Green Bean Casserole is probably my favorite Thanksgiving dish of all time. Unfortunately, cream-of-mystery-franken-foods-soup is not healthy, nor are the deep fried onions that typically grace the top of this casserole. (Note: real onions do not turn crispy when fried by themselves… I tried… they burn)

This was one of the top requested recipes, and I’m happy to share the healthy version that I think I actually prefer to the processed version, though it has been so long, I don’t completely remember how that one tasted. Either way, this one is good! It is also free of mystery ingredients!

It is a little time intensive to make, but is worth the effort. It can be made ahead and re-heated to make prep-time faster on Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:

Onion Topping

• 2-3 medium onions, very thinly sliced
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or coconut milk
• 2-3 tablespoons of coconut flour
• 1/2 cup coconut oil or tallow for frying (I use tallow)

Healthy Cream of Mushroom Sauce

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup cream or coconut milk
• 1/3 of onion mix above
• 8-10 mushrooms, finely diced
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4-5 egg yolks (You should have these left over if you are making the Sweet Potato Casserole)
• coconut milk or water to thin

Other

• 5 cans of cut or french style green beans (can also use fresh or 2-3 bags of frozen, just heat first to remove extra liquid)

How To Make It:

1. Thinly slice all the onions, separate,  and put in medium bowl.

2. Add the two eggs and the heavy cream and mix well until evenly incorporated.

3. Add coconut flour and mix by hand until evenly coated (note:may use slightly more or less depending on your brand of coconut flour.)

4. Put tallow in large skillet and turn on medium high heat.

5. When hot, add the coated onions and evenly brown, turning occasionally.

6. When browned, remove from heat and set aside.

7. In medium sauce pan, melt butter and saute mushrooms until starting to brown, then add cream or coconut milk.

8. Whisk in egg yolks and spices and about 1/3 of the onion topping mixture and continue stirring until the yolks begin to cook and the mixture thickens.

9. Add extra milk or water if needed to thin (only a few tablespoons might be needed).

10. Drain green beans and pour into a 9×13 baking dish.

11. Pour the cream mixture over and mix well until incorporated.

12. Top with onion mixture and heat at 325 in oven until topping starts to crisp (but not burn!) and green beans are heated.

Enjoy!

How do you make green beans? What’s your favorite casserole? Share!

To keep things from getting too cluttered, I’ll be posting at the beginning of each week with all the winners from the previous week and details for the upcoming week.

Clean Out the Kitchen Challenge Winner:

The participation in this challenge was awesome! I asked you guys to donate the foods you weren’t eating, but Dana pointed out that it might be better just to throw the foods away:

Throw. The Junk. Away.
Do not donate it to a food pantry.
Do not give it to your poor neighbors down the street.

Junk is junk.  Being poor does not protect you against the effects of junk.  In fact junk is MORE damaging to a poor person because, nine times out of ten, they are already badly nourished.

If you feel that bad about the situation of the poor and undernourished, donate them some REAL food.

They get more than enough noodles and rice and crackers.  The irony being that if they really want these foods, they can easily afford them.  Why do you think they call ‘em the Ramen Noodle Days when you’re a freshman in college?
This is a topic near and dear to me.  I’ve been pregnant, broke, and a recipient of “food aid” from a group of people who were going on the South Beach Diet and wanted to be generous with their carb castoffs.  I was short on vitamin A and if you do your research you will know that carb foods increase the need for that vitamin.  My daughter was born with health problems related to vitamin A shortage and now is at increased risk for end-stage renal disease later in life.Garbage is garbage and belongs in the trash bin.  Put it there.  Poor people are not trash bins.

Hope I got that across strongly enough.  I know everyone here means well, so please DO well.  Someone someplace will surely thank you.

I certainly agree that more effort should be made to educate and actually get healthy foods to everyone (my goal here!). Whatever you decided to do with it, I’m glad all 233 of those unhealthy foods are out of your kitchens!

The winner of this challenge gets a big gift basket filled with Herbal Katie (that’s me!) spices and teas to replace all the junk that is now gone! The randomly selected winner is:

Swallick

Please email me in the next 48 hours with your address so I can mail your gift basket! For anyone else whose kitchen is looking a little barren these days, I’m also offering a great deal at Herbal Katie:

In honor of this challenge, I’ve added case pricing bulk discounts so you can stock up on natural soaps, teas and spices without breaking the bank.  In addition, any orders placed during the 30-day challenge will automatically get a free bag of Synergistic Spice Blend (the all-purpose seasoning I use on everything!). I’ll also include a bag of Soap Putty,a moldable soap that is similar to play dough. This is a fun (and clean) product for kids (or adults) and it hasn’t officially been launched yet, so this is the only way to get it until this Fall!

