Want to green your grocery cart, but think organic foods are out of your price range? Think again. If you pick and choose your spots and know how to shop smart, you can make healthy purchases that are good for you and your wallet.
Sally Fallon, author of the best-selling cookbook
Nourishing Traditions and founding president
of the Weston A. Price
Foundation , shares some easy, budget-friendly tips on
where to shop, how to navigate the aisles, and what's important
to buy organic (and what's not).
Where to shop:
As organic goes mainstream, organic foods are starting to show
up everywhere—not just in specialty stores and high-end chains like
Whole Foods. Fallon suggests checking out these trusty (and
probably less expensive) alternatives:
Farmers' markets: Although "local"
doesn't necessarily mean "organic" (be sure to ask!),
farmers' markets are generally great places to find organic
fruits and vegetables. Green bonus: Buying local cuts down on fuel
and resources, since most of the produce at the big stores is
transported a long way from where it was produced.
CSAs: Consider joining a CSA (which stands for
"Community Supported Agriculture"). These groups purchase
vegetables directly from organic farmers and have them delivered to
central drop-off locations in nearby cities. Some of the best CSAs
also provide eggs and meats.
Supermarkets: That's right—if you're
willing to do a little extra legwork, you can usually find good
organic alternatives at your regular neighborhood
supermarket.
If you're just starting to make the transition to organic,
the smartest plan of attack is to prioritize your grocery list—i.e.
invest in a bottle of good olive oil before splurging on organic
chocolate. Fallon recommends getting started with these staples
(which, even if you can't find organic, are still a good way to
start improving your diet):
Proteins: Eggs; chicken; luncheon meats
Fats: Butter; olive oil; coconut oil
Dairy: Cheese; full-fat plain yogurt; cream
Carbohydrates: Potatoes; oatmeal; brown rice;
sourdough bread
Beverages: Sparkling water; freshly squeezed
juices; herbal teas
Condiments: Sauerkraut; kim chee; mustard;
ketchup
Avoid at all costs:
Just as important as knowing what to buy is knowing what
not to buy. As a general rule, Fallon advises steering
clear of the following items and ingredients:
Proteins: Commercial chicken; highly processed
luncheon meats
Fats: Commercial cooking oils, margarines and
spreads; anything "partially hydrogenated"
Dairy: Low-fat dairy products; anything
ultra-pasteurized
Carbohydrates: White bread; white rice
Beverages: Soda; anything containing high-fructose
corn syrup; anything containing synthetic vitamin D2, which can
have toxic effects
Condiments: Anything containing high-fructose corn
syrup; anything with lots of additives and colorings
Pick your battles:
It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Even if you can't buy 100% of your food organic, it's still worth your while to splurge on key items. The secret, explains Fallon, is buying organic where it counts. Since chicken and pork are usually grown in total confinement, for example, it's probably worth it to pay extra for the organic versions; beef and lamb, on the other hand, are still grown at least partially on pasture—so they are good conventional choices for shoppers trying to keep costs down.
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a great resource. The nonprofit research organization publishes a list of fruits and vegetables with the most and least pesticides, so you'll know which ones to buy organic, and which conventionally grown ones are okay when the organic version is cost-prohibitive or not available.
Best fruits (least pesticides):
- Avocados
- Pineapples
- Mangoes
- Kiwi
- Bananas
- Papaya
Worst fruits (most pesticides):
- Peaches
- Apples
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Grapes (imported)
- Pears
Best fruits (least pesticides):
- Avocados
- Pineapples
- Mangoes
- Kiwi
- Bananas
- Papaya
Worst fruits (most pesticides):
- Peaches
- Apples
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Grapes (imported)
- Pears
Shopping tips:
Fallon shares a few last words of advice before sending you off to greener pastures:
- Go easy on yourself. Don't be obsessive about going organic!
- Make the transition slowly. Don't throw out everything in your fridge and start from scratch; just buy a few new items each time you go to the store.
- Join a CSA. Getting fresh vegetables from a farm will encourage you to try new foods for your family. To find a CSA near you, contact your nearest chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation .
- Shop the "edges" of the supermarket. Make whole foods from scratch rather than spend a lot of money on organic processed foods.
- Strive for real, whole food, not just organic food. A plain old baked potato with conventional butter is always better than a frozen organic potato mixed with additives or fried in oil.
- Reusable shopping bags that are (almost) too gorgeous for groceries
- 6 delicious no-cook recipes
- Know how to read the labels
