Buy your meats in bulk and get to gardening I buy beef and pork loins and cut them down to a "roast" "chops/steaks" and grind the rest (separate of course) and that seems to help a bit. Curious to see what others say

If you have a deck or patio, you could grow some stuff in containers (tomatoes, lettuce, etc..). There are a lot of websites that have info on that...

We live on 9 acres, so I have to give it a try this year! I tried 2 years ago with mixed results, but am ready to try again.

It doesn't seem to me that this way of eating is any more expensive. Yes, I know the benefits of grass fed beef and the ethical reasons and nutritious ones for buying free range eggs, and much prefer them. But, if you can't find them, or afford them, buying from a regular grocery isn't the worst thing in the world.

Plus, I find that I am so satisfied with the foods I do eat, that I'm not really eating that much. Less food, less expensive. Cool!

Twinmom01 wrote a good post for the budget conscious hunter/gatherer. I'm not really disagreeing with her, but I'm adding a couple of comments to what she said.

Beef

While there are a variety of considerations in going to grass-fed, price is always an issue - along with unclear package terminology. Most grass-fed cows are still 'grain finished' for a few weeks before slaughtering (most people expect the taste profile of grain-fed). Also, the term 'pastured' can include cows that eat grass by day, but have a trough of grain waiting for them at night back at the barn. Finding beef that is truly grass-fed from start to finish can be difficult - and frustrating.

Since most of the nutritional benefits of grass-fed beef is in the fat (increased omega 3s), the money-saving secret is: buy the leanest grain-fed beef you can find, and then cook it in an oil high in omega3s. You get most of the nutritional benefits, without paying a premium for grass-fed beef.

Chicken/Turkey - I just buy on sale and don't worry about "organic" or not...some times you can get them when they are nearing the expiration date and are marked down (since I plan to freeze them anyway) - I will also buy fresh chcken breast and thighs in bulk and separate them out myself (we have a vacuum sealer - a good)

Now this, on the other hand, is a meat where you SHOULD pay attention. Not only is poultry the most manipulated and abused animals in factory farming, but since they are omnivorous, their fat (even in free range) is a lot higher in omega6s.Legal confusion of terms abound: 'free range' can simply mean they can stand crowded in a dirt pen during the day before they stand crowded in a roost all night. 'Vegetarian feed' sounds healthy, but it is contrary to the bird's eating habits, almost exclusively grain-based and provides sub-optimal eggs. 'Omega3' eggs just add flaxseed to the grain-based mix.

If you can find a TRUE free-range source, pay the premium price. If you need to save money somewhere - save it by eating less chicken and more beef - and buy the cheap, lean grain-fed beef and cook it in some coconut oil and top it with a pat of pastured butter!

Pork - I will buy pork loins then they go on sale and cut them down into boneless chops

Most of my comments on poultry also apply to pork. They are omnivores, and not only that, a primarily grass-fed pig will have their intestines seize up (I know, because my neighbor raises pigs for me and we tried). Pork fat is naturally higher in Omega6s, so eating pork should also take a back seat to beef. A naturally fed pig will eat a lot of things, grass, critters, acorn, apple mash (left over from our local apple farms making cider), grape skins (same thing with wine making) and supplemented with some alfalfa and grains

Since it's very difficult to find natural-fed pork even in healthfood stores, it is best to eat less of it - including bacon. Beef and seafood should make up the bulk of your protein consumption.

Fish - I am spoiled and have a Trader Joes near me - they have awesome fresh frozen fish - I usually buy tuna steaks and salmon

Salmon should be wild-caught from Alaska or the Pacific Northwest. Atlantic Salmon is factory farmed - not only it is a bad polluter of waterways, but the feed is once again grain-based and Atlantic Salmon is significantly higher in 6s and lower in Omega3s). The same applies to most farmed fish (with the exception of shrimp), so it pays to do your homework in finding the right seafood to eat. Trader Joe has a good selection of reasonably-priced fish - but a lot of it is farmed fish, which is why it has lower prices in the first place. Pick and choose - and choose wisely.

Eggs - we go through a lot of eggs...I will buy a dozen free range a week to use if I am making scrambled eggs/fried eggs or in things like homemade mayo - I will buy store bought for hard boiled eggs and recipies that call for a bunch of eggs.

What goes for chickens also goes for the eggs. A truly free-range, natural egg has a yolk that is orange instead of yellow. The darker the yolk, the more exposure to non-grain food sources. When you find a supplier with nice, healthy orange yolks (not those pale-yellow things), stick with them - even if you are paying a few cents a pound more.

Veggies

Right on. Buy in season - when new crops come in, the price goes down significantly for a couple of weeks. Eat whatever is on special that week. Buy local - less shipping costs and closeness to market translates into better prices, fresher, more long-lasting produce - and help keeps your neighbor in a job. Plant a couple of things you use a lot of: tomatoes are easy to grow (and grape tomatoes produce all summer); six chard plants will produce a summer's worth of greens (just pick the outer leaves and the roots will keep producing new leaves from the center), zucchinis, cucumbers and pole beans also are prolific. Lettuces bolt with the heat - so save those for the market.

good info M.D.

Another option is to marry someone who hunts - my husband hunts so we have deer (and make some kick *kitten* Paleo venison jerky without added sodium and such) and he came home with a turkey yesterday - so we plan to ground up some of the breast meat for turkey sausage.

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