Tips for buying healthful, Earth-friendly foods while saving on the high cost of store-bought organics.
With food prices going up dramatically, many environmentally conscious shoppers are finding that organic and natural foods at the grocery store are less affordable. Still, by following a few simple guidelines, you can both reduce your grocery costs and make food choices that are healthy for both you and the planet. Following are 10 ways in which you can buy eco-friendly food on a budget:
Shop the farmers' markets in your area. The fruits, vegetables and other offerings you'll find at a farmers' market are often not only cheaper and fresher than those at a chain supermarket, but more environmentally friendly as well. In fact, many farmers who sell at markets practice agricultural methods that are natural or organic in everything but the label: they've just chosen not to go through the costly and time-consuming process of obtaining official organic status from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Check out the u-pick farms in your region. Pick-your-own farms are not only a bargain, but a great way of stocking up on cannable or freezable produce. Look for berries in the late spring and early summer, tomatoes all summer long, corn in late summer and squash and pumpkins in the fall. You can browse for u-pick farms near your home at PickYourOwn.org. In addition to providing information on pick-your-own destinations across the U.S. and in other countries, the Website also offers picking tips, guides to home canning, recipes and more.
Buy less meat. Beef, chicken and pork are not only expensive, they come with a costly impact on the planet. Livestock farming is feed- and water-intensive, requiring as much as seven pounds of corn to add one pound of weight to a cow. Because most livestock in the U.S. is raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), meat also generates a lot of soil, water and air pollution. Livestock manure alone totals 3.3 trillions pounds each year in the U.S., according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Buy low on the food chain. By choosing fresh beans over a frozen green bean casserole, or several ears of corn over a few cans of creamed corn, you reduce your contribution to the food processing industry, which uses up a lot of energy to produce "convenience" foods you can just as easily prepare yourself. Home cooking doesn't have to be time-consuming, either: with a microwave, you can zap a fresh-baked potato in minutes, and a home bread-maker lets you easily bake several loaves of fresh, warm bread a day, no constant kneading or dough-watching necessary.
Grow your own food. Herbs like basil and parsley are not only incredibly easy to grown, even on a sunny windowsill, but they give your dishes way more flavor than the dried variety you find in stores. Other easy-to-grow fruits and vegetables include tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, watermelon, strawberries, squash and sunflowers.
Buy dry goods in bulk at a local food co-op, bulk foods store or farmers' market. Dried beans, spices, grains, cereals, pastas and nuts are usually cheaper when bought in bulk. Most keep well for months, either in a cool, dark pantry or in your fridge, so it's worth stocking up when you can.
Explore wild, "free" foods in your neighborhood. A whole movement has sprung up in which people are seeking out and finding wild foods that grow naturally in their backyards, forest preserves and parks. These free foods can include anything from apples and nuts to "weeds" like purslane and dandelion, both of which are edible. Just do your homework first to make sure the plants you find are actually safe to eat and haven't been treated with pesticides.
Become your own food processor. Home beer-brewing has been popular for years, but did you know you can also make your own wines, cheeses, preserves and baking mixes? PickYourOwn.org offers guides for making jams, jellies, sauces, salsas, butters and chutneys, and you can learn more about wine- and cheese-making at sites like Grapestompers.com, wikiHow, WineMakerMag.com and Beginning Cheese Making.
Look into bartering. Know a friend or relative whose backyard garden is overflowing with tomatoes or zucchini? Why not strike a deal in which you'll shuttle their children to Little League practice or bake them a few loaves of fresh bread once a week in exchange for some fresh veggies from their garden?
Watch for roadside "specials." Every part of the country sees its occasional itinerant fruit or vegetable vendor set up a roadside stand for a couple of days. If you see one and the price is right, stock up.
The copyright of the article 10 Eco-Friendly Grocery Tips in Green/Simple Living is owned by Shirley Siluk Gregory. Permission to republish 10 Eco-Friendly Grocery Tips in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
