Many individuals and families are forced to make a choice between paying their rent and buying healthy, affordable food. When the alternative is a life on the street, many choose to cover their rent or housing costs first while their diets suffer.
Food Budget Programs Help
Food Co-ops are a great way to save money and still get a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. Joining a food co-op can help both the diet and the wallet.
Individual food choices are often based on income level, brand-name versus store brand, or a bag of chips versus the cost of cottage cheese, for example. By buying in bulk through food co-ops, members receive more healthy food for their dollar.
How Food Co-ops Work
Co-op programs, such as the Smart Families Food Co-op based in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada, use everyone's money to buy healthy food at a lower price.
Members pay $10 or $20 for a food box each month. The money is compiled to buy a range of bulk fruits and vegetables.
The produce is then repackaged into smaller amounts for each food box customer.
The Smart Families Food Co-op guarantees at least three types of fruits and four to five vegetables for each small food box. Each large food box contains a minimum of three fruits and five vegetables, along with extra items such as eggs, bread, pasta, rice, canned fish or dairy products.
More Members Equals More Food
The more people who order a food box, the more food everyone receives. Since food co-ops use the power of bulk-buying, everyone's saves money.
Some programs, such as the one in Prince Albert, offer other incentives as well. Those who purchase a $10 lifetime membership with the Smart Families Food Co-op are also eligible to receive one free food box for every nine they order.
How Food Co-ops Help
Food Co-op programs help individuals and families at any income level save money. Since they promote healthy eating, food co-ops also improve food security among members.
Being food secure means individuals and families have access to the right amount of safe and healthy foods to insure a healthy lifestyle, according to the organization Food Secure Canada. Food security leads to a healthier community overall, including a reduction in crime, and more participation in community, recreation and education initiatives.
Food Co-ops are not charity programs. Anyone, regardless of their income level, work situation or location can buy a food box.
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