How To Spend Less On Groceries and Still Eat Healthfully

Guest Article by Raederle Phoenix from The Vegetarian Health Institute

Would you like to spend less on groceries, while still eating a healthy diet? If so, this blog post can save you a few hundred dollars over the course of the next year.

Some of my suggestions are only relevant for raw fooders and raw food recipes. But some apply to folks who eat cooked food too.

Recipe Substitutions

The following are recipe substitution suggestions that will work for almost any recipe. But of course, use your judgment and consider the impact the substitution will have on a recipe.

When a recipe calls for…

• Dried fruit: Use the cheapest unsweetened dried fruit, which is usually raisins. Raisins have a much stronger flavor than dates, so if the recipe calls for dates, make it half and half with dates and raisins.
  
• Frozen fruit: Substitute some of the frozen fruit with frozen bananas. To freeze bananas, peel them and break them into pieces and put them in your freezer in a bowl or on a plate.
  
• Fresh fruit: Use what is in season and can be bought at a low price at your local farmer’s market. If it is peach season but the recipe calls for mangoes, use peaches anyway.
  
• Frozen vegetables: Use the least expensive frozen vegetables. The kind of vegetables generally won’t matter much, unless it’s a particular vegetable you dislike. If you prefer organic, select the least expensive organic frozen vegetables.
  
• Nuts: Substitute part of the portion of nuts with coconut shreds. In some recipes, as much as three-quarters of the nuts can be replaced with coconut shreds without much change to flavor and consistency. Make sure you use some of the nuts that the recipe calls for, however. Different nuts may have very different effects. Almonds and Brazil nuts are both unique and offer very particular flavors. Walnuts and pecans are sometimes interchangeable. Macadamia nuts and cashews are often interchangeable.

Avoiding Certain Recipes

Many recipes are out-and-out expensive no matter how you substitute. When selecting recipes, one can scan the ingredients and get a feel for how much it’s going to cost.

When selecting recipes to try out, avoid recipes that call for…

• A large amount of a specific brand-name ingredient.
• More than a quarter cup of nuts. (Unless using coconut shreds to cut the cost.)
• More than four cups of a non-dairy milk.
• More than two cups of a non-dairy yogurt.
• Large quantities of an exotic fruit that is imported from far away.
• More than two spices you don’t already own.

Avoiding Waste

Another way one can save is by avoiding waste. Sometimes when we don’t know how to preserve something we use trial and error and learn the hard way.

How to preserve extra fruit salad:

• Option 1: Add fresh squeezed lemon juice to the fruit salad. Use one lemon for every two cups of fruit salad remaining. Put in a dish with an air-tight lid and store in the fridge.
  
• Option 2: Put in the freezer to turn into pudding, smoothies or ice cream later in your food processor or blender. May also use a masticating juicer using the “blank” to create ice cream from frozen fruit.

What to do with pulp after making juice at home:

• Option 1: Add vegetable pulp to soups, breads, or salsa (add minimal amounts to salsa). Add fruit pulp to muffins, pies, breads, soups or salsa. (Be careful not to add to much. Pulp is almost pure fiber!)
  
• Option 2: Compost. Pulp breaks down fast and makes great fertilizer for your garden or for growing wheatgrass indoors.
  
• Option 3: Add seeds, nuts, oats, coconut shreds, spices and/or oils and blend in your food processor. Spread in your dehydrator at 110 degrees to make raw crackers, or put in your oven at a low temperature with the door slightly open to gently slow-cook crackers.

How to preserve extra cooked grains or grain-like dishes such as quinoa:

 

• Option 1: Store cooked grains in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to two days.
  
• Option 2: Store cooked grains in a container in the freezer for up to a week.

To keep nuts, dried fruits and other “shelf-stable” foods fresh and away from bugs:

• Option 1: Store in ziplock bags within air-tight containers.
  
• Option 2: Store in the fridge in bags or containers.
  
• Option 3: Store in the freezer.

Leftovers & Wilting Produce

Another way to avoid waste is to “refurbish” your leftovers or wilting produce:

• With greens, such as chard, kale and spinach, you don’t want them wilted as a salad, but they are fine to throw in soup.
  
• Mushy over-ripe fruits are great in smoothies and desserts. Just cut away any spots that are really bad, and use the rest. Fruit can sometimes be bought “mushy” at a discounted price at farmer’s markets.
  
