I always try to buy organic vegetables, meat and milk. There are some items -- avocados, bananas, etc that you don't necessarily need to to scale back on costs so it's important to know what is most important to have organic!
I don't eat organic food. Other than avoiding pesticides sprayed directly on the produce, the term "organic" is pretty meaningless. The air, water and soil of the earth are all one. You can't separate off a piece of land and say it does not have the pollutants that the property next door has.
I buy organic whenever possible. I figure it is cheaper in the long haul because we won't have to pay for the health implications of buying food that has a lot of pesticides on it. I look at it as an investment.
I always buy the dirty dozen organically. Look for sales in the supermarket. Organic food does go on sale. I stocked up on bags for carrots for .99, cheaper at the time than non organic carrots. During the summer we have a large garden with heirloom seeds we save year to year (so other than buying them once it's free). We also go to our farmers market in the summer and buy 2x what we need freezing, canning, drying etc. what we wont use. We walk away with 4 large canvas bags of produce for a little over $20.00! It's not "certified organic" they just use organic practices. We have built a relationship with the farmer, sometimes she will even throw in a few free items because we are loyal. I also grow herbs and mint for tea in my kitchen year round. Living in a northern area I don't get so much in the winter but it helps. Another thing never throw away food, organic or not. Use your leftovers in another meals or just suck it up and eat them the next day. I use my scraps of veggies to make my own homemade veggie broth. I keep a plastic bag in the freezer for scraps, when it's full I make broth. Items you might not eat like stems of herbs, carrot peelings etc. Extra hint... when it's done, freeze it in ice cube trays and toss it in as needed. Even use it in place of oil for sauteing foods for a little healthy option. Meats are local grown by the farmers around us, again not certified organic but organic practices are used. When I cook meat for my husband it is more of a side dish rather than a meal.This way I can get many uses out of one cut of meat. He might eat meat 2-3 times a week, because lets face it meat is expensive. Eating organic isn't always more expensive if you put in a little work. Our grocery bill has shrunk eating the way we do (even with me bring a vegetarian) and we haven't been happier.
I try to stick to the dirty dozen/clean 15 lists, but I think the only produce that I regularly buy organic is baby spinach ($2.65 / bag at Trader Joe's). Other things, it depends on how rich I am that week:-) Organic produce can be expensive. I do my best to thoroughly wash apples. Occasionally, if I buy something like frozen berries or vegetables, I'll buy those organic too - usually fairly affordable. But most fresh stuff is outta my price range.
I usually feel a little disappointed when the holidays are over, but this year I signed up for a half-marathon in mid-January. It's really nice to have something to work towards, but that isn't a huge long-term goal like a New Year's resolution.
I often buy organic because it's my way of treating my body well, supporting responsible farming/farmers/food production, and minimizing my impact on the environment. I'm a proud supporter of my local co-op, which offers a wide selection of locally grown organic produce. I try to stick to a grocery budget of $40 per week, and sometimes this means I can't buy everything organic, but I certainly try.
Yes, I purchase organic as much as possible, especially for fruits/veggies that accumulate pesticides more than others. I don't worry about bananas and avocados.
Hey, Julie, didn't even see your comment until just now.
Yeah, all the equipment that cost me so much came from a lactation consultant! They were very supportive and nice, but it didn't make the process go any smoother. I blame biology!
YES! We are lucky to have a weekly Farmer's Market with lots of organic produce. Plus, our local Ralph's stores have been beefing up their organic produce and house brands, too, so we can find organic produce, dairy and more.
Generally, No. You cannot really prove that the food is really organic, especially when it comes from Chile or other countries. Just like the "Free Range" chicken title means they open the door to the chicken house only once a week. I just try to eat a variety of foods. Keep it as close to its natural state or form. And eat less!
Yes, I purchase organic food, almost exclusively. And it's almost easy now. Besides WholeFoods and Trader Joe's You can find a whole Organic section at Wegman's and you'd be amazed at the Subscribe & Save options available through Amazon.
We buy more "local," but there are some products we try hard to find "organic." Milk is a big one. My family drinks Full Circle or (preferably) Stonyfield. Many companies follow the letter of organic specifications, but not the intent. Buying local, to us, means supporting small farmers, and they need all the support they can get. Many small farmers who grow or raise largely organic products cannot afford the certifications to prove it, or they cannot afford one piece of the many required steps, and we would rather support their efforts than promote big agriculture. We regularly buy organic items that are more inconvenient to buy locally but that we still feel benefit from organic status, like milk. We regularly buy products that are both non-organic and non-local only when we really want something out of season or can't make it to the farmer's market. Are we lazy? Absolutely. But we do try.
My family buys a good portion of our meat and produce from a CSA, so it's mostly local and organic--although, a good portion of what we get is not Certified Organic.
I always try to buy organic vegetables, meat and milk. There are some items -- avocados, bananas, etc that you don't necessarily need to to scale back on costs so it's important to know what is most important to have organic!
We buy organic if the cost isn't too much more than non-organic food.
I try to buy as much organic food as a I can for my family. Feel that it is safer and healthier for my family.
With the exception of eggs, I only buy organic when it's on sale. Sadly, it's way too expensive for me to afford at its normal price.
