Going Organic on a Budget

Welcome to Diet and Fitness Podcast, a free audio podcast sponsored by Diet.com. This is your fit, fun, and fabulous host, Lady Diet, ready to give you the skinny on the latest diet fitness health tips and news.

When someone says the word “organic,” does your wallet cower in fear? Choosing an organic diet and lifestyle usually comes with a hefty price tag. But it doesn’t have to, if you play your cards right!

First, if you’re a little iffy on the whole organic thing, let me fill you in on the benefits of eating natural foods. All farms and foods and other products that are USDA-certified Organic are pesticide and synthetic fertilizer free. There are no genetically modified organisms and irradiation. When you’re eating organic meat, organic means that the animals you’re consuming had outdoor access and weren’t injected with antibiotics and hormones. They ate 100% organic feed.

On the downside, like I said, organic can be more expensive, and not as convenient. So what can you do if you’re on a budget and you still want to go organic? Here are five tips to help you save money.

1) First, branch out from the whole foods section of your supermarket, where all organic foods are most likely overpriced. Search out your local Farmers Market! If you don’t know where one is, try calling your local community newspaper. Farmers Markets are great – not only is most of the produce locally grown – it’s also A LOT cheaper and A LOT fresher. Why buy veggies that have traveled across the world when you can buy some that were picked this morning?

2) Next, buy organics in large amounts to save even more. Going bulk or joining a Buying Club is great, especially if you split your purchases with some friends or even freeze the things you buy for later!

3) If you’re going to buy in bulk, don’t forget to go big on in-season items when you can! Save on money AND taste buy buying the freshest produce when it’s in its prime. If you’re buying berries like strawberries from a local farm, freeze some for later and have delicious organic strawberries ready for cold blended smoothies, strawberry shortcake and more.

4) You can join a co-op grocery store to save money on whole foods. Joining usually requires a membership fee, but the savings on food can be worth it. Volunteer at your co-op store every once and awhile and get additional discounts on your groceries.

5) Finally, be the ultimate organic girl or guy by growing your own! What can taste better than veggies grown from your own garden? Go to any local supermarket or department store like Target this summer to buy seeds. Then, get planting! Start with easy vegetables, like carrots and tomato plants. Get the whole family involved and make it a fun, ongoing summer activity.

Organic is getting more popular by the day and more visible on the shelves of regular grocery stores. Remember that an item has to say 100% Organic to ensure all ingredients are organic. If it doesn’t say 100%, that means that as little as one ingredient is organic while the rest are not.

If you have any comments or suggestions about today’s podcast, or any fun health diet or fitness tip, please feel free to email me at LadyDietPodcast at dietdotcom.

This is Lady Diet, signing off…