tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58991342300179077502023-06-20T06:54:21.102-07:00Natural in a S.N.A.P.This is basically my thoughts about being a mother, homeschooler,seeker of truth, lover of food, and citizen of the world (so everything). So we shall see how this goes! Mostly its so all the things people ask me about all the time can be online and then I can just have them go read it, lol!SmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899134230017907750.post-54179540439006386322013-09-22T00:14:00.000-07:002015-10-03T04:50:47.928-07:00SNAP and "eating healthy" As I sit to write this post I think back to the <a href="http://naturalinasnap.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-to-shop-organic-on-food-stamp.html">first posts</a> that I wrote. How idealistic I was. How I thought that if I just tried hard enough if I just pinched my SNAP pennies, eating healthy would be, well a snap. It is possible to live differently. It is not easy and having a dose of privilege is a big help too. Now as all this controversy swirls around the proposed cuts to food stamps I want to share some simple truths with anyone who is willing to read them.<br />
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My family eats as healthy as we can. It's not because I have some high ideals or because I'm morally better than other food stamp recipients. Frankly, it's because I'm sick. I started on this journey because one day while sitting in my doctor's office after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia my doctor said "I can't guarantee that what you eat causes what's wrong with you but you need to start eating as organic as possible". This wasn't totally new information to me, by then I worked at a natural food co-op, the question was how do I afford that. We were having a hard enough time just trying to have balanced meals (that was something we had committed to years before). Now people will tell you that that's a fiction. That if poor people really want to they can eat healthy. They will point to studies and week long experiments that say people can eat healthy on a food stamp budget. I am telling you my lived experience tells me that they are wrong.<br />
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Here's why- good food costs money I have always said that on this blog. Yes there are ways to maximize your budget. However, when you are working with three dollars per person per day for your food budget please explain to me how you are supposed to have a healthy balanced meal three times a day with snacks. Not to mention meals devoid of processed foods and unhealthy foods.<br />
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The reason I say devoid of processed foods is because I keep hearing and seeing people say poor people who were on SNAP should not be "allowed" to buy "bad food" or "junk food". Let me share a secret in order for my family to eat healthy- I have to be strict about how much we eat, what we eat, and no junk snacks. That means literally telling my kids they can't have second helpings or giving them my food meaning <b>I don't eat</b> (people are probably surprised by that because I'm fat but my kids eat far more than I do). That's because a healthy food budget doesn't allow for the cheap things that keep poor people full.<br />
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Something I thought about the other day while watching liberals on Facebook discuss how people like me shouldn't buy this or that is how often the fights my kids have are about <i><b>food</b></i>. I mean that. My kids often fight about food. Don't get me wrong my children are not <i><b>starving</b></i> they are often still hungry (starving and not full are two different things). This is what happens when fruit is a luxury and second helpings can be too. Candy in our house can start a riot not only because it's rare but because once it's gone it really is: gone. Someone actually thought I didn't feed my kids once because my youngest often begs for the junk food she sees everyone else with.<br />
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I'm not sure if people realize that with three dollars a day people on SNAP who have food restrictions and dietary needs cannot meet them. People like my children who have food allergies. Which means food stamp staples like tuna and peanut butter are out of the question for them. People like my mother who has such complex needs I can't even list them all. People like me who has fibromyalgia and suspected lupus whose very illness is impacted by diet.<br />
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We are the people who some people seem not to have compassion for only shame and contempt (epic side eye to you Eric Cantor). Thing is with the country in an economic downturn the likelihood of you knowing someone on food stamps is really high. The likelihood of you knowing someone who has benefited from food stamps in their lifetime is really high. <br />
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Far from the caricature of the <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/09/18/223627228/house-bill-would-cut-40-billion-from-food-stamp-program">"welfare queen"</a> we are normal people most of us have jobs, we are good parents, we are caregivers, we are productive members of society. I am not sure what kind of people write off the whole groups of other people as unworthy of having food. I will say if you are one of those people I'm not sure I want to know you.<br />
