Let’s Talk About It!: Green Food at Grocery Store Prices
Green Options member Jeroenla has a question that's probably crossed many of our minds:
My heart is on the right place: I want to save the planet
I would love to eat only bio-meat (no, I am not going to be a vegetarian), eko-eggs and all that stuff, but seriously: how can you guys afford to do so?
When I am in the store, I can buy "conventional" food or eko, but the eko-stuff is always at least THREE times as expensive!
Sure, I wouldn't mind paying a bit more for "decent" food, but three times more… If I would pay that, I would need to take an extra job, and stop doing everything else I do: the money simply isn't there.
I found one shortcut for the vegetables: we now rent a 140 sq.metre patch of land on which we grow food, but that too isn't cheap (tools, seeds, all the other materials etc).
So, I am curious, how do others, who don't earn loads of money, do that?
Liam has suggested wholesale; I've mentioned farmer's markets. What other suggestions do you have about ways Jeroenla can eat green without breaking the budget? Let her know… others are probably interested, also…
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:37 pm
In the last year, my family has started supporting a local food co-op called Fresh Abundance. They actually deliver a box of fresh organic/local produce to our door. It costs $35, which is quite comparable to what we would pay in the store for the same amount of food. Since there are only two of us in the house, we have it delivered every other week instead of every week; and it costs $35 per delivery. This particular organization attempts to keep their prices low, because they actually want people to eat healthier - they’re not just trying to make money. It has the added benefit of encouraging us to eat more produce, too. I have seen on their web site that they can deliver far more than just fruits and vegetables.
You could check and see if there’s something like this in your community.
March 3rd, 2007 at 12:39 am
Organic isn’t always the most eco choice. Local is almost always better. The less miles your food travels, the better. To echo Jeff, farmer’s markets are ideal. You actually see the person who grew your food. Eating seasonal is a good green choice, and cheaper, too.
Also, you don’t have to be a vegan to make an impact. Just increase your amount of meatless meals. Industrial meat production is a huge eco no-no. Beans and tofu are cheap and lower on the food chain.
I think you’ll start to see more organics, at a lower price, at your local grocery store as opposed to Whole Paycheck. There’s a demand.
For me, it sucks to get the huge grocery bill, but the more I read about industrial food and its impact on our environment and our communities, the more I feel okay about spending that money. If you really want to be convinced, read Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma or The Food We Eat: Why Our Food Choice Matter. Just being conscious in our food choices is the first step.
March 3rd, 2007 at 1:01 am
I've wondered how to make my buck go farther with organics, too. One great option I found is a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA) in my neighborhood. I pay $90 total for 9-10 weeks of fresh, organic vegetables, herbs and flowers grown by junior high kids in my neighborhood. I pick up a bag from them once a week and recipes are always included. You can find more info on CSAs here: http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/csa/csa.shtml
March 3rd, 2007 at 4:58 am
All of the above ideas are great. Here's one more: Eat out less!
Eating out just a couple of times a week can cost a lot of extra money. You can use the money you save towards all that yummy but sometimes more expensive eco-food.
Eating home-cooked meals gives you the added advantage of knowing where all the ingredients came from.
Oh, and my wife would kill me if I don't include this: Reconsider your stance on going vegetarian. I know there's a ton of social stigma involved, but a plant-based diet is as good for you (check out The China Study) as it is good for the planet. It's also easy. As I've been known to say, it's 100 times easier to give up meat than to give up smoking. It's more like switching to decaf, in my experience. Plus, it basically forces you to experiment with new foods, which is almost always rewarding. Most importantly for our purposes here, meatless meals are usually way cheaper.
If nothing else, take Kelli's advice and go meatless as often as possible.
March 4th, 2007 at 4:15 am
Another thought is to cut down on the amount of packaged foods. I once spent $50 a week to feed myself, with the ice cream, cereal, tomato sauce, canned soup, and all the rest.
Now I make everything from scratch using veggies I get at the farmers market. I spend about $30 per week on veggies, which allows me to splurge on raw milk and organic butter. It also feels great to be eating such fresh foods.
March 30th, 2007 at 8:10 am
Thanks for the replies guys, quite some tips in their that are workable…
one thing though…
I am not a her
To continue, I am quite surprised with some tips… the “eat out less” one actually made me laugh… we eat out like once every 3 months or so.
I have taken the wholesale tip, and bought ten kilo’s of meat from a local natural reserve. It tastes okay…that’s true, but it still is twice the price of what we used to buy.
But, we continue looking around
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