If you're willing to do some creative shopping and cooking, you can enjoy the freshness and goodness of organic foods without breaking your food budget.
Step one is giving up your dependence on conventional supermarkets.
Limiting yourself to the organic section or natural foods section of a chain grocery store is a great way to pay too much for your more wholesome food selections.
These days there are tons of places to buy organic foods. Besides the supermarkets, you can find them in health food stores, specialty stores, co-ops, gourmet delis, farmers' markets, community-supported agriculture programs, convenience stores and even vending machines.
If you don't shop around, there's a good chance you'll pay too much for your organic food selections. And while most folks are willing to pay a little more for organic food, few people can afford to pay sky-high prices week in and week out.
And let's face it, organic food can be quite expensive. A $1 conventional food item could cost twice as much in the organic version.
Or you could pay a whole lot less for an organic goody -- maybe just a few cents more than the conventional price. Much depends on the food item, where you live, where you're shopping and the growing season.
If you live in lets say, California you're lucky, because organic produce and conventional produce are very close in price. It's grown right there and travels very little to get to you.
Organic fruits, vegetables and grains are grown without most conventional pesticides and without fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients. Organic meat and dairy products are free of antibiotics and growth hormones.
Many food shoppers are willing to pay a little more for organic food simply because they like the taste.
You can taste the difference, and fresh, local organic is the ultimate!
So do some research, you may have a lot more choices for organic food in your community than you realize. All it takes is a little research to find out. Organic associations and organizations in your state are good places to start. Just type the name of your state and the word "organic" into a search engine and see what pops up.
And be sure to check out Web sites such as Organic Kitchen, Organic Consumers Association and Eat Well Guide. They're chock-full of links and information on organic foods and they allow you to search for organic food sources in your local area.
Now that we've broken our dependence on the big chain stores the first stop should be the local farmer's markets. Farmers' markets are great sources of fresh local produce. A just-picked tomato from a local farm tastes better than a tomato that's traveled thousands of miles before reaching a supermarket shelf, organic or not.
It's going to be cheaper and fresher at a farmers' market, if you don't see a sign saying the produce is organic, be sure to ask. Some farmers may be making the transition to organic farming.
The key to landing good deals at farmers' markets is to ask lots of questions. Ask about seconds -- perfectly tasty but misshapen produce that you may be able to buy at a discount. Ask about discounts for buying in bulk. Ask how and where you can buy their produce when the market is closed. Many neighborhood natural food stores work closely with farmer's to bring fresh produce all week long.
Always ask what tastes the best, whether it's your farmer or your local store. They should know. They can tell you, if not then pick up a cucumber and say, 'Can I taste this?' If it's good you're going to buy it and they're going to have a happy customer.
While you're talking to your local farmer, ask them about Community Supported Agriculture, some folks call it Crop Share Allowance, either way it's a great way to support your local farmer and save money! When you buy a share in a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, you pay a portion of a local farm's operating expenses. In return, you receive weekly boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables in the upcoming harvest.
You can't get it any fresher. You're getting it straight from the farm, sometimes picked that morning. Try to find organic and you might find it's much more delicious because it's so fresh. And you're supporting local your local organic movement.
A share in a CSA costs about $300 to $400 upfront for a 24- to 26-week growing season, roughly. Some CSA programs accept weekly or monthly payments, and you may be able to buy a half-share rather than a whole share. The only way you'll find out is talking to your local farmer!
Buy in bulk! Whether you're shopping at a natural foods store, supermarket or co-op, buying in bulk is a great way to stretch your food dollar.
For beans, grains, lentils and nuts, head straight for the bulk containers. Just make sure you have a cool, dry place in your kitchen to store your dry goods for a few months. You can save on storage space by splitting your stash with a friend. You can also reduce and re-use while you there by bringing in your own containers to put your bulk food items into. Whether it be old paper bags, yogurt containers, glass jars, plastic storage containers, or recycled plastic bags it's a great way to reduce your overall consumption in packaging.
Be sure to bring your calculator along on any bulk shopping run. Not every item you can buy in bulk is worth the bother. Do the math.
The absolute best time to buy an organic fruit or vegetable is at the peak of its growing season. As the season progresses there's more produce and the price has a tendency to shift downward, sometimes dramatically. That's the best time to buy.
And that's the best time to buy big. Load up on all your favorite organic fruits and veggies at dirt-cheap prices. Be prepared to store or freeze your abundance, as it can often be a matter of days before the fresh bounty turns and you're faced with rotting produce.
This is also a great time to bargain at a local farmers' market. You may be able to nudge prices down even further by buying in bulk from a local farmer. It never hurts to ask. If they have to move produce that day, you might get bulk orders at a discount.
Your freezer is good for more than ice cubes and frozen pizzas. Just haggled a great deal on a whole bunch of organic fruits and vegetables? Freeze your luscious leftovers and pull them out as treats during the winter.
It's a very economical way of having that organic produce at a reasonable price all year-round.
It's best to eat organic fruits and vegetables that you freeze on your own within six months. For more information on freezing, canning, and drying fruits and vegetables, check out tips from Just Food.org.
When the weather turns, turn to preserved foods. In the winter, steer clear of high-priced, in-store produce and buy canned, frozen or dried organic fruits and vegetables instead.
Don't be afraid to use preserved foods during colder months. The prices are usually better and the flavor is often better. You can buy frozen organic peas, corn, peaches and berries all winter long.
Frozen peas and frozen corn in the middle of winter are way better than what's in the store's produce case, and are better for you. These vegetables are flash frozen within hours of being picked and retain a higher nutrient level.
Grab store discount fliers at every opportunity. When an organic food you like is marked down, stock up for less.
Shop the house brands. Any food with the word "organic" on its label has to go through the same certification process regardless of its brand name. Buying the house brand in stores such as Wild Oats, Safeway and Whole Foods can save you money. And be sure to check out discount organic brands such as Woodstock Farms and Gourmet Artisan.
Snatch up all the coupons for organic food that you can find. Check store fliers, the Sunday newspaper and even the inside of food packages. Organic foods sold under such brands as nature's Path, Organic Valley, Muir Glen and Amy's often have coupons on the inside of their packages, not to mention on their websites or online.
At Mambo Sprouts' site, you can sign up to receive coupons by mail for Gardenburgers, calcium chocolates, broccoli sprouts, energy bars, and baking mix, among other organic products. Downloadable e-coupons are coming soon.
Keep in mind that not all retail stores accept online coupons. Before printing out a bunch of online coupons, you may want to make sure you can use the e-coupons at a grocer near you.
If you're really serious about garden-fresh organic produce, why not plant your own? Seeds are available from companies such as Seeds of Change. And Organic Kitchen has a big roundup of organic gardening tips. Start small. Carrots, radishes and beets are easy to grow.
Begin the transition to organic eating with some of your favorite foods. Pick a product or two that you decide you really notice a difference in taste and that really excites you. Families with young children may want to start by buying organic baby food and dairy products. Whatever your kids eat the most of is where you start.
If you're concerned about pesticides, you may want to substitute organic foods for conventional foods with the highest levels of pesticide residues. These include apples, apricots, peaches, pears, red raspberries, strawberries, spinach, peppers, celery and potatoes.
For a complete list, see "Fresh Choices: More than 100 Easy Recipes for Pure Food When You Can't Buy 100% Organic" at generationgreen.org.
Free up more dollars for organic food by trimming the fat from your conventional food budget. Add up all the dollars you spend every month on food, including fast food meals, morning cups of coffee, bagels and even trips to vending machines. A small change in your eating habits could free up the money you need to buy the organic foods that you really want.