"An
Easy Way to Cut Your Food Bill by at Least 30%
Part 2"
by Frederic Patenaude
In
the first
part of this article, I showed you
that the best way to cut down on your
food bill while gaining access to better
food is to:
1 - Buy food in larger quantities (by
the case)
2 - Cut the middleman and go through
a distributor.
In this lesson, I'll show you the different
ways to make this happen.
Organic Food Distributors
The first type of distributor that you
should look at are organic food distributors.
Basically, those are the companies that
health food stores deal with in order
to get their food.
For example, in the Montreal area (and
Quebec in general), the main distributor
for organic food is called Distribue-Vie
or SunOpta. In other cities, there are
other distributors, but the idea is
the same.
You can set up an account directly with
them and cut the middleman. For example,
when I was ordering with Distribue-Vie,
they were sending me a price list once
a week by e-mail. I would reply with
my order, they would prepare it for
me, and I'd go pick it up. I was able
to order a case at a time or even half
a case.
The good thing about this is that if
you order in larger quantities, for
a minimum of a few hundred dollars generally,
they will deliver the order for you.
If you can't meet the minimum to get
free delivery, all you have to do is
pool with other folks who want organic
foods, and ideally those who'll eat
them in large quantities.
To find the organic food distributors
in your area either look in the Yellow
Pages and/or ask the people who work
at health food stores who their distributor
is. Tell them you want to start a co-op.
Then contact the distributors and ask
them what you need to do to set up an
account with them.
Produce Stores
In most cities, you'll have to “supplement”
your organic food supply with some commercial
fruits and vegetables, since there isn't
a big enough variety of fruits sometimes.
The way to get great food at low cost
is to go to certain produce stores.
These stores are generally next to each
other in an area where there's a Farmers
Market. They sell to restaurants and
individuals, and can sell you cases
at a time at a good price.
For example, in Montreal, near the big
market called Jean-Talon, there are
several such produce stores. I used
to go all the time to a place called
Leopoldo, where an Italian guy
knows me.
The advantage of dealing with these
merchants is that they'll eventually
get to know you and give you better
deals on food, since you become a “great
customer.” They'll also let you
know what their best stuff is each week.
Discovering
Shangri-La
For many years, I dealt only with the
resources I mentioned above. I would
go to the organic food distributors,
buy all my boxes of fruits and vegetables,
then go to the market and buy more boxes
of non-organic produce, and finally
stop at the health food store to buy
the few vegetables I couldn't buy elsewhere
in large enough quantities.
That was until I discovered another
kind of distributor.
With the popularity of organic food,
distributors of conventionally-grown
foods now carry organic fruits and vegetables
too. These distributors typically sell
both organic and non-organic foods to
produce stores. Supermarkets generally
have their own distribution system.
This for me was the missing “link”
- the place where many produce stores
get their own food!
In Montreal there's an area called the
“Marché Central”
- central market - which is not the
Farmers Market, but a place where tons
of distributors are located.
What
I found out is that I could just walk
into one of those distributors (I go
to Gaetan Bono), and buy all
the food I wanted without ever setting
up an account with them!
The place is like a huge fridge, and
there are cases and cases of fruits
and vegetables. They have mostly commercially-grown
food, but also organic.
The prices are lower than organic food
distributors and lower than produce
stores that sell by the case. For example,
cases of organic bananas are $25 to
$26, while the organic food store sells
them at $29 to $30.
When I discovered this, it was like
Shangri-La for a raw-food enthusiast!
To locate these distributors in your
area, the process is the same: ask around,
or look in the Yellow Pages.
By following the simple tips I have
outlined in this article, you'll be
able to easily cut down your food bill
by at least 30% while gaining access
to better, fresher and more nutritious
organic foods.
Want to Use This Article In Your Website or E-Zine? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: “Frederic Patenaude, is the author of the best-selling e-book "The Raw Secrets". He is currently giving away free access to his private library of over 100 exclusive articles along with a subscription to his newsletter Pure Health & Nutrition. Visit http://www.fredericpatenaude.com while charter subscriptions last.”