I'm a student journalist working on an article in concern with the economic realities of affordable organic food, raw life style in Urban cities particularly Central Los Angles and I would be interested in your feedback. Thank you for your time.

In depends upon your perspective.

By eating a balanced raw diet you may avoid doctors fees and the cost of dealing with chronic illness down the road.

Also, with some clever purchasing, eating raw does not need to be extremely expensive. You can buy fresh produce in bulk from a local produce wholesaler or coop. You can buy bulk nuts and seeds online direct from farmers or wholesalers. The problem is most people don't have the initiative or the wherewithal to do these things.

Opinion:

Here's an article from Mayoclinic.com

[www.mayoclinic.com]

-My understanding is that the jury is still out on whether organic foods are healthier or safer. They are certainly more expensive. Often 2-3 times as expensive (or more). Often, many raw food varieties are simply not available organically....even in more metropolitan markets....and this limits a new persons availablility of a wide variety of fresh, raw foods.

-Most folks would/should concentrate on simply eating larger volumes and greater percentages of fresh, raw plant foods over the course of their lifetimes....and they will yield great benefits. I believe that eating only organic foods has become somewhat erroneously linked as a pre-requisite to eating raw/eating healthy....and my personal opinion is that it is not.

-A person should take eating fresh, raw plant foods as far as they can go.....and be 100% comfortable with where they are at.......and if all they can afford is conventional (as is my case) then that is fine (in my opinion). If a person CAN afford organic foods...and support that industry...then I think they can and certainly should.

-In my opinion.....maintaining a high percentage of 'purchased' organic foods (not counting what you grow yourself) is only financially viable in the long-term if the costs significantly decrease in the upcoming years....or if a person has a great deal of disposable cash. In my case/personal opinion is that the benefits don't warrant the cost.

-What do you think?

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

hey. I spent three months living in LA (may-june-july). and I went to the hollywood farmer's market every sunday. I was able to purchase (most of) what I needed for the week, for around 20-30 dollars. granted, I didn't ask each farmer whether his produce was organic. But I would have to say, that's close to what I spent per week as an undergrad--living on tuna, skippy super-chunky, and canned veggies. wow, what a scary miserable time. also, in LA I didn't worry about my budget too much--that was what it came to naturally.

measure twice, cut once.

"In Watermelon Sugar the deeds were done and done again as my life is done in watermelon sugar." ~r.brautigan

I make paintings

I agree that organic is expensive, more individuals should realize the potential of raw foods, yes these form of lifestyle should be available to everyone,and making that transition to buying organic or living raw and seeing all positive benefits that it can bring through the course of a life time is a tremendous accomplishment. But We still see minimal change in the organic, and raw living in this country especially in the urban communities, though their have been exceptional movements which have led to educating the communities through living a healthy life, the majority of common people are still in the category of unhealthy living status, because of low living wages.

So does Wealthy mean Healthy?

How can this lifestyle become available to everyone no matter what economic class?

Hello - another factor to use in this comparison: most SAD (standard American diet) eaters buy a ton of things like chips, rice cakes, cookies, crackers, etc.... These foods are expensive and unneccesary. Raw foodists don't eat much pre-prepared junk, if any. So there is some savings there. Many of us look to lists by people like Rene Loux, for example, or other entities that help determine which foods are really important to eat organically - like grapes, strawberries and peppers, just for an example, and which you can let slide if need be, like bananas and avocadoes.

I wish chemical-free-grown food was less expensive, but when I see how much labor is involved, I want to support those farmers in any way I can. It's not just for me - it's like a donation to my favorite environmental charity - only I get nourished to boot!

Just my two cents.

Another thing I didn't add here - in many cities you see community garden plots. We need more of these. These are an excellent way for more people to get organically grown foods, and grow a sense of community, too. The way our social class system runs right now, Hozwe, I'm afraid in most cases healthy is for the more wealthy - or the more educated... It doesn't have to be that way though!