• Quinoa, rice, millet or other similar foods that have been cooked, stored, cooked again, and stored again can be turned into a new meal in a vegetable stir-fry.
  
• Over-ripe or drying-out citrus fruits may be juiced with an electronic juicer or a hand-juicer. The juice may be enjoyed plain, added to water for drinking, fruit salad for extra punch, or added to a dessert. If using an electronic juice, one may add cucumber, celery and/or carrots. (Carrots and oranges sometimes taste bad together.)
  
• Peppers and herbs that have been left out to dry, or dried in a dehydrator can be crushed and put into spice jars.

Raw Food Gluten Free Recipes for the Holidays

At this time of year, you might spend lots of time shopping for just the right gift for everyone on your list. But what about you?

Have you ever considered giving yourself a gift? Today’s post has the perfect plan for giving back to the only person who will be with you at every moment and can support you best of all. And it’s not one of those store bought gifts, either. It’s one from your heart.

A Special Gift to Give Yourself

1. Purchase of make a pretty card for yourself.
2. Address the inside of the card to yourself by name.
3. In the white space, write ” My gift to you is” followed by one self care thing you plan to include in your life on a regular basis. Pick something you have not already managed to make routine. It could be taking a daily walk, making a green drink, meditating, taking a yoga class, doing daily stretching. The sky’s the limit. Make it something you know would benefit your health and well being and just hasn’t been given the priority it deserves.
4. Sign the card from you.
5. Put the card in an envelope and address it to YOU.
6. Put the card with the gifts you plan to give away and open it at the appropriate time.
7. Surprise!!! Follow Through with Joy!

You deserve to be healthy, happy and whole.

Make a commitment to do it NOW.

Holiday Recipes for You

If you haven’t already decided on your holiday menu, consider adding these recipes. Perhaps instead of being tempted by the traditional mashed potatoes and gravy loaded with gluten, dairy and processed fats you’ll enjoy my mashed potato recipe made with cauliflower and loaded with cancer fighting and hormone balancing phytochemicals and mushroom gravy made with immune boosting mushrooms.

These recipes variations of recipes in my eBook Healthy Holiday Traditions, which is loaded with recipes for the holidays including the familiar holiday favorites like gingerbread cookies, latkes and “egg” nog, apple pie, Christmas cookies, pumpkin pie and so much more

Herbed Mashed “Potatoes”

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 cup macadamia nuts, cashews, or a combination of both
• 1/2 lemon, juice of
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups corn (fresh, or frozen and thawed) or 1 1/2 cups zucchini, peeled
• 1 scallion, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or amount to taste

Directions:

1. Break cauliflower into 2-inch chunks and chop in food processor with “S” blade until grainy.
2. Put corn or zucchini in blender and process until smooth. Add water if necessary, but only enough to result in a smooth, creamy blend. It should be relatively thick.
3. Add nuts and lemon juice to blender and process until smooth. Add water only if necessary. This mixture should be thick and creamy.
4. Add the blender mixture to the cauliflower in the food processor and process until well combined, but not completely smooth. It should have a bit of texture, like mashed potatoes.
5. Place in serving bowl and serve as-is (mixture should be warm from the processing) or put entire mixture into baking dish and place in dehydrator for 2 hours to warm through.
6. Serve right away. The taste is best if served shortly after preparing (it changes after refrigeration).
7. Optional: Add flax oil, salt and pepper to taste, and minced herbs just before serving. Top with mushroom gravy.

Personal Note: This is a slightly modified version of the recipe on page 24 of Healthy Holiday Traditions: Nourishing Recipes for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Celebrations by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo.

Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup Brazil nuts or almonds, soaked for 6 hours, rinsed and drained
• 1 shallot, or 1 clove garlic
• 2 teaspoons dried mushrooms, ground to a powder, or 1/2 cup fresh brown mushrooms
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
3. Make this just before serving so that it’s warm.

Personal Note: This recipe is from page 25 of Healthy Holiday Traditions: Nourishing Recipes for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Celebrations by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo.

One Dish Raw Food Meals for Summer: Pineapple Chipotle Salad

- by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

If your summer is keeping you busy and you want to include more raw food meals without spending hours in the kitchen, then all you need to do is find a few one dish meal recipes that deliver exciting and satisfying tastes.   I made this salad the other night after a busy day of work and rushing kids around to appointments.  It was quick, easy to prepare, and very delicious and satisfying.

