The benefits of organic food seem to be spreading to mainstream society. Many families have become aware that there are harmful pesticides and chemicals found in their everyday groceries and the amount of people seeking organic alternatives seems to be increasing. Grocery stores are beginning to hop on board by offering more affordable brands of organic food and nutrition stores are raking in the cash. Consumers of organic food have made the switch for a variety of reasons even it is simply to maintain a healthy weight. There is still an amazing amount of people who are not convinced. I did some checking around to find out what is holding people back from making the switch. I ve developed a list of common concerns that many consumers have and addressed them to the best of my ability. There will be a series of articles pertaining to these objections so stay in touch. This article will be the first of the series. I can only hope that this will help those of you in doubt to make a more informative and healthier choice for yourself and your family.
#1 Organic Food is Too Expensive
This is the most common objection I get when I ask my friends and family members why they haven t made the switch. Organic food is certainly not the cheapest out there and you probably become very discouraged when you re willing to give it a shot only to look at the price tag and sadly place the item back on the shelf. The truth is that organic food is of higher quality and requires more money to make. The good news is that it makes you fuller faster and curbs your hunger longer. I have found that I spend the same amount of money on food now as I did when I ate non-organic years ago. I eat less because my meals are whole and satisfying and I have fewer cravings for snacks.
You may laugh when you read this, but don t get discouraged with price. No, this is not easy for me to say. We are all on a budget these days, in fact, I ate rice and beans many times per week when times were more difficult just so I wouldn t have to go back to a non-organic diet. There are many short cuts you can take if you are willing to cook and do a little research. Pea soup only costs $1.00 if you already have garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Dry organic split peas taste fresher and require very little flavoring to make a great meal. They can be boiled down to make a soup that will feed your whole family. Organic legumes are very cheap and can provide sustenance to a variety of dishes. Beans are high in protein and can be eaten as a meat substitute during difficult times or for those who are vegetarian or vegan.
An article I happened upon titled; Why I Don t Eat Organic was centered on the idea that the food is too expensive. The person writing the article has a family of four and a budget of $500 per month. This family could eat organic food if they are willing to narrow down their variety of dishes just a bit until they have a bigger budget or create new dishes of their own with lower-priced organic products. You can purchase each of the following items for three dollars or less: 1 box pasta, 1 large can or 1 ready made jar of tomato sauce, 1 can or 1 large bag (bigger quantity) of dry beans, two to three decent sized bags of split-peas, carrots, celery, raisins, applesauce, 1 large box of organic soup at Trader Joe s, 1 box (Velveeta style) organic macaroni and cheese, 1 pack of about 5 chicken legs (Market Basket, Trader Joe s), cereal (there is almost always 1 kind of organic cereal on sale for 3.00 no matter where you go), oatmeal, small bag of rice enough for four people, nine organic bananas (Trader Joe s), peanut butter (Market Basket, Trader Joe s), jelly (Market Basket, Trader Joe s), almost all frozen vegetables the list goes on.
Find the deals in your area! You do not need to settle for less because you have little money. Try not to buy take-out (except for special occasions), as this will defeat the purpose of eating healthy and maintaining a tight budget. Buy from local farms and seek out cheap treasures like a mom and pop nutrition store or a food co-op. Co-ops usually allow people to volunteer their time at the store for discounts on organic food and this is great for those who are unemployed and on a tight budget. The co-op in my area has bins full of different types of dry organic food like oatmeal, coconut, beans, rice, nuts, raisins, etc. It makes it easier for you to budget when you are buying only what you need, especially when you re in a pinch at the end of the week.
It is possible to eat organic on a small budget. You are entitled to a healthy lifestyle and should not let anything stand in the way of nourishing yourself and your children. Not only can you shop for cheaper organic items, you might find that you have a little extra money in your pocket for groceries if you tighten up your wallet in other areas. Buy thermoses to use in place of juice boxes and disposable Tupperware so you can buy larger containers of products like yogurt. Larger containers are almost always cheaper as you are paying for the packaging when you buy snack-pack type products.
Gasoline is a huge expense and you can cut cost and help make our environment a better place by making fewer trips with you car. Go shopping once per week for everything you need. Calculate your shopping list according price and daily meals before you go to the store and get distracted. Go shopping on a full stomach so you do not purchase unnecessary items.
Here is an example of a great way to budget your groceries for a family of four. Make a list of what you and your family will be eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day of the week. A budget of $500 per month gives you $125 per week and $17.86 per day. This gives you an average of $5.95 per meal if you were to split it evenly. You do not need this much for breakfast. One box of cereal (3.00) lasts about two days, a large bag or container of oatmeal (2.00 at co-op or nutrition store) could last three to four days. Accompany breakfast with organic bananas from Trader Joe s at only 29 cents each. You do not need this much for lunch. Peanut butter could last for up to two weeks and jelly four to five days. One 64 oz. Bottle of juice would last about 2 days for lunch. Put the remainder of your breakfast and lunch money toward dinner. Here is an example of a plan for a four-person family:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with cinnamon with sliced bananas and juice
Daily cost: .38 Oatmeal, 1.16 Four Bananas, and 1.50 Juice
Total Daily Cost: 3.04 (2.91 below average)
Lunch: Peanut butter & jelly with sliced celery sticks and yogurt with juice in thermos
Daily Cost: .21 Peanut Butter, .75 Jelly, 2.50 Bread (Based on 5.00/loaf), .30 Celery, 1.50 Juice, 1.33 Yogurt
Total Daily Cost: 6.59 (.64 above average)
Now you have an extra 2.27 for dinner to add to your average of 5.95, equaling a total of 8.22. If you choose to make pea soup, you ll have 7.22 for spending money! Otherwise, choose a more balanced meal such as this:
Dinner: Organic Whole Wheat pasta with Sauce and Milk
Daily Cost: 3.00 for 1 box organic whole-wheat pasta (This is so much more delicious than you would guess and it makes you full!)
1.50 can of Tomato Sauce (Market Basket)
2.50 Milk (32 ounces-4 eight ounce cups)
By: Francis David
You Can Afford To Eat Organic!
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