Five ways to save money on organic food

Organic food might seem pricey, but organic foods are actually worth it, both from a health and environmental standpoint. Plus, you don’t have to be rich to afford organics, you can save money on organics with the following tips…

1. Don’t be an organics king – or queen: Sure it’d be nice, but you don’t need to buy everything in organic form to gain organic benefits. My rule – buy the worst pesticide offenders first then buy the other stuff if you can afford it.
2. Don’t pay more for fakers: Learn to read your labels. I hate when I see foods marked up in price just because they say “organic or natural” when really they’re nothing of the sort. Look for the USDA organic seal, which yeah has its own issues, but this label is a good place to start. You can also Learn more about How To Read Organic Food Labels.
3. Get food in bulk: Organic foods are easy to find in the bulk section of your grocery store or co-op and cost far less than packaged. Make it greener by using reusable bulk bags at the market. And if bulk food sort of freaks you out read bulk food storage.
4. Quit with the meat: Some meat is fine, but it’s expensive to buy organic (and you should). Organic veggies, rice, and grains are cheaper than organic meats. If you cut out a few meat meals a week, you’ll still be able to afford organics and you’ll be healthier to boot.
5. Make it from scratch: Organic packaged foods cost more than organic whole foods (surprise! – ok not really). The good news is cooking from scratch is easier than you might think. Below are some easy recipes plus links to helpful information about cooking organic foods from scratch.

Homemade organic fruit snacks

Moosewood cookbooks

Good organic and healthy recipes

One of my favorite meatless dishes

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