What is the Definition of Organic?
Organic food is all the rage lately. But is it worth the extra cost to buy organic food products? What does the word “organic” really mean anyway? The website Organic.org gives this definition …
“Simply stated, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Organic animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.”
That site is dedicated to educating people about “the benefits of organic agriculture, food and products”. So they should know a thing or two about what organic really means.
Just for comparison’s sake, let’s check out the organic definition from another reliable source. In the US, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is in charge of government policy on forestry, farming, agriculture and food. That esteemed organization offers this lengthy definition …
“Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled “organic,” a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards.”
As you can see, the absence of pesticides, sludge, ionizing radiation, synthetic ingredients and fertilizers is present in both of those organic definitions. Organic food is defined as free of growth hormones and antibiotics, and any type of bio-engineering or genetic modifications in both cases as well.
Put another way, organic food is “clean” and as natural as possible, minimizing human interaction or influence.
The USDA breaks down its organic food labeling with 3 subdivisions:
- 100% organic – this is food which contains 100% organic ingredients, and 0% non-organic food.
- Organic – at least, and possibly more than, 95% of this food’s makeup is from totally organic ingredients.
- Made with organic ingredients – at least 70% organic material. The rest of the ingredients used can not come from genetically modified organisms, and there are other strict guidelines which are applied.
Other countries have different definitions. In all cases, organic food is going to be closer to its original, natural state than food which does not carry this label.
Can You “Go Organic” on a Limited Budget?
Organic food is more expensive than non-organic food products 10 times out of 10.
That is because the supply of organic food is nowhere near the recent demand. It is also generally more expensive to grow organic foods. Labor costs increase because fertilizer cannot be used. Currently, the sales and distribution chain for most organic products is not as efficient as it is with traditional foods.
There is also an annual inspection fee (which runs from $400 to $2,000 per year in the United States) that companies must pay to receive the organic label. All of these things mean the word organic on your food label is a sign that you are going to pay more than you are probably used to for that particular type of food.
Having said that, it is still possible to eat organically on just about any budget.
Now you know exactly what organic means, and some of the many reasons why it is more expensive than the foods you are used to eating. Throughout the rest of this special report, you will discover what organic foods to focus on and which to avoid, as well as plenty of tips for going organic on even the tightest budget.
What are the Clean 15?
The Environmental Working Group (located at EWG.com) publishes an updated list of the “Clean 15” foods every year. This tells you exactly which foods were raised and harvested using the least amount of pesticides. This list changes slightly each year, and in 2015 contains the following healthy foods.
Clean 15 2015 (Print this list and keep it handy when shopping)
- Avocados
- Sweetcorn
- Pineapples
- Cabbage
- Frozen Sweet Peas
- Onions
- Asparagus
- Mangoes
- Papayas
- Kiwi
- Eggplant
- Grapefruit
- Cantaloupe
- Cauliflower
- Sweet Potatoes
Avocados are at the top of the 2015 Clean 15 list because they have been found to contain the least amount of pesticides of all produce (in 2015). Sweet potatoes just barely made it onto this healthy list, but all 15 of those foods can be considered safe and healthy, much cleaner than others.
Bear in mind that of all the 2015 avocados tested by the EWG, just 1% showed any detectable level of pesticides. On the other end of the spectrum, 61% of cantaloupe had no proof of pesticides, as well as 80% of papayas and 82% of Kiwi. 89% of the pineapples tested showed some trace of pesticides.
Some nutritionists and health professionals believe that purchasing the Clean 15 can be done without paying more for organic products. Their production, harvesting and marketing is so clean that the differences between organic and non-organic Clean 15 foods is minimal. At least, that is the argument that has been made for some years now.
The EWG also keeps you informed as to what foods are on the other side of this scale. Let’s take a look at the 12 foods you should definitely buy organic every time, to limit your exposure to pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
The Dirty Dozen – More than Just a Great Movie
The EWG has smartly come up with catchy titles so you can remember what foods are clean and not so clean. That health conscious consumer awareness group each year, points out the 12 “dirtiest” foods that you will find in your produce section. They call this list of The Dirty Dozen (not to be confused with the excellent 1967 MGM movie starring Lee Marvin).
