Saturday, May 5, 2012

Buying Organic without breaking your budget

While I think it is certainly best to buy local and organic, that's not always possible 100% of the time.  On the journey to eating for life and health, everything is a process. This process includes our time and money. I'm sure you have all noticed buying 100% local and organic would greatly increase your food budget if you are currently buying conventionally grown produce from your local grocery store. It is healthy to always move towards buying more organic & local produce. However, on your way there, you may find the following tips helpful.


Techniques I have used in our family process of going organic: 


1- Shop around. I shop at a few different grocery stores that carry organic produce. As I shop, I mentally note how much the organic items are. Over a few weeks I did this at all the stores I shopped at. Now I am familiar with what organic things should cost so I don't over spend on an item. Using the same idea- shop the sales. This means I normally shop at two different stores a week.
2- Look for alternate options. Because the nearest large organic foods grocery store is about an hour from us, I have looked for other places to get organic produce for a reasonable price. Do a little research to see what organic farms are near you as well as local co-ops. You might be surprised at what you find. I always try out an co-op before I join, that way I can see how much food is in the box and if it is conducive to our budget.
3- Wash your non organic produce in more than water. The following link has some great suggestions of produce wash that helps draw out impurities and pesticides. How to wash non organic produce the easy way
4- Prioritize what you buy organic. Make the dirty dozen your top priority to always buy organic and the clean fifteen your lowest priority. If your not eating the peel, it's low priority. The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen.  

Remember we are all on a journey. Celebrate progress and keep moving forward.

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