Also, the thing about buying organic produce in an affordable way is to look for what's on sale or lower priced because it's in season and there's a ton of it. Ditto with meat, you need to shift to eating what's there versus shopping for what you want or making a plan ahead of time and trying to fill the ingredients. Set a rough goal (three types of veggies, two types of meat, grains) and a budget for a trip to the store and then get what you get and figure out how to put it together when you get home. Don't be afraid of repeats (roasted broccoli several days) and definitely freeze what you can. Buy a huge head of broccoli, cut it up, blanch and freeze a few quart bags, and eat it a couple of nights during the week. Do this for whichever vegetables are the most affordable each week (squash can be roasted, pureed and frozen, etc.).

Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but I see the recommendation for bean and rice dishes all the time as low-priced options, and I just have to ask -- how do you all deal with the gas? I'm not joking. I am impossible to be around if I have a dish that is mostly beans. Is it just me?

To the OP: fruits and vegetables might be a way for you to stay organic, but get something cheaper. Also, there's a yearly investment in membership fess but maybe joining Costco would be worth it for you (perhaps you can split the membership with a friend?)

Buy dried, presoak, drain, and rinse the beans. Cook, drain, and rinse. THEN add to your recipe. Or if you are doing lentils, just presoak, drain, and rinse, you don't precook those. Also, your system adjusts after a while.