Organic Foods on a Budget

Eating Healthy Food Does Not Have to Ruin Your Budget

It is no secret that organic foods are more expensive than their non-organic counterparts. For consumers on a budget this can be problematic. How can one balance his or her grocery budget with a need for healthy, pesticide and hormone-free foods?

The truth is that it is not necessary for optimal health to buy only organic foods. Some non-organic foods are just as safe the organic variety of the same foods. First one must understand what exactly organic means. A food labeled “100% Organic” must not contain any pesticides, hormones, antibiotics or artificial ingredients. If a food is labeled simply “Organic” must be at least 95 percent so. Some ingredients such as baking powder are allowable in “organic” foods. If the label reads “Made with Organic Ingredients” then the product must be at least 70 percent organic ingredients. When a product is labeled “All Natural” there is no exact definition and no real rules to follow although usually it means that there are no artificial preservatives or colors in the product.

In the world of non-organic produce there is a list of twelve fruits and vegetables that are known as the Dirty Dozen. This list includes (in order of most pesticide and fungicide residue): apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries. These produce items are best when bought organic. Some fruits and vegetables are safe as non-organic because of their thick skin and the fact that the skin isn’t usually consumed with the rest of the food. These items include bananas, kiwis, avocados, corn, mangoes, oranges, papaya, pineapples and sweet peas.

Buying produce from local farmers via farmer’s markets is another inexpensive way of purchasing fruits and vegetables. Many smaller farms do not use pesticides in the way that larger producers do so the exposure to residue is lessened. Sometimes small farms will not to go through the expensive process of being certified organic yet are still growing organic fruits and vegetables.