In The Dirty Dozen movie, Marvin is assigned a top-secret mission. Turn a small unit of ex-soldier convicts into an elite fighting team. They are guaranteed that if any of them survive a suicide mission geared towards wiping out several high-ranking German officers, they will be given their freedom and allowed to return to active duty.
At some point in the film, Lee Marvin’s character refers to his group of 12 outcasts as “the dirty dozen”. At one point they refused to shave or bathe, protesting their living conditions. Thus the very apropos name.
And dirty they were, as are the 12 pesticide covered foods that make up the 2015 Dirty Dozen.
Dirty Dozen 2015 (Print this list and keep it handy when shopping)
- Apples
- Peaches
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Celery
- Spinach
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Cucumbers
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Imported Snap Peas
- Potatoes
Apples maintain a place on The Dirty Dozen every year. That is because they have lots of natural enemies, and more pesticides have to be used to ward off bugs, insects and other hungry critters.
This list reads just like the Clean 15, but in reverse order.
Apples are dirtier than celery, which is not as clean as potatoes. There are a couple of points to note here. A full 99% of apple samples used by the EWG for testing, 98%of peaches and 97% of nectarines showed positive for at least 1 pesticide residue. Potatoes were the dirtiest by weight of any produce.
When shopping, you are strongly recommended to choose organic varieties of The Dirty Dozen, or to wash your produce extremely well before cooking and eating.
10 Organic Shopping Tricks for Saving Money
Remember earlier when we introduced the Clean 15?
If you recall, we revealed that there are a lot of people who believe the Clean 15 is so clean that the foods on this list do not have to be designated as organic for you to safely consume them. That is one way for you to save money when you shop for organic food, which kicks off the following list of 10 budget friendly organic shopping tips:
- When you purchase any foods that are on the Clean 15 list, save a few bucks and buy non-organic. The difference in food quality is minimal.
- Do not depend solely on the organic section of your big box grocery store. You will usually spend more than if you buy organic produce from some other source.
- Shop around for the best price. You can buy organic products at local specialty shops, health food stores, delis, farmers markets, vending machines, convenience stores and community sponsored agricultural programs.
- Buy locally grown foods. When your organic food doesn’t have to be shipped across country to reach you, shipping costs don’t drive up the price.
- Use the Internet. Even after considering shipping, some Internet organic food suppliers can get healthy products to you cheaper than if you buy them locally. You also often times get free shipping and other rewards when your purchase is over a minimum amount.
- Join your favorite organic food company’s email list and social media accounts. You are often rewarded with coupons and money-saving deals. For instance, when you join Nutiva’s facebook page you receive a coupon good for $10.
- Type “organic coupon sites” into your favorite web browser. There are dozens and dozens of sites which do your coupon clipping for you.
- Buy in bulk. Even organic foods cost less when you buy in larger packages, most of the time.
- Split your costs with the group. When purchasing an entire organic animal, or a huge bulk lot of organic produce, it is budget friendly when you share the cost with others.
- Join the loyalty programs for your local grocery stores. This can save you anywhere from 1% to 10% on your organic food purchases over time.
Organic Cooking Tips for Saving Money
Once you get your organic food home and begin to prepare it, you can extend your savings. This means remembering the following tips for preparing, cooking and storing organic foods to maximize every dollar that you spend.
- Keep organized. Plan your meals out ahead of time, eating those foods which you know you can get on sale.
- Make your own food instead of buying it. Buy the organic components to make your own smoothies, juices, kale chips and granola bars at home, instead of purchasing them at the retail level.
- Purchase the book “Wildly Affordable Organic: Eat Fabulous Food, Get Healthy, and Save the Planet–All on $5 a Day or Less”. It is available at Amazon in print and digital format, and you can instantly download the Kindle e-book version for just $9.99.
- Understand portion sizes. The human body cannot process more than about 4 ounces of meat per meal. So there is no need to prepare meat serving sizes of more than 4 ounces.
