Healthy Cheap-Skate options.
Following on my ramble from the other day – there is a notion in the healthy living realm that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is easy and affordable. I disagree with this entirely – a healthy lifestyle is one SO worth striving for…. BUT it takes quite a bit of effort, and no, it doesn’t come cheap.
If you want to be healthy, you have to eat well, yes? Good quality food demands the price it is worth…. like anything in life, you get what you pay for. I think our health should be our biggest investment – I saw something the other day that went along the lines of – “So you think organic food is expensive? You should check out the going rate for cancer treatment!” Enough said.
I’m a cheapskate, I won’t lie. I have to be – we’re a single income family on a tight budget…. but you can still eat really well on a budget, it’s no excuse. Any way, I thought I would highlight a few staple ingredients in my house that are full of health-giving benefits, while also going easy on the old wallet.
Dates are one of nature’s finest candies – sweet, chewy delicious. Rich in iron, potassium, calcium, manganese, copper and magnesium, these little babies are also and instant energy pick-me-up. The most amazing of dates (in my opinion) are the Medjool, which are perfect for delicious raw desserts and snacking, these, however are NOT the cheapest variety out. I look for cheaper bulk packs of varieties such as Iranian, Shalaby or Helwah… My best advice is to check out a local Middle Eastern grocery store – there are some amazing bargains to be found, believe me. As always, be aware and read your ingredient labels.
Date paste is a super simple sweetener you can make by soaking dates in water, and then blending to create a thick, rich mix perfect for adding to baking (add sweetness and moisture) smoothies, or just smearing on bread/fruit. Cover dates in water and soak over night, or at least for a few hours. Drain the water off, but keep it aside. Pulse dates in a food processor, adding just enough soaking water to produce a thick spread.
I use date paste to sweeten home made milks and smoothies. This is tahini “milk” - which is another great Healthy Cheap-Skate option. All you do is blend 1/2C tahini with 3C water, a pinch of sea salt and a big dollop of date paste. Delish. Tahini is so cheap compared with expensive nut butters (particularly in Australia), plus being a paste it makes it really easy to digest, and is fabulous for those with nut allergies. Tahini contains B Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 and B15, and is really high in calcium.
Oats. Wonderful oats. Cheap, filling, and the amount of recipes you can create with them (sweet or savoury) is too many to count. Fibre, protein, calcium, low GI - and delicious.
A good old fashioned bowl of porridge (or oatmeal) is probably one of the healthiest and cheapest starts to the day you could get, but I’ve got a few other ideas for you. For a fancy-type granola, which is sure to impress try my Spiced Pumpkin variety….. if you have a toddler, these “Flat-Cakes” (flax and oat) are so simple and you can get creative with the toppings….. or this Coconut Oat snack bar recipe is a snap to whip up from simple pantry ingredients – just make sure you own a food processor!
Most grains are cheap – I love bulk bin stores…. less packaging, buy any amount you like, save money. Barley, brown rice, buckwheat, wheat berries, oats, millet, and bulgar are all grains that I can purchase organic for under $5 a kilogram… that’s pretty good nutritional bang for your buck. I’ve been experimenting with making Zarathustra bread, which is a 5000 year old concept of an unyeasted bread made from crushed, sprouted grains. Basically, you soak wheat berries (or any other grain) with sesame seeds for a few days, drain, blend and bake at a very low temperature (or dehydrate) into a “bread.” Consider the word “bread” very loosely.
These are made with raw, sprouted buckwheat, sesame seeds, sea salt, cinnamon and goji berries. Dense and heavy? Yes. Delicious, yes, surprisingly good after a dousing of tahini. Good eats, on the cheap – I’m a big fan.
What are YOUR go-to meals/ingredients for when the budget is tight?
23 Responses to “Healthy Cheap-Skate options.”
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Vegan. Stay at home Mum of Misty. Yoga teacher in training. Passionate about REAL food - creating it, eating it, sharing it. I can never stick to a recipe.
Love your idea of the tahini milk! I’ve done something similar with almond butter in a pinch, but you’re right, almond butter can be so expensive! I’ll have to try that! And that bread sounds so interesting! Great tips Lou
I really need to start being cheaper….it’s getting to be a little bit of a problem. Major budgeting ahead.
Almond butter is ridiculously expensive in Australia – around $7 for a teeny tiny little jar. I always buy bulk almonds and make my own.
Oh man, the way I used to spend before having Misty – I dream of those days now
the bulk section saves us too! and dates! kombucha does not. sigh.
