Going organic at the grocery store- ouch!

jnbythesea · **Going organic at the grocery store- ouch!**

I know it's better for all of us, and that makes me feel good about it, but- yikes! Buying more organic food is probably adding $30-50 to my average grocery bill. Luckily Whole Foods has their 365 brand that is very reasonable, which helps. I just recently tried their all natural applesauce- it was excellent.

It's so ironic- paying more for things I *don't* want in my food.

treehugger · 04-27-2007, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnbythesea

I know it's better for all of us, and that makes me feel good about it, but- yikes! Buying more organic food is probably adding $30-50 to my average grocery bill. Luckily Whole Foods has their 365 brand that is very reasonable, which helps. I just recently tried their all natural applesauce- it was excellent.

It's so ironic- paying more for things I *don't* want in my food.

It does cost more right now. But, whem more consumers choose to buy organic it sends a message to the growers telling them this is what we want. There is already a lot of chatter going on about more farmers deciding to grow organically. This will make the price come down. Actually, you are already seeing it when you buy your 365 brand.

It is hard to pick up that little head of broccoli for a premium price when the other one is sitting there on sale though.

I just keep telling myself, I'm going to feed this to my kids....

Shannon/Bryce · 04-27-2007, 08:17 AM

Treehugger, I think you have mentioned before that you shop at Tops... The organic brand they have there, Nature's Promise has a deal when you buy $30 dollars worth, you get $5 off of your next shopping trip. I was in last night and heard the add on their loudspeaker. Your bonus card keeps track of it... I don't think you have to spend the $30 all in one trip but I couldn't hear the whole thing too well. Anyway, that brand and the new BJ's line are helping us- it is still an ouch factor when you checkout but my conscience feels so good about it!

stacia · 04-27-2007, 08:17 AM

I do like the 365 brand from there. I am buying mostly organic now, I plan on easing over to all organic by next month. It does add $$ yes! I finally decided to go all organic after reading an article by vegan alicia silverstone that said she planned on her kids being vegan too b/c she only wanted the best healthiest foods for them. I'm not going vegan, but I try to remember that quote when I see the prices!

calmingweight · 04-27-2007, 08:23 AM

Stacia -

Your signature stood out for me because I recently went to a personal growth seminar with James Arthur Ray. His quote is: "Balance is bogus! Only harmony yields happiness and real wealth..." He goes on to explain:

"A lot of so called success experts tell you that you need balance in your life. That's a bunch of bunk!

Look at a scale in perfect balance: nothing is happening... it's stagnant... there's no movement... there's no progress... in fact, there's no life at all.

Just like the harmony created by each unique and important instrument in an orchestra causes your emotions to soar (like an eagle rising on an invisible thermal), complete harmony in your life causes your level of happiness, wealth and success to soar."

Anyway, I apologize for being off-topic; that just really stood out for me. Cheers!

Hoping-to-be1 · 04-27-2007, 08:27 AM

There was a special done by ABC that identified a "dirty dozen" of foods that would be the most beneficial to get organic. Another words, some foods are sprayed/contaminated more than others.

Euphoric Organics :: The "dirty-dozen" top foods to choose organic
abc7.com: Southern California's news leader - Food Fact: Is Going Organic Worth the Money?

I try to pick and choose when buying organic, bc we just can't afford to completly switch.
I am also trying to do as much research as I can, but oh boy, it takes time.

Good luck!!
Lena

vioburn · 04-28-2007, 09:14 AM

As many here know, I buy as much organic as I can, but I use the dirty dozen list, as well. It's especially helpful when I'm really having to stick to a budget. You just have to do what you can. We are lucky that Safeway has their own brand of organics, which tend to be just about the same price as regular brands. They don't go on sale as often, but I can live with that. We also buy Whole Foods 365 brand, which is really good. I just bought some of the organic Pacific Rim 365 coffee. It's really good, plus you get 24 oz's, instead of just 12-16 oz of some other pricey brands and it's still $9.99 a bag. We are really lucky that we have another store that sells all natural meats and poultry for less than you would buy regular meats and poultry at any other store. Way less, in some cases! I think another key here is to shop around. Don't just go to Whole Foods, look at the prices and say, "I can't afford organic". Whole Foods does have some good deals, but they are way more expensive in most areas. My mom usually buys a certain brand of something and usually gets it at Vitamin Cottage. Well, she was already at Whole Foods, getting something else, and decided to see if they carry the same 'something' (I can't remember what it was). Anyway, Whole Foods sold that thing for $10 more than Vitamin Cottage! She mentioned it to a salesperson and they knew it already! They can just sell things for more, because most people don't shop around when it comes to organic and health foods. They just think that it's all expensive anyway, but don't realize that just down the road a mile or two is a store that sells a lot of the same things for cheaper. It's just not nearly as big.

kellytime · 04-28-2007, 04:33 PM

I (we) have gotten to the point that letting our kids eat pesticide-laden foods weighs too heavily on our conscience. I won't even succumb to the great big container of strawberries at Costco that are a great price and look scrumptious! We buy only organic fruits/veggies now.

I bought regular "pesticide" apples just for a fruit bowl display when my SIL was coming to visit. Well, my 2 yo climbed up yesterday and got one of the apples without my knowing it, and I found him eating it! It hadn't even been washed!!! I was so upset, thinking of what was on it.

My hubby always points out that the proportion of food vs. body weight of a child results in their eating a larger quantity of pesticides than adults (pound per pound.) He has taken seminars on this, as he works for the public health service.

Anyway, kids also get something like half their life's pesticide exposure during their first 5 years of life! Don't quote me on the numbers... it's something along those lines, but I'm never good at retaining exact figures. Just know that a large percentage of their exposure occurs during their first few years! DH absolutely insists on organic apple juice! Just imagine all the pesticides that are in regular apple juice. You just can't wash it off the apple skin that easily... besides that, it's in the soil that the fruit/veggies grow in, so it's not only on the skin, but it's in the actual food as well.

alaska-mama-of-2 · 04-29-2007, 02:34 PM

I too, try to buy all organic. We are lucky and have Safeway up here and they have the "O" brand of all organic. I really like them. You do have to shop around though. I can't buy my organic milk and Safeway because it costs $7 a gallon!!! If I buy it down the street at Fred Meyer it is 5.23 a gallon. It is a pain splitting my shopping between two stores but, it allows me to buy more organic which is what we want for our kids.

This summer is my first attempt at getting ready for my own organic garden. With all the sunlight we get during the summer we have a great growing season for the short summer we have. We are putting in a green house and large garden plot it should be ready for my organic garden by next spring. This year I am container gardening for my organic veggies. I have tomatos, zucchini, pumpkins, carrots, raspberries, and grapes growing in my house at the moment. I have to cross pollinate my self till I can move them outside but, it is worth it to have the organic veggies at a low cost.