Check out Herbal Katie to get handcrafted soaps, teas and spices and FREE Synergistic Spices and Soap Putty (a $20 value) during the challenge!

Meal Plan Challenge Winner:

This challenge was more involved, and I was definitely taking notes from all your great ideas (check out the comments if you haven’t already!). The winner of this challenge gets a copy of Sarah Fragoso’s awesome book Everyday Paleo, which has some great recipes! Check out her great blog if you haven’t already.

And the randomly selected winner is…. Laura Gruber who is eating some delicious foods this week:

Sunday-Chicken and “rice”  (instead of rice use the recipe for mashed cauliflower listed in the shepherd’s pie recipe, mash only a little bit)
Monday-Pork with Spinach and lime
Tuesday-Mini-cheeseburgers, no bun, broccoli slaw
Wednesday-BLT salads, green bean salad
Thursday-Cheesy chicken broccoli bake, salad
Fridays-Pot roast: beef, carrots, celery, onion, sweet potato
Saturday-Beef and broccoli stir fry

Laura, that sounds great, can I come visit! Email me in the next 48 hours with your mailing address and Sarah will send you a SIGNED copy of her book!

Week Two Wellness Challenge

The theme for this week is “In with the good.” We got rid of all the bad stuff last week, and this week, we focus on making sure you are getting the good stuff in your diet, especially fat.

It goes against conventional wisdom to purposefully eat fat, especially *gasp* arteryclogging Saturated Fat and protein (including the non-lean kind!)! This week, we focus on including more healthy fats and there are some great prizes to celebrate the occasion.

If fat still seems like the enemy to you, watch the documentary Fat Head for FREE on Hulu right now (want to win a real copy? Stay tuned!) and get the book Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It by Gary Taubes from your library!

Also, the Best Salad Challenge is still open, and you get a great ebook about fermenting foods naturally from Gnowfglins! Enter now if you haven’t already… it ends Tuesday night at 11:59 central time!

So, I’m off to bed to try to stick with the most difficult part of the challenge for me… getting enough sleep! I’ll be posting the details of the next challenge on Tuesday sometime!

To your health,

Katie

I’ve gotten several emails lately asking for some easy options for lunches and snacks on the go. I admit, this isn’t my strongest area since my kids are still pre-school age and my husband is often in and out of his home office around lunch time, so I’m able to just prepare food at home.

The times that I do have to pack ahead when we are on the road, it definitely takes planning, and I see why this is one area a lot of people would prefer to simplify.

With that in mind, I’ve compiled some of my favorite simple and fast recipes (my own and from around the web) that can be packed for lunches or snacks on the go.

A Few Of My Own…

Jerky From Ground Beef

Meatball Shish Kabobs

Perfect Chicken Salad

Grilled Citrus Chicken Salad with Cucumber, Egg and Strawberries

Fiesta Chicken salad with Guacamole and Salsa

Tuna Salad with Apples and Walnuts

Healthy Rice Free Sushi

Homemade Energy Bars

Cheesy Chips- Grain and Potato Free

Cold Meatza-  Healthy Homemade Meat Based Pizza- Meatza!

Simple Lettuce Tacos (can also be made with lunch meat or other leftovers)

Leftover Salmon Cakes Wrapped In Bacon

Water Kefir Soda

You can also make extra of any of the meals on my Recipes Page and send/bring the leftovers for lunches. These are a few of my favorite (kid-approved) snack ideas

Brilliant Recipes From Around the Web…

Some Easy Snack Ideas from Mark’s Daily Apple (Kids will like these!)

Tons of lunch/snack ideas with recipes compiled at MDA

Bacon, Egg and Avocado Salad at Food Renegade (great blog… check it out while you are there!)

Sausage “Cupcakes” at Food Renegade

Homemade Probiotic Lemonade at Food Renegade

Grain Free Crackers also at Food Renegade

Grain Free Ginger Snaps at The Healthy Home Economist

Kale Chips at Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Chef’s Salad with Fennel, Apple, Blue Cheese and Roast Beef at Cheeseslave

Homemade Ranch Dressing at Cheeseslave

Amazing Greek Salad at Keeper of the Home (add some chicken- amazing!)

Garlic Dill Pickles at Keeper of the Home

Homemade Yogurt at Keeper of the Home

Awesome Gravlax at Gnolls

Butternut Squash Chips at Health, Home and Happiness

Chicken Pepper Poppers at Health, Home and Happiness

Homemade Fried Cheese Sticks at Health, Home and Happiness

Grain Free Crackers at Health, Home and Happiness

Homemade Chicken Nuggets (use coconut or almond flour!)  at Health, Home and Happiness

There’s also nothing wrong with a great homemade salad each day for lunch, and there are a million different ways to mix this one up! For kids, finger foods like nuts, veggies and fruit with dip, beef jerky, cheese, etc are often easier and can be sent with homemade smoothies, water kefir, or other healthy drinks.

