When you first start the Raw Food Detox Diet, it may seem costly, since you will need to restock
your kitchen with some new items. However, once you’ve made the initial transition, maintaining
your kitchen will be less expensive in the long run. When I was shopping at a traditional supermarket,
I would spend an average of $800 per month on groceries. At that time, my husband
and I were eating four to six meals out every week. I continue to spend an average of $800 per
month on groceries, but now I prepare almost all of my family’s meals, using the highest quality
plant-based ingredients on the planet. What a difference!
Packaged food is very expensive, yet it appears that households with very low incomes
tend to be the largest consumers of packaged products—and consequently the social sector suffering
the most from obesity and diabetes. If you are on a budget, it simply makes much more
sense to put your food dollars toward natural foods. You’ll spend less on doctor visits, and you’ll
be naturally beautiful without having to spend a lot of money on makeup, clothes, facials, and
other cosmetic purchases. In short, you don’t have to be a millionaire to look like a million dollars!
This does raise an interesting comparison, though. For example, a container of raw almond
butter costs about $8, whereas a container of store-bought peanut butter costs about $5.
The almond butter is a far superior food because it provides essential raw enzymes, calcium, and
protein that the body can fully assimilate, whereas the store-bought peanut butter is full of hydrogenated
oils, salt, sugar, and other preservatives that the body cannot process. In the long run,
isn’t it worth spending those few extra dollars on the almond butter? It baffles me that people
think $3 is too much to spend on a papaya, but they’ll spend that amount or more on a bag of potato
chips and a soft drink! Raw granola costs $8 a bag, whereas the cooked variety costs about $5.50. For an extra $2.50 you are getting a food that can actually exit the body—not weigh it down.
For those of you on a very tight budget, it will be easy for you to eat economically at Levels
3 to 5. Whole grains like millet, brown rice, and wheat berries cost very little and are very filling,
as are sweet potatoes and sprouted grain breads. You can buy fresh fruits and vegetables as
well as many raw nuts and grain items at inexpensive co-ops. And the Kollar cookies are also very
reasonably priced.
At Levels 1 and 2, where the desire for gourmet raw food and specialty raw food treats
(like raw pecan pie bars, raw breads, and raw brownies) kicks in, your budget will go up. But if
you like simple foods and are creative with nuts, dried fruit, and dates, you can keep costs down.
Just do your homework, price things out online, and you will find a way to fit this dieting
lifestyle into the tightest budget. Another approach is to see where you’re spending money needlessly.
Manicures and pedicures are not necessities. Impulsive long-distance phone calls and expensive
coffees should take a backseat to the pure bliss of cultivating a clean body! Cut back on
other expenses if you must, and learn to put your health and well-being first.
