I understand what your saying, I too feed 5+ 2 step kids when they are here ( 4 teenage boys & the hubby, make for a lot of food). I am the only one who eats primal 80-90% of the time. I buy what I can afford. And do well with it, I will not break the bank just to have organic and grass fed. One thing you could try is growing your own veggies might help save $ depending on the climate you live in. Friend request sent.

Ignore the prices in your typical grocery store. They're going to jacked up artificially. Instead, find farmers and farmers markets.

If you're in the continental US, then I can pretty much guarantee you have farms within an hour or two of you. You can check out http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html to get started.

Farms and farmer's markets will have higher quality and lower prices for food in general, but it does require a little extra legwork. It's more than worth it, in my opinion.

I you still can't do that, though, no one's going to take away your Paleo card. Paleo is as much about the mindset as it is about the specifics of the food you buy. Buy the best you can for right now, and keep on the lookout for ways to improve.

Yes, you can still do it. However I completely agree with what has already been said that it's worth doing some extra research into farm CSA's, cowshares, online prices, etc. Get cheaper cuts and put in the slow cooker. If you see grassfed on sale at the market stock up...many times my local natural food store will reduce the price greatly on local grassfed ground beef because they have an overabundance, then throw it in the freezer.

I didn't think I could afford it either, but found ways to make it work. I only buy the "dirtiest" ( heavy pesticide use when produced) produce as organic. Does that make sense ? Apples, celery and kale for instance are likely to have been treated with more chemicals than avocados and onions.

But if cost is an issue, I'd aim to have my meat grass fed and pastured, and choose to buy conventional produce and wash it well. The reason is that animals raised conventionally will likely be exposed to many different sources of toxins, from genetically modified and pesticide laden feed, to various drugs and chemicals used when raising them. Cows eat a lot of feed before we eat them. You are what you eat, but you are also what your animals eat.

I chose my farmers since I know the cows only eat grass etc on the land that the farmers care for in a sustainable way, and the grass has not come in contact with any chemicals. The cows have not been ingesting grains, especially inferior grains. They are eating what they are meant to eat, grass and not corn, so as a result, the composition of their flesh is much healthier. The ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids is mush lower in grass fed animals, thereby making it healthier for us to eat. I know this will help me guard against weight gain and it will keep me healthy. The other animals I purchase from the farmers are chickens, turkeys, and pigs that, although they do eat grains, they are organic grains (not corn), and the animals also forage for other wild tidbits. I trust the way my farmers care for their land and their animal and me, so I believe I am getting the best I can, and that it is worth the price.

Buying in bulk helps a lot with the cost. But if cost is still an issue, I believe that Mark Sisson taught me somewhere on his site, that conventional beef has the least amount of toxins found in the meat when compared to poultry for instance. I personally would never buy conventionally raised meat again, but if I had to chose for some reason, I would buy pastured poultry and buy conventional beef.

Also important to note is the quality and taste of the organic grass fed and pastured meat compared to conventional meat. The pork I get from the farm is from heritage breeds of pigs and the meat is much fattier and richer in flavour that regular white fleshed pork, this pork is deeper in colour and the flavour is amazing. Pastured chickens have a completely different texture than the conventionally raised fluffy styrofoam textured chickens you get in a regular grocery store. Pastured chickens have a firmer texture and actually have legs on them that they actually got to use ! They taste real to me.

Maybe less of a better protein would be better than a larger amount of conventionally raised meat ? Just an idea.

Oh and one of my favorite reasons for getting organic meat right from the farm...I get free bones for bone broth, free feet and organs, and other parts I won't mention here. I use them all, including rendering my own tallow and lard. It has greatly enriched our relationship with food in my house, and I won't go back.

^^^Totally agree! If I had to start making cuts in my budget I'd start with the produce first.

Kitnthecat wrote: »

Thanks Akimajuktuk and KomuchaCat. I forgot one thing I should mention. Toxins accumulate and are stored in the animal's fat. So it's important to remember, if eating conventionally raised meat that has been exposed to who knows what....that you should not eat the fat from that meat. Eating just the lean meat will be healthier for you. But on the other hand, grass fed and pastured meat that has been raised organically, has wonderful delicious fat that is very good for you to eat.

I think this is a distinction that "classical Paleo" (ie - Cordain's paleo) should have made clearer, especially when Cordain changed his stance on saturated fat (though it seems he still thinks it's bad, just not "as bad" on Paleo as on SAD? I don't know, I'm not particularly a fan of his version). One of the big misconceptions about Paleo is that you can only eat lean meats, and that's not really the case (especially anymore), but most of the contemporary big Paleo names say to trim the fat if you're getting conventional, and add fat in other ways, because of the toxin issue, but if you get organic/pastured, don't worry about trimming the fat.