I’m sure I’ve missed some great ideas from around the web… please share your favorites in the comments below!

My husband had been requesting pasta for a long time, and I’ve been meaning to experiment with a good grain-free lasagna recipe. Thanks to reader Desiree for the inspiration!

I never liked pasta much, even when we ate grains, so I didn’t have high hopes for this, to be honest! I even used frozen zucchini that we had from last year’s garden, so I wasn’t sure the texture would be great… but to my surprise, it turned out great.

In my (non-Italian) opinion, it was better than regular Lasagna! Even if you aren’t grain-free, this is an easy way to get some extra vegetables in a meal, and it was definitely kid-approved!

Grain Free Zucchini Lasagna Ingredients

• 1-1.5 lbs ground beef (can also use ground Italian sausage for part)
• 2 (24 ounce) jars of pasta sauce (check ingredients!) I used 1.5 quarts of homemade pasta sauce
• 1 large container Ricotta cheese
• 1 pound Mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup Parmesan
• 8 eggs
• 3-4 medium zucchini (depending on size), thinly sliced lengthwise
• spices to taste (We like a lot of flavor, so I used about 1 tsp each of basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, granulated garlic, onion powder etc and about 1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper, etc. Spice to your own preference!)

How to Make Grain Free Zucchini Lasagna

1. Thinly slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices or smaller. Place on well-oiled baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until just starting to brown and get tender. It isn’t necessary to peel, but it might be a good idea if you are trying to hide the vegetables from any picky eaters!
2. While zucchini is cooking, brown meat in a large skillet. If there is room, add the pasta sauce to skillet to warm. If not, add meat and pasta sauce to large pot and heat to a simmer. Add any desired spices.
3. Mix large (approx 32 ounce) Ricotta cheese with eggs, Parmesan, and half of grated mozzarella cheese. I also added garlic powder and basil to the mixture. Set aside.
4. When zucchini is done, remove from oven. In large 9×13 glass baking dish (or 10×16) start layering: meat/sauce on bottom, followed by zucchini slices, then ricotta mixture. This made 2 thick layers for me, but could be spread out into three layers if you dish is deep enough. Make sure the meat/sauce layer is on the top when done. (If you are making ahead, throw in the freezer at this point, and it will be ready to bake when you need it.
5. When you have added all ingredients in layers, place back in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour or until egg/ricotta mixture is set and middle is not jiggly. It will firm up as it cools too.
6. About 15 minutes before done, add remaining mozzarella cheese to top and put back in oven.
7. Serve immediately. (I recommend a side of Italian music and a salad!)

Desiree has another variation of this recipe that I’m looking forward to trying. I couldn’t this time because my zucchini was pre-sliced and frozen, but her recipe seems easier! Desiree shared her recipe:

It’s very easy! For a 9 x 13 pan: Mix 2 cups shredded zucchini or summer squash or riced cauliflower with 2 eggs and 2 cups shredded cheese. Then just use your favorite lasagna recipe, adding at least one egg to the ricotta mixture (I used 2) and in place of the noodles smoosh in a layer of the veggie/egg/cheese mixture. Cover loosely with foil. Bake at 325 until just set (not wobbly when you shake the pan). It takes about an hour or so. Because it takes so long, I’d recommend making your top layer sauce and adding shredded cheese towards the end of cooking, otherwise it will be very dark. It holds up beautifully, no slippery noodles to collapse and tastes amazing!

Ever cooked Italian food without the grains? How did it turn out? Share your recipe below!

Shared at Fight Back Friday

For me, keeping a kitchen well stocked and meal planning have been the two biggest factors in keeping our family eating real foods! I’ve had several readers request a list of the foods I keep stocked in my kitchen, so today, I’m welcoming you into my kitchen (please excuse the mess!)

Stocking A Real Food Pantry

Keeping large amounts of non-perishables on hand and buying them in bulk when they are on sale is a great way to save money and always have these foods on hand. I have really limited pantry space, so instead of all my non-perishables being in one big closet, they are spread out all over my kitchen. I cook with a lot of fresh or frozen ingredients though, so this hasn’t been too much trouble.

These are the foods I keep stocked at all times in my pantry:

Coconut Products: I keep a lot of coconut oil, shredded coconut, coconut flour, coconut cream, etc on hand. We go through these things quickly, and they are great snacks to have on hand for the kids in recipes like the Chocolate Coconut Clusters. My kids even eat coconut oil off the spoon.I buy most of my coconut products from Tropical Traditions, though you can order them from many different places. Just look for unrefined, organic, cold pressed versions.