I posted this answer in the other thread and have moved it to this one.

hmm.. my thoughts are that for starters it depends on what you mean by affordable. Everyone has different prioreties which they will allocate more or less energy to, and for those that place high importance on health and see eating organicly as a means to obtain this, then affordable becomes a much higher allocation of their resorces.

Secondly I'm sure it would depend on the economic and agricultural climate within the particular city being studied. Like I've read posts from a few canadians saying how hard it is to get good fresh produce let alone organic.

And finaly I believe it would depend on the individuals choice in diet.. for example, processed organic goods cost way more where I am in N.Z than do fresh produce, and fruit way more than vege's in general. So if you were right into vege's and rice for example, it would cost you way less to eat than someone who was into dried fruit, fresh fruit and premade meals etc.

I personaly live only on organic and don't find it too difficult to maintain.
Thats my experience anyway.

Hozwe:

-In many ways, wealth does equal health. Those in a lower socio-economic situation often have poorer access to nutritious foods....and what they DO have access to is actually MORE expensive (convenience store crap). Did you ever read the nutritional labels for generic food at Costco vs. Winn-Dixie (or some other poorer neighborhood store?).

-Often, those in the lower socio-economic classes are under mental 'crisis'.......feeling various socio-economic and interpersonal crunches. Maintaining a degree of social acceptance/normalcy is usually of PRIME importance to them (often unconsciously). Those that are more independent/wealthy often care a little less about 'fitting in'. Eating well has a HUGE social component. As such, wealthy folks are often a little more inclined to 'break the mold'........whew......that's a lot of quotation marks! LOL.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

i did find it more expensive but i think that was because i got caught in the trap of trying to have the "optimum" experience all the time. i ate a lot of organic, super foods, took probiotics, primal defense, perfect food, efa's, juice at the juice bar, etc etc. and i ate a lot of tropical fruit which costs a bundle.

toning things down for me made a big difference. focus on organic, but more importantly local, where possible, grow my own, forage wild, sprout (this one is huge economically), reminding myself that food a loved one prepares is pure love no matter what it actually is so just eat a bite of it at least
i used to stuff my fridge with everything i could ever possibly want, a habit that was VERY hard to break. now i make a meal out of what is there, shop fresh every couple of days, and ultimately waste less and eat less (out of pressure to use stuff up).
i also eat extremely simply, avoiding complex recipes that end up costing a lot (goodbye juliano's book, le sigh). this is better for digestion, better for the wallet, and possible to get my kids to eat, ha! not having to make two meals at a time costs less too! and not buying complicated ingredients and condiment type stuff, herbs and spices, it all equals up to big savings.

i think the problem with cost happens in the beginning when people are trying to subtitute a raw version of things for their cooked favourites. it takes lots of ingredients, lots of equiptment and lots of time. once your palette grows accustomed to simpler fare and your digestion gets better, you enjoy simpler foods and you need less of it too. the initial cost is one of adjustment, i think it's worth it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/2007 01:47PM by coco.

I want to echo what coco said about sprouting. Organic homegrown sprouts can be amazingly nutritious and extremely economical. All they require is a few minutes attention in the morning and in the evening, and a space on a windowsill. The growth cycle is short for most sprouts (a week or less), so crowded apartment dwellers can produce more sprouts in less space than you would think. I've found that they grow just fine with less than ideal exposure, even during Northern winters.

When I first switched to all fresh and mostly raw produce, I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to afford to eat! I found if anything, I saved money. I only bought the organic versions of the most heavily pesticide-sprayed foods and ones which weren't TOO much more expensive than the regular ones. Apples, for example.
The rest of the food was ordinary produce.

The first thing I noticed was how much extra physical volume of food I was getting per dollar spent. True, much of it is water, since most processed foods are rather dehydrated. but still twenty dollars bought a LOT MORE food un-processed than processed.

The second thing was that I ate less food,at least in a way. While I might eat a fairly big meal, nutrient-dense raw foods are more satisfying, so no more "binge eating" because of false hunger pangs or blood sugar fluctuations. My appetite "normalized". I filled up fairly quickly, and wouldn't feel hungry again until my body had REAL hunger. I ended up eating fewer calories, actually having to push/remind myself to eat enough, rather than trying to control an over-eater's appetite.