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So basically I just don't want to hear nonsense. I don't want to hear tired references to "welfare queen myths". I don't want to hear how if undeserving people weren't on the program than deserving people could be. That's not how it works. If you're angry about that and that the government hasn't expanded of eligibility then say <b>that</b>. However, that is not the fault of current recipients that is governmental failure. I don't want to hear about how there is rampant fraud in the food stamp program<a href="http://feedingamerica.org/how-we-fight-hunger/programs-and-services/public-assistance-programs/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program/snap-myths-realities.aspx#"> because there's not</a>. I don't want to hear anything that isn't factually based or productive in the SNAP debate. <br />
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This debate can not be had devoid of facts and context because I am not a stereotype, my friends are not stereotypes, my children are not stereotypes, 45 million Americans are not stereotypes. We are people with names, with families, with needs. We deserve the minimum respect that people will have an honest fact-based debate.<br />
<br />SmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899134230017907750.post-24569066664235215432013-04-06T17:32:00.000-07:002013-04-06T17:32:33.169-07:00Back in the saddleWe are back to planting! Our herb garden is up and running and the veggies are going in the ground late this year due to the crazy cold snaps we have had here in Mississippi. I have discovered I am really good at growing herbs though. The beauty of that is because we live in the south we our herbs pretty much grow year round. This came in really handy during cold and flu season this year when I was able to make my kids fresh sage and peppermint tea to relieve their congestion. There is something that feels great about knowing you are healing your family with something you made with your own hands that you grew in your own yard (clearly you can sooth your child just as well with the store bought herbs). More updates coming soonSmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899134230017907750.post-69859167458145065282012-02-19T11:49:00.000-08:002012-02-19T12:41:34.870-08:0015 Fun Facts about my kids February 2012This post comes out of a suggestion from thefeministbreeder.com my kids Kora and Korina age 17, Sarah 15, Kayla 14, Adrianne 11, Ajani 9 (only boy), Aolani 8 are growing so fast what a nice way to have a snapshot of this time.<br />
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1) Kora thinks that we are making fun of her fun the way that she rocks and hums when she listens to music really we think it is quite entertaining and marvel at the fact that she can do it for hours.<br />
2) Korina has the most amazing collection of art supplies and if you lose and type of writing instrument in the house chances are she has it.<br />
3) We are all wonderfully excited that Kayla is finally embracing her family birthright as a nerd and has 1) become a fan of Star Trek and specifically Spock 2) suddenly needs to be told to stop reading and clean<br />
4) Ajani loves all things creative, nerdy, and dealing with history so of course his newest discovery is D&D (dungeons and dragons)<br />
5)Ajani also truly believes he's a super hero and so do I :)<br />
6) Adrianne tells me everyday that she's growing up, its ok, and there's nothing I can do about it (wisdom).<br />
7) Sarah has decided that she has her own style and trust me it has NOTHING to do with fashion mags.<br />
8) I have caught my kids talking to other kids about healthy foods when they didn't know I was listening.<br />
9) Aolani is in love with Yoda, but only as a friend.<br />
10) I don't have to ask my kids to read they do it because they want to.<br />
11) My kids think that organic apples are the best thing ever.<br />
12) My kids think going to political speeches, protests, meetings, conferences, and events at the state capitol are normal.<br />
13) Sarah has discovered Goddess based religion, Kayla is still a Baptist, I am a Buddhist diversity is alive in my children.<br />
14) Adrianne knows how to sew, loves to do it, and is pretty good at it.<br />
15) When I turn off the TV my kids don't pout they play games, draw, make up plays, and build stuff.<br />
Yep they're pretty great!<br />
Had to add some extras<br />
16) Adrianne wakes up at 4:30 like I do when no one else is up and we watch Dr. Who all by our selves<br />
17)Aolani likes ANY version of Dr. Who and she and I watch old episodes no one else want to watch.<br />
18) Kora comes in every morning and tells me everything that was on the morning news.<br />
19) Kayla has just discovered strapless dresses, cardigans, and a strong feminist voice I love all of it!<br />
20)Aolani likes boxers instead of undies :)<br />