The unusual combination of pineapple and sesame for the dressing is a delight to the taste buds.

Not only is this one dish meal for summer refreshing, light, and tangy, it’s a nutritional winner as it’s high in calcium and vitamin C!

Pineapple Chipotle Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 cups mixed greens
• 1 tomato, finely diced
• 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1 cup pineapple, cut into tiny cubes
• 1 cup pineapple plus core (for dressing)
• ¼ cup sesame tahini
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• Water to desired consistency

Directions:

Place all vegetables in a bowl.  Put pineapple core and 1 cup pineapple in blender with tahini, chipotle, and salt.  Blend and pour over salad.

It’s so much fun to put together the ingredients on hand and create a masterpiece.

We did something similar in the One Dish Meals Class on Sunday.  I challenged Karen to go through my refrigerator, choose some ingredients and make a recipe on the fly in front of the entire class.  The pressure was on!!!

She made an amazing Arugula Salad containing fresh mango slices, heirloom tomatoes, sunflower sprouts and a few other ingredients.  The videos from this raw food class will be up in a few days so you can watch Karen create on the fly and learn to make an array of taste tantalizing one dish meals.  I loved the Curried Cauliflower, Caribbean Mung Beans and Sweet and Sour Broccoli.  You can enjoy these delicious recipes and more here! 

Looking for even more recipes? 

•  Delicious
• nutritious
• quick and easy
• sugar-free
• dairy-free
• gluten-free
• trans-fat free 

Discover Deliciously Quick Lunch and Dinner Ideas!  Find out more! 

Healthy Meals in a Hurry: A 3-Step Guide for Busy People

- by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

“What can I eat that supports my health, tastes great, and is quick and easy to get on the table?”

I get asked this question all the time.  People wonder how I manage to eat so healthfully when I am so busy.  This is an actual comment, taken from a recent consultation form:

“One of my challenges is making food for myself – I would love to have someone else do it. I don’t want to be taking time at lunchtime to do that – so I tend to nibble and then get hungry in the afternoon – then work too late, so I’m really hungry at dinner time – and need to eat right away.”

I have hundreds more just like it!

My friend and colleague, Chef Karen Osborne, is one of the busiest people I know, besides me of course.  As a home schooling Mom, choir member, volunteer at church, personal chef, instructor and Fresh ‘n Fun co-op manager she’s constantly juggling this activity and that. Yet she always manages to eat high green, delicious, nutrient-dense meals.

How does she do it?

She’ll be sharing her secrets in our One Dish Meals raw food class, but I thought I would give you a few hints and tips today to help you put healthy meals on the table in less than the time it takes to order pizza.

Step 1: Stock Your Brain with Purpose

Consistently choosing healthy foods to consume, despite time pressures requires a mindset shift.  It starts by focusing on what’s most important to you–making the connection between what you value most and healthy meal choices. Then, you must simply act from that place of knowing what you value most.

It sounds simple, and it is.  Implementation takes dedication and truly connecting to your core values.  One thing Karen and I have in common is a framework of reference that we get what we most want in life when we feel strong and energetic.  We feel strong and energetic when we eat lots of green foods and avoid the energy zappers like gluten, dairy, sugar and processed foods.

If we’re rushed or out and the food choices don’t support our ultimate goal, we hold true to our values and don’t eat the foods that will tire or weaken us.

Step 2: Stock Your Kitchen with Essentials

The next step is more practical.  Make sure to keep your house stocked with lots of whole foods.  With a little forethought and careful shopping, you can have foods around that you can prepare in a hurry.

Here’s a list of recommended food items to always have around:

• Tomatoes
• Avocados
• Sprouts
• Lemons
• A variety of dried herbs and spices
• Seeds, like sunflower, pumpkin, chia or hemp
• Raw nuts
• Greens
• Sea vegetables
• Powdered sea veggies, like kelp.
• A variety of vegetables like cucumber, celery, carrots, and peppers

Step 3: Stock Your Meals with Creativity

I was in a hurry to get something to eat for dinner tonight, so here’s an example of throwing a healthy meal together in only 5 steps:

1. I went down to the kitchen and found an avocado, a tomato and a jar of sauerkraut.
2. I sliced the tomato in rounds and placed them on a plate.
3. I sliced the avocado and placed the slices on top of the tomato (sometimes instead of avocado, I spoon nut or seed cheese on top).
4. I put a dollop of sauerkraut on each tomato slice.
5. I sprinkled the works with Italian seasoning and kelp powder

I had a delicious meal in less than 5 minutes!