(Tropical Traditionshas offered to give you a free copy of their Virgin Coconut Oil Book if you ever decide to buy something from their site. All you have to do: the first time your order, choose “Referred by friend” and enter my ID: 6966676. You get the book free and I get coupons towards their products.)

Olive Oil: I keep olive oil on hand for salad dressings and adding to foods once they are cooked. It is a great source of monounsaturated fats, just don’t use it for cooking or it can oxidize!

Other Fats and Oils: I also keep Lard, Tallow and Ghee on hand for cooking. I either make or order these in big quantities and store in 1 or 5 gallon buckets.

Vinegars: I keep White Vinegar on hand for cleaning and other vinegars like balsamic and apple cider on hand for cooking. I use apple cider/balsamic/red wine for salad dressings and marinades  and drink a couple TBSP of Apple Cider Vinegar in water if I feel a cold coming on.

Nuts: For on-the-go snacks, I try to keep walnuts, cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts etc on hand. If I can, I soak and then dehydrate these before storing to reduce the phytic acid. (P.S. Macadamia nuts dipped in 90% dark chocolate and then cooled are one of my favorite treats)

Canned Fish: Though not the perfect choice, canned fish is a way to pack protein on the go, or a fast meal in a pinch. I keep sardines, tuna, wild caught salmon, etc on hand to make tuna salads, salmon patties, etc.

Self Canned Veggies: I’ve been canning most of my own veggies and sauces to reduce our BPA exposure. Many store bought canned vegetables, and all tomatoes (as far as I know) have a BPA lining in the can. It is certainly more time consuming, but I can ketchup, tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, hot sauce, tomato soup, etc from the tomatoes in our garden. If you don’t have this option, look for these foods in jars not cans.

Vegetables: Some vegetables that don’t need to be refrigerated can keep in the pantry for a long time. We keep sweet potatoes, onions, winter squash, garlic, etc on hand in the pantry and they always get eaten before they spoil.

Herbs and Spices: I keep so many of these on hand that I have a cabinet specifically stocked with medicinal and culinary herbs and spices. In my opinion, good spices can make the difference between a good meal and a great one. I use these to make iced herbal teas to keep in the fridge, for spices on food, for making tinctures, and for medicinal use if one of us gets sick. These are the herbs/spices  I currently have on hand:

Culinary:

• Basil
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Garlic (powder, granules, minced, salt)
• Turmeric
• Cayenne
• Cinnamon
• Sea Salt (Himilayan, Black Lava, Smoked)
• Cumin
• Chili Powder
• Celery Salt
• Savory
• Dill
• Onion Powder and Salt
• Mint
• Bay Leaf
• Caraway
• Cardamon
• Marjoram
• Parsley
• Pepper

I also keep medicinal/tea herbs and spices on hand. Right now, I have these:

• Alfalfa
• Nettle
• Dandelion
• Peppermint
• Spearmint
• Red Raspberry Leaf
• Chamomile
• Ginger
• Activated Charcoal
• Elderberries
• Bilberry
• Black Walnut
• Calendula
• Catnip
• Coltsfoot
• Echinacea
• Fennel
• Fenugreek
• Ginko
• Ginseng
• Goldenseal
• Hops
• Horsetail
• Lavender
• Lemon Balm
• Licorice
• Oatstraw
• Red Clover
• Spurlina
• Stevia Leaf
• Kelp

I order all of my herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs and have been really impressed with them. They offer bulk discounts depending on how much you order, so if you decide to order from here, I’d recommend ordering in bulk and stocking up.

Baking Ingredients: Almond flour, baking powder (aluminum free), baking soda, cocoa powder, vanilla, almond butter, dark baking chocolate, etc.

Stocking A Real Food Fridge

The fridge is harder to keep stocked, at least around here. As fast as my kids go through eggs, bacon, apples and cucumbers, it never seems to stay full! (that picture was taken as soon as I got home from the store!)

These are the things I always (try) to keep stocked in my fridge:

Vegetables: We keep sliced cucumbers, carrots and celery on hand for snacks. I also keep lots of lettuce and spinach for salads and cabbage to make sauerkraut (which is usually in some stage of fermentation on my counter). To mix things up, I try to also keep artichokes, leeks, peppers, tomatoes, avocados, cauliflower, broccoli, greens, squashes etc on hand.

Fruits: We try to stick with season fruit, but I usually keep apples and oranges around for the kids. If they are in season, we usually have citrus fruits, if not, I just keep lemon and lime juice for adding to water.

Coconut Milk: There is always at least a gallon of homemade or store bought coconut milk in the fridge for smoothies and drinks for the kids.

Yogurt: Though we don’t eat much yogurt, I keep the full fat organic kind on hand to separate to make whey for fermenting and cream cheese for cooking and veggie dips.

Meats: These are kept in the fridge or freezer and I usually don’t keep more than a day or two worth of meat defrosted at once.