<br />SmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899134230017907750.post-73778077903650317192011-07-16T07:00:00.000-07:002011-07-16T07:00:31.500-07:00More Adventures in Container Gardening, ugh gardening!!!!! Time to plan for fall :)So my beautiful organic garden was off to such a great start this year my strawberries had started to mature, my tomatoes were growing, and my lettuce was doing great, my flowers looked awesome!. Then the heatwave hit and my poor garden has been getting its butt kicked. My first problem is that we do not have a hose so we have to cart water out of the house to do all of our watering (for next year I am working on a rain collection system that I can use to irrigate). Our second problem is that I did not anticipate the early heat that killed my lettuce and tomatoes I could've moved my tomatoes inside oh well lesson learned. So with all that said on to the good news my herbs are doing great and the tomatoes that did grow were awesome as well as the lettuce that we grew was great. Now I am working on planning my fall garden I am doing some container gardening but mostly planting in the back yard. This time I have plotted out my plan on graphing paper and thought more deeply about adding more compost and natural fertilizer to the soil whether it's through the use of <a href="http://www.herbcompanion.com/gardening/plants-need-tea-too.aspx">fertilizer tea</a> or my favorite low cost way watered down <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/08/AR2007100801028.html">urine</a> (1 part urine to 20 parts water works well for us) . To assist in my planning my favorite resource is the from the <a href="http://www.mdac.state.ms.us/n_library/pub_form/publications/index_publications.html">Mississippi Department of Agriculture</a> website in their publications page they have a produce availability and planting guide it breaks down each zone in the state and which plants should be planted when. So that's where we are my kids are still having a blast they love eating everything we have grown and I am certainly NOT giving up.SmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899134230017907750.post-31488000784360655872011-03-07T08:33:00.000-08:002012-01-21T16:48:53.009-08:00Clean smarter, not harder, live longer To me it is only logical that if you are cleaning up the way you eat and getting healthier that you should also strive to limit the amount of chemicals you come into contact with each day. The best place to start is your house. Go through your house and look in every room and see how many chemicals you have in your house, seriously from the toilet bowl cleaner, glass cleaner, multi-purpose cleaner, air freshener, disinfectant spray, bleach, dusting spray, the list goes on. <br />
My journey to using chemical free cleaners was not based on the environmental concerns I hold now. I was only concerned in finding cleaners that would work without making my kids and I wheeze and giving me headache. I was at a homeschooling picnic when another mother introduced me to a mail order company that sold all natural cleaning products that she said had worked wonders in her house and stopped her family from getting sick after cleaning. This gave me pause I hadn't really thought about it before but every time I cleaned I got a headache if I did alot of cleaning all my kids needed breathing treatments, maybe she was on to something. So I started using those products and they worked great. She was right the headaches didn't occur after cleaning and no wheezing. My daughter's with eczema were even able to do dishes. As time went I found that I could use other products that were less costly and that I could simply make my own cleaners. So here are my favorite alternative money saving eco-friendly cleaners-<br />
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1) Dr. Bronners Liquid Castile Soap- this soap has soooooo many uses it doesn't even make sense but you can use it as a bodywash, shampoo, and in keeping with the purpose of this post you can use it to clean cabinets, counters, floors, walls, tables, toilets, tubs, just about anything even dishes (although IMHO Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds formula is a better dish liquid but it does contain sodium lauryl sulfate which is why it is so good at cutting grease). You can use it diluted half soap half water and it will still work effectively. You can make your own homemade soft scrub with water, baking soda, and Dr. B's and all purpose cleaning spray, as well as just adding a bit to a bowl or bucket of water and using it to do your cleaning of cabinets and whatever else.<br />
<b>Castile Soap scrub recipe </b><br />
1/4 cup soap<br />
1/8 cup water<br />
1/8-1/4 cup baking soda add until desired consistency<br />
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<b> All Purpose Spray</b><br />
<b> </b>32 oz bottle<br />
2oz Dr. B's<br />
30 oz water<br />
if you want you can add either a tsp of vinegar or baking soda to increase cleaning power<br />
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2) Vinegar- plain old white distilled vinegar is your friend! Not only can you make glass cleaner out of it but you can use it as a natural disinfectant. Yes some things may smell like pickles but at least it won't make you choke or sick like bleach. Vinegar and water works good on sealed wood floors too. I use it in my laundry in place of fabric softener (I know its a bit much for some of you but if your chemical sensitive ya'll like it) it help get all the soap out of your clothes leaving them soft. I have a front load machine so I add a few drops of essential oil to the tray holding the vinegar if I want a scent (no I don't smell like pickles!)<br />
<b>Window Cleaner</b><br />
<b> </b>32 oz spray bottle<br />
4-6 oz vineger<br />
fill with water<br />
*if you want a fragrance add 10-15 drops of lemon or orange essential oil*<br />
