My Favorite Substitutes on a Budget

Eating natural can get expensive...and my budget can't always hang.  However, after years of trying to eat well and reading every label, I have found my favorites that don't break the budget.

I try to avoid eating items that have enriched flour, sugar, or high fructose corn syrup listed within the first five ingredients.  Initially, a diet like this would sound like a bread and pasta free diet.  Not true!

Aldi (my budget friendly store, and the closet store to my house...therefore where most of our food comes from)
Here are some staples that you will always find in my house and their first five ingredients:

Bread  2.99                             Pasta   2.99                                  Peanut Butter 1.49
Whole Sprouted Grains        100% Durum whole wheat flour     Peanuts
Water                                                                                            Evaporated  Cane Juice
Whole Wheat Flour                                                                       Palm Oil
Vital wheat gluten                                                                         Salt
Honey                                                                                           Molasses

And then there is Trader Joe's.  I would shop there every week if it wasn't 30 minutes away.  However, since my closest Joe's is so far, I travel once a month to stock up on healthier foods for myself and the kids.  Here are three things that I have to buy every month to help ME stay on track and on budget:

Yogurt   4.99                                     Flax Oil   7.99                                    Peanuts 3.29 

Pasteurized Mild                            Flaxseed Oil                                        Peanuts
Cream                                            Milled Flaxseed                                   Vegetable Oil
Nonfat Milk                                   Rosemary Extract                                 Salt
Honey                                            Tocopherols
Cultures