Eggs: We go through at least a dozen eggs a day, so keeping these around is tough. If I can stay on top of it, I try to keep 5-6 dozen cartons in the fridge, including at least a dozen already boiled ones for snacks.

Condiments: I’ve resorted to making most of my own, but the following condiments are usually in the fridge: mustard, homemade mayo, homemade ketchup, homemade tomato sauce, homemade hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, chlorophyll, homemade pickes and relish, etc

Other Places We Keep/Store Food

To be able to purchase in bulk, we have a stand up deep freeze and an extra fridge in our shed. We also keep a garden and cold storage. The deep freeze is full of a 1/4 cow that we purchased from a local farmer, and some frozen veggies from last year’s garden. I also really stock up on nitrite free bacon, sausage and hot dogs when they are on sale.

During the summer months, most of our vegetables come from the garden, which helps the food budget a lot!

On my counters are always an array of foods in various stages of prep and fermentation including:

Water Kefir

Iced Herbal Teas:

And Homemade Sauerkraut:

What are your best tips for keeping your kitchen well stocked with healthy foods? Did I forget any important ones? Join the conversation below!

Here’s what I’m cooking this week at our house. What are you cooking?

My strategy this week is to cook a large amount of meat (a turkey) early in the week to have for use in omelets, stir frys and salads throughout the week. I’m also using the turkey bones to make stock for a turkey vegetable soup packed with calcium.

Monday: Whole Roasted Turkey with Broccoli, Green Beans and Sweet Potatoes

Tuesday: Chuck Roast with Veggies

Wednesday: Turkey Vegetable Soup with leftover turkey, bone stock and chopped onion, carrots, celery, kale, etc

Thursday: Steak and Sweet Pepper Salad

Friday: Crab Cakes, Salad and Steamed Asparagus

Saturday: Chinese Stir Fry make with Turkey instead of Chicken

Sunday: Leftovers

Along the way, I’ve discovered a few resources and tricks for stretching a budget while eating healthy foods, so I’ve compiled them in hopes that they can help you too!

Tip #1: Most Important Factor In Eating Healthy Without Breaking the Bank- Meal Planning!

This alone has made the biggest difference in reducing our food budget and staying on track eating healthy foods. Meal planning allows me to make some foods ahead and have them available for lunches or to re purpose for dinners.

Since meal planning, I am also able to only go to the store once a week or less and can often prepare most of the food for the week in one day, which cuts down my overall food prep time.

Here are four of my weeks of meal planning with the recipes and shopping lists:

Week of Meal Plans with Recipes and Shopping List
Week Two of Meal Plans with Recipes and Shopping List
Week Three of Meal Plans with Recipes and Shopping List
Week Four of Meal Plans with Recipes and Shopping List

The system I use for meal planning and rotating meals is simple to adapt to your own favorite foods and dishes. The meal plans above let us eat a different meal each night of the month and then repeat. I also have more seasonal plans for Summer and Fall.

To make your own healthy meal plan system:

1. Write down 14-28 recipes that your family likes that are healthy. If your budget is tight, pick recipes that are also inexpensive to make.
2. On the front of a 3×5 index card, write the meal and the recipe.
3. On the back of the index card, write how much of each ingredient is needed for this recipe for your family size. (I usually plan for leftovers for lunches)
4. To meal plan: once a week or once a month, pick out the number of meals you need and put them in order for the week. Turn them over, add up the total of the ingredients, and you have a shopping list. (just cross off any ingredients you have already)
5. Stick the cards on the fridge or bulletin board and put them away in your recipe box as you use them.

This system can help you stick to a list, and helps ensure that you always have foods prepared or ready to prepare, which limits impulsive purchasing and eating! On nights we are busy or in a rush, stir frys are my go-to dinner. Just throw some leftover meat and a few bags of frozen veggies in a skillet or wok with some butter, and viola- dinner in minutes!

Tip # 2- Prepare in Bulk

I’ve found this especially helpful with regards to meat. When our budget is tightest, I prepare a large, inexpensive cut of meat and reuse it different ways throughout the week. I always keep an eye out for items like Turkey, Ham, Brisket, etc to go on sale for these occasions.

A couple weeks ago, for instance, I found whole turkey’s on sale for 39 cents a pound, which worked out to between $5 and $6 per turkey… I bought seven. Now, when we have company, (or even when we don’t) I just stick a turkey in the oven and have leftovers for the whole week.

To further stretch the budget, use the bones of any meat you eat to make a healthy bone broth or stock. Here are some simple recipes for turkey or chicken stock and highly nutritious beef broth/stock. Both can be stored in the freezer or even canned (make sure you follow instructions carefully when using any kind of meat product) to stretch them even further.