In our One Dish Meals class we’ll be sharing how to whip up a one dish meal using whatever you have around.  Again, the key to quick and easy meals is having an open mind, having the ingredients on hand, and tuning in to your creativity.  Think outside the box.  Learn from people who have been there, done that.

Use your imagination.

Join us for Delicious One Dish Raw Food Meals! It’s guaranteed to be a winner!

Gluten Free Recipes for Raw Food Diet Picnic and Barbecue Foods

Here’s a sampling of the gluten free, raw foods recipes we’ll teach you how to make in our Picnic and Barbecue class.

Gluten Free Raw Food "Not Dogs"

 

Gluten Free Raw Food Recipe for Veggie Burger with Bun

Cole Slaw

Jicama "Potato" Salad

Strawberry Short Cake

Go HERE to signup and learn to make these moth watering   summer picnic foods in our class “Picnic Foods and Barbeque for Gluten Free and Living Foods Diets. ” Enjoy Your Favorite Summer Celebration Foods Without Expanding Your Waistline and Draining Your Energy.  Learn to Create Mouth Watering, Nutritious, Easy to Make Picnic and Barbeque Foods Using Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, Trans-Fat Free Raw and Living Ingredients.

The Dangers That Lurk in Your Usual Picnic Fare

Given the research linking processed meat and stomach cancer, refined grains, and mayonnaise to immune system disease, you would be wise to consider alternatives this year.

Whether you’re the host or the guest, it’s easy to whip up healthy picnic foods that everyone will enjoy, all while achieving the lean, strong, clear headed body you desire.

Our picnic foods look and taste so much like the “real thing”, you’ll shock your guests and delight your health conscious crowd if you tell them the ingredients. Made with gluten free, dairy free, sugar free whole fresh living plant ingredients, these light and delicious picnic foods will be the hit of the party.

Here’s what’s in Oscar Meyer, a popular brand of hotdog:

“Mechanically separated chicken, pork, water, corn syrup, modified food starch, contains 2% or less of salt, flavoring, potassium lactate, sodium lactate, sodium phosphates, dextrose, sodium diacetate, beef, hydrolyzed soy protein, sodiuerthorbate, sugar, sodium nitrite, sorbitol, extract of paprika“.

Contrast that to our “hot dog” ingredients:

“Raw organic nuts, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, psyllium, Irish moss (a sea vegetable loaded with minerals), salt“.

In the book “Grocery Warning” , Mike Adams reports that “Feeding children hot dogs increases their risk of brain cancer by 300%” and many other startling facts about hot dogs.

In our class

We’ll teach you how to make whole, gluten-free, dairy-free raw and living foods versions of classic summer picnic food that wow your friends and leave even your guests satisfied and well nourished. The good news is you can make these foods quickly, no heat required.

• Instead of greasy burgers that clog your arteries and cancer promoting hotdogs on white flour buns that rob your energy and throw your blood sugar off balance, we’ll show you how to make delicious energy boosting plant based alternatives, loaded with antioxidant rich vegetables.
• Instead of mayonnaise smothered potato salad and coleslaw that increase your waistline and damage your immune system, learn to make our scrumptious health enhancing alternatives, rich in cancer protective, immune boosting omega 3 fats.

Join us for Picnic Foods and Barbeque for Gluten Free and Living Foods Diets. ” Learn:

• How to replace processed, high fat, low nutrient processed picnic foods with whole fresh food equivalents
• Methods to easily transform fresh veggies, herbs and nuts or seeds into delicious burgers and hot dogs
• Easy ways to make condiments that rival your old favorites: mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, using whole fresh foods and NO sugar , hydrogenated fats or corn syrup
• How to make burger and hot dog buns without gluten or flour
• A quick and easy way to make onion rings to top your burgers or eat as a side – without deep frying or even cooking for that matter!
• How to make combine wholesome ingredients to create a guilt free dessert.

You can come to the live and in person class, watch  live  via the internet or view the videos after.

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie