Thursday, April 12, 2012

Picking and Choosing

Are grocery prices rising like crazy or is it just me?  No matter what I do, I'm going over my grocery budget each week.  I finally just surrendered and raised my budget a bit and I'm still going over. Gosh!

We try to eat a pretty balanced diet, primarily consisting of vegetables, fruits and meats with some whole grains mixed in.  I try to choose organic (naturally grown, no pesticides, no added hormones, etc) products, but its important to realize what types of foods to prioritize buying organic.

For us, I prioritize buying our dairy products and meats organic.  I've done some reading on how these items are processed and the animals are treated and its just really important to me to make sure I buy these items organic.  The only thing I haven't fully switched to is buying organic butter. $5? It hurts to think about it.

I also rarely buy processed organic food, unlike this lady. :) Primarily because its not a wise way to spend my money.  Organic processed foods are expensive and I can make them at home for much cheaper.

I try to make 1-2 vegetarian meals per week in order to save money on buying organic meat.  Caleb isn't the biggest fan of this technique, but he's adjusted.

Interesting definitions I found in an All You magazine.

USDA Organic: 

This is a great list of what types of produce to prioritize buying organic

What Produce to Buy Organically?

1.      Peaches
2.      Apples
3.      Sweet bell peppers
4.      Celery
5.      Nectarines
6.      Strawberries
7.      Cherries
8.      Kale
9.      Lettuce
10.  Grapes
11.  Carrots
12.  Pears

Okay to Buy Conventionally?

1.      Onions
2.      Avocados
3.      Sweet Corn (frozen)
4.      Pineapples
5.      Mangos
6.      Asparagus
7.      Sweet peas
8.      Kiwis
9.      Cabbage
10.  Eggplant
11.  Papayas
12.  Watermelons
13.  Broccoli
14.  Tomatoes
15.  Sweet Potatoes
 

3 comments:

  1. I have been eating an insane amount of salads, frozen soups, and asparagus lately. It's not as cheap as pasta but healthier at any rate.

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  2. I'm not sure I agree with the list of conventional foods. Potatoes especially, since they sit in the ground, absorb a lot of pesticides and are super important to buy organic! Tomatoes have a very thin skin that we eat, I'd buy those organic too. Broccoli, asparagus, all that seems like thin-skinned food that would need to be washed VERY well in vinegar or some other solution.

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  3. Yeah, it is odd that tomatoes aren't on the list - maybe because they aren't as porous? Unfortunately I think the list applies mainly to pesticides that are "applied" to the vegetable or fruit, not soaked up through the soil.

    Ideally, everything I buy would be pesticide free - but a lot of times I don't even have the option. The northwest is quite tempting in regards to healthy choices :)

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