Organic 'Aint Cheap!

   After months of consideration, we have decided to transition into eating organic. The health risks and long term affects of eating processed foods that have been enhanced with chemicals, hormones and other dangerous things are far more scary to me than a slightly larger grocery bill each month. Having said that, eating 100% organic is expensive. I mean really expensive. Here's a brief run down of my trip to the grocery store yesterday:

  Produce: Most organic produce is about a $1/lb. more than non-organic fresh produce. Gala apples were $2.99/lb vs. $1.99/lb, sweet potatoes were $1.85/lb vs. $.99/lb. This small difference I can handle. Keep in mind, the organic selection is much smaller - unless you go to a Whole Foods. I was only able to get about half of our produce in the organic section. But it's a good start. Deli: The deli meats and cheeses made by Publix are a few dollars less per pound than Boars Head, but the quality of meat is worth the money. Boars Head meats and cheeses are all natural and gluten free. We made the switch starting with BH traditional roast turkey breast, top round roast beef and white American cheese.
   Meat: HAH! This is where I had trouble. The cost of organic meat is out of this world. The average price for boneless, skinless chicken breast at Sam's Club or at Publix on sale is $1.79-$2.99/lb. The price for organic chicken breast.....$11.99/lb!! I passed on the chicken. I just can't afford to buy everything organic right now. Not sure if we ever could. The good news is that our freezer is full of "organic" red meat and pork from hunting season so we only need to buy chicken. I'll be checking out Whole Foods for their poultry prices. Sheesh!

   Dairy: It was what I expected. A few dollars more for organic eggs, milk and yogurt. Regular eggs are about $1.89 per dozen and organic were $3.99. But the hormones they put in dairy cows, and beef cows for that matter, are really dangerous. So we splurged on organic dairy. I also found this awesome dessert option - all natural frozen yogurt sandwiches made by Jala. They come in vanilla and chocolate, 6 sandwiches for $4.29, compared to Publix half gallon of ice cream for $4. Not too bad!
   Other changes: We switched from Splenda to Stevia, which is a natural zero calorie sweetener from the stevia extract. None of that nasty aspartame. Remember this is a transition, so we are not 100% organic. But we will suppliment our diet with whole wheat items like oatmeal, cereals, breads and pastas. They even make a low-carb, whole wheat tortilla for wraps!
   With a huge goal for saving money this year, adding organic items to our cart and balancing the grocery budget will be tricky.
 ***Something marketed as "organic" must be approved by the USDA as such and will have a stamp on it. Items marketed as "all natural" might not be certified organic and therefore not as expensive, but still a healthier option than regular processed food items.