Cheap Organic Food

Is it even possible to put the words "cheap" and "organic" in the same sentence? And if so, where and how can you get this cheap organic food?

Let's face it. Organic foods are great, but they can sometimes run you more money than your current grocery budget may allow. Before you go and spend your whole paycheck on organic food, you may be wondering if these foods are really worth the money and all the hype. My answer is a resounding YES! Organic food is food grown or raised without the use of synthetic (chemically formulated) pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or fertilizers. This method of farming allows foods to grow in nature as they were intended. Consider that conventional farmers in the United States spray 2 billion pounds of pesticides a year on crops to compensate for poor farming practices. And do you know where those pesticides end up? In our food supply! Aside from pesticide contamination, conventional produce tends to have fewer nutrients than organic produce. On average, conventional produce has only 83 percent of the nutrients of organic produce. Studies have found significantly higher levels of nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, and significantly less nitrates (a toxin) in organic crops. When I first discovered that organic foods might be the missing link to my weight loss and health efforts, I had just graduated from college and was living in a miniature, very expensive apartment in New York City that I could barely afford. In other words, I was broke with a capital B. How in the world was I going to spend the big bucks on organic food? Let alone pay my rent on time? Here is how I mastered the art of "finding cheap organic food":

Organic Fruit

1. I stopped buying processed "non foods". Most protein shakes, "health" bars, and processed foods are actually pretty expensive and when you completely eliminate them from your grocery list, you will save hundreds of dollars. Take a good look at the price of sugar cereals, packaged cookies and cakes, and frozen TV dinners. You will see how the prices of these foods quickly add up. That same amount of money can be better spent on a week's worth of organic produce.

2. When I started eating reasonable portions, the food was not that expensive. When I really took a look at how much I was eating and how much I was supposed to be eating, I clearly had mistaken myself for a 200 lb sumo wrestler. I had portion distortion to say the least and eating less meant spending less!

3. I sought out the local farmer's markets. The prices were so much better and I always got fresh food in season. And, honestly, if the price of cherries was the equivalent of diamond earrings, I would choose a different fruit. Go for the apples, pears, or bananas. Variety is good anyway so choose the fruits and veggies without the diamond prices.

4. I transitioned my kitchen and my whole house slowly. I probably did not have a complete organic kitchen until 3 years later. Not the ideal, but I did the best I could. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was my organic palace. Do the best you can, start with a few items and then go from there.

5. Buy organic foods "selectively". The following foods have been shown to have the highest levels of pesticide residue, so they should really always be purchased organic:

Fruit:

Peaches Apples Strawberries Nectarines Pears Cherries Red Raspberries Imported Grapes
Vegetables:

Spinach Bell Peppers Celery Potatoes Hot Peppers
Animal Products

*Always look for animal products (meats, poultry, and dairy) that have no added antibiotics and growth hormones. Ingesting meats that have been injected with these harmful substances is equivalent to eating the hormones and antibiotics themselves. Very dangerous!

The following foods tend to be lower in pesticide levels so can be purchased conventional if necessary:

Fruits:

Pineapples Plantains Mangoes Bananas Watermelon Plums Kiwi Fruit Blueberries Papaya Grapefruit Avocado
Vegetables:

Cauliflower Brussels Sprouts Asparagus Radishes Broccoli Onions Okra Cabbage Eggplant

There is no material item that comes close to matching "feeling good" about yourself. Take a look at where you're spending your money now and figure out how to cheaply fit organic foods into your budget (even if it's a slow transition). I promise that if it was doable for me, it's doable for you too!

Cheap Organic Food

Download your FREE copy of Healthy and Delicious Weight Loss Meal Plans and begin to tackle your unwanted weight right away.

Learn "The Top 5 Essential Truths You Must Know Before You Go on Any Diet Ever Again" from Isabel De Los Rios at http://www.thedietsolutionprogram.com

Isabel is a nutrition, exercise and lifestyle coach who has helped hundreds of people lose their unwanted weight and take complete control of their health. She is the author of The Diet Solution Program, a complete and comprehensive nutrition program that is helping people all over the world finally reach their ideal weight. For more information on The Diet Solution Program and how it can help to change your life, visit thedietsolutionprogram.com

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