In a world in which we are constantly worried about the health of our families, the stability of our jobs, paying the mortgage and all of life’s responsibilities, the simple act of trying to eat healthy often becomes a challenge.

Just a step into a grocery store can bombard ones mind with so many choices of no-fat, low-fat, reduced sugar, organic, partly organic, nutritiously satisfying, all good for you, no sugar, low salt, gluten free…geez how do we navigate what is good for our family.

Not to mention that if your family is anything like mine, then you’ve most likely got some picky eaters, limited time and a limited budget with which to pull all of this off in a world of soaring food prices.

You might as well educate yourself about the different organic standards in what is consider organic as a first step.

So here are a few tips for those who want to start buying organic food but don’t want to pay the high price:

• Go Orgo-Generic. Major grocery store chains like Meijer, Giant Food and Kroger, and big box food retailers like Costco and even Wal-Mart, now carry their own organic foods. And all foods labeled “USDA organic” are created equal, no matter where you find them. Just remember that USDA Organic and grown in California Organic have different standards for organic.
• Eat with the Season. Retrain your taste buds to think like your grandmother did. She didn’t eat strawberries in the middle of winter. Locally grown foods are usually cheaper than those flown in from another hemisphere so if you eat with the season, you’ll be eating more affordably.
• When is it in Season?
• Vegetables
• Fruit and Nuts

• Skip the Box, Embrace the Bulk. Food that comes in boxes costs more because of the packaging costs associated with designing those pretty pictures! When you buy in bulk, you’re not paying for all of the packaging, you’re paying for the food which is what you want anyway. So slide on over to that bulk food aisle in Safeway and look for noodles, cereals, rice and beans in your local grocery store.
• Support the US economy and Buy Local. You can save money by becoming a member of a local farm (just like you became a member at BJ’s or Costco). How do you find a local farm, you ask?  Local Harvest has a list of online sites to help you find the closest farm near you.
• Comparison Shop. You wouldn’t buy a car without comparison shopping, so before you even head out the door you can compare the prices of organic foods at different retailers from the safety of your own computer.
• Coupons, coupons, coupons: Organic bargains are everywhere, start here and here and here to begin with. I can see a big snowball heading your way, organic coupons galore.
• Grow One Thing. If you’re as busy as we are, there’s not a chance in creation that you are going to be able to feed your family off of your home-grown harvest, but you will find that growing a tomato plant can be incredibly inspiring. And it’s not as intimidating as it seems. So pick one thing to grow — you can do it!

Tagged as: Farmers Markets, Organic Food

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