While there is some debate over conventional versus organic food, coupled with the many individual factors that affect food production, research suggests that the latter is generally the better choice. Some people may shy away from organic food because it is thought to be more expensive. While this may be true sometimes, it is not always. There are lots of ways to go eat more organic food without blowing up your grocery budget.
Check Out Non-Supermarket Options
Organic sections of the local supermarket tend to be one of the more expensive options for purchasing organic food. There are lots of other avenues that cost less and may even offer better quality food. Farmer’s markets and co-ops are great places to get organic produce at cheaper prices, plus the food is from local sources; locally grown food is fresher and will have greater nutritional value than something that was trucked halfway across the country. On a side note, buying locally grown food is a great way to be a friend to the environment.
Prioritize Your Organic Food Choices
If your budge does not allow for a 100 percent organic diet, picking and choosing the most important items is a great way to eat healthier and reduce your toxic load as much as possible. Some foods are higher in chemicals and other harmful substances than others; washing them and adopting certain cooking practices may not be as effective in removing pesticides and other chemicals. The following is a list of items that should be your priority when deciding whether to go organic or conventional: beef, chicken, pork, dairy products, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, bananas, apples, pears, tomatoes, spinach, salad greens,coffee, potatoes, peaches, nectarines, apricots, grapes, celery and peppers.
Choose In Season Foods
Regardless of whether a food is conventionally or organically produced, if you are purchasing it when it is out of season, you are going to pay more for it. Organic foods are going to be even more costly. A great way to maximize your food budget, especially if you want to purchase more organic foods, is to purchase items that are currently in season. Seasonal foods usually travel shorter distances, meaning they will stay fresher longer—how much money do we waste buying food that goes right into the garbage because it went badly quickly?
Eating healthier is always associated with being more expensive but it does not have to be. Incorporating more organic foods into your diet does not have to drain your bank account if you adopt certain strategies like the ones mentioned above. Even if you cannot afford to completely overhaul your diet, any positive changes will help. Every last bite of food does not have to be 100 percent organic for you to reap the benefits of eating naturally produced food. Anything you can do, no matter how seemingly small, to reduce ingestion of dangerous chemicals, is a step in the right direction.
About the Author: Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who specializes in health and wellness content. If you are interested in going organic in other areas of your life as well, check out Erik Organic Desks and other organic furniture pieces from ErikOrganic.
Images: 2) verseguru
