Let's Eat Organic! In Season and Out -

My family and I have been trying to switch as much as possible to all natural and organic. It is a bit overwhelming when you think of all the food that is out there to choose from. So I thought in order to make things easier for me when I shop I would compile a list of foods that are best to eat Organic while others are better to eat All Natural and then of course there are the foods that you just can't really get around or may be okay to eat. So to get started this is the Organic portion. For a good article click here.

I used to shop mainly at Aldi's and supplementing at Meijers with a an occasional Wal-Mart thrown in. But I have to admit that I have a problem. When I go to the big superstores I get myself in trouble and end up spending WAY too much money because I always "wander" over to the other sections that do not pertain to groceries and always find something that I "need". So recently I have decided that I'm going to start shopping at Krogers for a few reasons. (when I'm in Maryland with Hubby I love Martin's - they have a HUGE Natural/Organic food section and I could just get lost in there). So here are my reasons for shopping Krogers when home:

• It is not a superstore so I'm there to buy groceries and groceries only (with an occasional seasonal item that they have in the center of the store)


• It has a GREAT selection of Organic and Natural Foods (and they take coupons-check out the different manufacturer websites-try to buy on sale and use your coupon). They have fresh, frozen (incl. Ezekiel Bread), and packaged.


• They are comparable in price to Meijers and sometimes cheaper


• They don't mind using your bags (I bring my cloth grocery bags when I shop) and they give you $.03 OFF your grocery bill (that is like using a 3 cent coupon each time you supply your own bag)

Here are the top 10 things to switch to Organic due to highest amount of pesticides (and all the other ...cides):

1. Beef, chicken and pork (some sites will tell you that going all natural will still give you pesticide free and the meat will be more tender)


2. Dairy products: Milk, cheese and butter (I found recently Aldi's carries it once in a while for $1.99 a half gallon but when Aldi's is out then Kroger's brand had it on sale 2 weeks ago and this week also for $2.99 a half gallon. I have found it hard to find butter and cheese that is not cottage cheese that is Organic. 2 weeks ago when I went to Kroger's for the first time to shop in over a year I found that they had a pretty good selection.)


3. Strawberries, raspberries and cherries (Krogers had a pretty good produce selection-Meijer's is very small)


4. Apples and pears (Krogers had a pretty good produce selection-Meijer's is very small)


5. Tomatoes (can we say ketchup?)


6. Spinach and salad greens (Meijer and Kroger have a good selection)


7. Coffee (I try to Organic and Fair Trade)


8. Potatoes (Meijers and Krogers both had a good selection)


9. Stone fruits: Peaches, nectarines and apricots (really not sure who has the best selection)


10. Grapes (I have yet to find good grapes that are sweet and won't cost me half a paycheck :)


11. Celery (bought this 2 weeks ago and found I liked the taste better)


12. Peppers (capsicums), green and red (Krogers had a pretty good produce selection-Meijer's is very small)

For an extra saving of money, because as you know Organic is costly, buy produce in season. Here is by month what is in season:

January
oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, tangelos, lemons, papayas, cabbages: red, white and green; leeks, broccoli, cauliflower
February
oranges, tangelos, grapefruit, lemons, papayas, broccoli, cauliflower
March
pineapples, mangoes, broccoli. lettuce
April
pineapples, mangoes, zucchini, rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus, spring peas, broccoli, lettuce
May
cherries, pineapples, apricots, okra, zucchini, rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus, spring peas, broccoli, lettuce
June
watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, cherries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, corn, lettuce
July
watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, apricots, kiwi, raspberries, plums, cucumbers, tomatoes, summer squash, corn, green beans, lettuce
August
watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, apricots, kiwi, raspberries, plums, cucumbers, corn, eggplant, tomatoes, summer squash, green beans, lettuce
September
grapes, pomegranates, persimmons,eggplants, pumpkins, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce
October
cranberries, apples, pomegranates, grapes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, winter squash, broccoli, spinach, lettuce
November
cranberries, oranges, tangerines, pears, pomegranates, persimmons, pumpkins, winter squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach
December
pears, oranges, tangelos, grape fruit, tangerines, papayas, pomegranates, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower

Always a Good Deal - bananas, potatoes, celery

To help with cost try growing your own (we plan to have our own garden this summer - see post here - and use natural organic fertilizer from our own compost pile and all natural bug deterrent). If you can't grow your own try your local farmers market or a local farm that delivers (we have one near us that sells Organic and delivery is included in the cost).

Well that is all I have today-Blessings to all and I hope that this helped.