Eat less meat. I can't afford the meat I would feel good about eating and feeding my family, so we just eat a lot less of it (1-2 meals a week where meat is a major ingredient). I feel bad that we can't really afford the organic produce I'd like to get, so I only buy organic for select, more affordable fruits and veggies, mostly avoid the rest of the dirty dozen, and don't worry about the rest. We're planning on putting in a big garden, but not until next year. Costco has good deals on many organic products, particularly if you buy frozen.

It is what it is. I can feel guilty about not buying the healthiest, most environmentally-friendly food and I can feel guilty about not saving every penny I can for our kids limited college savings accounts. I do feel a bit guilty about both, but that guilt really serves no good and there are worse problems to have, so I try not to dwell.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Organic food is hooey. No scientific basis for purported benefits. You've wasted a lot of money. Better late than never to stop.

NP here, I used to think like you until my naturopath discovered I am estrogen dominant and organic food helps me a lot.

OP here, that's me too.

Anonymous wrote:Organic food is hooey. No scientific basis for purported benefits. You've wasted a lot of money. Better late than never to stop.

Right. There's no scientific evidence that ingesting pesticides poisons and hormones aren't bad for you It may not be the end of the world if OP has to eat conventionally grown produce for a bit, but lets not pretend its all the same.

Anonymous wrote:Organic food is hooey. No scientific basis for purported benefits. You've wasted a lot of money. Better late than never to stop.

NP here, I used to think like you until my naturopath discovered I am estrogen dominant and organic food helps me a lot.

Anonymous wrote: Of course we gotta do what we gotta do and we will have to eat whatever we can afford from now on, I am just wondering if I could find a way to feed my family without feeling like I'm also harming them.

Work on changing how you feel about this. If you don't imagine poison on your plate when conventional food is on it, you won't "feel the ill effects".
Oh, and instead concentrate on bringing your HHI back up. Look for a job if you SAH, help your husband in his search. Organic is a luxury, but you still need to pay your mortgage.

Organic food is hooey. No scientific basis for purported benefits. You've wasted a lot of money. Better late than never to stop.

Avoid the "dirty dozen:"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/01/dirty-dozen-2014-ewg-pesticides_n_5246989.html

Shop as much as possible at Trader Joe's - their organic prices are similar to other chain's prices for non-organic. Except for their chicken - their chicken is super expensive. To cut costs, you will have to buy regular chicken at Giant. Buy on sale and freeze until you need it.

Also, you might need to eat beans/rice once a week - you can make it yourself from scratch - just low boil dry red kidney beans in a fried onion and a can of tomato paste (add salt n pepper and oregano) for about 2 hours or until tender. Should be soupy.

Also, eat other cheaper foods, like pasta once a week, or a taco nite. TJ's ground beef is the best.

I was also going to suggest exploring a more vegetarian diet. It takes a little getting used to. I did it for almost two years when living in South Asia. The locals were astounded by the amount of meat we consumed. Over time we ate less and less until we were eating meat maybe once every 10 days or so. Lots of healthy, tasty veggie options.

Also my mother always made chicken last for several meals. She would bake a chicken for Sunday dinner. Then we would have some sort of mostly veggie stew with a little chicken for flavor. Then when it looked like there was no more meat on the bones she would make chicken soup which was always so delicious. There was always plenty of meat in the soup even when it looked like the chicken was done. She didn't do this for totally economic reasons. She did it because she thought it was more respectful to totally consume rather than to waste any part of it. I now do the same thing for the same reason. A whole organic chicken costs more but if you can make it last several meals it might be do-able.

Join the vast majority of the population who doesn't eat organic and yet lives healthy, happy lives.

Second the Aldi suggestion. Be meticulous about your meal planning so as not to waste, and buy what's in season and on sale. We go meatless 2-3 days per week and it saves a bundle.

Eat a more vegetarian diet. Animal protein is expensive

Can you plant some vegetables outside, or inside? Maybe you could try eating mostly vegetables. Many folks eat non-organic.

Use frozen vegetables and fruit whenever possible. Many are available in organic, and considerably less expensive than fresh (but contain all the nutrients).

Check out places like Aldi. Cheap! I don't know if they have organic, but they are owned by the same people that own Trader Joe's, so there is sometimes some overlap.

I have recently posted that my husband has lost his job. So now we are desperately cutting costs. I have myself felt the effects of milk and chicken/meat injected with hormones and have for the past 10+ years only bought organic (not everything, just those items and eggs). Now we can't afford it. Is there a lesser evil alternative? Of course we gotta do what we gotta do and we will have to eat whatever we can afford from now on, I am just wondering if I could find a way to feed my family without feeling like I'm also harming them.