Some examples of how to repurose the meats:

• For turkey: leftover meat is rolled in lettuce leaves for lunches, made into turkey enchiladas for dinners, slowcooked in Crock Pot for soups, added to omelets, put in stir frys etc. Bones used for broth/stock
• For Beef (Brisket, roast, etc)- leftover meat is seasoned for fajitas, put in omelets, made into barbecue, thrown in soups, made into omelet quesidillas, etc. Bones used for broth/stock
• For Ham- Roasted with cauliflower for “ham and potatoes” dish, used with bone for ham bone soup, put in omelets, wrapped up in lettuce or on salads for lunch, stir fry with cabbage for fast meal, etc

You can also prepare large amounts of ground beef, chicken breasts or any other meat you have around and structure your meals for the week around this.

Tip #3- Find Inexpensive Vegetables

Veggies can vary tremendously in price, depending on the time of year and the source. Focusing on veggies that are in season will help cut costs some.

In the winter, we use a lot of frozen vegetables since they are cheaper, and in my opinion, fresher than the “fresh” produce that has been shipped halfway around the world.

Vegetables like cabbage and sweet potatoes are inexpensive year round and can be great fillers and substitutes in recipes. I stock up on things like these when they are in season, usually buying several cases of sweet potatoes in the fall from farmers markets.

Cabbage costs just pennies a pound from farmers when in season, and can be made into sauerkraut for later use.

Winter squash also stores well and we buy this in bulk too.

Farmers markets, CSAs, and local farmers are great resources for buying inexpensive veggies in bulk. (more on that below)

Tip #4- Order in Bulk

Though there is more of a cost upfront, ordering in bulk can usually save money in the long run. we order non perishables like coconut flour, shredded coconut, olive oil, coconut oil, herbal teas, liquid castille soap, almond flour, etc in bulk from a co-op.

We also order cheese in bulk 10-20 lb blocks from an organic farmer who offers raw cheese. Finding these resources in your area can be tricky, but once you find and establish a relationship with farmers, it can be a tremendous help to the budget.

Even websites like Amazon.com offer products like shredded coconut at decent prices in bulk.

Tip # 5- Find a CSA, Farmer’s Market or Local Farmer

Websites like Local Harvest and Eat Well Guide can help you find a farmer, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) or farmers market in your area. Websites like  EatWild.com have resources for finding a local supplier of grassfed beef or other healthy animals.

Ask around too! We get most of our meats and vegetables from Amish farmers, but they don’t have listings online. Check with local health food stores- many will know places to find these items locally.

Tip # 6- Grow Your Own Food

Even if you live in a big city, it is often possible to grow at least some of your own food. We have a 25 x 40 foot garden for vegetables, and also have fruit trees, grape vines and blueberry bushes in the works this year.

We are able to grow enough vegetables for summer and preserving throughout the year for our family of 5 in this space. We offset a lot of our food bill last year by growing our own, and it was much easier than I expected.

I haven’t tried it myself, but a lot of people recommend Square Foot Gardening to maximize space in small yards. Consider checking out a book on this if you are tight on space.

Tip # 7- Get Some Chickens and Even a Cow!

I’ll be writing about this more in the future, but having chickens can be a great way to save on healthy food while on a budget, especially if you eat as many eggs as we do. We go through a dozen eggs a day right now, and since the truly free range eggs are close to $5 a dozen at times, having our own chickens is helping cut down the food bill a lot.

This wasn’t honestly something I ever expected to do, but we reused an old shed to make a chicken coop and now have 18 chickens producing 8-12 eggs a day in our backyard. Websites like Backyard Chickens offer a lot of information about raising chickens, even in a small backyard.

For most people, it isn’t feasible, but having a cow can also really cut down on the food bill in the long run. Right now, we get our beef from cow-sharing, where we purchase part of a live cow and pick up the meat once it is processed. If keeping a cow isn’t for you, look for a farmer that offers (grass-fed) beef in your area.

Tip # 8- Preserve When Possible

Another factor that can really help cut down a food bill is the ability to preserve foods for use when they aren’t in season. Last year, I tried my hand at canning, and we are still enjoying the outcome.

This year, the goal is to can all of our tomato products for the year to cut down on BPA expsoure from canned tomatoes. I also plan to can applesauce by buying several bushels when they are in season and making our own. Last year, we also canned condiments and pickles, and will do this again.

Freezing is another way to preserve foods, and our extra deep freeze in our shed has been a tremendous help for storing our 1/4 of beef and veggies from the garden.

Dehydrating is another option, though it takes a while and can be a slow process, at least with my dehydrator. If money is tight, look for dehydrators and canners at garage sales and thrift stores to save money over buying new.

Tip # 9- Don’t Buy Drinks!