I ended up spending about the same or even less money on a much, much better diet, than I had been spending on junk. If I had been eating 100% organic, including the highest-markup foods, it would have increased my food budget, but not by much. Definitely worth the extra expense, if any.

Oh, one other factor: if you are seriously eating raw, it limits restaurant meals. Those are often the really high-markup meals.

I've learned to think of food cost in terms of nutritional bang-for-buck, rather than apparent portion-size or meal-per-buck, too. When I buy food, I am buying health, not (just) pleasure. It is a complete bonus that once you get past the addictive cravings and influences of things like refined sugars and caffeine, "REAL" food actually tastes much better, too! [It helps that the sense of taste and smell become more acute when you are better nourished and not clogged with phlegm from dairy and other poor food choices.]

Given the fact that my energy level soars when I'm eating mostly raw, making me more productive and better able to earn more and manage my life better, I can't afford NOT to eat mostly raw!

Wow, this has been a really helpful thread for me. I have only been trying raw for this past week or so, and yesterday had a bit of a panic about food and money. I had gone food shopping on Monday, as well as getting a few little things here and there Tues. and Wed. and was all out of food by yesterday evening!

I think I have realized a couple of things. If I can afford organic, great, if not, not to worry about it too much. Also, I made the mistake of buying the same amount of fruit and veggies on Mon. that I always used to buy, not thinking that, duh, I was going to be eating a higher quantity of those foods on raw : ) I also agree with coco, that maybe it's trying to make all the complex or "gourmet" meals that have me freaked about everything I need to buy. I decided last night that I would just try to keep it simple. The one thing keeping me from doing that already is the fact that I have to make dinner for two, the other person being a cooked omni who didn't eat salads till, well, the beginning of this week. I was worried about making a dinner that he would enjoy too (especially since he provides the funds for food). He told me not to worry about it. I could make all the salads I want. As long as I make some raw deserts every once in a while : )

-Ashley

This might help-- just received this article from Frederic Patenaude in my inbox this morning, and there are a lot of good ideas in it:

September 6, 2007
An Easy Way to Cut Your Food Bill by at Least 30%

Let’s face it, eating a healthy diet with lots and lots of fruits and vegetables DOES cost more money than living on rice, beans and potatoes. And with the higher cost of organic food, and the huge quantities of fruits and vegetables that are necessary to eat in order to be well nourished on a raw food diet, it’s no wonder that many people find this diet a little expensive.

However, when we keep things in perspective, eating a raw food diet ends up being no more expensive than eating a “good” diet that features eating out, drinking good wine and buying delicacies and special ingredients. However, eating raw is generally not a cheap diet unless you live in a tropical country where lots of fruits and vegetables are available at very low cost.

The good news is that you can dramatically cut down on your food bills by following the simple tips I’m going to share in this article.

How to Get Organic Food for Less

We all know that eating more organic food is one of the best things we can do to limit our exposure to pesticides and help the environment. However, due to the cost of organic fruits and vegetables, many people cannot afford to eat organic.

But what if I told you that you can get organic food at the *same* price that your health food store gets it at, or less!

The secret to spending less on food and at the same time have access to higher-quality food is to buy in larger quantities and cut the middleman.

By doing this you will save *at least* 30% on your food bill, if not more.

*Buy Boxes*

When you eat a mostly or completely raw food diet, you can no longer buy foods the way most people do, which is to go to a store and buy a few apples or bananas at a time. You have to stop doing that and buy food by the case.

First of all, you won’t waste any food since you WILL go through a case of food. Raw-food families will tell you they easily go through cases of food in no time, and even single people like me go through cases of food easily.

Second, it’s a lot cheaper to buy by the case. When I buy organic bananas by the case, I get the *same* price for these bananas that the health food stores get, which is the lowest price possible. So instead of paying $1.30 a pound for organic bananas, I pay around 65 cents a pound.

