Buy Organic without Losing Your Shirt!

 re-post from September 10, 2010 :)

I'm assuming you already know the importance of eating non-toxic food from farmers who don't destroy our planet. Well you've probably seen the Organic Grapes at $6.99/lb (seriously I would never spend $13.98 for a 2 pound bag of grapes). For years I have been eating mostly organic and I've learned a lot about how to do it and stay within a $50 a week budget for my Fiance and I.

• The "Dirty Dozen"and the "Clean 15".

I learned that it's not necessary to buy everything organic.

The "Dirty Dozen" is a list of 12 foods you should consider buying organic

• Meat and milk
• coffee
• celery
• peaches and nectarines
• strawberries and blueberries
• apples and pears
• bell peppers
• spinach, kale, and lettuce
• cherries
• potatoes
• grapes
• carrots

The Clean 15- the foods that you don't have to buy organic

• onions
• avocadoes
• sweet corn
• pineapple
• mangoes
• asparagus
• sweet peas
• kiwi
• cabbage
• eggplant
• papaya
• watermelon
• broccoli
• tomatoes
• sweet potatoes

Take a list of the dirty dozen and clean 15 with you to the grocery store as a guide.

• Plan your meals around less expensive organic foods or with conventional foods that are on the "Clean 15" list.

Every week I buy organic carrots because for a 2 pound bag it cost about $1.29. There are so many side dishes that you can make with carrots, they are full of vitamins and everyone loves them. Another consideration is organic grains, brown rice is a great healthy staple and it's not expensive to buy. Other organic healthy options include quinoa, couscous and white Jasmine rice. Beans are another great source of vitamins and protien that you can buy organic without breaking the bank. I make spicy black beans, split pea soup, refried beans (from scratch), Italian white bean soup and chili to stretch my food dollar.

• Buy in Bulk.

Organic flour is less than half the price when you buy it in bulk. I love to make cupcakes, pies and dough from scratch. You can also buy things like dried beans and white rice in bulk. Whole foods has an entire aisle where you can buy grains, beans, flours, nuts and dried fruit at bulk prices oot of bins. What I do is buy nuts and put them in an airtight jar when I get home. It's less expensive and I'm not wasting packaging.

• Buy seasonal to save.

Foods like strawberries are cheaper and taste better when you buy them in season. During the winter months I buy root vegetables to make stews, they're comforting when it's cold and cheaper. Summertime I eat lots of fruit with bright colors, it's great for my skin and my wasteline. Every season offers you an opportunity to learn new inexpensive recipes.

• Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Find local farms here.

The CSA I used to buy my fruits and vegetables from was a farm that wasn't certified organic but the farmer assured me that they didn't use dangerous pesticides. I was even able to go to the farm and learn a bit about farming practices that don't involve chemicals. The best part is that each week you get a big box of random fruits and veggies that are pesticide free for about $25 bucks. *** This isn't for everyone, the boxes are filled with whatever the farmer produces that week. Once my friend and I each got like a 3 pound japanese radish called daikon. Unless you're an iron chef you won't know what to do with all these vegetables.

• Many organic manufacturers you like offer coupons on products you use.

Go through your pantry and check out the organic brands you already buy, chances are they offer coupons on their sites. Check my site daily for updates, as soon as one of these companies is offering coupons I will try to let you now.

Anyway I hope this as given you some ideas and if you have any suggestions for me let me know.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY AND STAY TUNED FOR DAILY UPDATES!

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