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i'm a vegan who feasts primarily on organic and (lucky for me!) i'm out of work. :( so i started buying non organic coffee and canned foods. the rest was organic.

however, i'll have to put the kibosh on buying anything organic until things really pick up. things aren't THAT dire but i'm considering asking for packaged organic goodies rather than christmas gifts this year. :-o

But it's possible to eat very healthily without the "organic" stamp which is largely meaningless, depending on your state agricultural regulations. Eat in season and local, and you're fine. Frozen veggies are often cheaper and more nutritious than trucked in fresh ones.

^ Palmetto, even though lot of people believe organic foods are healthier to eat, the real reason to buy organic is that it's better for the environment. Many people just see organics as their responsibility to future generations.

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Here's what I do:

Eat less meat. Do treat yourself, though, when you feel like it.

Take advantage of the bulk bins for grains, beans and nuts.

Organic pasta is more expensive than regular, but it's still relatively cheap, and it's versatile.

Use more onions, potatoes, carrots and greens. All of these are usually really cheap, even when they're organic. Sweet potatoes are another good buy.

Other fruits and veggies, as you probably know, will be at their cheapest when they're in season.

If your area has a food co-op, check to see if they have a discount bin of produce which is about to expire. Discounts can sometimes top 50%.

Specialty ingredients can add up. Keep things simple, planning your menus around nutrition and cost. Limit special, more exotic meals to an occasional basis.

Finally, be willing to compromise:

If something is on sale, go ahead and get it, whether it's organic or not. Likewise, if you just can't find a bargain on something you want, treat yourself to it, even if it's conventional.

Organic eggs tend to be affordable, but organic cheese and meats are tough expenses to justify. If organic brands are too expensive, get natural instead. Same with packaged foods like spaghetti sauce.

There's also Freeganism, which I've yet to try but sounds better each day.

I tend to agree with Palmetto.

There are a lot people growing food and raising livestock without chemicals and drugs. But many of them don't want nor can they afford the government to validate that with a stamp of approval that the public is looking for.

As the public looks for that stamp, we've already witnessed the inevitable--that is organic farming synonymous with factory farming, minus the pesticides. You get a little bit of good with a lot of the bad.

btw--just this past Tuesday--big name 4 oz. big name organic blueberries at WF = $4.00 the exact same big name 4 oz. organic blueberries across the street at the commercial grocery store chain = $4.00 for 8 oz.

I try to buy Smart Organic. Certain things like apples and carrots aren't going to be radically different (except in price) just because they're organic. Instead, I buy make the extra expense count by buying products which are dramatically healthier. Top of my list: DAIRY. Cows (and all livestock for that matter) get pumped full of steroids and antibiotics that end up in beef, milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. I'm willing to drop an extra $5-10 at the grocery store knowing all my beef and dairy items are drug-free.

I haven't curbed my organic shopping and continue to do the majority of my grocery shopping at Whole Foods. That's pretty much my only luxury right now. I would have to be in pretty dire straights before I gave up Whole Foods.

I tried to go back to non-organic food, but every meal I made just tasted awful.

When I cook with organic ingredients, I throw away next to nothing. Older vegetables end up in soup or stew.
Definitely buy vegetables in season. Squash is really cheap right now and can be cooked so many different ways.

Luckily, here in San Francisco there are many more options for organic food than Whole Foods.

all these responses are great and smart

do keep eating organic... it will affect the future of how food is produced

what I would add is this:

I still find that I overbuy (optimist) and that still stuff in my kitchen goes unused and goes bad, obviously I can do better

buy less, and more often.... and the stuff will be that much fresher

we'll all be getting smarter from this downturn


thank you to everyone in CA who voted for prop 2 (less cruelty to animals being raised for food)


I still have American urges to buy a lot... it feels abundant.... alas tossing stuff does not


never ending learning curve

ps

visit the supermarkets and see what they are trying to do in the organic dept... be skeptical of course... but encourage them when they do right

some have lines they are developing in that area... my pavilions has "organics" amd also a nice producer of cage free free range eggs...

I take all packaging claims with a grain of salt of course

but I do want to reward effort and .... change.

I may have an unfair advantage, living in the Sacramento valley, but we belong to a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm and pay $17 a box for fresh, local, organic veggies and fruits that lasts 1-2 weeks for two people. This is far less than it would cost to buy organic veggies in the supermarket that may have come from who knows where!

I found our farm using this awesome website: http://www.localharvest.org/