What if you can't always get grass-fed/organic? page 2

[Mirrorball]

I would only eat fish, sea food, free range chicken and eggs. It is what I actually did before I investigated, and cleared, the local supply of organic, grass-fed beef.

[OnTheBayou]

Yes, lesliek, those are prices from just an hour before at the local Publix. Pretty much the same at Whole Paycheck, give or take. Even ground buffalo is $7.49. See, it doesn't matter what YOU (or others) can get, it's what is available here, Sarasota, FL.


Primal_Wannabe, good suggestions, but that's also predicated on having the coin to purchase a lot at once, and having an adequate freezer. BTW, there is nothing wrong with American lamb, and if we believe in buying local (depends how far CO, UT, and WY are from you!) American would be better. As a matter of fact, I'm slow cooking a small American lamb roast wrapped in fresh rosemary as I type.


Also, even CAFO chicken does not get hormones or antibiotics, even in America. Theoretically.

[paleo_piper]

What about ground grassfed meats instead? I know my local co-op has ground beef for $2.50/lb. That's about 3-4 meals. Or ground pork is about the same price.


If I was really short on money, I'd eat out of my freezer or get fish. Or get pasture-raised eggs. I made a deal with a backyard farmer for barter, so there's money in the equation and we're both getting something you like. You could try craigslist, that's how I found mine.

[adamsaysyo]

In Santa Monica, the current prices - farmer's market this week were 8.50/lb for ground bison, and whole foods is 8.99 for ground beef. (both 100% grass-fed). i don't know where to get the cheaper meats... i am new to this, so i am just paying and luckily can afford it, but at some point i would like to save some money. WF had sirloin last night at 9.99 a pound.


Any LA people with thoughts on where to buy?

[mikecheliak]

Become a hunter for your meat! Hunt for deals online, offline and anywhere you can. Look for a local wild meat butcher (venison, elk...). Find a good fish monger and look for the possibility of buying a "cow in progress" from a co-operative. I just bought into half a cow and it will be raised grass fed and chemical/steroid free.


Hunt girl hunt!!!

[AlanBradin]

I'm unfortunately stuck in this situation as well. It seems to be a trend that more of the bad stuff in grain-fed animals and fish is stored in their fat tissues than their muscles, so I'll echo the advice to eat lean meats.


One of the best ways to get decent quality meat at a low price is to buy whole beef tenderloins, cut them up, and freeze them. You'll get 12 - 18ish portions, they're good cuts, and it usually works itself out to 6 or 7 bucks a pound.


Also, for ground beef, I personally recommend against any pre-ground beef. Too much bacterial risk, and the thought of several animals being in one serving makes me uneasy. Buy cuts and grind the meat yourself. I personally think it's not only tastier, but healthier, too.

[Lillian]

Thanks for all the advice I just went out and splurged on 2 doz organic cage-free eggs along with lots of wild fish fillet that are going straight into my freezer. I figure I can cook up the fish and distribute them into my BAS along with some hard boiled eggs.


On the other hand, I think I'm about to give my grandma a heart attack by eating 4-6 eggs a day.. Little does she know..

[PrimalWannabeGirl]

I dunno....when I switched from SAD to WAPF-type food, my overall food costs went DOWN.


But I really searched out farmers, some of whom don't even advertise or come to farmer markets.


Check out the USDA website and look for Department of Agriculture and Markets, then look for Guide to Farm Fresh Products. It will list every farm and farmer selling to the market by county, and it will tell you if it's a farmstand, pick-your-own, or a farmstore, and what products they feature, including whether it is organic.


One farmer I found offers a "grab bag" special of all organic, free-range, pastured, 100% grassfed products. For $100, I got:


2 dozen eggs

1 large sirloin steak (I slice it and stirfry it to stretch it for a family of four)

1 lb. stew beef (again, feeds my family of four with lots of veggies in it)

1 lb. of bacon

1 very large chicken, good for a roast, a second dinner of stirfry, and a pot of soup

1 lb. Italian sausage (which we ate tonight on top of a rutabaga/sweet potato mash--fed four of us)

3 lbs. of ground beef: good for at least two meals, could be 3.


This, along with my fish purchases during the week, feeds a family of four (2 teenage males, 1 big man, and me--all big eaters) for two weeks.


You gotta hunt! It just ain't following you home from the supermarket!


Sooze