How to Eat Organically

With the many different terms that manufacturers place on food you may be confused about how to eat organically.

In order to eat organically, it is important that you understand what organic means.

Organic certification is given by the United States Department of Agriculture to products that are produced under certain conditions. There are several levels of “organic”.

• 100 percent organic – Everything except the salt and water used in manufacturing the food is organic. It cannot have genetically modified foods, chemical fertilizers or pesticides, or even non-organic packaging. The foods cannot be irradiated either.
• Organic - 95 percent organic. Non-organic foods must be from a strict list.
• Made with Organic Ingredients - 75 percent organic

The exception to this is the local farmer who sells less than $5,000 worth of produce a year. Certification, an expensive process, is not required in this case.

Eating organic foods is easier on the environment as well as your body. Conventional farming uses chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides in large amounts. It uses genetically modified seeds that can mix with the seeds of native plants and change them forever. Animals that are conventionally farmed are more likely to be treated inhumanely and injected with growth hormones and antibiotics.

These practices are also hard on the human body. Many of the chemicals are known to cause cancer, thyroid dysfunctions, and other life threatening issues. Knowing how to eat organically will keep a majority of modern toxins out of your body.

Eating organically is really an ongoing process. Exchanging organically grown products for conventionally farmed products a few at a time will help you ease into eating organically as a lifestyle. The biggest reason most people don't eat organic foods is the expense. There are ways you can afford organics on a budget, however.

Most people start by using organic produce rather than conventionally grown produce. This is usually an easy switch, and probably the most important. Although organic produce can be expensive, there are a few ways that you can make it more affordable:

• Grow your own vegetables. Whether you live in an apartment or a country home, there is a way to grow at least some of your own food. Potted fresh herbs on a windowsill, a small container garden, or using edible plants for landscaping plants are all good ideas.
• Buy locally. Local farm stands, farmer's markets and green-thumbed neighbors are all good sources for organic produce. Be sure to ask questions.
• Buy in season. Produce that is in season is generally less expensive than out of season produce that must be shipped long distances.
• Look for pick-your-own farms. By picking yourself you can save money. Again, be sure to ask about chemicals and pesticides that are used if it isn't advertised.

All milk and dairy products seem to be outrageously expensive but organic can run twice the amount of conventional products. To cut costs:

• Look for organic coupons online for dairy products.
• Try to find out when the items are marked down. It is not unusual to be able to find organic milk clearanced for as little as a dollar a gallon in some areas. Safeway/Tom Thumb stores in Texas often do this on Tuesday mornings.
• Is there a small dairy near you or someone locally that has goats or cows? There may be a way for you to trade for milk or buy it outright. You can pasteurize your own milk if you really want to.

Meat is another expensive item. It is more difficult to save money on it than on other items, but there are ways.

• See if there is someone locally that raises organic beef. Sometimes you can purchase a whole beef for much less than when you buy small portions. If it is too much, you can split the cost with a neighbor.
• Watch for sales.
• Check the small independent butcher shops and natural food stores.

These items are rapidly coming down in price as organic food becomes more popular. There are a couple of ways that you can save more.

• Shop online. Amazon for example, offers lower prices than you can find locally on many items. With free shipping also available, this is a great deal.
• Look for coupons.
• Find a local organic food co-op.
• Make food from scratch as much as you can. There was a time when baking cake from a mix was considered laziness.
• Buy in bulk, it is nearly always cheaper that way.

Knowing how to eat organically and stay within your budget is a matter of practice and research. Once you get into the habit, you will find that it is much easier than you thought.

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