How to begin eating organic without spending a fortune

How to begin eating organic

I constantly hear people saying they would love to eat organic, but it’s so expensive. I understand as I’m always watching prices and trying to shop smart myself. From my perspective, if you think eating organic is expensive, try getting really sick and see what that does to your budget! With that in mind, let’s talk about how to begin eating organic. We’ll talk about three foods you can easily switch to begin your organic adventure. They’re items that you probably (or should) eat often, and the organic versions are usually easy to find.

Because a huge fresh salad should always be on the menu, my first suggestion for the switch to organic is “lettuce”. This can be any type of lettuce from romaine to a dark leafy greens mix like mesclun greens and arugula. Dr. Joel Fuhrman, one of my favorite healthy eating gurus, always says “the salad is the main dish”. In my opinion, this takes a lot of pressure off busy people who are juggling life and still trying to eat well. You can have a big plate of greens with cut up tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, nuts, some olives and whatever else strikes your fancy (keep it fresh and not processed!). Add a small amount of protein if you’re a meat or fish eater, and voila! Lunch or dinner is ready in minutes! Drizzle balsamic and olive oil over for salad dressing (it’s cheaper and healthier than the bottled dressings that have tons of hidden sugar…) Here’s my favorite easy salad dressing you can make yourself:

Ingredients

Balsamic Vinegar
Water
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 rounded teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Instructions

Get a Good Seasons salad dressing bottle. Throw away the packet of Good Seasons mix.
There are lines marking the levels of each liquid ingredient.
Shake and you’re done.

Next on the list… apples! Apples are easy to find and are easy to grab for a quick pick-me-up snack. Most people love them, so switching to organic with your apples seems like a no-brainer. Apples are heavily sprayed with pesticides and have the dubious distinction of being number one on the dirty dozen list from EWG (Environmental Working Group). Here’s a quick and easy idea for you… Slice an apple and spread some almond butter on the slices. I love the crunchy almond butter as it adds a great texture to the crunch of the apple. This makes a great snack or even an easy lunch, and kids love it!

Our third candidate for the switch is strawberries. Strawberries are also heavily sprayed with pesticides. As strawberries are a popular fruit with both kids and adults alike, try switching to organically grown berries. Strawberries can be a snack or a dessert; I like to cut them up and put them on my salad for a touch of sweet freshness and also include them in my fresh cut-up fruit with my breakfast.

As you can see, it’s not necessary to change everything you eat to organic all at once; you can begin your organic adventure gradually. Getting started is the most important part, so I encourage you to switch these three food items to organic. It will get you thinking about how the food you eat is grown and will reinforce your decision to have a healthy eating lifestyle!

Helping you achieve Major Wellness in your life!

Cheryl A Major, CNWC