Overlapping what a few people have said above-

By getting to know some of the farmers in my area, I learned that some of them haven't bothered with the trouble or expense of becoming "certified organic", but use practices that meet or exceed 'organic' standards. Their product is usually much more affordable than grocery store organic.

It's very interesting to me now, that before I went primal, I never noticed all the alternative type food sources I had right under my nose. It was if a secret world opened up to me. I now have several places where I live ( not including farmer's markets) where I can get grass fed and pastured meat if I needed it. Or places where I can get something different than what my farmers' sell.....like bison or elk, or filler and nitrate free deli meats. You just don't know until you start looking and asking questions. Then you get to know your prices and can comparison shop and get the best deal.

Dragonwolf wrote: »

Kitnthecat wrote: »

Thanks Akimajuktuk and KomuchaCat. I forgot one thing I should mention. Toxins accumulate and are stored in the animal's fat. So it's important to remember, if eating conventionally raised meat that has been exposed to who knows what....that you should not eat the fat from that meat. Eating just the lean meat will be healthier for you. But on the other hand, grass fed and pastured meat that has been raised organically, has wonderful delicious fat that is very good for you to eat.

I think this is a distinction that "classical Paleo" (ie - Cordain's paleo) should have made clearer, especially when Cordain changed his stance on saturated fat (though it seems he still thinks it's bad, just not "as bad" on Paleo as on SAD? I don't know, I'm not particularly a fan of his version). One of the big misconceptions about Paleo is that you can only eat lean meats, and that's not really the case (especially anymore), but most of the contemporary big Paleo names say to trim the fat if you're getting conventional, and add fat in other ways, because of the toxin issue, but if you get organic/pastured, don't worry about trimming the fat.

The fat on conventionally raised animals is so tough and rancid who wants to eat it anyway? I think this is why my version of Paleo is always going to lean more toward WAPF than the original Cordain "branded" Paleo. We need saturated fat from healthy creature foods. And raw dairy...which would be a great thing to supplement your healthy Paleo diet with if you can't afford pastured meats at every meal, also assuming you have access to it and it's not illegal in your state. Obviously if your body doesn't get along with dairy it's out, but for me personally dairy and I are BFF's so raw milk will be pryed from my cold dead hands

KombuchaCat wrote: »

Dragonwolf wrote: »

Kitnthecat wrote: »

Thanks Akimajuktuk and KomuchaCat. I forgot one thing I should mention. Toxins accumulate and are stored in the animal's fat. So it's important to remember, if eating conventionally raised meat that has been exposed to who knows what....that you should not eat the fat from that meat. Eating just the lean meat will be healthier for you. But on the other hand, grass fed and pastured meat that has been raised organically, has wonderful delicious fat that is very good for you to eat.

I think this is a distinction that "classical Paleo" (ie - Cordain's paleo) should have made clearer, especially when Cordain changed his stance on saturated fat (though it seems he still thinks it's bad, just not "as bad" on Paleo as on SAD? I don't know, I'm not particularly a fan of his version). One of the big misconceptions about Paleo is that you can only eat lean meats, and that's not really the case (especially anymore), but most of the contemporary big Paleo names say to trim the fat if you're getting conventional, and add fat in other ways, because of the toxin issue, but if you get organic/pastured, don't worry about trimming the fat.

The fat on conventionally raised animals is so tough and rancid who wants to eat it anyway? I think this is why my version of Paleo is always going to lean more toward WAPF than the original Cordain "branded" Paleo. We need saturated fat from healthy creature foods. And raw dairy...which would be a great thing to supplement your healthy Paleo diet with if you can't afford pastured meats at every meal, also assuming you have access to it and it's not illegal in your state. Obviously if your body doesn't get along with dairy it's out, but for me personally dairy and I are BFF's so raw milk will be pryed from my cold dead hands

I raw milk, but unfortunately, I'm in a state where it's not only illegal, but draconically so (seriously, the farmers can't even sell it, if they do, the USDA comes in and spoils their entire stock in addition to fining them into the ground; even herdshares are walking a fine line). My mom lives in the next state over, though, where it is legal, so I get a nice treat when I go visit her.

We don't drink much milk in my house, though. My son's lactose intolerant and my husband might be, too, and I keep both my sugar and my whey intake down (hyperinsulinemia), so that cuts out fluid milk anyway. Cheese is a different matter, though.