How do you shop? What do you buy and where AND what do you grow?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by James Reno on September 4, 2009 at 1:43am

I typically shop at Whole Foods and go about every other day. Usually I am getting a pound of the organic baby spinach for my smoothies, raw nuts, baby carrots, avocados, and fruit. Less often I'll buy Almond milk, rice protein powder, stevia, spices etc.

In my garden I grow tomatoes and cucumbers.

I don't really keep track of the money, just try to get what seems to be a good value, and save money in other ways, mostly by eliminating all the bad habits of the past such as eating out far too often, buying junk food that was not even nutritious, and walking to the store instead of driving. It all balances out, except now I am Healthier, so I guess I came out ahead!

To Your Health!
James Reno
http://www.Raw-Food-Repair.com

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sharon Jones on September 4, 2009 at 12:33pm

mostly i buy from our local supermarkets. we seem to miss the local produce markets due to work commitments, plus its a very rural community here.

i am buying seasonal green veggies, tomatoes, lots of courgettes/zucchinis.l just bought my first sweet potatoe to try raw.

growing wise, we tried to grow courgettes this year in pots. sadly only 2 so far, with another 3 on the way. its not been a good courgette growing season around here as its been so mild/wet.

im working on the sprouting thing but keep forgetting to get them started. i need to get into a daily routine. time to make more room for sprouts on the window sill me thinks ;-)

no bulk buying as yet, and my grocery bill is rather expensive. i hate to think what we spend on veggies alone!!!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dimond on September 4, 2009 at 1:13pm

I buy mainly online. I usually get groceries delivered whenever possible as I find shopping is usually a waste of time & energy, not to mention gas, traffic & finding parking, oh and lugging the heavy groceries with bags that often break (really not an advantage to WF using paper instead of plastic). I usually buy any raw dried foods, nuts, superfoods, supplements in bulk on-line and save a ton that way. Monthly amount fluctuates a lot depending on circumstances and if I buy a lot of bulk items. The longer I'm raw and the more simple my diet is, the less money I spend.

It's not convenient to get to the local farmer's markets, though sometimes food delivery will come from a local place. Otherwise grocery store or whole foods if I have to get it myself.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jef on September 6, 2009 at 12:32am

I have a great friend at Krogers, the supermarket. He is the produce manager. the other day he sold me 18 celerys (I'm juicing), and gave me 2 big bags of apples (I bet 5 pounds each) for free! Just because he hadn't gotten any fresh apples in, and he didn't want to charge me for the "old" ones. THey weren't even very old. they were delicious! these are all organic. He's learning what I'm loooking for, and aims to please!! Its a great blessing.

the veggies at the natural food Coop are way expensive.

so I get most of my veggies at Krogers during the winter.
I grow Potatoes, (oopes, not raw), onions--huge crop of bothe those this year, Kale, spincach , greens, lettuce, beets, chard, sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, peas (the kind you eat the pod), strawberries, raspberries.

Then I get whatever else I need during the summer at the farmers market. Me and the kids go there every Saturday. Its a tradition. today they each bought a green zebra tomato for a "treat" snack!! It was very sweet. The farmmers market is my first choice i, but it depends on price.

then I order all the nuts, bulk gojis, etc online pretty much. and green powders and stuff like that. It costs way too much at the coop.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Amy on September 8, 2009 at 3:45pm

1) What do you buy at your local natural foods store? I buy seaweed soaps, Ezekiel Bread / Manna bread products and Ak-Mak Crackers, 70% Cocoa, (I know they aren't raw. Sorry! I'm not totally raw yet. Eeeek.) some meats (again, sorry), and SOME produce.

2) What do you buy from your local farmers market? Seasonal veggies - lots of greens, beets, tomatoes right now. The only fruit that is really grown locally is watermelon. Occasionally, I'll grab peaches and apples from the upper-portion of my state (in the U.S.)

3) Do you grow anything? If so what? I just now planted spinach, romaine and kale in my garden (it's an appropriate time to plant them here). Tomatoes grow in the summer here, but I didn't grow them THIS year. I want to grow herbs indoors, but I always manage to kill them. :(

4) Do you buy anything in bulk online? Not at the moment. I'm considering it in regards to some bread products and chocolate.

