Fowltemptress,
We are a 75% vegetarian family, and I agree with you. It costs so much money to get good quality vegetables and fruits that usually carbs are used to stretch a meal here. I was just at a whole food market yesterday and my brother called it a whole PAYCHECK market.
The cheapest way for me is to get the WHOLE product, not the nifty packaged pre-cut/peeled ones. Much easier to buy carrots already bite size and peeled ie. baby carrots, instead of the ones that still have the greens on them, but not cost-effective.Another tip is to buy what is in season, for your area, at a local farm market instead of a large chain grocery store.
Winter is tough, and this one particularly for fruits=I cant afford to keep a staple of certain vegetables and fruits here. The more perishable, the more expensive. Those we will indulge in in the summer. Whole strawberries bought in bulk at the farm market can be cleaned sliced and frozen for winter treats. Same with corn. Buy it on the cob (or grow it) and cut it off the cob and freeze for winter use.
You are absolutely correct about the cost. I prefer to consume organically grown, pesticide/fertilizer-free products but it simply costs too much.