Organic Food Blog

We all know and I’m sure have hear many times that organic food is better for you. It is grown naturally without chemical fertilizers or pesticides therefore is is better for our bodies. But why are the prices of organic foods going sky high? The prices are whats driving many individuals away from buying organic foods today. For example an organic loaf of bread in many stores can average somewhere around $4.50. Prices such as these can seem very unappealing to most of us and drive us in the opposite direction. Heres some helpful shopping tips I found to help you achieve lower costs and still get the organic foods you want.

• Make the transition gradual. Take at least a year, becoming familiar with prices and products.

• Plan each week’s meals around the most affordable produce, meat and grains.

• Meat and dairy products contain the highest concentration of pesticides, so if your grocery budget is tight, choose organic meat, cheese and milk over produce, grains, cereals and other foods.

• Scout farmers markets for organic growers and avoid paying the “middleman” by buying direct from the farmer.

• Eating produce out of season is expensive, but if you must have strawberries in winter, buy frozen. Frozen organic produce is now available in bulk at warehouse stores.

• The non-profit Environmental Working Group studies pesticide residue on produce and recommends spending your shopping dollars on organic to replace conventionally grown produce with the highest amounts of chemicals. No pesticide levels exceed federal standards, but the highest offenders include strawberries, spinach, bell peppers, cherries, peaches, cantaloupe from Mexico, celery, apples, green beans and imported grapes. “www.azcentral.com“

For those who have tried it, eating organically is not a simple task. Shopping can take much longer than usual because you spend so much time searching for organic products in a sea of mass-produced, mainstream food. For this reason, I am really loving Jeff Cox’s “The Organic Food Shopper’s Guide.”

This book is great for anyone just entering the organic food realm or for those of us who have been there for quite some time now. This book is divided into easy-to-use chapters on the different types of organic food available, how and when to purchase them and quick tidbits, such as nutritional content, storage tips and recipes. There is so much covered in this book, yet it doesn’t feel at all overwhelming. He kicks off the book with a great chapter on the benefits of eating organic and a commentary on the principles of this culture.

Cox has written 17 books on the subject, including the ever-popular Organic Cook’s Bible. This should be gracing the bookshelf of anyone who is aspiring to eat just a little healthier and is considering trying the organic route.