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3) If you are feeling truly advanturous you can make your own laundry soap I do! I started not only to save money but because y children have sensitive skin and eczema. Finding a good affordable fragrance free detergent was next to imposible. I started by using this woman's recipe <a href="http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm">http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm</a> which now I have modified to my liking and to make it more concentrated. I use Kirk's Coco Castile Soap to make mine and it works great. We have been using it for over a year and love it!!!!SmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899134230017907750.post-81562474246417470162011-02-28T10:33:00.000-08:002011-04-13T06:29:50.055-07:00Adventures in container gardening part 4So its basically spring time in Mississippi so it is time to start planting and that is exactly what we did. We planted our lettuce in litterbox pans, some carrots in a box I got from work, strawberries in a topsy turvy planter, started some seeds in a seed starter greenhouse, and potted mint and other herbs. Today maybe I will get my raised bed made with the help of my new drill (girl +power tools=awesome) so I can plant my broccoli, onions, more carrots, more lettuce, . I am looking forward to planting my potatoes in the tires at the beginning of the month. :-)SmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899134230017907750.post-76703783560584452932010-12-27T10:37:00.000-08:002010-12-27T10:37:28.249-08:00My homemade ChristmasThis Christmas has been a challenge. Our budget is always tight but this year a little more than usual. Anyone who has ever tried to live a healthier live knows that it tends to cost a little bit more to live a healthier life. It is a price I am willing to pay. However, I have been blessed with awesome friends who stepped in and gave us a hand to help and make sure my children had a Happy Holiday.<br />
My dear cousin sent me a $50 gift card to WalMart right after we were given a tree we had NO decorations for. I figured I would pick up some decorations with the gift card, and still have money to get a few games or a craft for the kids, they couldn't cost that much right? As I looked at the items I thought about the fate of our decorations from last year. Our bulbs were broken and the garland had shed so all of it went in the trash. I think the lights I had a short in them and our angel is the only thing left she is actually broke. So I made a decision I didn't feel the need to give the electric company extra money, just so I can worry that my tree will catch fire, and I am not buying tacky decorations that will get broke and I will buy again next year. So I took my gift card and I purchased some construction paper, glitter glue, ribbon, and used the rest to purchase things for another craft project and went home. Off I went wondering if my kids would think I had lost my mind asking them to make a paper chain to use as garland and cut out and draw ornaments. Yet, as we sit in the living room making the paper chain my ten year old looked up at me and said "mom this is waaay better than buying stuff this is fun!" That is when I knew I made the right choice.<br />
We only get so many years when they are young and to create memories that they will carry with them forever. They won't necessarily remember that's the Christmas that we were broke but they will probably remember the time they spent with mom and their siblings making decorations on the living room floor listening to Christmas music thinking it was cool. Much how I thought my mom and I ate pancakes for dinner for fun when I was little not because that's all we had. One thing I have always tried to instill in my children is the ideal that what you own doesn't make you a better person we have been scaling back Christmas for a few years. Weird things happen when you focus on having less you get more, you get more love from one another, you get more time with one another, and the best for me was getting make memories with one another!SmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899134230017907750.post-48456823772625210242010-12-21T17:17:00.000-08:002011-04-13T06:29:25.825-07:00Recycling my secret nemesis and secret shameSo here is my confession we are lazy recyclers. I am ashamed I have a recycling drop off at MY JOB! Why does the recycling not get done you ask, because my family refuses to get in the habit of sorting our trash. I know, I know that's crazy it is one of the reason I wanted to start composting, thinking that once you take out most of the food scraps and compost-able items recycling would be easy. Um, no my children like to but trash in the plastics bin, get the paper greasy, mixing everything up to the point that as trash day approaches I just throw up my hands and say forget it just take it to the curb. I don't believe I am the only one is this not the reason many of us do not recycle? It seems like too much work, the sorting, rinsing, and if you live in a city like mine that does not have curbside recycling the transporting. (Note: when we lived in our former location that had curbside recycling we did a better job I think that's why its important for cities to offer it) Then I start to think is it really to much work to deal with my OWN mess.? That's what I teach my children. Clean up behind yourself take care of your messes. Yet somehow when it comes to my trash and our household trash its too much work and we just want it to go <i>away</i> without realizing there really is no place called away. That our trash doesn't go away it stays, it stays for a very, very long time. My family and I have to do better and so does our community before we are literally wallowing in our own garbage. We can lessen our impact therefore we should, it is our duty.SmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899134230017907750.post-15180382432656389992010-12-21T16:58:00.000-08:002014-05-27T09:55:09.318-07:00Adventures in container gardening! Part 3So we are making small gains we planted some lettuce and we haven't killed it! After we managed to grow some basil, thyme and a few other kitchen herbs this summer we figured