Organic On a Budget

Keeping an organic home is fairly easy with so many grocery stores now offering clean food; however keeping an organic home on a budget – now that’s another story.  I decided to switch us over to a mostly organic and soy free home after listening to Jillian Michael’s podcasts during my commute to LA.  Once we moved to LA it seemed like a great time to start fresh so I made the switch as I had heard enough scary stuff to make anyone run to their local Whole Foods. 

Here are a few ways that I’ve cut costs while ensuring that our bellies are full on non toxic food:

Buy store brand organics – Whole Food’s 356 brand is one of my favorites!

Shop around – Certain items are cheaper to buy organic at Pavilions while others are cheaper at Sprouts.  Be willing to shop at multiple stores to get the best deal.

Buy in Bulk – We eat oatmeal for breakfast nearly every day.  Buying this item in bulk from Sprouts saves us tons of dough in the long run.

Know the dirty dozen – Even if you can’t afford to be fully organic at the moment, splurge on organic for the dirty dozen. http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/

Go meatless 1-2 nights per week – Amy’s makes some great soups that can be paired with a grilled cheese sandwich or eaten on their own.  I’ve also really taken to chili.  Utilize other protein packed foods such as legumes and quinoa as the meal base a few nights a week and you will feel the difference in your wallet.