I really want people to read this post so I’m going to keep these
explanations short.
I do like the eat organic food if I can because:
a) It’s better for the environment if natural
methods are used so no unintentional
wildlife gets killed which could have a dramatic impact on agriculture
b) When multiple pesticides/herbicides are used on
a product they can have a synergistic effect (this means they can make the
effects of the others worse/stronger)
c) Pesticides/herbicides/added antibiotics are
chemicals that our body does not need and as our bodies are already under a lot
of stress I prefer to keep mine as clean/chemical free as possible
d) Organic food can in some cases be more
nutritious, e.g. higher in antioxidants or in regards to meat/ dairy, these have more
beneficial anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats than non-organic versions but may
have a little less iodine in dairy, so monitor your levels at the start if you
make this change:
Other options?
Now I can’t eat organically 100% of the time and sometimes eating your non
organic greens is better than not eating them because you’re waiting to find
them, so If I can’t get organic food then I go with trusted sources. I’ve
contacted and got emails from Tesco and Sainsbury’s saying that they use
pesticides only if the preferred natural methods failed, therefore they'll have some of the cleanest produce.
Also, if it has a thick skin which you don’t
eat then there tends to be less exposure than thin skin options (apples) as the
thick skin provides a barrier e.g avocado, bananas
My finds and buys
All of the below are
organic
Note: I have not been paid by any
of the shops below to do this, I bought them because I felt they were great
value & none were on offer. I’ve highlighted ones in bold that are
actually cheaper than non-organic commonly found versions. I purchased all of
these in stores from Belfast.
Tesco
I got both the hazelnuts and sweet corn from a small Tesco express,
proving it doesn’t always have to be the bigger ones
-150g can Green giant sweetcorn = 68p

-
4 pack kiwis= £1 (cheaper than a 4 pack
of “ripe and ready” ones and same price as buying 4 individual ones)
-290g packet white button mushrooms =90p
-
250g butter salted/unsalted= £1.45 (certain
branded butters of the same quantity aren’t organic & are more expensive!)
-700g bag carrots= £1
-200g tub garlic hummus= £1 (
usually a
deal on for 2 for £1.80 so 2 organic tubs are cheaper than 2 non organic)
-
200g hazelnuts=£2.50 (the non-organic
200g tesco hazelnuts cost £2.80!)
-cartons of beans/chickpeas = 65p
-500g carton passata= 80p
Poundland
-750g bag organic porridge oats= £1
-plain wholegrain rice cakes= £1
Lidl
-1 whole cucumber= 97p
-1 bag of bananas= £1.16 (only 7p more than normal ones sold in the same shop)
-1 bag of carrots= 99p
-750g organic wafer oats= 99p (much
cheaper than branded organic oats)
-500g low fat plain yogurt= 99p
(cheaper than other branded organic 500g plain yogurts & cheaper than some
non-organic greek yogurts)
-4 pack lemons= £1.25
-750g bag onions= 99p
-300g quinoa = £2.49
M&SThese are fab, I can’t even find non-organic green tea this cheap let
alone organic versions!
-1 box (20 teabags) plain green tea=
£1
-1 box (20 teabags) green tea with lemon/jasmine= £1
Other
B&M:
185g Napolina jar green/red pesto= 59p! I
don’t think I can find many pestos this cheap never mind organic ones with a
popular brand such as Napolina
Home bargains: 500ml jar virgin coconut
oil: £3.99 Try to find another version this cheap for this amount, it’s
very hard to do! However, I should point
out that this one is US organic certified & I do prefer EU
certification as they tend to be stricter but still a good find for those
unsure if they’ll like the taste & who don’t want to shell out £10 more for
a branded one
Bottom line: Don't just see the word "organic" and assume expensive, read the price and consider buying it if it's affordable for you, keeping in mind you're helping the environment, organic farmers and your body will love you for it too!
Plus, the more people that buy organically, then the supermarkets will pick up on it & bring in more variety at better prices to compete with the other supermarkets, so spend wisely xxLabels: Advice, Health