I almost never buy organic unless it is the cheapest product - or I would never be able to live within our food budget. On occasion I have scored organic meat at the really expensive grocery store that marks its meat way down where I buy almost all our meat but rarely can I buy organic fruit and vegetables at a price I can live with.
How much would my budget have to increase to allow for organic fruit and vegetables? I am guessing twice the $550 I spend per month currently. I tend to try and buy lots of local fresh produce to give us a healthy diet.
How do you feel about organic and if you buy it, what food products are most important organically?
Great price on your bananas!
ReplyDeleteWe're like you. Only buy organic if it's cheaper than regular. I don't say "non organic", because really it's all organic, isn't it?!
My own personal opinion...the whole "organic" thing is a huge scam.
Our bargain purchase of the day? A big 8 lb bag of red delicious apples for $4.00....$0.50 per pound!
www.travelwithkevinandruth.com
.50 cents a pound for apples is a great deal! The lowest apple price around here is usually .99 cents on sale.
DeleteOrganic bananas are generally not worth the price unless you get a deal like you did. They're just not one of those "dirty" fruits.
ReplyDeleteOrganic is just too expensive and even my registered dietitian sister in law opts for "regular." Her husband wants organic but she can't justify the extra expense. "Regular" fruits and veggies still have nutritional value and fiber. I just make sure to to use a good produce wash on them to get off as much pesticide, wax, etc.
I want to be able to afford groceries when I retire so I'm not doubling my expenses now.
I wash everything - even mushrooms which they say you shouldn't. I only wash them right before we eat them though.
DeleteThat's a steal!
ReplyDeleteI always buy organic baby spinach and organic garlic...the ordinary garlic is from China and is bleached...no thanks. The soy milk we have is organic too.
Jane x
I didn't realize they bleached garlic - yuck!
DeleteI rarely buy organic because I simply cannot afford it. I do purchase at the Farmer's Market May to Oct; their prices are more reasonable and I'm supporting the small farms. But like you, I try to eat healthy.
ReplyDeleteWe have one local farm market that opens here in June that is great like that and we try and go at least once a week when it is open. The last time I was there they were unloading lettuce that had just been cut from the field next to the stand.
DeleteI have alternating opinions at the same time. Obviously we would all like our food grown with minimal chemicals, but I also know what a struggle it is for the farmers. I guess I fall in the middle most of the time and try to find locally sourced whenever possible. Generally if I buy locally the prices are better and they don't have additional chemicals to "hold" them for transportation, plus the onus is on me to process it so they dont have to use waxes.
ReplyDeleteWe try and do that too. Buying whole foods versus processed foods definitely help too.
DeleteGiven the option I'd go for Fair Trade even if it means paying a little more. We haven't had bananas since India, it's apples and oranges for us as the bananas we get here don't even taste like the same fruit. x
ReplyDeleteFair trade is virtually impossible to get here besides coffee, just not identified that way in our stores. With the exception of buying directly from the farmer which we do in the summer at a veggie stand I don't have much hope of that.
DeleteNot sure what organic banana goes for. But regular banana here in North Idaho goes for sixty cent a pound, us dollars.
ReplyDeleteMeat here is expensive mostly beef. a good buy on groundbeef is $3.50 a poound...Coffee is on
Meat here is bloody expensive too. We eat a lot of chicken and fish and red meat only when on sale.
DeleteThere is no way that we could to eat clean. I wish we could but it is way to expensive. I do it like you do and buy it when its on clearance.
ReplyDeleteI even have maximums on each fruit and veggie, if over they stay on the shelf.
DeleteThe things I contemplate buying organic(or just getting from a local farmer)are the Dirty Dozen fruits/veggies.
ReplyDeleteBut if those bananas are cheaper than reg. nanners I say go for it!
I wouldn't worry about something that cost so little anyway....getting deals on the costly foods I eat are where the savings add up.
Enjoy them nanners!
Our fruit and veggies just seem to be going up up up in price here.
DeleteI can't afford "organic" either. I try not to worry about it and tell myself the healthy benefits of lots of produce outweighs the bad.
ReplyDeleteAs long as there are lots of veggies in the fridge you are doing the best you can.
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