Tips On How To Eat Organic Even On A Small Budget

Here are some tips on how to eat organic even if you are on a budget. Check out the article we found over at Food Babe.

The one tried and true worry I get about living an organic lifestyle is the cost. It’s likely the only immediate downside because everything else about living organically is pretty magical. Remember, non-organic food often contains cancer-causing hormones, immunity destroying anti-biotics and dangerous pesticides. Pesticides by nature are designed to kill, they are poison. So when given the choice, I don’t know why anyone could logically buy food with poison sprayed on it? Pesticides can cause neurological problems, cancer, infertility, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, allergies and asthma, wheezing, rashes and other skin problems, ADHD, birth defects and more. That’s why buying quality organic food and eating the most nutritious foods on the planet will save you BIG BUCKS down the road in medical costs, prescription drugs and doctor visits…like my friend Birke always says “We can either pay the farmer or we can pay the hospital” – It’s totally up to us.

Tips On How to Eat Organic On A Budget…

In hopes to mitigate the initial money pains of buying organic, I want to share the top organic money saving ideas that I’ve gathered from my friends and family members. And, let me tell you, I learned a lot myself while putting together this list and combining everyone’s tips into one cohesive guide. I can’t wait to put some of these new ideas into practice. Let the savings begin!

FIND AND USE ORGANIC COUPONS 

• Check the websites of your favorite companies for coupons and special promotions, almost all of them have some.
• Join your favorite company’s social media pages for special coupons and deals. For example, if you join Nutiva’s facebook page, they will give you access to a $10 dollar off coupon. This is perfect for stocking up on chia seeds, coconut sugar, coconut oil, etc. (They also run huge discount specials every Tuesday.)
• Check out various organic coupon sites. Some of my favorite examples include Mambo Sprouts, Saving Naturally, Organic Deals, Organicfoodcoupons, Healthesavers, Organic Deals and Steals for organic food/natural living coupons, and money savings ideas.
• Simply Organic who makes spices, seasoning mixes and baking mixes always have coupons on their website – sometimes more than a dollar off.

AT HOME AND IN THE KITCHEN

• Stay organized. Plan out your meals for the week according to organic foods that are on sale and/or that you have coupons for.
• Budget. Write out a weekly and monthly budget to help you keep track of both erratic spending and responsible spending. This will allow you to see your spending habits and help you prioritize purchasing organic food within your budget.
• Do it yourself, rather than buy it. Make your own organic granola bars, kale chips, smoothies, juices to replaced store-bought with more overhead.
• Learn how to portion and prioritize – it is a necessity to always buy organic meats and dairy products, and, therefore, learn to portion your consumption of these products each week. For example, keep meat to 4 ounces or less per serving.

MAKE CHOICES

• Meat & dairy (animals products like chicken, eggs, cheese, butter, yogurt, milk, etc.) are the most important to buy organic because of the combined risk of pesticide, anti-biotic and cancer causing growth hormone exposure. Whatever you do, do not skimp here.
• Reduce meat and dairy consumption if you cannot afford organic – One way to do this is to be vegan before 6pm, as Mark Bittman explains in his latest book. For example, have a green smoothie for breakfast with ezekiel toast, and then a large salad with lentils at lunch or a wrap made with hummus and then at night choose high quality meat in small portions.
• Reduce amount of organic meat used by substituting half the portion with organic beans.
• Buy a whole organic chicken for less per pound, vs. just the breast, legs or wings which are more expensive per pound. You can use the carcass to make your own chicken broth.

CHOOSE ORGANIC BRANDS THAT SAVE YOU MONEY

• Choose more inexpensive grocery store brand products like Trader Joe’s, Earth Fare, 365 brand, ShopRite, Wegman’s, Kroger, Publix, Harris Teeter. Regardless of the brand, they are all required to follow the same guidelines set forth by the USDA organic certification program if they contain the USDA organic seal and chances are that you won’t be able to tell the difference between a brand name and store brand.
• Join grocery store loyalty programs for discounts. For example, if you join Earth Fare’s tomato bank program, you get a dollar back for every 100 points you earn.

GROW YOUR OWN FOOD

• Plant an herb pot in your kitchen or somewhere convenient so you can always have fresh herbs on hand. Organic herbs are one of the most overpriced items at the grocery store.
• Once you start growing produce, give herbs, fruits and vegetables as gifts to family and friends (saving money on other material objects they might otherwise not use or collect).
• Remember to buy non-GMO seeds.
• Learn how to can the produce you grow, like making strawberry jam.
• Get a couple of chickens and hatch your own eggs. One friend of mine has so many eggs she doesn’t know what to do with them. You could also sell them to your neighbors or give them as hostess gifts.

If you know someone who’s struggling to buy organic because of cost, or that needs a little extra cash (like most of us!), please share this post with them.

Thanks for spreading the word – let’s make buying organic easier for everyone!

Food Babe

Next Article: Heal Cancer With Organic Foods

Read full article: How To Eat Organic On A Budget (Over 75 Tips!)