for fall/winter we would try to grow a few heads of lettuce and that is what we have done. I am proud of us so far we are doing well. I purchased ours already seeded in six packs from a local organic nursery and then because leaf lettuce do not have deep roots I planted them in litter boxes I had purchased at the grocery store on clearance for $1.50 poked holes in the bottom with a screwdriver and ta da its a planter. They make great containers because once full they are not heavy which makes them easy to move as needed for sunlight or because of space limitations. I brought about 10 so I can use them in the summer they will be great for starting seeds and growing certain veggies. The lettuce should be ready to pick in a few weeks and I am sure it will be one of the best salads we ever ate. Pics to come!!!!!!SmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899134230017907750.post-26813636097304379422010-10-11T10:20:00.000-07:002011-03-07T08:02:54.308-08:00Adventures in container gardening! Part 2Today I found out I can get a bunch of old tires from this guy on Freecycle which works out awesome since I want to stack them 4 tall and use them to plant potatoes. I'm so excited they won't take up a ton of room and I will be able to do at least 4 of them in my back yard, yay!!!!!!! Even if can't use until next year we are on our way. <a href="http://www.kiddiegardens.com/growing_potatoes_in_tires.html">http://www.kiddiegardens.com/growing_potatoes_in_tires.html</a>SmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899134230017907750.post-83357587038342988582010-10-10T19:01:00.000-07:002010-10-11T09:59:53.163-07:00Adventures in container gardening!!!!So in keeping with my theme of healthy living and eating on a budget this year my family and I are trying to do some organic container gardening along with planting in some raised beds in the backyard. I know, I know it sounds crazy, but I take it as an adventure and also I am counting it as part of our science curriculum for homeschooling purposes. We are far behind schedule because I had wanted to do a summer garden and that didn't happen however we did grow some herbs and flowers in flower boxes out front. Now we are working on finishing our raised beds in the backyard (that I have had the materials for ALL summer long), so we can finish planting our fall garden since our lettuce is in flower boxes for the time being. I did learn a tip from one of my co-workers that you can grow lettuce in those black plastic trays that they put the plastic flower pots in at the store as long as you space them out because they do not need much soil or deep soil. So we really are learning as we go! This week we are also starting our compost one major necessity for gardening is healthy soil and compost is a cheap easy and eco friendly way to do that. I was going to make a compost bin from grocery store pallets but instead I have decided to use a large trash can for two reasons 1) I don't have to put it together I already have the raised beds to make I don't need another construction project :-) 2) It won't look like a compost pile it will just look like a trash can in my back yard by my garage which is a good thing when dealing with nosy urban neighbors. I will be doing a separate blog on compost later.<br />
Anyways, we are going to try to keep it simple and just plant a few things lettuce, spinach, potatoes, and onions. We will see how this goes wish us luck!!SmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899134230017907750.post-41061314261288629592010-05-10T14:38:00.000-07:002014-05-23T23:40:40.075-07:00How to shop organic/whole foods. on a food stamp budget, for real, from someone on food stamps!So I am writing this blog because once upon a time not long ago I set off on a personal journey that I am still on to try to eat and live healthier. When I began my journey I did what many of us do and hit up Google hoping to find some great advice about shopping, cooking, and living organic on the cheap, especially if you were like me a family on food stamps. What I found was a few helpful sites and very few articles that addressed people eating organic on a food stamp budget and those that did were written by well meaning people who were "experimenting:" with cash budgets in the amount that a family their size would receive if they were on food stamps (the SNAP challenge). That's cool but what does that do for me?<br />
A person who really is living day to day with an EBT card trying to live a sustainable healthy lifestyle with a large family and a job. It did nothing but make for interesting reading since most of these people had advantages that the average family on food stamps don't have i,e, one person at home all day and or advance cooking skills and fancy cookware. So I have decided to write my advice on how to do organic/whole foods on a budget. <b>DISCLAIMER:</b> <i>I do not claim to be an expert or have special knowledge really I'm just speaking from my experience. </i><br />
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<b>1) Price compare and use coupons</b>- as much as I love my local co-op especially since I work there, many national chains now have their own lines of organics, such as Kroger, which are not as much of a drain on the budget example my regular black beans cost $.69 Kroger organics $.99 I can spare the $.30<i> vs</i> $.60 or more elsewhere. Same with soy milk and other items. You can also save using online retailers like Vitacost which often have great BOGO offers on food items and offers free shipping for orders over $45. I often use them for dried fruit when it's on sale using my cash food budget. Most of us on SNAP still spend cash on food. Coupons are often hard to find on organic products, however many companies have printable coupons on their websites if you register with them. Also this site has a great alphabetical list of printable coupons including organic/whole food brands <a href="http://www.krazycouponlady.com/">www.krazycouponlady.com</a> (I realize that this assumes one has access to a computer and internet which many SNAP families do not).<br />
