Fruits and Vegetables: Not all fruits and vegetables are created equally, and if bought locally, the quality is better and the prices are lower. Buying frozen is the next best thing as opposed to eating something shipped from far away; that is, if cooking frozen food is part of your meal plan. Furthermore, the “organic” factor may complicate the “how to eat wisely and cheaply” issue. Yes, some foods are worth paying extra for if you’re a die hard for the “organic” label, but according to msnbc it’s necessary to discriminate when paying for organic versus non-organic fruits and vegetables. Check out the Organic Consumers Association for further information on farmer’s market locations, co-ops, vegetarian restaurants, affordable choices, and Canadian resources.
C: Consider
The same way you would plan the best low budget scenario for your film, estimate the best low budget scenario for feeding your workers three healthy meals a day for the duration of the shoot. When first reviewing your choices be generous, and then make decisions based on what’s in the actual budget. Consider the following to dictate what meals are the most feasible and appropriate: appliances, simple cooking tools (or lack thereof), film location, season and weather, indoor or outdoor film shoot, access to grocery stores, delis, farmer’s markets, fast food restaurants, a kitchen, or even the help of family and friends.
Furthermore, bringing coolers and making a “road kitchen” a good choice if the circumstances are right. Kris, a blogger from Brooklyn, has low budget travel tips (applicable to the needs of an independent film production) listed on her blog, Cheap Healthy Good, providing numerous resources from website links to simple ideas like “asking for discounts” for a large group of people (some restaurants, even franchises, offer competitive group rates), and how to pack food efficiently.
Feeding an entire cast and crew on a tiny film budget was probably the last thing on your mind while conceiving the film synopsis, and may still be the last thing on your mind as the film goes into production. However, a bit of research and planning can save major amounts of money in the food arena, especially if the film schedule requires providing full course meals and catering is not even a remote possibility. Healthy, well-balanced meals are a necessity for your cast and crew. And healthy food equals happy people, and happy people will sustain your vision.
By Natalie Norton
