5 Ways to Eat Cheap & Toxin-Free

I just spent 3 days at my parents’ house and feel so recharged and bouncy. A little lake swimming does wonders for this cowgirl’s dusty noggin.

I love going home. Good food, bathing suits and tons of movies. It’s a great time. This weekend we ate only local foods and wow could I taste a difference. Though I’m not 100% raw, I wanted to be because the veggies were all so earthy and yummy. There’s nothing quite like farm freshness.

Up until a few weeks ago, we didn’t have a farmer’s market in Woodstock. Crazy! It’s Woodstock for crying out loud, home of the pot-smokin’, Up-on-Cripple-Creak-listening, hippie/back to the lander of days gone by. Well enough people quacked and groaned and now every Wednesday we get to meet local area farmers and purchase their beans.

Next year however, I’m following in my mom’s high heel steps and joining a farm. How many of you are members of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)? Every time I visit my folks we go bopping through the fields. Damn, it’s fun and pretty cheap too! You get an entire tote bag or box FULL of LIFE each week for the entire season (June-Oct). Prices range but about $400 buys you tons of peas and peace for months. That’s way less than I spend in 2 weeks. And you don’t just get the standards. Unusual chlorophylls like Tatsoi, garlic scapes and Kohlrabi are abundant. Flowers too!

When we asked the lady how many cucumbers we could have I nearly orgasmed (in front of my mom…which = awkward)! "As many as you want." HUH? I juice about 21+ cukes per week. "AS MANY AS I WANT? MOM, GET THE TRUCK!" Better than Christmas, better than Saks, CSAs are treasure trunks of alkaline love and kind living.

Our back to nature, back to the garden lifestyle plan is without a doubt the best chow for our cells, but our wallets — ouch. As oil prices continue to rise we are forced to get crafty and thrifty. For many of us, eating well is relegated to the luxury category. Not fair, not right, tantrum time. You shouldn’t have to be rich to eat toxin-free. Perhaps there are some clever ways we can share with each other to help with broccoli on a budget?

Here’s what helps me.

1. Wash all conventional (sprayed) veggies well in a little white vinegar and water soak or some diluted food-grade hydrogen peroxide. Peel them too; cukes should be peeled if they’re not organic.

2. Buy local and if time permits, try to shop more than once a week. This way your supply won’t spoil if your plans change and you’re unable to prep your own meals. When I make my own food I feel so much better. Eating out takes a toll on me, even when it’s good food. Simple Kris-style food makes the healing difference for my God Pod.

3. Those handy green bags sold at the health food store make my greens go a long way. Always bag your veggies, but don’t use those ties. Circulation: good for all life forms.

4. Creative smoothies or blended soups mop up the extras that would otherwise go bad. Also, freezing. Throw your extra fruit in the freezer for smoothies.

5. When buying veggies on a budget, purchase the least sprayed conventional options. Check out FoodNews for more information. This is a great resource — they even have a wallet guide of the best choices and worst offenders. While they recommend always buying organic, they understand price is an issue, plus organics are not easy to find. Their guide features the 12 fruits and veggies with the most and least pesticides so you’ll know which ones to buy organic, and which conventionally-grown ones are okay when organic isn’t available.

Local Harvest