If you are trying to eat healthy, hopefully you’ve already cut out things like soda, canned drinks and processed juices from your food budget. If not, do it now! This alone is a big step in improving overall health.

If you have consumed much of these beverages in the past, go back and look at the percentage of your food bill that they take up. In general, buying beverages in any prepared form is an expensive and unhealthy option.

Even fruit juices cause a big insulin spike in the body, and are expensive without offering much nutrition. Pasteurized milk isn’t a healthy option either as it contains some levels or hormones, and the nutrients have been largely removed by the pasteurization process.

Cutting those items from the food budget will often free up a lot of cash for healthier options. If you aren’t a fan of only drinking water, ever… there are still some healthier and cheaper options for nutritious drinks.

• Water Kefir or Kombucha- These two beverages can be made at home for pennies and are great sources of nutrients and probiotics. Both are made with different types of reusable colonies of healthy bacteria and once you have these, they take only sugar and water to make again and again. I got my supplies from Cultures for Health, and have been very impressed. They also have some great videos explaining how to make both. Added Benefit: water kefir gets carbonated like soda, so it is a naturally satisfying sub for one of the most unhealthy drinks available!
• Herbal Teas- To help my kids get vitamins in, I make herbal teas and keep them in a large pitcher in the fridge. I order herbs like Red Raspberry Leaf, Alfalfa, Nettle and Stevia in bulk and make tea by the gallon. It works out to under a dollar a gallon, usually much less. I use about a cup of dried herbs per gallon of water, and steep overnight for the most available nutrients. The kids love it, and I love that they are getting vitamins. Bonus: the mixture above tastes similar to sweet tea, a vice of old!
• Homemade Coconut and Almond Milk- (coconut milk recipe coming soon!) I’ve found that making coconut and almond milk is much cheaper and healthier than buying them. It also lets me sneak in extra vitamins and good fats!

Tip # 10- Save Money in Other Areas

The biggest advantage to eating a healthy real food diet is saving money in other areas (like doctor bills!). We haven’t been to a doctor since we started eating this way all the time, and we all coasted through flu season no problem.

There are other areas of a budget where you can save money to help buffer the food bill also. Here are some of the way’s we’ve done it:

• We don’t eat out… ever. I admit, I love eating out. Not because the food is good (it usually isn’t) but because I don’t have to cook or clean for one whole meal. This is a big deal when you cook three hot meals a day and then have to do the dishes (and mop the floor as they case may be with a one year old!). That being said, eating out even once a month can use up a lot of the food budget at once. Saving the money from eating out lets me provide healthier options for me family at home, and  none of us miss eating out much. [The one exception here is that my husband and I go out on a "real date" every couple months when family offers to babysit, though this is usually just for salads!]
• Make expensive baby items at home: I’ve saved money by making my own Natural Homemade Baby Wipes and baby food. Both of these items are expensive in stores and healthier when made at home. In the future, I’m working on cloth diapering/wipes, which will save even more money.
• Make Your Own Natural Cosmetics/Beauty Products- This is another area to save money and get healthier options. Try using someNatural Homemade Substitutes for Conventional Beauty Products or making your own deodorant and toothpaste.
• Make Your Own Cleaning Products- This one is so easy and saves a lot of money. If you aren’t doing this already, you should be, and you probably already have the stuff at home. Try these recipes to make the switch easier:

Make Your Own Natural Homemade Laundry Detergent-Video Tutorial
Natural Homemade Laundry Detergent
Natural All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe
Natural Oven Cleaning
Natural Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe
Easy Homemade Scouring Powder Recipe
Floor and Tile Cleaner Recipe

• Cut Back on Supplements- Unless you are taking a very specific supplement for a condition, chances are you can back off of some supplements when you start eating healthier. You can also get vitamins, minerals and probiotics much more inexpensively my making herbal teas, bone broths and kefir/kombucha. Your diet is naturally higher in these things too, so if you have to cut back on the supplements to eat a real food diet, consider doing this. Supplements are meant to “supplement” a good diet anyway, and you can’t out-supplement a bad diet. In general, it is better to have healthy food options than to pop pills.
• Exercise at Home or With Your Kids- Chances are you already have running shoes (or exercise barefoot… the trend is growing). If you are paying for a gym membership, consider using this money for real food instead. Do some sprints outside or learn how to do pushups at home. Make exercise fun without being a gym-rat by playing a game of soccer with the kids. Added bonus: you are keeping your kids active too!
• Do a Media Detox: If you’ve made the above changes and money is still tight, consider doing a media detox and cutting back on entertainment related expenses. We cut out cable a couple years ago, and don’t even miss it. We can watch most things online, and even signing up for Netflix is cheaper than a cable bill in most cases. Face it- the news is usually depressing and it doesn’t seem to be getting much better. Consider getting rid of the cable, newspaper subscription, new radio, etc to have money to put in healthier areas of your life. Our kids don’t get video-games either (oh, the horror!) and they don’t care… they have this great entertainment called the backyard!

