Organic produce and how to afford to make the switch.
5 February 2009Coupon clipping and Organics
We are all well aware at this point that eating organic food is the way to go forward. It’s better for our health, our children, and the environment. The farming methods are gentler and more focused on product than ultimate profits. Often people either cannot afford to make a total switch to organic products due to budget restrictions or organic produce might be hard to find because of their location. So what are the basic products that one should look for to get maximum benefits?
If nothing else, make the switch for all fruits and vegetables. There are some produce items that can be considered the worst offenders for pesticides and toxins, specifically items such as grapes, apples, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
It is often recommended that these are the non-negotiable produce items. It is important to note that even organic produce should be washed very carefully before eating as it can still carry residue from transportation and airborne chemicals. It is also recommended, when possible, buying the organic option for peaches, nectarines, apricots, pears, and even bananas, which can often suck up chemicals on the trip to America including Thiabendazole which damages the brain and nervous system. Stock up on organic varieties of potatoes, corn, celery, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce, and carrots. Also important to add to your shopping list: Rice, oats, and milk. Certain varieties of milk contain hormones that are banned in Europe and Canada but are still given to American dairy herds. Become informed about rBGH at Delicious Organics.
But how can you afford to purchase these organic grocery options, especially in these tough economic times? First decide how best to structure your new shopping plan. The best idea may be to go back to basics, as hard as it can be to cook every night, it can be simply better for you and your family. It may also be the cheapest way to incorporate good food into your daily regime. If you are part of a large family or have older children, make this an activity you can all enjoy. Take it in turns to either make the dinner, or do it as an entire family. If you are a single person, or a couple, consider making more meals on the weekend and freezing single portions. Obviously this would also work for a larger family, however, un-freezing a large food portion is often time consuming and it can be just as fast to cook a fresh meal from scratch. Consider purchasing one or two decent sized crock pots, simply chop and throw in your meat and veggies before leaving for work and set to an 8 hour low cook and when you come home you just need to make pasta or rice to go with your meal and its that easy. This can also help the grocery bill, as buying cheaper organic cuts of meat and then cooking in the slow cooker, can produce a more tender meal.
Lastly, there are organic coupons out there. Not as many or as widely distributed as the main stream items, but with a little searching they are findable. Go to Grocery Coupon Guide.
Often it is hard to find prices for organic milk and dairy produce at a similar price to the non-organic variety, but this is one of the items that it is recommended buying to avoid the added hormones. Organic Valley is an organic dairy farmer that does offer coupons.
To read more on organic farming and more reasons to buy organic produce go to the Environmental Working Group.
Make an adjustment: Stay healthy ~ Be happy.
Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at Fontana Family Chiropractic Evergreen CO. 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com
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February 8th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Great article. I recently blogged about rbgh at http://hiporganicmama.blogspot.com/2009/01/alphabet-soup-rbgh.html and eating sustainably on less $ at http://hiporganicmama.blogspot.com/2009/01/lean-green-how-to-live-sustainably-on.html so I thought I’d share those with you. Thanks