I think the real issue is not that organic foods are too expensive but that families are not prioritizing their lives in a way that allows them to live healthier. Although there are a lot of people out there who don't make a lot of money, I don't either, and I choose to make better decisions with the money I do have so that my family and I are healthy and happy. Learning to budget properly is a huge component of the equation. If you are not good at this than get some help. Look within your community to see if there are free classes or seminars you can take. You can also purchase books to help you or check out Suze Orman's website, she's good! You might even know someone that is much better at budgeting than you, ask them to help you out. In order to run a successful family and keep funds flowing in the right direction you must know how to budget. It's something you cannot escape!
So once you have that down than figure out what you and your family really needs. I am not talking about a $200 pair of shoes here people! That is not a necessity. Make a list of the things that you all can't live without and add them up. Now food is definitely one of those things. Not junk food, not fast food, not going out to dinner every night. Real food. It is time that you all realize that it is not that much more expensive to buy organic. We can all do it. But it also takes work. What I mean by work is cooking at home, sitting down with your family for meals and communicating. Not just shoving processed nasty food down their throats. Its time to stop being lazy. Get up off your ass and show you care! Everyone loves a home cooked meal. Why doesn't your family deserve to have that?
Right about now I can hear some of you saying, "I am just too busy to cook everyday. I have work and the kids and......", but sorry, its not an excuse. I don't want to hear it anymore. First of all, women are smart and tactical. We get things done! We were built that way and thats why we run the household. Men might not want to agree but its true. So its the women that have to step up and start the changes. Then the rest of the family can move along smoothly. Marriage is a team and if you don't work together the relationship and everything around it crumbles. It happens all the time. Single parents have it easier in a sense because they are in charge and what they say goes. Be strong, make better choices and live to see the positive results!
You also need watch your portion control. This is another major factor. Americans eat way too much! Just take a look around. Everyone is fat as hell. It's disgusting and its killing a lot of people. Once you get your portions corrected you won't need to buy as much food. Then you will have the room to spend a little more on organic items when its needed. It's really as simple as that!
So, to prove that going organic and natural is possible for everyone I have put a small comparison list together so you can see the difference. I hope that this allows you to be more open, creative and change for a better future. I am always here for any questions or advice as well. I happen to be great at budgeting money and will offer my services to anyone who asks, for sure. In order for people to change they need support, help and inspiration. That is what I am here for.
I do most of my shopping at Whole Foods so the organic prices are theirs. To compare them with conventional prices I looked around at other markets and took the general price of what I found. There are many other alternative markets out there that I encourage you to explore. I personally like Whole Foods because of its environment, the workers are cool and they have a wide range of options. They also list where the food comes from! Trader Joe's is another favorite of mine. Stop N Shop also has a very good organic/natural section in their market that is worth visiting. Don't forget about Wild By Nature.
Produce
Vegetables and fruit are important to a healthy diet. It's been proven that vegetarians are healthier than meat eaters and are less obese. Makes sense! Whether you are vegetarian or not it is wise to eat at least 3 meatless dishes a week. Not only are you benefiting you and your family but you are helping the planet as well. Whole Foods has a lot of good information about produce on their website in case you were looking to read up.
Organic Carrots - $1.29 lb. / C - $.89 lb.
Organic Peppers - $4.49 lb. / C - $1.34 each
Organic Scallions - $.99 / C - $.69
Organic Parsley - $1.29 lb / C - $99
Organic Onions - $1.99 lb OR 3 lb Bag of Yellow Onions - $2.99 / C - $1.00 each OR 3 lb. bag - $2.99
Organic 5 lb. Bag of Russet Potatoes - $4.99 / C - $3.49
Organic Iceberg Head of Lettuce - $1.99 / C- $1.79
Organic Frozen Broccoli - $1.79 / C - $1.79
Organic Diced Tomatoes 14.5 oz. can 365 Brand - $1.19 / C - $1.25
Organic Kidney Beans 15 oz. can 365 Brand - $1.09 / C - $.95
Organic Strawberries - $4.99 / C - $3.49
Organic Oranges 4 lb bag - $3.99 / C - $3.50
Whole Trade Bananas - $.79 lb / C - $.50 each
From this you can see slight differences in price but nothing that should keep you from buying organic. Peppers are usually the most expensive but if you saw how big the organic peppers are it would also make sense. Sometimes I only use half for a meal which cuts the price drastically. Fruit, especially berries will always be pricey. Thats why buying local and in season is best. Make sure you visit your local farmers markets! The differences in price are generally under $1.00 or none at all. Not bad so far! It is more important that you are eating fruits and veggies that are not contaminated than spending an extra quarter here and there. Supporting sustainable and local agriculture is what you would be doing as well and thats a reason to get a gold star!
