ORGANIC FOOD!!!

DOES EVERYONE BUY ORGANIC PRODUCTS ON 100%?I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A MONTH NOW AND I’M BROKE!CAN I GO 50/50? I MEAN… OFCOURSE I CAN BUT…PLEASE COMENT!

Comments

  • I usually have to go 50/50 as well. If you check online, there are certain fruits and veggies that tend to contain a lot more pesticides than others. I would recommend only buying low pesticide produce non-organic and even then wash or peel it very well.

  • KristensRawKristensRaw Raw Newbie

    TIPS FOR EATING ORGANIC ON A BUDGET:

    Going organic on a budget is not impossible. Here are things to keep in mind that will help you afford it:

    1. Buy in bulk. Ask the store you frequent if they’ll give you a deal for buying certain foods by the case. (Just make sure it’s a case of something that you can go through in a timely fashion so it doesn’t go to waste). Consider this for bananas or greens especially if you drink lots of smoothies or juice, like I do.

    2. See if local neighbors, family or friends will share the price of getting cases of certain foods. When you do this, you can go beyond your local grocery store and contact places like Boxed Greens (www.boxedgreens.com) or Diamond Organic (www.diamondorganic.com). Maybe they’ll extend a discount if your order goes above a certain amount or if you get certain foods by the case. It never hurts to ask.

    3. Pay attention to organic foods that aren’t very expensive to buy relative to conventional prices (bananas, for example). Load up on those.

    4. Be smart when picking what you buy as organic. Some conventionally grown foods have higher levels of pesticides than others. For those, go organic. Then, for foods that aren’t sprayed as much, go conventional. Avocados, for example, aren’t sprayed too much so you could buy those as conventional. Here is a resource that keeps an updated list. http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

    5. Buy things on sale. Pay attention to which organic foods are on sale for the week and plan your menu around that. Every little bit adds up!

    6. Grow your own sprouts. Load up on these for salads, soups, and smoothies. Very inexpensive. Buy the organic seeds in the bulk bins at your health food store or buy online and grow them yourself. Fun! Check out my blog for instructions http://kristensraw.blogspot.com/2008/04/this-is…

    7. Buy organic seeds/nuts in bulk online and freeze. Nuts and seeds typically get less expensive when you order in bulk from somewhere like Sun Organic (www.sunorganic.com). Take advantage of this and freeze them (they’ll last the year!). Do the same with dried fruits/dates/etc. And remember, when making a recipe that calls for expensive nuts, you can often easily replace them with less expensive sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

    8. Buy seasonally; hence, don’t buy a bunch of organic berries out of season (eat more apples and bananas in winter). Also, consider buying frozen organic fruits, especially when they’re on sale!

    9. Be content with minimal variety. Organic spinach banana smoothies are inexpensive. So, having this most mornings for breakfast can save money. You can change it by adding cinnamon one day, nutmeg another, vanilla extract yet another. Make spinach apple smoothies and throw in a date in or some soaked raisins for pizazz. Make salads, smoothies, and soups with ingredients that tend to be less expensive such as carrots (year round), bananas (year round), zucchini and cucumbers (in the summer), etc.

    Cheers,

    Kristen Suzanne

     

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    I think Kristens Raw list is a good set of rules on saving money while trying to buy organic.

    There is nothing wrong with choosing to buy conventional foods when we are concerned about the dosage of pesticides and herbicides on foods. However, stopping our evaluation at that leaves us playing into Monsanto’s hands. Nothing makes them happier, and more profitable, then forgetting the role of GMO in conventional foods.

    I don’t want to eat herbicides and pesticides either, but, generally speaking, I am far more concerned about eating GMO foods than anything else. That requires constant vigilance and research to find out which foods may have GMO versions on the market.

    In the case of corn, potatoes, and soy, GMO Round Up crops are the majority. If these aren’t organic, you should assume they are GMO.

  • dzdz

    thank you all for the replies!!!

  • 1sweetpea1sweetpea Raw Newbie

    Meditating, do you know of other fruits and vegetables that are widely sold in GMO versions? I’m aware of corn and soy, but I didn’t know about potatoes. I’m sure there are lots of Franken-crops out there, but do you know of any, so I know what to avoid? My supermarket carries some organics, but not tons, so I’m stuck with conventional produce for 2/3 or more of the produce I buy. I’m going to do my own research on GMO foods, but if you have any info, it would be greatly appreciated.

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    I also eat alot of conventional but for things that have very thin skin and absorb alot(like carrots, greens, apples etc.) I buy organic. Those are often the most cheap ones too. I can’t afford and don’t have access to 100% organic.

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    1sweetpea~ The pricing code on the products tells you the type…

    Conventional begins with a (4)

    Organic begins with a (9)

    GMO begins with a (8)

    Hybrid begins with a (3)

    Hope this makes your choices a little easier, Just remember (8 ain’t great) smile

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    thank you waterbaby! That’s a really great tip

  • 1sweetpea1sweetpea Raw Newbie

    Wow! Good to know, waterbaby12347. I knew about the 4s and 9s, but not the 8s an 3s. I’m going to have to go sleuthing in my supermarket. Not everything (meaning loose produce) has the code stickers on it, though. I guess I’ll have to pay attention when I’m using the self checkout. I think the codes come up even when you choose items by image and not punch in the codes.

    One more question: are hybrids evil? I love the taste of some of the “new” apple varieties out there, but they obviously hybrids.

Sign In or Register to comment.