Organic for every man!

If you can afford to, buying every, single, thing organic is ideal. But for most of us on a budget, that is not in any way a possibility. Shopping on a shoe-string doesn’t mean you can’t purchase high-quality organic produce. I’ve taken the time to do some research and what I’ve come up with is this:

· There are 12 fruits and vegetables that we should all aim to buy organically. These are considered the dirty dozen. The good news is, however, that I have some tips on how to purchase these foods without breaking the bank.
· If possible, buy frozen. These vegetables are frozen right at the peak of their ripeness, and are as nutritious as fresh (sometimes even more so, since they haven't been on a plane from Ecua-cali-venez-ico). Whole Foods offers amazing value in their 365 brand of frozen vegetables, as does Trader Joe's.
· Fruits with thick skins and peels can be bought conventionally grown. Which is great for us here in Boston. I go over to Haymarket and purchase beautiful navel oranges (don't be put off if they're not as NEON orange as you're used to...Sunkist and other brands actually dye them) for 4/$1.00. This way, I can eat oranges all week long for $3.

scrimpyTips for buying "dirty dozen" produce:

Peaches: available frozen organic at WF.
Apples: WF usually has a variety on sale at least twice a month for $1.29-$1.49/lb. I buy a few lbs. of whatever is on sale, and chop and freeze what I don't use.
Sweet Bell Peppers: WF stocks organic frozen versions of these, but they don't really replace fresh. You're better off buying these in season at the store fresh, and they will be a little pricey, sorry.
Celery: Celery is already so cheap that buying it organic will cost you about twice as much, but that's still not even a lot. However, TJs has a *much* better price for it than WF.
Nectarines: I'd just sub. frozen peaches since I haven't seen frozen nectarines.
Strawberries: Great price on these frozen @ TJs, $2.29 for a 12 oz. bag.
Cherries: I would suggest buying in season and saving these for a special occasion.
Pears: Shop WF for occassional sales.
Grapes: Buy organic raisins @ TJs for the antioxidants ($2.39/1 lb bag). Otherwise, buy them on sale and in season fresh.
Spinach: Buy @ TJ (cheaper) or WF organic frozen ($2.19). Works just as well in pretty much all recipes except for salads. Make sure to drain it before use.
Lettuce: TJs has 3-pk organic romaine hearts for a great deal - $2.79.
Potatoes: Again, TJs leads the race with a 4lb organic yukon gold bag for $3.99

So, there you have it. My recommendations for eating the "dirty dozen" on a budget. As far as I'm concerned, these should be bought organic no matter how much money you allow for your grocery budget. When you buy frozen, they can be very affordable.

As for everything else going forward, I try to purchase and use organic. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. So bear with me. Everything I give the baby is organic, most of the stuff I give myself is, too ;).