Un-Processed: Is It More Expensive To Eat Organic and Local?
I don’t go to the grocery store very often anymore. I am lucky to have a variety of year-round farmers markets, local farm stores and independently locally owned markets that sell locally made food available to me. Generally going to the grocery store means that I am really really pressed for time, or desperately need something I can’t get at these stores like paper products. To save on gas, I might pick up some organic staples while I am there and make due for the week with what I have in the pantry and freezer. But I know that not everyone has this variety of Local Love available. So I wanted to talk about how the average person living pretty much anywhere, can eat organic and local and SAVE money.
Many months ago I had such an experience. We were actually still in Florida. I had just stocked up on frozen organic berries for smoothies and some organic meat ( which was on sale) and I was getting all my dairy to make cheese, yogurt and kefir for the week (not a farmers market week). The woman in front of me had her cart, which was not as full as mine, with frozen dinners, boxed lasagna, bags of frozen meals β where you add your own meat, soda and a few organic veggies (she was trying)β enough food for maybe a week of meals. I made sure to take note of her total just for curiosity’s sake. When my cart was rung up, my bill was only $2 more than hers. I had loads of fruits and veggies, grassfed beef, organic meats, frozen organic berries, eggs, dairy and pantry staples β things I would be using over the next several weeks. This really amazed me, because I have been told so often that eating the way we do, is too expensive for the average Joe or Joan. So much so, that I was actually starting to believe it.
This event has stayed with me all these months, and so when Andrew from Eating Rules asked me to guest post for his October: Un-Processed challenge (you can still take the challenge!!!), I enlisted the help of friend, fellow blogger and grocery store resister, Melissa from Alosha’s Kitchen to write a post about how eating locally and organic has reduced the cost of our food bills over a year by about 30-35%!!!
If you want to see how we did it, I suggest popping over to Andrews blog and reading all about it!
Learn how toΒ have fun in the kitchen and support your local community, while feeding your family healthy and nutritious meals that taste WAY better than pre-packaged fodder, for less than the cost of eating every meal out, or takeout, or from the frozen food section! Try it yourself and see what happens! There are several recipes in the post to help get you started! Enjoy and Have FUN!
Rosa - October 21, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Here in Switzerland, markets veggies and fruits are generally cheaper than those you find in supermarkets.
Cheers,
Rosa
Wendy (The Local Cook) - October 21, 2010 at 3:05 pm
I agree! Especially when you can buy directly from farmers, and try to avoid processed things, it is much cheaper.
ValleyWriter - October 21, 2010 at 3:32 pm
I agree that it’s cheaper to eat organic & local as compared to totally processed/prepackaged. But making the switch from conventional, but still “whole” food to mostly organic & local can be a budget stretcher. Still, a lot of the tips you share on Andrew’s blog can help. I’d also offer this tip: Do it slowly! One week, switch from store-bought eggs to local eggs. The next week, add on organic apples instead of conventional ones, etc. I found it takes a little bit of the sting out!
bellini valli - October 21, 2010 at 5:00 pm
If you were to purchase strictly organic fruits and vegetables here your grocery bill would be higher since we already eat no processed foods. I am willing to be convinced however so will head on over to read all about it:D Mt favourite yogurt is over $5.00 so I should be making my own too.
Joan Nova - October 21, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Good article over at Eating Rules. And, btw, am I the “joan”; usually it’s every Joe or Jane. π
Crystal's Cozy Kitchen - October 21, 2010 at 10:16 pm
I’d say there is a spectrum. If you buy totally processed food and pre-made it is about the same as buying organic. For those of us who buy ingredients to cook it is more expensive to buy organic in most cases. Plus there are areas where it is pretty much impossible to buy organic food. The selection in my small town is meager.
elly - October 22, 2010 at 8:57 am
Great article, Jenn. Number 4 is especially helpful to me – we have so many great ethnic markets around that sell quality, authentic food/ingredients for a fraction of the price of a big box grocery store.
Arlene (MOM) - October 22, 2010 at 11:27 am
Well you certainly proved that point. Save and be healthier!! Good deal.
Cate O'Malley - October 22, 2010 at 11:27 am
Love that you’re addressing this. This year, I made the shift to clean eating, eliminating near all processed foods from our kitchen, and while sometimes it *feels* like it’s more expensive to be better to your body, with proper planning, it doesn’t have to be.
lisaiscooking - October 22, 2010 at 2:57 pm
It’s amazing how expensive frozen food is! This is a great look at an issue that confuses a lot of people.
kat - October 22, 2010 at 3:03 pm
When you are cooking for two like us we also find that we can buy an ingredient like one butternut squash at the farmers market for less than $2 & use it in 4 different meals.
Stella - October 22, 2010 at 4:06 pm
I’m sometimes shocked at how inexpensive certain organic foods are lately. There are certainly high ticket organic items, but I’ve found that certain foods are so healthful and inexpensive as well. Ooh, and I’m sure I’m saving money over those who buy microwave meals and eat out a lot-no doubt! Great write up, Jenn. I’ll visit Andrew now…
Angela@spinachtiger - October 26, 2010 at 8:29 am
Jen, I love your continued inspiration for eating right. My neighbor used to roll his eyes at me all the time. He is young and got a really really bad report from doctor re: cholesterol, etc. Now he is lecturing me. It’s so funny. Like a blind fold came off for him. I’m much older than him and got a great report. I still haven’t gotten him to our farmer’s market, but I bring him produce to cook.
Joanne at Frutto della Passione - October 26, 2010 at 10:11 am
What I love about where we live is that we are a short drive from so many farms and co-ops where we can buy all kinds of goodness straight from the farmer and so many now are striving to obtain *Biodynamic* certification – which is just that extra step beyond organic. Wish I had known all this when I was in college – spent way too much money on processed garbage back then.