Recently I have made the decision to really start taking care of myself (and my family!) better. This includes all aspects of health: nutrition, exercise, taking care of my skin better... just being more healthy in general! So after doing SO much research the past few weeks, we are going organic!
I had some reservations at first. This is going to cost us SO much more money -- I don't know if we can afford to eat organic! Have any of you ever felt like that? I want to let you know that if you TRULY commit to eating organic, you probably won't notice that much of a difference in your grocery bill. You may even save money!
Let me give you some of the resources I used when researching this, wondering about all of the benefits and trying to decide if it was something we could afford to fit into our lifestyle. There is a TON of great information out there, and here are just a few websites I found helpful.
The short of it is, that organic food is much healthier and safer than it's industrial produced counterpart. I mean, just take that term: INDUSTRIAL PRODUCED FOOD. Does that sit well with you? It doesn't with me. Through researching, I've found that organic food has 25%+ more vitamins and minerals than industrial produced food and it's shelf life is 20% higher. Better food that lasts longer. That right there got me. How often do you throw out spoiled produce? I know that we did more often than I would like. By more NUTRITIOUS food lasting LONGER, I knew I would be doing something good for my family and for my wallet.
Then there's the chemical/pesticides issue. Organic food doesn't have any! Organic food doesn't contain any chemical additives (like MSG, artificial sweeteners, or preservatives) or pesticides. Did you know that with UN-organic food, more than 400 chemical pesticides are used? Ick. I can NOT take feeding that to my little Logan. I just can't...
As for the budget issue, I will have you know that I went to the grocery store today and STOCKED UP on organic food without going over what I normally spend. This is because of CUTTING OUT all of the icky, processed foods -- those things that are BAD for you end up costing some serious moolah.
Another way I saved money? COUPONS. I know you all know about my coupon/saving money addiction, and I admit, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to use a lot of coupons with organic food. I mean, how often do you see those coupons in your Sunday circulars? However, I found that with some digging and more researching, I was able to find PLENTY of coupons (as many as I normally use on a shopping trip) online at various websites, so I was still able to save money!
I plan on sharing my journey on this blog as I have done in the past with various things, last one being our potty training saga. I hope to learn a lot and maybe help others understand some more about organic food along the way! I've already got some great tips/recipes/money saving advice in the works. I hope you're as excited as I am! ;)
So how about you? I'm just curious. How many of you have tried the "organic thing" and how many of you have made it a part of your lifestyle? Do you have any advice/tips of your own? I'd love to hear about it!
I've wanted to do this for a while - but like you said - finances scare me!! Do you find coupons for product or no?
ReplyDeleteWay to go at taking this leap :)
Honestly I have to say that I have had a bad taste in my mouth about organic anything. My BIL and SIL are die hard organic people and they are always sick. I don't know if they just don't take care of themselves properly, but all of them and the kids included always have something. I do prefer to buy produce from farmers markets when I can, but my husband and I eat regular food, we feed our kids the same stuff off the shelf, in the produce aisle and we get colds once maybe twice a year, standard. If you store your food the correct way it will last longer. I'm all for coupons though.
ReplyDeleteWe did this a couple of years ago and I don't see a real difference in cost. If you shop for items such as fruits and veggies that are in season you save a $$. Also I find that sticking to a list regardless of where you shop saves $$.
ReplyDeleteWe eat organic whenever possible. I always buy Organic milk and the dirty dozen for produce and a lot of times if it is available in organc I'll buy it that way even if it's not on the the dirty dozen. I stock up on organic meat when it is on sale, but our grocery offers very little in organic meats. There are usually chicken breasts, ground beef and maybe some form of steak available. :( I do try to buy hormone free though, even if not organic. I also buy free range eggs. The other thing you can do (and I have not done this the last few summers because of being preggo then having a new born) is grow your own produce organically and then can it. Canning is so easy and cheap!
ReplyDeleteI also find that organic food tastes better!
I try to get Organic every chance I can! It is definitely more expensive but if you get it on sale, it's not that bad!!!
ReplyDeleteWe don't eat organic but I do give my kids all organic baby food. I am not sure why-perhaps it makes me feel better,lol. It tends to get expensive but I try to stock up when we hit a good sale
ReplyDeleteWe don't eat all organic but have recently tried to increase how much organic we do have. Can't wait to read more on your adventure into healthy eating! Lord knows I can use the tips!
ReplyDeleteIt's a pick and choose and know what I'm talking about thing with me. One of my last classes for my BSN was an advanced nutrition course and that instructor taught me more in that one semester than I've learned from anyone. She was hilarious when it came to everyone jumping on the "all natural" thing. People think just because something says "all natural" it's good for you. When in reality, an "all natural" candy bar is still crap, either way you look at it. A bottle of "all natural" juice is still a ton of sugar either way you look at it. People fall into that guise, though. One of the most hilarious things I heard was, "Botulism is natural, you want that too?" Point is, know when and where it's worth it and where it's not. The dirty dozen with fruits and veggies and what's in season is what we do most with produce. This year we are "organically" planting our garden. What that means to us is pesticide and chemical free. I do prefer "yard eggs". The nutritional value is phenomenal compared to commercial eggs. Meat I always have preferred local meat places that don't inject God knows what hormones OR how much into your meat. I can tell you a pretty scary story on that one, if you like. But, I'm a country girl at heart, so home grown is what I'm used to and familiar with.
ReplyDeleteA couple things people aren't aware of, is the fact that without the preservatives in our food, it spoils quicker. Proper food handling is a must! And as far as fruits and veggies go and their nutrition, you lose most of it when you cook them above 187 degrees Farenheit anyway. The method of cooking them is crucial in retaining the nutition. And cooking them in water...don't get me going on that! Water leaches the vitamins and mineral something terrible. I use Titanium pots and pans to cook at low temps and don't have to use water so I retain the majority of my vitamins and minerals that I've spent more money on because I bought organic. (Also because I'm not a fan of the metals leached into my foods from other pots and pans. I'll go hypocritical when I want to break out my iron skillet and not think twice about it, occasionally!)
The term "organic" has become so commercial when most people have no idea what it actually means. It actually means "containing carbon". I think the point of it all and how not to get sucked into the fad of it is to really know your stuff and look at both sides. That's just my opinion and my experience, though. What do I know? ;)
Have a great week and I look forward to following along with your journey to a healthier family! I love that you are taking the initiative for you and them :)
I do as much as I can to buy organic, but it isn't always in the cards.
ReplyDeleteI do as much organic as possible too but yes the money is a big issue!! We always buy organic meat and milk though!
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I buy organic if we can/if it's near the same price, but it's hard to shell out extra money for it being a one-income household! Coupons are a lifesaver though!
ReplyDeleteOk wait...it's not actually more expensive to go organic? I would have long ago but money is so extremely tight there was no way that I could even look at those high prices. Couponing however is lost on me. We tried but we just don't know where to find coupons that are actually helpful or something...maybe we didn't try hard enough or something...
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