I’ve seen Food, Inc. I know that for the health of my family, the health of small local farms, and the health of the animals involved, the best decision when it comes to meat is to eat sparingly and eat organic. According to the USDA, in 2008 Americans ate an average of 215.8 pounds of meat per year (includes, chicken, turkey, veal, lamb, pork, and beef). That is a little over 4 pounds per week, or a half a pound a day. From these statistics, it seems pretty likely that meat is a daily habit for many Americans, and an item that takes up a good portion of the food budget. So the question becomes, How do you procure meat to feed your family while staying within a budget?
Listen, I get that some people will respond by telling me to just go vegetarian. And I get that. I was a vegan for several years before I got married. Going vegan or vegetarian is certainly an easy way to eliminate the dilemma of how to afford meat. That plan of action comes with its own issues, though. Have you seen the price of (or tasted, for that matter) vegan cheese? Scary on both counts.
The fact is, while some family members (like me) would be fine with vastly reducing or eliminating meat from their diets, that is not the case for everyone (like my husband). In my quest to become more frugal and creative in my meal-planning, I have come up with quite a few ways to include meat (or make heartier vegetarian entrees) in ways that stretch the budget instead of straining it.
Today’s tip is to purchase meat in bulk directly from a local farm. Go to EatWild.com to find a farm near you that sells meat and other items that are certified grass-fed and pastured, among other qualifications. I found that when you purchase a large amount of beef (like a quarter cow), you can get deeply discounted products. After a quick search of Eatwild.com, I found beef for $3.15/lb at a farm less than 40 miles from my home. You can’t find non-organic beef at the grocery store for that price. Go in with a friend (or two) to purchase the whole cow, and the price will go even lower. Generally, the farmer will even butcher and wrap it for you. I’m dedicated to saving money, but trust me, my dedication does NOT extend to butchery. Nope. Can’t do it.
Next time I’ll give you some tips on how to save money on meat at the grocery store.
(This post was shared on Your Green Resource from Liverenewed.com)
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Such good advice. Only I learned this year that you have to “reserve” your cow in March. At least at most of the small ranches I contacted. So I put a little pop-up reminder in my calendar for March so I can hopefully have a half cow by next October!
Thanks for linking to Your Green Resource
Andrea — that is a great tip. Thank you!
I also ate a vegan diet, then a strict vegetarian diet, then a pescatarian diet for many years. Part of this decision was because I couldn’t find the meat I WANTED to eat in the grocery stores, nor was there a farm available. I like these suggestions and links, thanks!
I have the same dilemma with my Grandson. He calls himself a meatatarian. He lives with me. I am a vegetarian,because I have done quiet a bit of extensive reading on the toxic effects of meat in the body. Our digestive systems just cannot tolerate it like the carnivores can. I am always torn about , “killing him with kindness,” by letting him have what he wants, so we reached a compromise. He is settling for seafood twice a week, chicken once and rare burgers or steak out. The rest of the time, opting for wholesome vegetarian meals with me. He also is completely addicted to cheese. (literally) Cows produce something in their bodies that goes into the cheese and milk that is similar to morphine, only on a much smaller scale. We get all the endorphins when we eat cheese. (There’salso the organic versus regular problem, budgetwise)So when somebody says they are addicted to cheese, they really are. (lol) I think I will tackle the cheese dilemma later in the summer. We also rarely have sugar or sugar products. Sugar is lilke poison. It wrecks the collagen in your skin. I think staying away from it is what has kept me from getting a lot of wrinkles. Just think what would happen , if you eat the sugar and smoke. Your budget would suffer more ways than one. Doctor’s visits are expensive , even with insurance.