PM,
First of all, keep in mind, that for the most part, traditional foods is about preperation.
Most of us deal with an 80/20 way of eating. 80% is the best and prepared the old fashioned way, while the other 20% allows for some junk (carefully chosen) and eatin gout as needed.
If you can't get raw milk, (do a search in
www.realmilk.com and make inquiries) then search out organic pasturized only, avoiding homogenized like the plague. Talk to your local grocers about providing a better option.
Culture your dairy, by making yogurt and or kefir, to up its benefits.
Soaking, sprouting and souring grains can be doen with non organic.
Now, as to the price of things.
Have you seen Food Inc.?
There is a family that is featured in there, that rather then spend $5 on 3 pears, they went to the drive thru and spent more then that on a very toxic, non nourishing meal.
A meal that perpetuates the fathers diabetes, and the whole families weight and health.
Traditional foods is about true nutrient density in foods.
You actually eat less and absorb more if butter is served with veges, and other good fats are used in cooking.
Organ meats are inexpensive nad can be disguised easily.
Traditional foodies, have found that medical and dental issues drop anywhere from 75 - 90%.
The term organic is very subjective. It is used and abused on the commercial level.
I'll let you search that out, and come to your own balance on that, as to what you will purchase with that label, and what you will not.
Local is always better. Do not feel like you have to fear your local foods. Take the time to get to know your local farmers. Encourage them to grow the best, and then support them as you are able.
We shop at our local Sams and Costco, where we can buy organic bulk veges. Untill we are in a position to grow all our own, we make up the difference this way.
We buy all our grains, raw honey, coconut oil and sea salt from a local co-op (Azure) at astounding savings. Not only in bulk savings, but in driving savings.
For instance, I can pay nearly $3 a pound for Rye flour at my local grocery store, or I can get 50 pound sacks thru the co-op for .80 a pound.
I spread these things out. one month its flours, another its rice, and yet another for my honey (raw, 5 gallons for $120 ) and sea salt.
I absolutly LOVE
www.cookingtf.com for these kinds of helps.
Kerryann teaches how to stock up on bulk foods at very extreme savings.
The trick in all of this, is writing down a plan that will take as much as a year to fully develop, and do one thing at a time.
On the cod liver oil, here are the things it does.
We take the fermented clo blend, that includes high vitamin butter oil.
The butter oil helps in absorption, and it also heals dental decay. It costs $45 for a six month supply for one adult. Much longer for a child. Think about how little that costs, as opposed to dental bills for cavities!
When taken in pregnancy, it allows the baby to develop to its full potential.
It tastes awful yes, but young children learn to take it well, and for those that are older, it can be squirted into size 00 capsules with one of those cheap catchup of mustard bottles that you can buy at
WalMart. 3 the size amounts to one serving.
Chicken feed, see if you can buy bulk barley, oats and field peas at a local elevator, and make your own.
We use fishmeal to give them animal protein.
