Say it ain't so...but I think we're actually going to try this month's shopping without Aldi's.
Why, when it's worked so well for us? Well, for one thing, we're continually tweaking our eating habits based on health, economic, and ecological concerns. One tenet that fits nicely into all three of those is to reduce our consumption of animal foods even further. I've heard so many people say how much they saved on their grocery bills by cooking one vegetarian meal a week or more. Well, we've been trying to do a similar thing with vegan meals, with a frequency of more like 3-4 times a week. Not because we don't love eggs and dairy--we do--but our goal is to consume these foods whole and in high quality (which means no reduced-fat substitutes), but low quantity. This allows other foods--namely grains and vegetables--to come to the fore, which is a good and healthy thing.
I have to say that since we've started to try to eat this way, I feel like my hunger levels and my weight have both magically stabilized. I'm not as desperately hungry between meals, and it's increasingly easy for me to stop when I'm full. And while I finish off many nights with a mug of hot chocolate (made with whole milk and enough Ghiradelli to float a battleship), my weight has remained very stable--more so than when I was more careful about eating and exercise than I am now. Go figure.
Anyway, because of our emphasis on grains and vegetables, we're not purchasing much of the foods (cheese, sour cream, and prepared foods) on which Aldi's provides the highest savings. The vegetables and such are still cheaper, but it's difficult to get them to last through the month. Throwing away produce doesn't save money. And if we're talking about the difference of several dollars or less, there's also the consideration that Aldi's is a round trip of 80 miles--not exactly insignificant in terms of time, money, or our carbon footprint. By contrast, within 7 miles of our apartment we can hit Costco, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and any number of regular local grocery stores. Due to the changes in how we eat, and the rising price of gas, I think we may be able to swing it.
Another consideration when we're buying mainly these products is the circumstances of their production--which I don't know. We by no means eat entirely organically, and in the past I've paid little attention to the designation, but once again: things change. As we consider the fact that we would now like to have children before too long (still several years though, FYI), I've started to consider what goes into my body for more than just my own sake. It's a well-known fact that environmental contaminants concentrate at the top of the food chain (biomagnification). Within the bodies of those animals, many substances become even further concentrated in fat cells, in the placenta, and in breast milk. Hundreds of known carcinogens and other harmful chemicals have already been found in umbilical cord blood. This is an unpleasant thought. However, studies have shown that individuals can reduce their own consumption of pesticides by approximately 90% by choosing organic versions of only the dirty dozen, many of which are plentiful in Matt's and my diet.
So. There you have it. I'll continue to update our progress, in terms of both recipes and finance.
Why, when it's worked so well for us? Well, for one thing, we're continually tweaking our eating habits based on health, economic, and ecological concerns. One tenet that fits nicely into all three of those is to reduce our consumption of animal foods even further. I've heard so many people say how much they saved on their grocery bills by cooking one vegetarian meal a week or more. Well, we've been trying to do a similar thing with vegan meals, with a frequency of more like 3-4 times a week. Not because we don't love eggs and dairy--we do--but our goal is to consume these foods whole and in high quality (which means no reduced-fat substitutes), but low quantity. This allows other foods--namely grains and vegetables--to come to the fore, which is a good and healthy thing.
I have to say that since we've started to try to eat this way, I feel like my hunger levels and my weight have both magically stabilized. I'm not as desperately hungry between meals, and it's increasingly easy for me to stop when I'm full. And while I finish off many nights with a mug of hot chocolate (made with whole milk and enough Ghiradelli to float a battleship), my weight has remained very stable--more so than when I was more careful about eating and exercise than I am now. Go figure.
Anyway, because of our emphasis on grains and vegetables, we're not purchasing much of the foods (cheese, sour cream, and prepared foods) on which Aldi's provides the highest savings. The vegetables and such are still cheaper, but it's difficult to get them to last through the month. Throwing away produce doesn't save money. And if we're talking about the difference of several dollars or less, there's also the consideration that Aldi's is a round trip of 80 miles--not exactly insignificant in terms of time, money, or our carbon footprint. By contrast, within 7 miles of our apartment we can hit Costco, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and any number of regular local grocery stores. Due to the changes in how we eat, and the rising price of gas, I think we may be able to swing it.
Another consideration when we're buying mainly these products is the circumstances of their production--which I don't know. We by no means eat entirely organically, and in the past I've paid little attention to the designation, but once again: things change. As we consider the fact that we would now like to have children before too long (still several years though, FYI), I've started to consider what goes into my body for more than just my own sake. It's a well-known fact that environmental contaminants concentrate at the top of the food chain (biomagnification). Within the bodies of those animals, many substances become even further concentrated in fat cells, in the placenta, and in breast milk. Hundreds of known carcinogens and other harmful chemicals have already been found in umbilical cord blood. This is an unpleasant thought. However, studies have shown that individuals can reduce their own consumption of pesticides by approximately 90% by choosing organic versions of only the dirty dozen, many of which are plentiful in Matt's and my diet.
So. There you have it. I'll continue to update our progress, in terms of both recipes and finance.
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