This week, I’m trying to finish up an online course on balancing hormones naturally, get the garden started, keep up with school with the kids, adjust to 23 new chickens, and did I mention I’m 25 weeks pregnant?

With all that going on, I’m focusing on fast and easy meals that don’t take much time to cook or much clean up. What are you cooking this week?

Monday: Meatza

Tuesday: Irish Bangers and Mash

Wednesday: Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Thrusday: Chinese Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry

Friday: Homemade Fish Sticks and Sweet Potato Fries

Saturday: Grilled Chicken Salad with Oranges and Grapes

Sunday: Leftovers

For lunches/snacks, I’m making some homemade sushi to keep in the fridge. I’m also making some beef jerky from ground beef (that recipe coming soon!).

What are you cooking this week? I love hearing your ideas too!

To finish out February, I am including my last week of full meal plans with shopping lists and recipes. I hope this has been helpful to you in making a switch to eating more whole foods. Enjoy!

Monday: Tacos served on Romaine Lettuce with salsa or chopped tomatoes, onions and sour cream, cheese and hot sauce (all optional).

Tuesday: Chicken Stir Fry With Chicken, Onions, Squash, and Broccoli

Wednesday: Pork Chops with baked apples served with spinach salad

Thursday: Chili and salad

Friday: Baked Fish of choice with baked cauliflower and sweet potatoes.

Saturday: Roast with Onions served with sweet potato fries, broccoli and salad

Sunday: Baked Chicken, Broccoli, and winter squash. (or leftovers if I don’t feel like cooking)

Shopping List

Note: this shopping list is designed for 2-3 people, so adjust up as necessary!

Meat:
• 3 lbs ground beef or turkey
• 8 chicken breasts or 16 thighs (or more if you will eat it)
• One 3-4 pound roast of choice
• 2 pork chops (or more if you want leftovers)
• 2 servings fish of choice (or more if you want leftovers)

Produce:
• 2 medium size sweet potatoes
• 1 medium to large winter squash (acorn or butternut)
• 1 bag carrots
• 1 bag onions
• 1 red pepper (optional)
• Small bag of apples
• 2 or more heads Romaine Lettuce
• Large bag or box of spinach
• 2 medium or 1 large zucchini or squash
• 2-3 tomatoes (optional)
• any other vegetables you want for salads or snacks including cucumber, more carrots, celery, peppers, etc

Frozen:
• 3-4 lbs frozen broccoli
• 3-4 lbs frozen cauliflower

Canned:
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can tomato paste

Dairy:
• 1 pound butter (organic is best)
• cheese (optional)
• sour cream (optional)
• 3 dozen eggs (not dairy, I know, but in the same area)

Other:
• Cumin (spice isle)
• Chili Powder (spice isle)
• Hot sauce (optional)

Monday: Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Tuesday: Cajun Gumbo Jumbalaya

Wednesday: Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy) with salad

Thursday: Chinese Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry

Friday: Homemade Tuna and Apple Salad with Walnuts

Saturday: Skillet Steak with Sweet Potato or Butternut Latkes and Roasted Vegetables of Choice

Sunday: Leftovers or soup made from leftovers

Shopping List

Note: This shopping list is designed for 2-3 people so double or triple accordingly!

Meat:

• 6-8 Chicken breasts (or more for lunch/leftovers)
• 1 lb sausage of choice (spicy works well)
• 1 lb frozen or fresh shrimp (optional)
• 4 lbs beef (roast, round, steak ,etc) get what is cheapest, but not ground beef
• 1 lb skillet or flank steak

Produce:

• 1 large head of cabbage
• 3-4 bell peppers, color of choice
• small bag of onions
• lettuce and spinach (enough for salads and meals all week)
• Tomatoes (optional)
• Cucumber (optional)
• Small package of mushrooms
• Bag of carrots
• 2-3 medium sweet potatoes or 1 large butternut squash
• Bag of apples
• Other fruits of choice

Frozen:

• 2 bags frozen broccoli
• 3 bags frozen cauliflower
• 1 bag mixed veggies, no corn
• 1 bag unbreaded okra

Dairy:

• 1 pound butter (organic is best)-or more
• 1 lb cheese (optional)
• 3 dozen eggs (not dairy, I know, but in the same area)
• Sour cream (optional)
• Parmesan (optional)

Other:

• Snack foods of choice
• 1 can or jar diced tomatoes
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• dill weed (optional)
• Honey or molasses
• 1 large or 2 small cans tuna
• Pecans or walnuts (optional)

What are you cooking this week? I’ve shared my ideas, and I’d love to hear yours! Leave a comment below!