Tips for Saving Money on Organic Produce

A few days ago I wrote about why you should eat organic produce. Here are some tips on how to save money doing so.

Buy What's in Season for Your Area
Not only will in-season produce taste fresher, it's often cheaper. If it's in season, it doesn't necessarily have to be shipped in from great distances or even overseas. Of course, there are some things that can't be grown locally (e.g., bananas) that will always have to be shipped in, no matter the season. Here's a list of seasonal produce by state.

Join an Organic CSA or Co-op
You'll probably have so much produce if you join a CSA or a Co-op you won't know what to do with it! That's why juicing and blending will come in handy. Not only will you receive seasonal produce, you'll get things you may not have thought about buying. It can be fun to plan a meal around something new--great way to stay out of a cooking rut. If you have a CSA in your area, the produce will come from a local farm or farms. A co-op's produce can come from anywhere--just like produce at the store. Here's a searchable directory for the US (and parts of Canada).

Shop Locally
If there's not a CSA/co-op in your area or it's just not for you, check out farmers' markets. Keep in mind that just because it's at a farmers' market it doesn't mean it's local nor does it mean that it's organic.

Use Common Sense
Sure some organic produce can be outrageously expensive. $5 bell peppers! $9 per lb cherries! But that doesn't mean you have to buy it! There are so many things to choose from you probably aren't going to miss that bell pepper.

These were NOT $9 a pound

Buy Frozen
There's nothing wrong with frozen produce--especially if the produce in questions isn't in season. Produce is frozen when it's at it's peak ripeness and full of nutrients. Some nutrients are lost but not as much as with canned. I'd try to eat more fresh than frozen but frozen is better than none at all. Frozen produce is also perfect for green smoothies to keep the foaming to a minimum.

Find Other Stores in Your Area
The large health-conscious grocery store chains such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's aren't the only stores to find organic produce. Theses smaller stores can often be cheaper. In the Dallas area there's Natural Grocers, Sprouts, and Sunflower Market. All of these stores have multiple locations throughout the US. My favorite store for produce is actually Natural Grocers because all of the produce is organic. There are other smaller stores just like those all over.

Grow Your Own
This might sound like a daunting undertaking but it is possible! I'm proof! My husband and I have black thumbs but we've had swiss chard and various peppers in our garden for months and months now! Our herbs didn't do so well...but that's another story. We started with small plants from a local nursery. I don't think we could have done it from seeds. If you don't have much room, you can always do container gardening. Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces is a great book on getting started. Also, talk to your local organic nursery--they will be able to advise you on what grows best for your area and many have classes.

Cheat With the Clean 15
EWG lists 15 fruits and vegetables that are the least contaminated by pesticide, dubbed "The Clean 15". Just make sure you avoid conventionally grown produce from "The Dirty Dozen".

Even with all these money saving tips you might end up paying more for organic. But it's important to remember that what you eat greatly affects your health. And a healthier person spends less on medical care.

Pin It