Organic food is better for you, it tastes better, it costs less… oh, wait. It costs more. A recent Scientific American article stated that because organic foods cost more to produce, they also cost more in the store. An extra 50 cents for bananas makes a big difference for those living on a tight budget. So let’s start of the going and growing organic series with some reasons why going organic is important (and worth that extra 50 cents).
Organic food may not be more nutritious than regular food, but it is cleaner. Organic food is grown without any of the hundreds of chemicals used in today’s agriculture, which means when you eat the organic foods, you aren’t exposed to chemicals that can cause health issues like liver and kidney diseases, and even cancer.
Speaking of cleaner, have you heard about clean eating? Closely related to going organic, clean eating also means cutting out processed foods, and eating as close to out of the ground as you can. For example, plucking a perfectly shaped, ripe, juicy tomato off your home grown vine and eating it. Just like that.
We know eating clean, organic, natural foods is better for us than eating processed foods. You feel better, you look better and you maintain your health. But it is very expensive, and for those of us working with tight budgets that’s a deal breaker. Today, I’ll start you off with my best ideas for balancing the budget and going organic.
Idea 1: Some organic is better than none. Check out chart of foods you should only eat organic, are you surprised by any?
Idea 2: Grow your own! We will talk in depth about this on the next post, but growing your own organic food is easy, fun and budget friendly! If you think you don’t have enough space, check out renting a garden or having a raised bed or two. There are a million ways to make a garden fit your life!
Think on those ideas, share your own and your thoughts on our Facebook page! Follow the blue links for more information and we will see you soon with an in depth look at growing your own organics, just in time to start fall crops!