- Get a big freezer. This allows you to buy local produce that is in season at a lower cost in bulk and save it for later. The frozen organic produce at your favorite grocer is also probably less expense than its fresh cousins.
- Skip the Starbucks. Retail coffee and tea is ridiculously expensive in many cases. Make your own organic tea and coffee at home.
Grow Your Own
Is it possible for you to grow an organic garden in your backyard? What if you live in an apartment? What exactly is required for you to grow your own organic food products? Those are just a few questions you may have been thinking about if you are considering lowering your organic food costs by growing your own garden.
First off, you need to consider your soil. You can purchase a home testing kit for your soil. Some local agricultural extension offices or organizations will also test your soil for free. If you can, test your dirt in the fall, and add any organic nutrients before cold weather hits.
Add compost, grass and leaves clippings and manure to your soil (preferably manure from local animals that are organically raised). If the manure has not been composted, weight at least 2 months before planting anything in your soil. You can build your own compost and make the perfect soil for organic gardening.
Choose your plants according to the USDA Hardiness Zone information (readily available online). This ensures your plants will be as healthy and long-lasting as possible. Check your local farmers market or bizarre, and turn to the Internet for convenient organic seed purchases.
If you have limited space plant indeterminate tomatoes, old-fashioned pole beans, zucchini, Swiss chard and snow peas or sugar snaps. The way these plants grow and are harvested leads to a maximum return of organic food from a limited space.
A recent search on Amazon for the phrase “organic gardening” returned 1,820 Kindle e-book results. 968 of those were e-books available for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers. This is a no-cost way to save money by growing your own organic garden and quickly learning the entire process.
Other Money-Saving Tips to Fund Your Organic Lifestyle
In the previous examples we pointed out ways you can go organic on a budget. But all of them involved some aspect of buying, cooking, storing or growing organic foods. The following 7 tips may just open your eyes to some income streams that can fund your healthy, organic diet plan.
Hit Ebay, Amazon and Craigslist
The World Wide Web is an amazing piece of technology. It connects everyone, everywhere, as long as they have an Internet connection. So why not clean out the attic and have a virtual garage sale?
That old exercise bike you don’t use anymore could fetch some much-needed organic grocery buying money. Clothes you have not worn in years, consumer electronics, furniture, cars and boats are all sold on the Internet all the time. Consider unloading some of your unused “junk” as an extra revenue stream, because there is someone out there right now that considers it “treasure”.
Break Out the Pen and Paper
Everyone should have a defined budget each month. But unfortunately, financial experts say that as few as 2 or 3 out of every 10 adults actually keep track of their incoming and outgoing finances on a monthly basis.
Start recording each and every purchase you make, as well as all incoming cash flow. This will help you develop and adhere to a monthly budget. You just may find there is plenty of “wasted” money you could redirect toward organic purchases.
Give a Class
Everyone knows a lot about something. Are your friends always telling you that you are so smart about one particular thing? Do you have a lifelong passion or hobby? If so, give a class on that subject.
A lot of people will pay to hear a passionate expert talk about an interest that they want to learn more about. And think about this … why not give a class on going organic on a budget? Organic eating is hot right now, and you could just turn your new interest into a nice paying sideline that helps others live a healthy lifestyle.
Conclusion
The bottom line is this – you can do just about anything you want if you do 4 things:
1 – Do your research.
2 – Develop a smart game plan.
3 – Stick to that plan.
4 – Relentlessly persevere, no matter what.
That 4 step process can be applied to many areas of your life when you want to achieve something. That includes adopting an organic diet.
Do all of the possible research, investigating every aspect of organic gardening, shopping and eating. Take all of that information, sit down with your budget and available funds, and develop a game plan that makes sense. Stick to that plan, no matter what.
And remember, you may encounter speed bumps on your path to going organic on a limited budget. Prices may go up. Your local access to organic food might disappear. You may lose your job or primary source of income.
However, none of those things matters to someone who really wants a particular outcome. To enjoy the incredible health benefits of eating healthy, natural foods, use the above tips and your personal budgetary restraints won’t keep you from going organic.
