Healthy/Organic on a budget

[Anonymous]

Thinking about reducing expenses. I sure do love my MOM's trips and my organic chicken from Costco. I really want to continue to eat organic meats and dairy. If you're on a budget but eat healthy, how do you make it work?

[Anonymous]

LMK when you figure it out. Right now I just do milk and that's it. Just cannot afford anything else. We eat tons of fresh, conventional produce but don't have the money to spend double on organic.

[Anonymous]

How to make it work? Eat a whole lot less meats and dairy.

[Anonymous]

Agree on eating much less meat and dairy to save. I found that buying at MOM's, I ended up spending about the same as my grocery trips to the regular grocery store. If I buy my grains etc in bulk it certainly reduces the cost. Also, less inclined to buy packaged organic cookies and those type products than I would be to just throw a few treats into my cart at the standard grocery store. My husband and I can make it a full week on all organic food from MOM's for about $150. Everyone's budget certainly varies but that includes food to make ourselves packed lunches, so it certainly feels like a good deal when we consider that it is all organic and unprocessed. Trader Joe's also seems to be a good value for organic fruits and some veggies from my experience.

[Anonymous]

Agree on eating much less meat and dairy to save. I found that buying at MOM's, I ended up spending about the same as my grocery trips to the regular grocery store. If I buy my grains etc in bulk it certainly reduces the cost. Also, less inclined to buy packaged organic cookies and those type products than I would be to just throw a few treats into my cart at the standard grocery store. My husband and I can make it a full week on all organic food from MOM's for about $150. Everyone's budget certainly varies but that includes food to make ourselves packed lunches, so it certainly feels like a good deal when we consider that it is all organic and unprocessed. Trader Joe's also seems to be a good value for organic fruits and some veggies from my experience.

[Anonymous]

Ditch the daairy and eat way less meat and little to no bread. No crackers and such. Fill each plate with at least 1/2 veg and the rest with cheaper protein like legumes and tofu. Eat what is in season. If you have time next year, try volunteering for a csa so you get free or reduced cost shares. But really the tricks are to reduce animal products of all kinds and eat in season.

[Anonymous]

Get your meat in bulk directly from the organic farm

[Anonymous]

We can't afford organic and when I've researched it, they are finding very little difference in the health aspects of it. The AAP just came out with an official stance after years of not weighing in and decided it is much healthier to eat fruit/veggies that are non-organic than eating a few organic and supplementing with other things since your budget only allows x dollars per week.

You need to find where the produce is fresh/in season and go from there with recipes. I find that H Mart has produce for pennies. I also think Costco has excellent produce and prices for the quantity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree on eating much less meat and dairy to save. I found that buying at MOM's, I ended up spending about the same as my grocery trips to the regular grocery store. If I buy my grains etc in bulk it certainly reduces the cost. Also, less inclined to buy packaged organic cookies and those type products than I would be to just throw a few treats into my cart at the standard grocery store. My husband and I can make it a full week on all organic food from MOM's for about $150. Everyone's budget certainly varies but that includes food to make ourselves packed lunches, so it certainly feels like a good deal when we consider that it is all organic and unprocessed. Trader Joe's also seems to be a good value for organic fruits and some veggies from my experience.

Yeah, ok, but $600 a month for two people isn't on a budget. I can do that at Whole Foods and still include wine and treats. $75 a week? We can talk.

[Anonymous]

I know everyone hates Aldi on DCUM but they do have organic lettuce, fruit, and dairy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ditch the daairy and eat way less meat and little to no bread. No crackers and such. Fill each plate with at least 1/2 veg and the rest with cheaper protein like legumes and tofu. Eat what is in season. If you have time next year, try volunteering for a csa so you get free or reduced cost shares. But really the tricks are to reduce animal products of all kinds and eat in season.

Alternative: Kill yourself and enjoy the double bonus of saving money AND not having to eat this god awful crap.

[Anonymous]

i actually think whole foods has really good organic prices. their 365 brand has a lot of organic options and is really affordable. for produce, it just is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Research the fruits abs veggies where it's more important to eat organic. Produce with non-edible skins like bananas -- get conventional. Same with watermelons, cantaloupes.

Red peppers, strawberries and others are types you should by organic. Look it up, might help you feel better about not eating totally organic. Pick and choose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We can't afford organic and when I've researched it, they are finding very little difference in the health aspects of it. The AAP just came out with an official stance after years of not weighing in and decided it is much healthier to eat fruit/veggies that are non-organic than eating a few organic and supplementing with other things since your budget only allows x dollars per week.

You need to find where the produce is fresh/in season and go from there with recipes. I find that H Mart has produce for pennies. I also think Costco has excellent produce and prices for the quantity.

Read the research on the cumulative effect of ingesting 20, 30, 50 years worth of pesticides and artificial hormones. It sounds as if you may not have read that far yet.

[Anonymous]

Its tough.

As PPs have said, some food is cheaper at WF (frozen veggies and fruits) and packaged (roasted red peppers, snacks, etc.) and TJ's (lettuce, onions, potatoes, pasta, canned and frozen fruits and veggies).

Try for avoiding the dirty dozen:
http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/

and see how that fits your budget.