Savvy Shopping for Organic Foods

Organic foods generally cost more. So changing to an organic lifestyle might seem to be a question of luxury: Can the food budget accommodate the additional expense, particularly in a place like the Bay Area, where housing costs gobble up most of a household’s budget?

But it doesn’t have to be a good food vs. affordable food type of equation. In fact, healthier eating can also maintain a healthier pocketbook.

Nutritional consultant Nori Hudson says that many people aren’t sure what good, wholesome food is, and that lack of intimate knowledge keeps them at a disadvantage when they shop for food. “Before the end of World War II, 80 per cent of people grew up on farms. Today, fewer than 2 per cent grow up on farms, and that 2 per cent grows food for the entire United States, as well as overseas markets.”

That rapid change in American culture has created a population disconnected from food production, and therefore, lacking basic knowledge about the food they buy. She credits much of our current over-reliance on fast food and microwavable meals on that gap. “Not only do they not cook, but they also don’t shop for whole foods.”

By shopping for organic, whole foods, Hudson says that we can feed ourselves foods that are more nutritious. That in itself can cut the food budget, as healthier foods discourage overeating. Foods that have had much of the nutritional value processed right out of them can push us into a cycle of overeating to get the nutrients we crave. “We can have an addiction to food as a result of not getting all the nutrients from the food that we should,” she explains.

Another money-saving practice she considers is the use of vitamin supplements. “Food first, then supplements,” she admonishes, favoring organic, unprocessed foods with more nutrients in favor of vitamins. In addition to saving money, dyes, preservatives, or other artificial additives are avoided as well.

Lastly, Hudson advises organic food shoppers to head to their local farmers market first. This offers several benefits. First, Hudson says that the best way to avoid additives — dyes, preservatives, and fertilizer and antibiotic residues, for example — is to purchase food that is locally grown. “It [the addition of preservatives and other food additives] isn’t going to stop until we get back to getting food nearby,” she says.

In addition, Hudson notes that farmers’ markets typically have organic food that is cheaper than the food found at supermarkets and organic grocery stores. “Go to the farmers market, get to know the people there, get to know what they grow,” she advises.

As for what you’ll be missing, Hudson says it’s largely the food additives your body doesn’t know or like anyway. “The body doesn’t know herbicides, pesticides, preservatives, and dyes,” she says.

For more information, contact Hudson at nmhudson@pacbell.net.