Trading Up Downtown

For me, the cost of a gym membership and regular yoga classes are a pretty big expense in my life, but staying in shape doesn’t have to be pricey. Over the years, I’ve found a number of FREE online workouts that I simply download on my iPod Shuffle as well as other resources to motivate and inspire me to get moving almost daily.

Here are some of my favorites:

• iTunes
• YouTube
• Netflix
• YogaDownload
• Motion Traxx
• Women’s Health Workouts to Go

What are your favorites?

Trading Up Downtown Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered this week’s giveaway. Here’s  your winner: 216!

Congrats, Dani! Please email me at thaupert@nuval.com with your full name and mailing address to claim your prize!

We’ve all heard it said that eating organic is better for us and better for the environment. Foods grown naturally, without added hormones, and free of pesticides truly are the salt of the earth. When eating organic, we know exactly what we’re putting into our bodies. And we can be sure that the growth of that food (whether vegetable or animal) was not done at the expense of the environment. Who doesn’t want that? Yet many of us can’t make the switch because of the high cost of buying organic. Here’s some good news – you can go organic without spending more!

Three ways to convert and still save:

Organic food co-op.

You know the big warehouse stores, where you pay an annual membership fee to in order to shop there? How do you suppose they are able to sell items at such a huge discount?! By purchasing items in mass amounts, the price per unit decreases significantly. Warehouse stores buy everything in mass amounts, turn around and sell it to you in bulk amounts, and everyone saves. This is the concept behind the organic food co-op.

What to look for in a food co-op:

• Membership fees

The food co-op may or may not have a membership fee. The larger the co-op group, the more likely a membership fee is charged. (This is often used to help cover costs of those who do the purchasing and sorting of orders.) On the other hand, the larger the co-op, the smaller the food bill per person. Smaller co-ops, without membership fees, may ask their members to participate in the shopping and sorting process. Only you can decide what’s more valuable to you – time or money.

• Variety of foods

Frequently, food co-ops carry only produce. Not only can it be difficult to find a local rancher who breeds free-range animals, but for a smaller co-op group it may be unaffordable. If you live in a larger city, your chance of finding an organic co-op that also offers meat and grain products is better.

• Age of co-op

Most people aren’t very comfortable investing in new companies. We like to see an established track record before we place our trust in a business. While the same may be true of your organic food co-op, there are some benefits of joining a newer co-op. For example, a newer group may want to hear your opinions, thoughts, and ideas. Whether you prefer a young or “old” business will depend on whether you want to be just a consumer or if you prefer to be a part of the program itself.

Packaged foods.

When thinking organic, many times we make the mistake of focussing only on grown products. But many of the foods we use for everyday cooking are boxed, bagged, and canned. How can we be sure these foods are also healthier and more environmentally friendly?

• Language

First, it’s important to pay attention to the language used on the packaging. Phrases such as “made with organic ingredients” and “natural” are commonplace on packages up and down the organic aisle. The only true organic foods, though, are those marked as “certified organic.” Certainly, those made with organic ingredients (which must contain 70% or more organic ingredients) and/or without the use of preservatives and food dyes will be more nutritionally sound than typical packaged foods. Just be aware that these are not 100% organic.

• Brand

Just as you can purchase macaroni and cheese by brand name (Kraft Dinner) or by store brand, you can purchase organic macaroni and cheese in either big brand or store brand. Organics are becoming more common, expected even, and as such supermarkets and food producers are stepping up by offering more options. You can save more than just a few pennies by purchasing store brand. Remember, it’s the organic label that matters, not the company’s name.

• Packaging  

Those of us eating organic are not just doing it for our own health, but for the benefit of the environment, too. It’s exciting to see many products coming out with compostable packaging (Way to go, Sun Chips!). Cardboard and paper packaging are recyclable, where plastic and foil packages often are not. By choosing the best packaging, we can be good stewards of both our bodies (eating organic) and our environment (recycling).

Straight from the source

Did you ever play the game “telephone” as a child? Everyone sits in a circle, and the first person whispers a secret in the next person’s ear. Each child whispers, passing along the secret, until it reaches the last kid. Usually, the result is a random bunch of gibberish that no one can make sense of!

When shopping for food, we take the risk that what we are purchasing at the supermarket could be very different from what it was originally intended to be. The food is passed from hand to hand and truck to truck, packaged and stored along the way. Sometimes, that food is no longer recognizable by the time it’s stocked on the store’s shelves.

Have you ever considered buying your food straight from the source? Organic farmers and ranchers are all around you! While this may not appear to be a very affordable option, you can make it work for your budget. Consider sharing the purchase of half a cow with a friend. It may be a big expense up-front, but you’ll be surprised by how long it lasts you! You can also buy locally grown organics at the local farmer’s market. Frequently, their pricing is comparable to that of organic produce at the supermarket.

As understanding of the health and environmental benefits of eating organic grows, so does accessibility of quality and affordable organic foods. Eating organic is no longer an impossible dream, but can be a reality for you. Not only that, but it can be an affordable reality! Take a seat at your computer and start searching for an organic co-op near you. You’ll be surprised by how much you can save!

Krisca C. Te is part of the team that manages Australian Credit Cards, a complimentary credit card comparison service and personal finance blog based in Sydney, Australia. Before she joined ACC,  she was an Associate in Deutsche Bank Group under Market and Instruments Control Services

My absolute favorite breakfast is banana oatmeal made with soy milk, ground flaxseed meal, and a hearty scoop of peanut butter. I love this breakfast because it’s delicious, satisfying, and a healthy way to start my day. In the warmer months, I love to turn this breakfast into overnight oats.

In the mix:

• 1/2 cup Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats (NuVal score: 57)
• 1/2 cup Silk Unsweetened Soymilk (NuVal score: 91)
• 2 tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Ground Flaxseed Meal (NuVal score: 100)
• 1 tbsp Teddie Unsalted Old Fashioned Natural Peanut Butter (NuVal score: 49)
• 1 banana, sliced (NuVal score: 91)

Now, doesn’t this oatmeal combination sound delicious?

Trading Up Downtown Giveaway

Here’s your chance to win a prize pack that features all of the ingredients for this tasty breakfast– well, except for the banana. You need to buy that for yourself!

To Enter: Leave a comment about your favorite healthy breakfast. I will randomly pick a winner on Friday morning. Earn an extra entry by tweeting about this giveaway. Be sure to leave an additional comment on this post with your tweet in it.

Good luck!