Eating Healthy on a Budget, Part 4

How do you incorporate seeds, nuts and grains for less money?

1. Group buys! 
2. Avoid prepared products (do the cooking yourself)

Here's an example of how to save money on seeds. Online, a 1-pound bag of hemp seeds are advertised at a price of $3. But the shipping is $10. So I ending paying $13 a pound for these little treats. But by ordering in bulk (25 lbs.), the advertised price decreases to $2 per pound. Even with shipping, which is $28, I come out ahead. The price per pound is just over $3.

But what am I going to do with 25 pounds of hemp seed? Certainly not marijuana farming! I simply get 5 or 10 friends to split the order with me, and we're all happy.

As for grains, bulk is the answer here, too. It has been well-worth the learning curve to figure out how to sprout, grind, and bake wheat berries instead of running to the bakery for every pita, cracker, tortilla or loaf I use. Granted, now that I'm nutritarian, I don't eat a lot of bread products. Still, when I do, it's cheap! A  one-pound loaf of Great Harvest Bread runs around $4. But the wheat itself is only 30 cents a pound when I buy a 50-pound bag.

You might be wondering about nuts. They can often run more than $5 per pound. Well, have you priced prime rib lately? I related to this comment from VeganRican at Finding the Courage to Heal. "I no longer spend money on fast food restaurants, or on funding my very expensive junk food habit. Now that I'm eating real food, I no longer feel the need to binge or overeat. I eat less, and stay satisfied a lot longer. What I used to spend on Benadryl, Tums, Motrin, Tylenol, Pepto-Bismol, Gas-X, and anti-inflammatory drugs, I now spend on fruits and veggies, with change left over. So, is it realistic? Absolutely. Anything worth having is worth working for."

Since you're going to be eating more grains, nuts and seeds, you might enjoy this easy, wholesome, energizing granola! It uses no oil, only a smidgeon of honey or agave and features sprouted buckwheat in place of the oats! You can customize it with whatever fruits and nuts you prefer.

Bucky's Granola (pictured above)
1/4 c. nut butter
1/4 c. agave
4 c. sprouted buckwheat
2 c. sprouted sunflower seeds
1-2 cups additional seeds and/or nuts
1 c. dried fruit

Melt together the nut butter and agave. Pour over buckwheat and sunflower sprouts. Toss to combine. Dehydrate on teflon trays for 8 hours at 115 degrees, turning with a spatula after four hours. Add nuts, seeds and dried fruit.

To your health and happiness,
Hailey