Dairy
Wherever you shop, dairy prices are costly. Its good to catch those sales but they are hard to come by. If you eat dairy than buying organic is very important. If it comes from an animal you should make sure that animal is a happy and healthy one. Not sick, sad and living on a bad diet with lots of antibiotics! The more I read about dairy the more I find out it is not that good for you after all. Although, you might have grown up thinking you need all that milk or your bones will shrink, it is all a lie. I will leave you with that. Today there are a lot of good alternatives I suggest you try. My boyfriend and I personally LOVE almond milk. Thats one dairy item down! Here are some price comparisons for dairy as well the better alternatives.
Organic 1/2 Gallon Milk - $3.69 / C - $2.19
Almond Milk 1/2 Gallon - $3.69
Organic 1 lb. Butter - $4.79 / C - $4.15
Organic Brown Large Eggs - $4.59 / C - $2.74
Earth Balance Vegan Butter Sticks - $3.49
Snacks
Who doesn't love to snack! Finding healthy treats can seem hard if you know that most of them out there are basically crap. Here are some snacks that we are all familiar with alongside the better options.
Cheeze Its - $3.37 / Back to Nature Crispy Cheddars - $ 3.19
Wheat Thins - $2.95 / Back to Nature Crispy Wheat - $2.99
Wise Potato Chips - $1.88 / Organic Potato Chips with Sea Salt - $2.39
Tostidos Corn Chips - 4.92 / Garden of Eatin' Blue Corn Chips - $3.79
Fruit by the Foot - $3.00 / Kid Cliff Organic Twisted Fruit - 4.79
Planters Cashews - $5.14 / Organic 365 Brand Cashews 12 oz. bag - 5.99
Special K Bars - $2.99 / Cliff Kid Organic Z Bar - 4.39
You can also try snacks by LesserEvil. They are awesome!
Everything else
Organic Pasta - $1.99 / C - $1.39 (.99 at Whole Foods)
Organic Rolled Oats 18 oz.- $2.99 / Quaker Oatmeal - $2.99
Organic Ketchup - $1.99 / Heinz - $2.07
Organic Mustard - $1.99 / Gulden's - $1.80
Organic Flour - $4.69 / Gold Medal Flour - $2.99
Organic Sugar - $3.39 / Domino Sugar - $3.50
Organic Olive Oil 33.8 oz. - $13.99
Organic Blue Corn Taco Shells - $2.69 / Old El Paso - $2.29
Vegetarian Substitutes
These are so friggin good! I LOVE the company Quorn. Their products are the real thing, I promise! You can totally trick someone with their chik'n patties and crumbles. These substitutes are way better for you and are very easy to cook. I highly suggest you try them. All are $4.99 at whole foods. You can also check out Gardein.
Trader Joe's also has some really good items I would recommend you try:
Traditional Mariana Sauce - $1.29
Whole Wheat Flat Bread - $2.49 (Great for pizzas)
I hope that these comparisons help you out the next time you go shopping. The fact of the matter is, organic and natural foods may be slightly more money than conventional processed foods but not in all cases. In some its just by pennies and others it many close to $1.00. Nothing that should keep you from choosing the best option. The more we buy organic products they will become cheaper. If we want something the food industry will make it available. They want to make money and we want to spend it wisely. Keep in that in mind when you spend yours and move closer to becoming a part of something bigger and better. By doing the right thing and buying organic/natural products you are supporting what this country needs most, our health and planet!
Here are some articles you can read for more information on this issue:
Whole Foods Organic Butter Rises to the Top
Whole Foods Talks Dollars and Cents
Today Show Features Quorn
Organic Grocery Shopping on a Budget
ABC News: Daryl Hannah on Buying Organic
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