5) How much money do you spend on average in a month? I'm only one month into this and spent a s**tload experimenting and trying different things. I know now that Brussel Sprouts will never taste good to me and that I do not like raw asparagus AT ALL. Blech. I'm hoping to spend less as I streamline the process!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Abhi - ThisVeryMoment on September 14, 2009 at 1:38am

1) Everything
2) Fresh Fruits
3) Not yet, But me family has huge Soyabean farms in India
4) Not yet
5) Never tabulated.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Paul Bastin on September 15, 2009 at 5:13am

I live alone and get up most mornings and go into town and buy just what I need for that day. Some fruit and veg and perhaps a little meat or chicken.
We don't get a farmers market. There was one for a while and it was good. I'd usually but FR eggs and meat for the freezer.
I currently have cabbage, carrots and onions just about ready for harvest. Stuff that I have grown myself is my favourite food.
I don't buy much in bulk, though I've been known to spend on milk thistle which I use as a tea. It's great for cleaning the system.
How much do I spend a month? I'm on minimum wage, so it's usually all that I make. :)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Zen Fruit on September 15, 2009 at 6:30pm

1) What do you buy at your local natural foods store?

Dulse/seaweed (I consume very little, but occasionally put them on salads).

2) What do you buy from your local farmers market?

Farmers markets are nice, but I've seen our local farms with huge spray equipment and that completely turns me off from visiting local farms/farmers markets. Usually, if I go, I'll get tomatoes I don't find anywhere else (heirloom).

I get over well over 90% of my produce from an organic coop.

3) Do you grow anything? If so what?

Romaine, kale, grape tomatoes, plum tomatoes, basil, parsley, raspberries, hot peppers (for my wife). Weather has been terrible and a hail storm set my garden back early in the season.

4) Do you buy anything in bulk online? Like herbs, teas, nuts, etcs

Nope, I'm in Canada and anything good needs to be brought in across the boarder and shipping/extra charges end up surpassing the value of the goods :(

5) How much money do you spend on average in a month?

For a family of 4 (I'm the only raw foodist, the rest are vegan, high-raw) approx. $1100 a month. This DOES include things like toilet paper and other misc. items you get at the supermarket.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Caleb on September 16, 2009 at 3:10pm

I shop at 4 different places
1. Whole foods, for things my local stores don't carry such as young coconuts
2. Local whole food type store, I buy most of my organic veggies here
3. Kroger, I get my mixed greens, bananas and dates here. They have the best price and it saves me money
3. Vitamins Plus, a small store inside another store that I buy my agave nectar, almond milk and sprouted seed breads from.

The bottom three are the main ones I go to, and the bottom 2 are right next to each other so I can make one round trip in a pretty timely fashion.

Oh, and I get a lot of stuff online too. Mostly stuff like hemp seed protein and powdered greens, luckyvitamin.com is a great source for stuff like that.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Raw Mama Bear on September 21, 2009 at 10:51am

1) What do you buy at your local natural foods store?
Where I live there is actually a healthy supermarket... I buy mainly produce there- greens, ect.

2) What do you buy from your local farmers market?
We only have a farmers market every once and a while here, and I've never been! My father in law bought me some peaches this year when I didn't get to go.

3) Do you grow anything? If so what?
My husband and I are growing basil and spearmint at the moment, but nothing else.

4) Do you buy anything in bulk online? Like herbs, teas, nuts, etcs
Not yet, but my mom is talking me into it...

5) How much money do you spend on average in a month?
I have a sad little budget of $300 a month. And I spend every bit of it. Once work/the economy picks up, hopefully I'll be able to buy more. It does tie for first for the most expensive bill, though. :)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by BillionsUponUs on September 26, 2009 at 5:13pm

i got a job at a local farmers market so at the end of the market i get as much of the fruit as i can take and i get to trade it with other stands, highly recommended!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by BillionsUponUs on September 26, 2009 at 5:14pm

i grow watermelons, tomatoes, herbs, and cucumbers

▶ Reply to This

• First
• Previous
• Next
• Last