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<b>2)Make a menu and actually use it</b>- this one takes work for me but it does save you money because you don't waste by buying on impulse and you can maximize sales. <br />
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<b>3)Keep it simple smarties- T</b>here are simple meals with simple ingredients that are healthy, and can be made with low cost organic items. Thank goodness for beans and cous cous with veggies (I'll get some recipes for ya'll) So find stuff you can make with a steady supply of staples that you can keep on hand. <br />
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<b>4)Start Cooking</b> <b>and cut those potion sizes</b>- If you want to buy higher cost higher quality food that usually means replacing the convenience foods and cheap unhealthy foods which generally requires more cooking and a little more time, but with a little planning it can be done. I try to cook and freeze on my days off (a huge pot of chili takes just as much work as a smaller one) it is a very old trick of busy moms and you don't even need containers you would be surprised how many things you can freeze/refrigerate in storage bags, including soups. Another way to save by cooking is to make your own items from hummus to applesauce there are many things that take little effort but have a great financial payoff. I know I know it takes some prep but I myself being the slacker I am often cut up veggies while watching T.V. on my folding T.V. tray. So I can relax and get some stuff done. Also cut your portion sizes if you are not already watching them most of us being Americans eat too much and make too much food that we end up throwing away. So recognize if you have this habit and STOP it will save you money and help your health. Extra protip-if you see a bread maker at a thrift store grab it you can save a lot of money making bread at home with minimal effort but I would never pay full price for one.<br />
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<b>5)Make it yourself/Grow it yourself</b>-I did say live organic too, right, meaning cleaning products and such and since we are talking about cooking, you can make many of your own cleaners too. I make my own <a href="http://www.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/my-homemade-laundry-soap-is-amazing">laundry soap</a>, and use liquid castile soap that I buy in bulk to clean almost everything. They are environmentally friendly, I use less, and in the case of the <a href="http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm">laundry soap</a> I save money. Also it is awesome to have a home that is mostly free of chemicals. The money I save on cleaners goes into the fruit and veggie budget. <br />
My newest endeavor this year is container and raised bed gardening at my house (which I rent). Basically it is gardening with limited space for your own use. The awesome thing is my kids LOVE the idea and it will save a good amount of money especially on tomatoes. Other good news about gardening on a food stamp budget is that you can actually purchase seeds with food stamps as long as they are food seeds this includes organic seeds (yippie!!!). I will be blogging about this more in depth soon.<br />
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<b>6)Eat less meat</b>- check my other blogpost for why eating less meat is a good idea, but it also saves money meat is expensive and not required for every meal or everyday, I'm not saying you have to become a vegan just find some good recipes for other protein sources like beans and meat alternatives like tofu and TVP, my kids love it!<br />
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<b>7)Buy in bulk</b>- If you are lucky you have a local whole food co-op or other grocery that has a well stocked bulk department, I save a good deal of money by shopping in the bulk department for flour, salt, sugar and other stables because the per pound prices is considerably lower. (if you don't have one in your town and you buy some food with cash consider using cash and pricing these items online) Also at our co-op if you order a by the case you get 15% off so I usually budget to order our brown rice every 3 months by the 50 lb bag. With the discount the price is equal to non organic brown rice. Similar deals can often be found on Amazon using their scheduled shipping service subscribe and save (this requires using cash not SNAP).<br />
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<b>8)Befriend your local produce manager and farmer market merchant</b>- when people know you they are more likely to make a deal with you so at every store I shop at I know the produce manager BY NAME why you may ask because he/she marks down produce and produce is expensive and will generally let you know when sales are coming and when they are going to mark stuff. <br />
As for farmers market merchants they need to move their items so I am always open to buying slightly bruised/over ripe items, for a significant discount. Many merchants will also discount items at the end of the day so they don't have to haul them home. Being able to negotiate is a huge plus. *Hint-many farmers markets now take food stamps too* (Caution-not everything sold at farmers markets are local be sure to ask!)<br />
