53 Tips to Eat Organic on a Budget

Vani Hari, blogger and founder of http://www.FoodBabe.com, has compiled a long list of tips on how to save money while buying organic. In order to be healthy, toxins, processed foods, white flour, sugar, genetically engineered foods and omega 6 rich vegetable oils should be avoided.

If you spend 90% of your food budget on whole foods and only 10% on processed foods, you will be off to a great start. Unfortunately, most Americans currently do the opposite.

In order to accomplish this, it will require some strategy, especially if you’re working with a tight budget.

If healthy eating is your goal, Hari’s tips below can help considerably:

FIND AND USE ORGANIC COUPONS:

1. Check the websites of your favorite companies for coupons and special promotions; almost all of them have some.

2. Join your favorite company’s social media pages for special coupons and deals.

3. Check out various organic coupon sites online for organic food/natural living coupons, and money-savings ideas.

4. Most stores take each other’s coupons, so don’t be afraid to use them all in one shopping trip at your most convenient or favorite store.

AT HOME AND IN THE KITCHEN:

5. Stay organized. Plan out your meals for the week according to organic foods that are on sale and/or that you have coupons for.

6. Budget. Write out a weekly and monthly budget to help you keep track of both erratic spending and responsible spending. This will allow you to see your spending habits and help you prioritize purchasing organic food within your budget.

7. Do it yourself, rather than buy it. Make your own kale chips, smoothies, and vegetable juices to replace store-bought with more overhead.

8. Learn how to portion and prioritize – it is preferable to always buy organic meats and dairy products, and, therefore, learn to portion your consumption of these products each week. For example, keep meat to 4 ounces or less per serving.

USE YOUR FREEZER:

9. Nine times out of 10 the organic frozen produce at the store is cheaper than fresh, especially if the fruit or vegetable is out of season.

10. Freeze all leftovers using inexpensive mason glass jars or silicone ice molds for smaller portions.

11. Buy local produce when in season and freeze to save for out of season, for example in the spring and summer spread berries on a sheet pan and freeze overnight and then store in jars for the fall and winter.

12. Double recipes and freeze leftovers; this works great with soups and stews.

13. Freeze core kitchen staples like butter and cheese.

MAKE CHOICES:

14. Meat & dairy (animals products like chicken, eggs, cheese, butter, yogurt, milk, etc.) are the most important to buy organic because of the combined risk of pesticide, antibiotic, and cancer-causing growth hormone exposure.

15. Reduce meat and dairy consumption if you cannot afford organic.

16. Buy a whole organic chicken for less per pound, vs. just the breast, legs or wings, which are more expensive per pound. You can use the carcass to make your own chicken broth, as described above.

17. Use the “Clean 15” and “Dirty Dozen” lists available on ewg.org to help you navigate which products to buy organic. For example, if you have a choice between more expensive organic red peppers and less expensive conventional asparagus – choose the asparagus. Asparagus naturally repels pests allowing it to be grown with minimal pesticides. Include red pepper in your diet when it is in season or you can find it cheaper at another grocery store.

18. Do not buy pre-washed and ready to eat fruits and veggies, as they can cost twice as much.

19. Eat out only twice a week or less– eating organic at home is significantly less expensive than eating at organic restaurants.

BUY IN BULK:

20. Take advantage of the “buy one get one free” sales or buy one get the other for a discounted price. You never know when it will go on sale again, so make sure to take advantage of it and store for later use.

21. Always buy packaged staples on sale.

22. Buy unpackaged foods from bulk dispensers. Bring measuring cups with you to the grocery store if you are buying from bulk containers. That way you can get exactly the amount you need for a specific recipe and you won’t be paying for extra.

23. Buy smaller organic spice packets or jars; old spices lose their medicinal qualities so it is smarter to buy in smaller quantities.

24. Buy the whole animal and freeze the portions you don’t use. You can do this by contacting your local farmer and then splitting the cost with a group.

25. Find out what foods are in season and buy those in bulk, as they are significantly cheaper.

26. Join a buying club with your neighbors, friends or family and buy large quantities at a discount.

BUY ONLINE:

27. Various services will deliver organic and non-GMO food directly to your doorstep, many with some of the lowest prices available for organic staples, meat, dairy, and other goods.

CHOOSE ORGANIC BRANDS THAT SAVE YOU MONEY:

28. Choose more inexpensive grocery store brand products. Regardless of the brand, they are all required to follow the same guidelines set forth by the USDA organic certification program if they contain the USDA organic seal and chances are that you won’t be able to tell the difference between a brand name and store brand.

29. Join grocery store loyalty programs for discounts.

30. Use your rewards cards always. Most convenient stores, grocery stores, and drug stores allow you to sign-up for a rewards or savings card that will help you save money on a few of your items at the checkout counter. Even if this time of purchase does not contain organic food, the extra money that you are saving on your items can be put towards buying it when need be.

31. Always remember that if you are not satisfied with your organic product, most grocery stores and organic food companies offer you money back guarantee.

BUY LOCAL:

32. Local food can be significantly cheaper than food shipped from miles away.

33. Find a farmers market near you through LocalHarvest.org or the USDA - get to know your local farmers, create a personal relationship, and negotiate prices.

34. Ask your farmer about his farming practices. Some farmers do not spray pesticides on their crops but do not seek USDA certification to keep prices lower.

35. Be the last person to leave the farmer’s market. Farmers will likely cut their prices at the end of the day, so they do not have to take their produce back to the farm.

36. Buy a share in a community-supported agriculture CSA program. It’s nice to contribute to a local farm’s operating expenses while getting a weekly box of fresh fruits and vegetables.

GROW YOUR OWN FOOD:

37. Plant an herb pot in your kitchen or somewhere convenient so you can always have fresh herbs on hand. Organic herbs are one of the most overpriced items at the grocery store.

38. Once you start growing produce, give herbs, fruits and vegetables as gifts to family and friends (saving money on other material objects they might otherwise not use or collect).

39. If you’re really adventurous, get a couple of chickens and hatch your own eggs.

STOP WASTING FOOD:

40. Raw nuts and flours should be kept in the refrigerator to last longer without going rancid.

41. Line your refrigerator’s crisper drawer with paper towels to absorb excess moisture, which will help keep produce longer.

42. To repel bugs, place a bay leaf in containers of rice, flour, and pastas.

43. Buy and keep bananas separated from one another. They spoil slower.

44. Turn almond butter, yogurt, sour cream, tahini, and cottage cheese containers upside down when stored in the fridge – this creates a vacuum seal, keeping them fresh longer

45. Do not throw away nut meal from homemade nut milk – use it for smoothies or to make nut flours by placing the pulp on a baking sheet and drying it out in a 250 degree oven or dehydrator.46. Repurpose vegetable pulp from juicing to add fiber to soups, smoothies, or make crackers or bread.

47. Placed limp celery, baby carrots, and radishes in water with a slice of potato to make them crunchy again.

48. Keep all organic citrus fruits in the fridge – they will last up to 1-2 weeks longer.

49. Do not wash organic dark leafy greens or berries until they are ready to consume.

50. Store herbs, spring onions, and asparagus upright in a large glass filled with an inch of water.

51. If you know you will not have a chance to eat it, freeze food before it goes bad.

52. Choose to eat less, use a smaller plate to help you control the amount of food you might eat or end up wasting.

53. Compost all food waste to put nutrients back in your garden (you will spend less on fertilizer).

Good luck on your quest for healthy eating!

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