Paleo on a Budget

So, as I have said before, I've had many people tell me that they think it's great that I eat the way I do but that they never could. One of the reasons people think they couldn't do it is because they cannot afford it! We are a homeschool family of 5, and let me tell you, we are not rich. We sacrifice other things because food is important to us- food is life; it is our medicine, because without nourishing food we would be paying in other areas for sure. We often laugh that our grocery bill is higher than our mortgage, and it's true. However, we definitely have to be wise and stretch our food to make it work or I'm sure I could spend far more. Can you be paleo (or primal, keto, healthy) on a budget? Absolutely!!
Today, I want to share some budget friendly meals that are both nourishing and affordable. Eating healthy doesn't have to break the bank. The key is to include a protein, healthy fat, and some good veggies to each meal. Think about the money you'll save from eliminating soda, junk food, pastas and breads, and processed food; that stuff adds up!! You really can do it, and you can't afford not to.
If possible, try to find grass fed beef and farm grown chicken and eggs. If you look around, you can find some great local sources and save money by not shopping in the stores. I've developed some great relationships with local farmers that will deliver right to my door! If you can't afford to buy all organic produce, check out the "dirty" and "clean" list to determine which fruits and veggies have the least amount of pesticides and purchase non organic produce from that list. I hardly ever buy organic avocados for this reason.

Ok, so... let me show you what some great, healthy, affordable meals look like.

 When I started this journey, I was NOT about to give up comfort food. So, I tweaked everything I could to meet the criteria that was important to me. Here is the classic "Spaghetti and meatballs". Looks great, right??!! This dish is so simple and everyone loves it. And, there's a lot of variations as well. Bake your spaghetti squash (or throw it in the IP which is a.maze.ing. Cause it takes like 6 minutes in that thing!!) Make your sauce (with or without meat, or if you're really feeling adventurous, make some yummy meatballs), and DONE! You can puree some steamed spinach into your sauce, or I really love to bake this with some grass fed cheese to make lazy lasagna! YUM!

Speaking of comfort food, check these out!! When I think of comfort food, I think of "fried" food... which I don't eat! So, here are some great ways to give into that fried food craving, without the frying part. On the left are some "chicken nuggets"; Farm chicken breast dipped in egg, then into an almond flour coating. You can either "fry" them in a pan of avocado oil, or drizzle with the oil and pop in the oven. And, of course, you need to have fries. I always use avocado oil because it has a high smoke point. Cut up some regular or sweet potatoes, toss in the oil with a sprinkle of good quality salt, and bake in the oven! On the right is one of my favorites, burgers! I make my own patties with some grass fed beef, mix with an egg, a bit of almond flour, and some spices  (I also make a delicious homemade BBQ sauce for these babies). Then I wrap mine in lettuce but the rest of the family enjoys these just as a patty and eat them with a fork and knife. Either way, these are soooo yummy! And, you save money by not buying buns ;)

Another really budget friendly meal is cauliflower rice. Now, when I first heard about this, I was quite skeptical. BUT, you'd be surprised how good this actually is! Especially paired with some honey garlic chicken. You just take a head of cauliflower and throw it in your food processor and VOILA! You have rice! Fry that up in a pan with some garlic and avocado oil, sauté for a few minutes and add your veggies. DONE! Easy, right?

Now you might be wondering, why not just eat rice? It's healthy isn't it? Well, no. Now, I understand that not everyone has the same goals as me and that's ok. But, I'm just giving you the info and you can do what you want with it. Everyone has different goals. BUT rice has what's called phytic acid, or phytates  (as do all grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes) which are antinutrients (they interfere with the absorption of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Properly prepared (soaked or sprouted) these types of foods can be great. And, I do make sprouted rice on occasion. BUT, we're talking about budget friendly meals, and the cauli rice is definitely easier on your wallet. Skip the soy sauce and drizzle with some coconut aminos, or your yummy honey garlic sauce from your chicken.

Next up, who doesn't love a good pot roast??!! The great thing about a pot roast, or a good roasted farm chicken, is you're going to get more than one meal out of that sucker for sure. Pair that with a good healthy carb like some sweet potatoes tossed in avocado oil and some veggies, so good! I also like to do some yummy garlic mashed potatoes. Now, I need to eat these babies sparingly as they are starchy and convert into glucose in your body. But, since they're my favorite, I eat in moderation and have also found a way these can be healthier for my family and I.

Cooking potatoes in your instant pot turns a large portion of the starch into resistant starch, which is a healthier starch that isn't fully digested but is used by the body like fiber. Need another reason to eat some potatoes? If you leave the skin on, you've got yourself some prebiotics which promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut!

When talking about healthy, cost effective meals soup is definitely going to make the list. After you've made your whole chicken, don't waste those bones!! Make some nourishing bone broth and then use it for a yummy soup! Such a great meal, and we love to pair them with these grain free rolls

paleospirit.com/2013/paleo-dinner-rolls/

Here is another classic: Caesar salad. I always make my own dressing (mayo, avo oil, garlic, spices). Throw in some chicken, and here I've also added some cheese crisps! Shredded cheese formed into a cookie like shape and baked in the oven until crispy and then cooled. Now, these aren't actually paleo. But, I can source a really good quality cheese (locally made and from grass fed cows) so we will eat this on occasion.

Here is the last dish I'm going to show you; we like to use butternut squash noodles. There are so many things you can do with these. We often do a stir fry with these and add either beef or chicken and whatever veggies I have on hand. I've also made an alfredo sauce from coconut cream and made these into "fettucine alfredo". It was to die for.

There are so many things you can do on a budget. We almost always have raw, organic veggies on the side of most dishes. A smoothie packed with protein and healthy fats is served with lunch daily to nourish and fill growing bellies. It's really not as hard as you'd think. Find your groove, what works for you, and never stop learning :)