I don't eat organic food. Other than avoiding pesticides sprayed directly on the produce, the term "organic" is pretty meaningless. The air, water and soil of the earth are all one. You can't separate off a piece of land and say it does not have the pollutants that the property next door has.
I try to buy organic. I buy from my local farmers market.
Yes, at the grocery store. I don't worry about it too much at a restaurant.
I buy organic whenever possible. I figure it is cheaper in the long haul because we won't have to pay for the health implications of buying food that has a lot of pesticides on it. I look at it as an investment.
Blowing up ballons is great if it's a respiratory issue like a cough.
I always buy the dirty dozen organically. Look for sales in the supermarket. Organic food does go on sale. I stocked up on bags for carrots for .99, cheaper at the time than non organic carrots. During the summer we have a large garden with heirloom seeds we save year to year (so other than buying them once it's free). We also go to our farmers market in the summer and buy 2x what we need freezing, canning, drying etc. what we wont use. We walk away with 4 large canvas bags of produce for a little over $20.00! It's not "certified organic" they just use organic practices. We have built a relationship with the farmer, sometimes she will even throw in a few free items because we are loyal. I also grow herbs and mint for tea in my kitchen year round. Living in a northern area I don't get so much in the winter but it helps. Another thing never throw away food, organic or not. Use your leftovers in another meals or just suck it up and eat them the next day. I use my scraps of veggies to make my own homemade veggie broth. I keep a plastic bag in the freezer for scraps, when it's full I make broth. Items you might not eat like stems of herbs, carrot peelings etc. Extra hint... when it's done, freeze it in ice cube trays and toss it in as needed. Even use it in place of oil for sauteing foods for a little healthy option. Meats are local grown by the farmers around us, again not certified organic but organic practices are used. When I cook meat for my husband it is more of a side dish rather than a meal.This way I can get many uses out of one cut of meat. He might eat meat 2-3 times a week, because lets face it meat is expensive. Eating organic isn't always more expensive if you put in a little work. Our grocery bill has shrunk eating the way we do (even with me bring a vegetarian) and we haven't been happier.
I try to stick to the dirty dozen/clean 15 lists, but I think the only produce that I regularly buy organic is baby spinach ($2.65 / bag at Trader Joe's). Other things, it depends on how rich I am that week:-) Organic produce can be expensive. I do my best to thoroughly wash apples. Occasionally, if I buy something like frozen berries or vegetables, I'll buy those organic too - usually fairly affordable. But most fresh stuff is outta my price range.
I do sometimes, I'm sort of afraid of ecoli, I do have a garden and can a lot
I usually feel a little disappointed when the holidays are over, but this year I signed up for a half-marathon in mid-January. It's really nice to have something to work towards, but that isn't a huge long-term goal like a New Year's resolution.
I often buy organic because it's my way of treating my body well, supporting responsible farming/farmers/food production, and minimizing my impact on the environment. I'm a proud supporter of my local co-op, which offers a wide selection of locally grown organic produce. I try to stick to a grocery budget of $40 per week, and sometimes this means I can't buy everything organic, but I certainly try.
Yes, I purchase organic as much as possible, especially for fruits/veggies that accumulate pesticides more than others. I don't worry about bananas and avocados.
Hey, Julie, didn't even see your comment until just now.
Yeah, all the equipment that cost me so much came from a lactation consultant! They were very supportive and nice, but it didn't make the process go any smoother. I blame biology!
Because my baby spits up 20-30 times per day, and not insignificant amounts.
Occasionally I buy organic items....depends lots of time on pr
YES! We are lucky to have a weekly Farmer's Market with lots of organic produce. Plus, our local Ralph's stores have been beefing up their organic produce and house brands, too, so we can find organic produce, dairy and more.
Generally, No. You cannot really prove that the food is really organic, especially when it comes from Chile or other countries. Just like the "Free Range" chicken title means they open the door to the chicken house only once a week. I just try to eat a variety of foods. Keep it as close to its natural state or form. And eat less!
Yes, I purchase organic food, almost exclusively. And it's almost easy now. Besides WholeFoods and Trader Joe's You can find a whole Organic section at Wegman's and you'd be amazed at the Subscribe & Save options available through Amazon.
We buy more "local," but there are some products we try hard to find "organic." Milk is a big one. My family drinks Full Circle or (preferably) Stonyfield. Many companies follow the letter of organic specifications, but not the intent. Buying local, to us, means supporting small farmers, and they need all the support they can get. Many small farmers who grow or raise largely organic products cannot afford the certifications to prove it, or they cannot afford one piece of the many required steps, and we would rather support their efforts than promote big agriculture. We regularly buy organic items that are more inconvenient to buy locally but that we still feel benefit from organic status, like milk. We regularly buy products that are both non-organic and non-local only when we really want something out of season or can't make it to the farmer's market. Are we lazy? Absolutely. But we do try.
I do not buy organic food because I cannot afford the extra expense.
My family buys a good portion of our meat and produce from a CSA, so it's mostly local and organic--although, a good portion of what we get is not Certified Organic.
I buy organic only if it's less expensive than non-organic due to a sale or a coupon (so... almost never.)