Eating Organic on a Budget: Part 2

I used yesterday to e-a-s-e you into the basics of eating organically on a budget. Today, I'm going to stretch it just a little. Joining a co-op, shopping locally, and growing a garden were among the wonderful suggestions we received, but they weren't the craziest by far. I'm going to save the most extreme suggestion for last!

Today, we're going to go just a bit deeper. After all, eating organically isn't something that happens overnight, is it? Whether you're just starting out on your organic journey, or whether you've been blazing that trail for decades, all of us started somewhere. And I'm going to guess that somewhere didn't include a trip to Whole Foods for every.single.item on the list...at least not the first trip. {smile}

One easy way to save money and still eat organically is to avoid packaged items and make what you can yourself. {Stay tuned for a couple of homemade yogurt recipes!!}

Gem, one of our wise forum friends, pointed out something very important to keep in mind every time you visit the store: Just because a box of Oreos is organic doesn't make it healthy. VERY GOOD REMINDER. My kids in particular seem to think the word 'organic' is a synonym for 'healthy'; and the truth is, it's just not.

Packaged cookies, crackers, cake mixes, and the like can, indeed, be organic. That does give them a benefit over their conventional cousins: Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Zesta, and Betty Crocker. If, however, you rotate that pretty box with the big "ORGANIC" label just 90 degrees and read the nutrition facts and ingredient list, you will certainly find sugar, salt, and a host of other ingredients found in conventional food items.

Making your own snacks, cookies, cakes, crackers, and breads at home gives you the ability to control everything that goes into your food, and subsequently, your body. And, you get the added bonus of paying for real food, not a pretty box or a high-end organic brand name.

Remember, you can take any recipe and make it organic just by buying organic ingredients. If you're an experienced or fearless cook or baker, you can also experiment with your old stand-by recipes to make them dairy-free, gluten-free, yeast-free, or sugar-free. All it takes is a little time and knowing what and how much to substitute.

A few of my favorite sites are listed below. If you're new at all this, I hope these sites will give you a place to jump from. If you're an old pro, I bet these recipes will be excellent additions to your repertoire. {We are a gluten-free family, ergo most of my favorite sites boast GF recipes. If your family isn't GF, either enjoy these recipes anyway or leave us a comment to your favorite DIY snacks, cookies, breads, or cakes.}

Simply Sugar- and Gluten-Free

Silvana's Mousse Cloud Pie from Elana's Pantry

GNOWFGLINS: funny name, seriously good, traditional food

Health, Home, & Happiness

Recipes from Keeper of the Home

P.S. From our family to yours, we pray you have a blessed and exciting Resurrection Sunday!

Written by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Eating Organic on a Budget: Part 1

Recently, I (Lindsey) asked our SCM forum friends for their wisdom. I wanted to know if they did anything really out-of-the-box to eat organically AND pinch pennies. I did get a few wacky suggestions, but I'll try just about anything once.

So, I'm going to start a series on eating organically on a budget. Our friends at SCM (who, by the way, are not affiliated with Penny-wise directly...they just give us super great writing material, which we use with permission) are all health-conscious, money-saving, home-educating mommas who submitted some fabulous tips, which I am excited to share with you.

Here are just a few very BASIC and easy things you can do to cut your grocery costs but not nutrition or quality:

1. Join a co-op. We have several recommended co-ops on our site. See if one delivers to your area or can ship your order to you.
2. Shop local. Find a farmers' market or CSA (community supported agriculture) and invest into your community. With gas prices at over $3.60 across most of the nation, you're paying a high price for those organic apples that came from California or, worse, Chile. 
3. Grow a garden. You don't have to have 10 acres to grow some of your own food. A family in a condo or apartment can grow enough herbs for their family in a few pots on the balcony. If you have a small yard, even better! Plant a couple of tomatoes or strawberry plants in pots in your backyard, or build a raised bed or two and grow some squash, onions, herbs, and jalepenos. If you are interested in growing your own organic produce, you might find www.organicgardening.com helpful. We also recommend Rodale's Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening.

And all that is just the beginning. Keep checking back for more posts in this series.

If you do anything out of the ordinary to eat organically and not break the bank, would you share it with us? We'll do our best to share your tips with the world.

Happy Eating!

Written by Lindsey @ Penny-wise