But Isn’t Eating Healthy Expensive?
This is me, yesterday, at Chefs Against Hunger, breaking down about 100 pounds of chicken to make meals for people in need.
So, you think eating healthy is an expense you can’t afford? You’ve seen me post on social media and in previous newsletters about the benefits of organic produce and grass-fed, pastured meats. I believe it’s a change for the better in many aspects, but mostly because it’s an investment in yourself and your health.
Pre-paleo, I was a drive-thru kinda gal. I may have cooked healthy meals at home, but my jobs required intense hours which didn’t leave a lot of time for preparing healthy lunches, if I even had time for lunch. When I was a chef, most days started at 6am, and could continue well into the evening during busy times. I would be “hangry” (before that was a word) and the rest of the staff would joke it was time to eat when Chef Tina was in a bad mood. Funny but true. When I took my sales job, I spent a lot of time on the road, first in the car, traveling around the better part of Florida visiting clients, later in the air, flying around the country. It wasn’t unusual for a Diet Coke and a large order of fries to accompany me on the drive home from my last call. And let’s not even talk about airport food. Not the most nutritious choices, and at about $5, for a soda and fries, it’s the same amount I’m now spending on a 6 ounce portion of grass-fed ribeye.
I still consider myself a “foodie” but we rarely eat out in restaurants these days. The last time we ordered “to go” from a local Latin grill, we spent about half of what we spend for a month’s worth of meats from Butcher Box. It was sub-par and by the time we got it delivered, it was cold. It was accompanied by soggy yuca fries and tostones that were break-your-teeth hard. My husband thought he was doing me a favor by ordering dinner so I wouldn’t have to cook. But frankly, I’d rather cook than spend more than $60 on a meal that was completely underwhelming.
We all have justifications for why we spend money in certain ways. When I started eating healthier, I would say “I’d rather spend my money on good food than prescription drugs.” I still feel the same way. Eating nutritious food is an investment in my health and the health of my family. But did you know that choosing organic and grass-fed has environmental benefits too? Food waste in this country is atrocious. Forty percent of all food grown goes to waste. Yet people are hungry. Feedlot meats are the third largest contributor to greenhouse gasses. Living sustainably is not only good for your health, it’s good for the planet. Whichever lifestyle of eating you choose, you can make an impact with the kinds of foods you buy. For example, eating a regeneratively-raised hamburger removes 3.5 kilograms of carbon emissions from the atmosphere. When livestock is raised in a regenerative environment, they graze in fields, eating as nature intended, then “fertilize’ the fields and stomp the fertilizer into the ground, sequestering carbon, providing nutrients to the soil, where more plants grow for them to forage. Circle of life.
Once you know how to read labels (and essentially, what to believe and what is marketing or “greenwashing”) you can navigate the grocer and online websites with the knowledge and confidence that you’re making good choices for building the most nutritious, delicious plates. These are some things to keep in mind when perusing the aisles:
When buying meats, compare the butcher case to the frozen section. For most mainstream grocers, grass-fed isn’t their forte, so you might be better off finding a local product in the frozen section. They’re usually a better price per pound, and they are typically frozen at their peak of freshness.
If you see a sale, stock up and store in the freezer. I recently did this when Whole Foods had one of my favorite brands of bacon at a good price. Especially after holidays, Thanksgiving for example, when turkeys are a great price the weekend after, and it’s one of those proteins people don’t think about after the holidays.
Meats are less expensive if you buy them with bone sand skin on. Meats are tastier when you cook them with the bones and skin attached. The bones help to retain juices and give the meats more flavor. If you’re capable, have the time or just want to master a new skill, try practicing your knife skills by breaking down the meats yourself. Essentially, the more convenient the cut, the more expensive it is, because you’re paying for the labor. Add it into your prep. Just yesterday I volunteered with my organization, Chefs Against Hunger, and must have de-boned about 20 pounds of chicken breasts, which were donated. We can’t be picky with donations. It was actually fun, and for a pastry chef, I must say, I have mad skills! You can YouTube how to de-bone a chicken or filet a fish, and find thousands of videos.
Have you considered offal? I always say try something new. Chicken livers, baby beef liver and other offals are a delicious way to pack nutrients into a meal, and they’re cheap because most people don’t know how to cook them. A little food knowledge goes a long way. Here’s my recipe for Chicken Liver Paté.
Produce is another place where buying whole is cheaper than already cut up or prepped. And it’s usually fresher. Carrots without their tops, for example, are most likely not as fresh than carrots with. The leaves are going to wither first, so they’re removed. Same with radishes, beets, you get the idea. The more “whole” the produce, the fresher.
Organic vs. conventional, ah yes. The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15, the lists published annually by the EWG (Environmental Working Group) outline the the best and worst choices of produce - i.e., with the most contaminants and therefore the most unsafe to consume, vs the safest. Typically anything with a peel that can be removed and discarded is going to be safer if you purchase conventionally. You’re not eating the part of the fruit or vegetable that was sprayed. An apple, on the other hand, can have more than 50 contaminants. If you’re eating the skin, you’ve just outdone all of the nutrients by consuming the pesticides and insecticides. Check out ewg.org for the full list.
When it comes to dairy, I’m going to advise you to steer clear of dairy all together. Humans are the only mammals on the planet that actually continue to consume dairy long after weaning. Think about it. The amount of growth hormones required in cow’s milk, to grow the animal to full size in about 3 years, compared to a human which takes 18 to 20 years, so how is consuming cow’s milk healthy for humans? Whether or not it’s grass-fed, organic, treated with chemicals and antibiotics, there is virtually no nutritional benefit for a human to consume dairy products. Especially from cows. But if you must, defer to organic and grass-fed, as once again, this is how cows were intended in nature to be raised, fed and nurtured. Maybe you no longer drink milk but you can’t give up cheese? Choose good quality cheeses from reputable producers, and products that originate from specific protected regions. It is expensive. Treat it as a treat. Dairy contributes to nasal congestion, acne, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis and other metabolic diseases. It’s unnecessary in a human diet.
Take a long walk - You’ve heard this a million times, I’m sure, but I’ll reiterate: Shop the perimeter, not the middle. With the exception of the frozen aisles, your best bet is buying fresh, not processed foods full of sugars and starches.
All of this being said, you can build a healthier diet without eating grass-fed and organic. Whole, unprocessed foods are always going to be a better choice than packaged foods with expiration dates past the new millennium. As I always say, eat foods grown on plants, not made in plants.