Are you not brewing your own any more? Saves mucho $$$ that way
another post I totally relate to. When we went down to one income (when we decided sorta on a whim that I would become a stay at home mom) we had to do some MAJOR budget scale backs. I have always been “thrifty”, but I am getting better and better as time goes on. I have figured out that buying in season and getting to know the people we buy from (who in turn often give us deals or at the very least give us the heads up of deals coming up/where to find them) has been our biggest saving grace. Also I have signed up for some of my favorite brands email newsletters online… I used to think this was a pain (most of the emails they send are junk), but I often get GREAT coupons emailed to me because of this!! Coupons for healthy products are few and far between so this is also a HUGE help!
We are also big date and bulk grain fans around here too (Holden LOVES dates.. like most kids would love candy and always tries to sneak them from my stash). We are also lucky being in Ontario that we can buy bulk maple syrup locally for a very reasonable price… especially during tapping season (hello yummy natural sweetener).
Yes yes, having a child (and dropping an income) really makes you reconsider the way you live, no? Sounds like you have a brilliant way of living frugally, while still eating a brilliantly healthy diet
I am very envious of your source of delicious local maple syrup – that sounds incredible.
Misty is the same with dates…. he just stands in front of the pantry saying “More! More!” when it comes to dates.
It’s a big learning curve, huh? Really makes you realise how effective living “thifty” is!
it’s so true, I often think of how I lived before and kick myself for all the money I could have saved (which would have made things a lot easier now)! Live and learn though. Also, what really drives me crazy is all the people out there who think that in order to be “thrifty” or save it means you need to be like those crazy people on the coupon shows and fill your garage/basements with a ton a processed crap that will most likely kill your family faster than any epidemic ever will. You can have the best of both worlds… live a healthy life, full of nutrient dense foods and still find clever ways to save… it just takes a little more creativity!
I am positive Misty and Holden would be besties… they could cause destruction, drive cars and eat dates all day long
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Misty and Holden would TOTALLY we besties
Oh how much fun they would have (plus us Mamas could sit, drink wine and laugh while watching them 
)
I’m actually quite thankful for the change of lifestyle having a child and dropping an income has brought…. it is hard, yes, but I have learnt SO many better (cheaper) ways of doing things! I think I eat better NOW than I ever did when I had more spare cash, which is quite ironic.
Mmmmmm. Dates and oats. So delicious and staples in this house. Bulk bins save us – grains, beans, nuts, seeds all so much cheaper in bulk. We even have a large herbs and spices bulk which has good organic spices for cheap.
Beans, grains and few choice greens make up the bulk of our meals. Add a few good spices and some dirt cheap onions and you can crate endless variations.
My ultimate cheap skate goal is to get back to Iz where me might be able to afford a place with a backyard and grow some veggies and or a few fruit trees.
Perhaps the boy will be big enough to get a part time job too, living on one income is tough.
Oh yes, getting back to Oz would be amazing – it’s such a fabulous place to live
My favourite bulk food store has herbs/spices/herbal teas too – it’s so great to be able to buy bulk of these…. I find Indian grocery stores/Middle Eastern stores fantastic too.
I have a little veggie patch which is fab, although my dog decided to dig part of it up this morning…. grrrrrr!
I hate hate hateee when people use the excuse that healthy food is expensive!! It drives me CRAZY! When I am feeling “lazy” and want to go somewhere for a quick meal I think about how making it at home would save me money in the long run. I could get one burrito for $2 at a restaurant, and on the flip side I could spend $5 at the grocery store and make like..10 burritos!!
Cancer sucks, and I don’t want it..I eat leafy greens and veggies like they are going out of style, and I just so happen to love the taste too!
Totally, Britt – You just have to keep in mind how saving $$ now will help you in the long run, you’ve got the right idea, for sure
And hooray! for leafy greens!
I’m so with you on dried bulk grains and legumes, I also go for a balance of frozen generic veg and fresh organic to balance the books.
When we go out to celebrate sharing meals or eating a large lunch and getting appetisers is another one of my faves so we can still enjoy the occasional treat.
Yip, it’s a juggling act, for sure – but it just goes to show with a little creative thinking you can eat beautiful, nutritious food, and not go broke!
Lots of great tips (and points) in here Lou
Thanks Kari – it’s a constant learning curve trying to eat well and be frugal
Hey, thanks for bringing back some of your past recipe links to remind us – I keep meaning to copy out some of the ones I want to try and print them off but never get around to it! I am definitely going to do the granola (I have finally managed to get buckwheat groats!) and the oat bars…I certainly took for granted my access to good health foods back on the coast, and now so frustrated I have more time and knowledge to give my eating habits a kick in the butt (huge thanks to you for the inspiration!) but can’t get good foods (at reasonable prices!)…
If you ever need anything in particular – just let me know… I have some great sources and could easily post them to you
Thanks Lou! My problem is the fresh fruit and veges mostly – a group of us are starting up a community garden in Denman, so that is going to be great!
Oh yes, that must be frustrating….. what a great idea though about the community garden – how fantastic!!