Halfway primal on a college budget-- hurting more than helping? page

[TigerSummoner]

I'm excited to be going primal, and I'm already past the carb flu! I feel better, and so does my stomach.

However, I'm poor-- that's the way of life for a college student. I cook nearly every day, but I rely on free food to keep my budget in check-- and there is always free food on a college campus. Keeping carb-free is easy enough, my worry is my fat intake.

Grass-fed beef is an impossibility. Organic is too expensive. Exotic ingredients are obviously out of my price range. At church events and such, I can easily scavenge for meat, but it's often cooked in unhealthy oils. One might describe my diet as "Atkins, but with a lot of local fruits and veggies." I'm afraid I'm poisoning my body completely negating the long term benefits of going Primal.

[tippy25]

I remember when I was living in an apartment off campus. Before I got a part-time job, I was being sustained almost entirely by breakfast cereals, ramen noodles, and mac & cheese. I ate so much. I would go through a box of cereal every 3 days, a gallon of milk every 4. Now I eat eggs and either bacon or pork roll for breakfast and lunch, and I can eat only twice a day and not be very hungry. I haven't had dinner at all this week, and I'm not feeling the need to eat because I'm not that hungry. The hardest part is giving up all the free pizza at school activities.

[TigerSummoner]

It's true! Just today, I passed by free fried chicken, Papa John's pizza, and chocolate cake on campus. Forgot the sugar temptations! "The best way to get college kids to an event is free food."-- our dean. :-P

[namelesswonder]

Stir fry is the easiest thing to make IMO. Just cook your meat or heat it up if it's frozen & add veggies. Wheat-free tamari might be a good investment for flavor, otherwise just add seasonings.

Why are you doing zero-carb?

[Yvonne PHX]

I'm excited to be going primal, and I'm already past the carb flu! I feel better, and so does my stomach.

However, I'm poor-- that's the way of life for a college student. I cook nearly every day, but I rely on free food to keep my budget in check-- and there is always free food on a college campus. Keeping carb-free is easy enough, my worry is my fat intake.

Grass-fed beef is an impossibility. Organic is too expensive. Exotic ingredients are obviously out of my price range. At church events and such, I can easily scavenge for meat, but it's often cooked in unhealthy oils. One might describe my diet as "Atkins, but with a lot of local fruits and veggies." I'm afraid I'm poisoning my body completely negating the long term benefits of going Primal.

The short answer is "NO, it isn't hurting more than helping." Eliminating grains is going to reap benefits for you no matter what. In regard to the meats and oils, just do the best you can. Invest in some quality fish oils to get those much-needed Omega 3s, eat avocados, and choose less fatty cuts if you can. Cook your own meat in quality oils when you can, and don't stress too much about it. Every little bit counts.

[gunnk]

Worry less! If you are cutting out grains and not substituting with other processed junk, then you are doing better than 95% of the population EASILY. At this point worrying about the rest of it will do you more harm than your diet!

[lexsi340]

I live in the dorms and do it just fine, I spend approx. $200 a month on food, and that's with all grass-fed beef, local veggies, and coconut oil+milk. I could do it cheaper with conventional meat, eggs, and without coconut oil.

Here's how I do it: For veggies: Free cafeteria veggies & a CSA box. I researched all the CSA's in the area and found one that's 12-15 pounds of food for $30. I split it with my roommate, but I could have done it once every 2 weeks. That's about $15/wk. Then, since I don't have transportation and the closest place is Whole Foods, I buy whatever is on sale once every 2 weeks. Last week, for $34, I ended up with: 3lbs of local, "natural" (i know) chicken thighs, one pound of pastured lamb, a pound of grass-fed beef, a can of wild salmon, a dozen eggs, and a few filets of fish. It would be even cheaper if I did TJ'S, locals farmers markets, or was less selective about my meat. Every 2 weeks I get 3 dozen cage free, local eggs - but again, this could be done cheaper.
And one of my best finds is the "free fat". Walk up to the butcher at Whole Foods, and ask if they have any extra fat. Grass-fed is optimal, but you usually have to call ahead for that. They'll wrap up a ton and send you on your way. That's "free fat" for 3 months!


Every 3 months, I get from Amazon: 12 cans of Thai Kitchen Milk & a huge can of coconut oil.

[primalprincess7]

halfway is better than nothing! I wish I discovered primal living when I was in college. I *thought* I was being healthy in college (the CW way) but it caught up to me and my hormones.

[Velocity]

I live in the dorms and do it just fine, I spend approx. $200 a month on food, and that's with all grass-fed beef, local veggies, and coconut oil+milk. I could do it cheaper with conventional meat, eggs, and without coconut oil.

Here's how I do it: For veggies: Free cafeteria veggies & a CSA box. I researched all the CSA's in the area and found one that's 12-15 pounds of food for $30. I split it with my roommate, but I could have done it once every 2 weeks. That's about $15/wk. Then, since I don't have transportation and the closest place is Whole Foods, I buy whatever is on sale once every 2 weeks. Last week, for $34, I ended up with: 3lbs of local, "natural" (i know) chicken thighs, one pound of pastured lamb, a pound of grass-fed beef, a can of wild salmon, a dozen eggs, and a few filets of fish. It would be even cheaper if I did TJ'S, locals farmers markets, or was less selective about my meat. Every 2 weeks I get 3 dozen cage free, local eggs - but again, this could be done cheaper.
And one of my best finds is the "free fat". Walk up to the butcher at Whole Foods, and ask if they have any extra fat. Grass-fed is optimal, but you usually have to call ahead for that. They'll wrap up a ton and send you on your way. That's "free fat" for 3 months!


Every 3 months, I get from Amazon: 12 cans of Thai Kitchen Milk & a huge can of coconut oil.

Great advice.

I've started my own site regarding Primal/Paleo in college (see signature), and being another student as well, it's just a matter of finding the right deals in the right places and at the right times.

See if you can find any farmer's markets or CSAs in the area. Going for pastured meat and organic veggies isn't always possible. Never let perfect be the enemy of the good.

What worries you about your fat intake? Unable to get as much as you wish?

[TigerSummoner]

This will be in order of posts:

I meant "refined carbohydrates." I get plenty of carbohydrates from fruits and veggies. I love stir fries! Making them into cabbage wraps is also a lot of fun.

I did just go out and buy a bunch of fish oil capsules. I don't particularly care to take supplements, but this one isn't so bad.

Hah! Thank you Gunnk. You hit my major problem-- I'm a worrier. I worry myself sick! The GRE this weekend had me lying awake at night (and no thanks to my partying neighbors. But who can blame them-- WE BEAT FLORIDA!)

Lexsi, those are really good ideas. We don't have a cafeteria here (despite being a major university), so I can appropriate my food budget however I want. I need to get in on a CFA-- there is one right by me, too, so I have no excuse. My university offers cheap meat from the laboratory slaughter house, whenever there was a "school project." It's pretty much the best kept open secret here, and visitors always remark on the quality of non-grass-fed, pasture raised beef.

Primalprincess, I'm pretty sure my hormones have already caught up :-P but in a good way. I just keep putting on muscle and there's no stopping it. Primal workout + eating just stepped my workout to a whole new level.

Velocity, you are completely right. Finding the right deals is tough when you compete with a horde of thrifty moms though, which I seem to every Friday morning :-P

EDIT: I meant "non-grass-fed beef." Whoops.