Stuart and I sat around the kitchen table the other night talking about fast food.
What? What a surprise! We were talking about food!
My point I was trying to make was this: so many of us eat fast food because it's cheap.
But is it really?
First, it's important to take into account that the government subsidizes wheat and corn farmers, which all fast food is based off of. Basically, this means that the government pays farmers to grow wheat and corn for less than the cost of production. If wheat and corn were grown without government subsidies (which I believe they should be) this 'cheap' food production would halt. Without cheap corn and wheat, well, goodbye McDonalds.
I could really get goin' on government subsidies, but alas, that is not my point. And as much as I would like to bring up the environmental impact of modern farming, I shant.
Back to 'cheap' fast food.
So, say you have a family of three (our current size). A meal at McDonalds for a family of three would cost....what?...about $10? $15? $12.50?
I'm guessing here, so just run with me.
So, say a family of three ate at McDonalds for 'cheap' once a day. For dinner, let's say. And it doesn't have to be McDonalds - it could be Jack In The Box, Dairy Queen, Wendys, whatever your little heart desires.
So, 30 days a month....$12.50 a meal.....$375 a month.
Let's say they order off the dollar menu for a total of $8 a meal, we're still looking at $240 a month.
Mind you, they still need to eat breakfast, lunch, and snacks. So maybe, a couple hundred more for their other groceries? We're somewhere in the range of $400-$600 now.
And remember - this is for the cheap food. If they eat out at a nicer restaurant, well, you can do the math.
So the very, very least they could get away with is about $8 a meal, or $240 a month, for one meal. And truthfully, I think it's more towards the $375 end (as fries and sodas are must!). PLUS they still need their other two meals from somewhere.
Here's the kicker.
We spent $400 a month on groceries total. Full disclaimer: We do eat at my parents each Friday for one meal. Thanks Mom and Dad!
We drink raw milk, eat organic meats and cheeses, and have tons of fresh produce each day. $400 a month for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. For three of us. And yes, Georgia eats her share.
So for not much more than eating at McDonalds only one meal per day, it is possible to eat 3 meals of a balanced, vitamin rich, organic diet.
I'm talking about nutrient dense food people. I'm talking about food that nourishes and strengthens your body. I'm talking about food that can aid in boosting your immune system and keeping your healthy. I'm talking about food that benefits you.
How is that possible?
I'll be honest, it's not nearly as easy as running through the drive through. Cooking quality food from scratch takes time and dedication. However, I assure you it can be done. Even when I was working full time, I was still able to swing whole-food based cooking. It just takes some creativity and prep work.
Here's a very rough breakdown of our food budget and costs:
- Grass-fed, local beef, $3.30/lb. This usually lasts us for 10-ish months, or about $45 per month.
- Organic, whole chickens, $3.25/lb. I make these stretch for a least three meals, leftovers, and stock. We eat one chicken every other week. $30 per month. I can hardly wait to raise our own chickens this year! We will be raising 25 total, which will provide us with about 2 per month.
- Wild-caught fish, $4.50/lb. I only get it when the price is good (rarely). $4.50 per month.
- Raw, organic cheddar cheese. I order a 5 lb. block from Azure Standard for around $30. We can usually make this stretch for almost two months. $15 a month.
- Goat cheese and Feta cheese, $8 a month.
- Bulk grains, wheat berries, beans, rice, coconut, lentils, oats, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, sour cream, almonds, dates, cocoa powder, honey, rapadura, baking soda, baking powder, arrowroot flour, etc. ordered from Azure Standard. On average, about $50 a month.
- Fresh produce (this varies greatly). During the summer, we eat primarily from our garden and local orchards. We also put up a ton of frozen goodies to eat on through the winter. However, I still make weekly trips to the store to buy produce, such as: bananas, citrus fruit, carrots, celery, lettuce, avocados, potatoes and onions. These are my inexpensive staples - sure, I love pineapple. But that ain't in the budget, baby. $75 a month. Kale, green beans, corn, tomatoes, and herbs are frozen from the garden each year - so I don't count those. We also eat a lot of produce that has been preserved from the summer, such as canned, frozen, and dehydrated fruits. Purchasing items like blueberries in season from a local farm is (usually) much cheaper than buying them from the grocery store. Hit up that farmer's market, baby.
- Raw milk, $10 a gallon. Ya, it's expensive. But it's worth it. Instead of downing 64 ounces of milk, we enjoy small glasses. We also water Georgia's down slightly, since it's super rich. $30 a month.
- Pastured organic eggs, $3/dozen. We get these from our milk lady (Hey Jennifer!) or my parents. They're so good! $21 a month.
- Olive Oil, ordered from Chaffin Family Ranch in California. My Mom and I split the order and each end up with a gallon of olive oil for about $45. This lasts us for 2-3 months. $15 a month.
- Coconut oil, ordered from Mountain Rose Herbs. This is hard to figure out, since I use it for hair conditioner, deodorant, face lotion, and diaper cream! But a $60 gallon tub usually lasts us about 6 months, including all the cosmetic uses. I'll deduct a bit for this. $8 a month.
- Coffee. What? A girl has weaknesses. We buy whole bean in bulk from a local roaster and grind it ourselves. $25 a month. That may sound like a lot, but really, that's only like 6 drinks from Starbucks!
- Grocery store extras, including: toilet paper, feminine products, light bulbs, dog food, etc. $75 a month.
Some months are a little bit more, such as when we need to restock on a bunch of grains, and some months are less (such as in the summer when we get to eat our wonderful garden bounty!). It's a give and take.
I would say $400 is just about spot on though. And just think of all the wonderful food we're putting into our systems.
That being said, this budget does involve some work.
- I soak all my beans and buy them dried, instead of canned.
- I stock up on inexpensive, seasonal produce when I can, which includes dehydrating, canning, and freezing.
- I bake our weekly bread and grind our flours.
- Oatmeal is made from scratch, not packets.
- I make our own fish, chicken, beef, and vegetable stocks.
- I make our own snack bars.
- I brew our kombucha.
- I ferment our kefir and yogurt (both made with our raw milk).
- I make all our salad dressings (which takes 5 seconds).
- Berries (for kefir smoothies) are frozen in the summer and usually gleaned, as are apricots, grapes, peaches, plums, and apples. I make applesauce, grape juice, and jellies from them.
All of these tasks cost you time. And save you money.
I think the most important thing about food budgeting is finding a balance in what works for you. You might be in a busy season of your life where baking bread is out of the question. That's okay! Figuring out what works for your family is the most important.
That being said, don't be deterred by a little bit of extra time spent in the kitchen. The more you do things like bake bread, the easier it gets. Soon, it becomes a quick and painless process. I literally don't spend more than 15 minutes each week baking our bread.
All that to say...
It is totally possible to eat a high-quality, whole-food, organic based diet for less than it costs to eat fast food.
