
8. Use Coupons on Non-Food Items
I know a number of my readers don't eat processed foods, but they use coupons to save money on toilet paper, toothbrushes and other non-food items which they purchase. Your savings might not be so exciting as others who use dozens of coupons each shopping trip, but even saving $5 each week by using coupons can start to add up over time.
Want Step-By-Step Help To Start Eating Healthier?
Looking for more ideas, practical tips, recipes, and step-by-step help to live a healthy lifestyle? Through December 30, 2014 only, you can get The Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle for just $29.97. This Bundle is packed with ebooks, e-courses, and some cool free bonuses.
Here's a sampling of what you'll get for just $29.97:
And much, much more! See all the contents of this bundle here (it's over $1,000 value!).
originally posted in 2011
