A cost comparison of different types of diets

[karika]

I have been experimenting for years with what to eat. (FYI I have always been mostly organic in my choices, with only a few die hard addictions which I have since conquered) It all started when an ND told me I had an overgrowth of yeast and then proceeded to tell me about the eat right for your blood type diet. She told me I was ingesting foods that I was allergic or sensitive to. I began trying to eat what was on the list of good for me foods and avoiding the avoid foods. I stopped having daily diarrhea and extreme lethargy. However, due to my blood type I was told to avoid all meat basically (type A). At the time this didn't sit well with me. Dairy I had very little problem living without. So then I started eating the paleo way. mostly meat and veggies and fruit, like what cavemen ate. (exdh loved this one he is a meat eater) Then I research more and more about what animal farming is doing to the environment and how some animals are treated (even with the 'organic' label) So I tried to shift more to mostly vegetarian, with soy. Then I hear all about soy and researched it and decided it was not for us either. Now we have gone GFCF and mostly SF (lecithin and vitamin E still being used a bit) and I am using meat again. But I really want to try to go raw now. This has been driving the person that buys the food crazy. He doesn't want to learn about all these things and doesn't believe it is necessary to change our diets. So now I am going to try to show him a cost comparison. I am interested in knowing what shopping is costing different types of diets. 90% or more organic, GFCFSF are what I am interested in. The comparison I seek is between those that use meat, those that don't and raw diets. I believe eating raw may cost the same, or be cheaper but not sure. If there is anyone in here that is GFCFSF and 90% organic, let me know what you spend a month please, and whether you include meat, or just legumes or raw mostly.

[karika]

maybe I am too 'out there'? I forgot to say, we were spending $600 a month for 4 of us, this is the meat version... If I were to go mostly raw, I am just wondering if it would be a cost savings? I would juice a lot I am sure. and I don't know that I would be able to go totally raw.... anyone got any input?

[vbactivist]

I think one thing you have to take into account, is the cost of being healthy. I mean, a diet full of simple carbs would be cheapest, but you'd pay for it with doctor's visits and meds, probably. So i think the most cost efficient diet is the one on which you are feeling the best.

[cristeen]

Whether or not raw is cheaper is going to depend on a lot of details... are you eating meat? what is your fat source? are you juicing? do you have access to relatively cheap produce year-round? That's just off the top of my head, I'm sure there are more questions to be asked. But keep in mind that if you're eating mostly vegetable matter you need a source of dietary fat, whether that's nuts/seed, meat, raw dairy, avocados, or raw oils like CO. Which one you use will effect the bottom line. Also with juicing - you can easily turn $20 of fruits/veg into a couple glasses of juice without thinking about it. That's an expensive glass of juice. Not to mention the sheer increase in volume of produce you're going to be eating if you're going from a meat-based diet to a veg-based one. If produce is expensive in your area for even part of the year, that's going to have an effect.

I can't speak for the CF portion, but I've gone grain free and I've been soy free for years, and the effect on my grocery bill was not very big for one reason - the grain portion of my diet was already relatively small, restricted mostly to maybe a few tortillas, some rice or a loaf of bread a week. If my diet had contained a lot of pasta, bread, etc., then my budget would have been more effected. I also eat less volume on a meat-based (grain-free) diet than I do when I'm eating grains. I feel more satisfied and have fewer cravings. What I am eating is more expensive ounce-for-ounce, but I'm eating less of it. The thing to avoid though are the "replacement foods" - that's where you get into the really expensive part for GF - the foods that make it possible to eat just like you did before, but without gluten...where you're buying 20 different flours and throwing away food because you didn't like it. Keeping it simple is the key to keeping it cheap(er).

I also switched from buying produce weekly at the farmer's market to having it delivered through a CSA. I gave up control of what I was getting in exchange for cutting my produce budget in half (and it's still all local and organic), and I can still pick up specific items at the market if I want to make a particular dish, without killing the budget. I've had to learn to cook/eat things I'd never seen before, but that's part of the fun.

[organicmidwestmama]

i thought this review of erfyt was really good and explained why the diets don't really make sense-http://www.westonaprice.org/Eat-Right-4-Your-Type-by-Peter-D-Adamo.html