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When we think of a Plant-Based diet - full of vegetables, legumes, fruits - little do we remember that it all starts in the supermarket. From where and how we buy our food, to how we can save money! Today we will know incredible techniques to have the best pantry for our Power Kitchen! Let's go!
Ultimate hacks to save money and buy better foods.
A Whole Food Plant-Based diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, is not only infallible to improve our health; it helps in the financial economy as well!
Switching to Plant-Based helps us save up to $750 per year per person, according to research published in the Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition.
Here we have 6 ways to buy quality products, save money and still choose the best for our health.
1. Watch out for supermarket tricks.
If we're not careful at the supermarket, we're likely to fall into promotion traps all the time. Possibly this has already happened to you: you saw a product as a “promotion” and did not even go through the respective aisle to see the other options!
When we go straight down the aisle of each product, we can often find other options, sometimes even better and at more affordable prices! Just remember that it's always worth reading the ingredients list! It is there that we will know if the food is really a 'cost-benefit'.
There's no point in buying the cheapest option and going home with a bad product, right?
2. Venture into the Farmers' Market!
Leaving the conventional supermarket and going to local stores or farmers' market helps us a lot to save money and choose fresh and seasonal options - those natural foods of every season of the year. What we also often don't realize is that when we maintain a relationship with local businesses, we can also order products that are not in store, refer friends and earn discounts or products as a reward.
In addition, many larger supermarkets have their own brands of staple foods, such as rice and beans. Here we have a great secret for you: the supermarkets only buy these foods from large distributing companies. So the supermarkets do not charge the consumer with extra values that large brands have, such as the value of advertising, etc.
In other words, supermarkets buy from the same supplier of bigger brands, but the value of the supermarket brand is cheaper because we, consumers, do not pay for the other costs that the big brands have. Buying products from market brands can be a good option and does not mean lower quality.
Pay attention only to the food category that is given on the package. Eg: category type 1, type 2. It is important to always compare the same with the same, both in quality and price.
3. Consider frozen and canned foods.
While buying seasonal food remains the best option for quality and price, we don't always have staple foods year round. As an example we have red fruits and tomatoes, which when out of the season, these fresh foods are much more expensive and do not always have the best flavor.
Has it ever happened to you that, during the winter, we no longer have the best tomato options? We see the price increase, and also how green and tasteless they are.
There is a big misconception about frozen foods being unhealthy, or canned foods losing nutritional value. However, depending on the choice we make, we only win! Okay, but how?
Frozen fruits and tomatoes in jars or cans are harvested at the peak of maturation (better flavor and peak of nutrients), and then they are washed, sorted and sent either to the freezer or to the jars. In this way, they maintain the nutrients and ensure the best taste.
It is worth exploring the frozen and canned or glass section.
What to watch out for:
With berries, peas, corn, other fruits and vegetables, read the ingredients list. They should contain only whole foods. Also check the expiration date;
With tomatoes, preferably choose options that use whole tomatoes - either whole or diced. We have this information on the packaging. The great nutritional value of tomatoes is in the seed, and these options keep the seeds intact. Very different from what happens with simpler tomato sauces (the very simple sachet ones), which only use the tomato pulp;
As with any packaged food, always read the ingredients list and look for versions with only the main ingredients.
4. Buy dry food.
What do we mean by that? Ready-to-eat foods are much more expensive when compared to their dried versions. For example beans. We can buy a kilo of beans for an X price, as we can choose beans already cooked for twice the amount. Which, of course, is already done, so it costs more.
The same goes for ready-made soups, pre-cut foods, pasta, and ready-made rice portions.
Put on your scale what is most important: if you buy dry foods and take the time to prepare them, or if you buy the best ready-made versions and guarantee the food on your plate. This point depends on what is best for you.
5. Look for bulk food.
If you buy nuts, oats, different flours at the supermarket, it is worth looking at the bulk options and buying what you need for a period.
In supermarkets, these foods like nuts and walnuts, oats, flaxseeds can be much more expensive when packaged. In addition, buying in bulk allows us to choose the quantity, and today, due to the high demand, it also guarantees that the food can be fresher.
We can save a lot with this simple choice and organization. As with market brands, this way we don't have to pay for the expensive packaging and advertising costs of big brands.
6. Make key foods at home.
This point is one of the most amazing in Plant-Based food! Think with me: if we wanted to have our own supply of 'conventional' milk at home, we would have to have space and buy a cow, feed her every day, take care of her health (which is not necessarily done in industries), and make the cow a mom! (You already know that cows are not natural and annual milk producers, right?)
With vegetable milks it's MUCH easier! Just go to a bulk store, buy the main ingredient for the milk you choose and hit the blender with water!
Voilà!
The math is simple: 1 cup of oats, nuts, soy, rice, or whatever you choose, to 3 - 4 cups of water.
Much cheaper than buying ready-made plant-based milks, and we still guarantee better quality food.
The same goes for tomato sauces, mixed rice with herbs, breads and wraps, which we can make at home in a simple and cheaper way.
Note:
Pay attention to the ingredient list of all products, as well as the Nutrition Facts. Compare food options and preferably choose options with the lowest amount of sodium (salt). The best cost-benefit is ALWAYS taking care of our health first.
In the list of ingredients for canned or glass tomatoes, possibly another basic ingredient will be the acidity regulator. Opt for options that have lemon, vinegar, or other more natural acidic ingredients if possible.
Want to learn how to properly store food in the fridge and pantry? Read here!