Everything is cheaper by the box, and another advantage is that you’ll have plenty of food. One of the main reasons why people fail on a raw food diet is that they don’t have *enough* food. They live on a starvation diet, or worse, they run out of food completely and end up eating junk!

Find a Distributor

In order to buy food by the case, you will have to find a distributor or a food co-op. Distributors or food co-ops will be different in each city, but generally, the process is the same.

You will likely have to drive to a larger town in order to get food directly from distributors, but as I have found, by buying larger quantities you won’t be wasting time going back and forth to the store several times a week.

I live in a small town and about once a week or less, I drive to the city in order to renew my supply of food.

Organic Food Distributors

The first type of distributor that you should look at are organic food distributors. Basically, those are the companies that health food stores deal with in order to get their food.

For example, in the Montreal area (and Quebec in general), the main distributor for organic food is called Distribue-Vie or SunOpta. In other cities, there are other distributors, but the idea is the same.

You can set up an account directly with them and cut the middleman. For example, when I was ordering with Distribue-Vie, they were sending me a price list once a week by e-mail. I would reply with my order, they would prepare it for me, and I’d go pick it up. I was able to order a case at a time or even half a case.

The good thing about this is that if you order in larger quantities, for a minimum of a few hundred dollars generally, they will deliver the order for you. If you can’t meet the minimum to get free delivery, all you have to do is pool with other folks who want organic foods, and ideally those who’ll eat them in large quantities.

To find the organic food distributors in your area either look in the Yellow Pages and/or ask the people who work at health food stores who their distributor is. Tell them you want to start a co-op. Then contact the distributors and ask them what you need to do to set up an account with them.

Produce Stores

In most cities, you’ll have to “supplement” your organic food supply with some commercial fruits and vegetables, since there isn’t a big enough variety of fruits sometimes.

The way to get great food at low cost is to go to certain produce stores. These stores are generally next to each other in an area where there’s a Farmers Market. They sell to restaurants and individuals, and can sell you cases at a time at a good price.

For example, in Montreal, near the big market called Jean-Talon, there are several such produce stores. I used to go all the time to a place called Leopoldo, where an Italian guy knows me.

The advantage of dealing with these merchants is that they’ll eventually get to know you and give you better deals on food, since you become a “great customer.” They’ll also let you know what their best stuff is each week.

Discovering Shangri-La

For many years, I dealt only with the resources I mentioned above. I would go to the organic food distributors, buy all my boxes of fruits and vegetables, then go to the market and buy more boxes of non-organic produce, and finally stop at the health food store to buy the few vegetables I couldn’t buy elsewhere in large enough quantities.

That was until I discovered another kind of distributor.

With the popularity of organic food, distributors of conventionally-grown foods now carry organic fruits and vegetables too. These distributors typically sell both organic and non-organic foods to produce stores. Supermarkets generally have their own distribution system.

This for me was the missing “link” - the place where many produce stores get their own food!

In Montreal there’s an area called the “Marché Central” - central market - which is not the Farmers Market, but a place where tons of distributors are located.

What I found out is that I could just walk into one of those distributors (I go to Gaetan Bono), and buy all the food I wanted without ever setting up an account with them!

The place is like a huge fridge, and there are cases and cases of fruits and vegetables. They have mostly commercially-grown food, but also organic.

The prices are lower than organic food distributors and lower than produce stores that sell by the case. For example, cases of organic bananas are $25 to $26, while the organic food store sells them at $29 to $30.

When I discovered this, it was like Shangri-La for a raw-food enthusiast!

To locate these distributors in your area, the process is the same: ask around, or look in the Yellow Pages.

By following the simple tips I have outlined in this article, you’ll be able to easily cut down your food bill by at least 30% while gaining access to better, fresher and more nutritious organic foods.
________________________________________________________

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Frederic Patenaude, is the author of the best-selling e-book “The Raw Secrets” and is known for his no-gimmick, BS-free approach to health and nutrition. You can get a free subscription to his “Outrageous Health & Success” ezine by visiting [www.fredericpatenaude.com]