How to Eat Organic on a Budget
Hi! My name is Shelby, and I am a real fan of organic food. Many people believe that being green is too expensive. Sometimes the price of organic products is twice more than that of goods made synthetically. But everything depends on what, when, and where to buy. Today I would like to persuade you that it is possible to eat organic without paying extra money. I will give you some tips which I have already tried.
Be Your Own Farmer
There is no doubt that the best products are those which are grown by you. It does not mean that you have to buy a private house with a large garden to eat organic. It will be enough to grow at least some herbs and vegetables. Be sure it is worth your efforts.
Actually, it costs a pretty penny to buy some herbs, especially in winter. Why not try to grow them at home? You can quickly transform your balcony or even windowsills into the real garden. Be sure seeds cost considerably less compared with already grown herbs. What is more, you can find many ways of making all necessary tools out of materials at hand. For instance, I use old cans instead of pots and egg boxes instead of planters.
Get Used to Buying in Bulk
It is commonly known that buying in bulk is much more beneficial than at retail. Many people say no to this advantage because they don’t know what to do with such a large number of products. Indeed, everything is rather simple. Buy in bulk those products which have a long shelf life, for instance, pasta, rice, sugar, salt, flour, dried fruit, and vegetables, etc. Some fresh vegetables can also be bought in bulk, for example, potatoes, onions, garlic.
A perfect idea is to buy meat in such a way. You can cut it into smaller portions and put them in the freezer. Then just take a necessary amount of meat, defrost it and cook whenever you wish. The same is possible with different berries such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, etc.
Buy Only in Season
Every product has its peak season. Its price in that period is the cheapest. Therefore, try to catch a moment and buy products as affordable as possible. Then you can freeze some portions to use during the period when prices are too high. Organic food can also be sold in the frozen form. It is cheaper and has the same taste after defrosting.
Try to Eat Less Meat
It is rather difficult to save money by buying organic meat. It is costly, but, undoubtedly, the quality is worth it. You can save a little only if you eat less meat. It does not mean that you should become a vegetarian. There are a lot of delicious recipes where meat is combined with garnishes and a significant number of vegetables. Don’t focus only on meat while cooking.
If you cannot imagine your life without meat, try to buy cheaper parts, for instance, belly or shoulder. It takes more time and effort to cook them, but the result will definitely pay off. The taste of those parts is not worse and sometimes even better than the feeling of a fillet, tenderloin, and other expensive parts.
Take a Lunch to the Office
It is rather fashionable to visit organic cafes or restaurants at lunchtime. If you have a lot of money and no desire to cook yourself, it can be a perfect idea. The prices in such places usually are incredibly high. Therefore, it is better to think in advance and take some food from home.
For this purpose, I bought a unique thermos designed by The Chestnut company. Since that moment, I have forgotten about wasting money on dishes from organic cafés. It has a lot of advantages:
- The thermos can keep a high temperature for two hours;
- The products can be kept cold for four hours;
- It will serve for an extended period since it is made of stainless steel;
- The thermos doesn’t leak if you close it properly.
Their design is so cool that even my children take such thermoses to school and eat there healthy organic food instead of pizza and hamburgers.
Try Not to Waste Products
The main reason why we spend so much money on products is that we don’t use them properly. For instance, people can buy a lot of vegetables and just not manage to eat them all. It is better to buy in smaller portions but more often than just throw them away in a few days. If you have a lot of goods in the freezer, eat at first those ones who are older. Don’t let products lay there for many months.
Follow all these tips, and you will see that it is possible to eat organic on a budget.
- Alina Tsyhliar