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<b>9)If you can, get a freezer</b>- when I find good deals on peaches, (I live in MS and at certain times can buy whole boxes for $10) we eat and use some and then I cut up and freeze the rest. Same with bell peppers, onions, blueberries, and many other freezable fruits and veggies. This way my good buy doesn't go to waste, I know where the veggies came from and I have saved over prepackaged frozen. (sidenote: local doesn't mean organic it is up to you to ask if the farmer uses organic gardening practices.)<br />
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<b>10) Sometimes you will have to compromise-</b>Now this one is tough for me because it means I have to compromise but living while broke is full of compromise- figure out what you can live with buying non organic, lets face it there are going to be times when the budget just will not allow you to make a healthy balanced diet and keep it all organic or even really healthy, especially if you have a family my size, so make a list of the items that are must have for you, for me its produce first and then grain, especially those that have been ranked as having the most pesticide residue such as apples, carrots, lettuce, and celery. My family eats quite a bit of fruits and veggies so this is important for us and it is pretty much non negotiable.<br />
So those are on my top ten. <br />
I hope someone reads this and actually finds it useful if not I am having a great time rambling on and working on my writing skills :-) Please remember I am still on this healthy journey myself so I am just trying to share my experiences. Peace, blessings, and good health!!!!<br />
Check out these articles too- <br />
http://uspoverty.change.org/blog/view/should_food_stamps_buy_organic_salmon<br />
http://blog.taragana.com/business/2010/04/14/eating-big-on-a-food-stamp-budget-_-how-to-feed-4-people-for-7-days-on-6888-50213/SmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899134230017907750.post-51427311911638483362010-04-25T12:01:00.000-07:002012-01-21T16:25:42.708-08:00my first blog-why I've moved toward organic and less meat, even though I'm broke! I have been asked the same question often lately, sometimes in slightly different ways-why have I suddenly decided to move towards eating/cleaning organic and eating less meat. The follow up question usually comes from people who know my family well because they know my financial situation and that's some form of "why would you do that when your broke?". The simple answer is it is <b>because</b> I'm broke I am chosing to eat/live organic and consume less meat. Now I know for many people that may not make sense because as many people know healthy/healthier foods cost more and <b>organic</b> healthy food costs even more. So let me break it down. I am a black single mother living below the poverty level in Mississippi. Those factors alone put my children and I at higher risk for all kinds of illness and disease. African Americans are 30% more likely to die from heart disease, 70% more likely to have diabetes, African American girls are at the highest risk for obesity I could go on. Not to mention that poor and minority children are likely to be exposed to more pollution then other groups of children. Though excessive use of pesticides, environmental factors (like living near industrial areas), and lead paint exposure. Add to that the fact all seven of my children have asthma and allergies it only makes sense that I want to make the healthiest food choices possible for my family. Organic produce is more nutritious and free of chemicals. No one can convince me that shoving chemicals into our bodies is healthy or that it doesn't impact our bodies.<br />
So why less meat? Well for one it actually saves me money. Lets face it meat is expensive if you want to eat good meat its really expensive. So when I originally thought about my family having meatless days it was really going to be to save money. Then I did a little research and realized how much meat the average American actually eats, about 8 ounces of meat a day about twice the international average and even though we are 5% of the worlds population we slaughter 15% of the meat consumed in the world. I know we like to do it big in the US but seriously that's a lot of meat! Think about it those figures take into account all the non meat eaters as well. There are studies that link excessive meat consumption to cancer and intestinal issues among other things. Few experts would dispute that we in the US eat too much meat and not enough veggies.<br />
So for me I am trying to pay a little extra up front to save our health in the long run. I believe it is working I am regular for the first time in years, I have more energy and my skin is looking better. My kids seem happier too and they swear that organic apples are the best apples ever!<br />
Good news in all of this kids will eat what you keep in the house. So my kids are weird to many people because they LOVE produce and dried fruit, are willingly eat wheat pasta, and think tofu is cool. (unwritten hood rule thou shalt not like "weird" food) So here I am trying to make a dollar out of 15 cents and feed my babies the healthiest food on a small budget. Here is where you will get to see my journey. My next blog will be on how to shop organic on a food stamp budget by someone who is actually on food stamps!SmartStatistic (Laurie Bertram Roberts)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06558274610683980882noreply@blogger.com0