Organic food is generally considered to be healthier than conventional food. It is grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetic engineering or ionizing radiation.
Organic food is more nutritious than conventional food because it contains more vitamins and minerals. Organic foods are also less likely to contain toxic chemicals such as pesticides because they are not exposed to these chemicals in production.
The benefits of organic food are many and varied. It helps people live a healthier lifestyle, which in turn has a positive impact on the environment and society as well.
Whilst organic food seemed to be a fad just a few years ago, it is now a growing business with many farmers changing the way they grow the food they sell to take advantage of the increased demand for organic food. Now organic food is so popular that you can pick it up in most supermarkets.
Whilst there are many health benefits to an organic diet, eating organic food is usually much more expensive than conventional food. If you are interested in eating a more organic diet then how do you save money on organic food?
Here are my top three tips:
Grow your own
One of the best ways to save money on organic food is to grow your own. Ok, this might not be totally practical for everyone but it should be included here because it’s the obvious solution for those who can manage it!
In order to grow your own organic food, you need to start with an organic garden. There are many different types of gardens that can be used for this purpose.
A vegetable garden is a great option because it provides an abundance of vegetables and herbs which can be used in cooking or simply eaten raw. Vegetable gardens are usually planted in rows and they can be laid out in many different ways depending on the size of the area available.
You could also easily grow fruits such as strawberries or tomatoes.
You don’t even need to have a big garden, or in fact, any garden, as you can grow produce in containers placed anywhere that gets a reasonable amount of sunlight – window sills and balconies can work well.
Plants such as lettuces and other greens can be easily grown in small, shallow containers.
Growing your own means that you can completely control the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers so that you know what you have grown is organic, and full of flavour.
Save money on organic food by buying locally
Whilst all major supermarkets sell some organic produce they have a hefty markup. Switching to buying your organic produce locally, from farmers’ markets and other small distributors, can really help you to save money.
With lower transportation costs the local farmers and growers can pass on the savings to you. This means that you can get fresh organic produce, support local businesses and save you money.
Get an organic food delivery
If you don’t have the time to grow your own organic produce or visit local markets to buy organic foods then you might want to consider looking into the delivery services available within your area.
It could be that you opt for a national supermarket’s delivery and order as many organic products as you can, or you look for a smaller business that focuses solely on organic produce. Look for a service that is flexible and convenient to your lifestyle.
At first glance an organic food delivery might look like the more expensive option, so you will need to weigh up the cost of your time versus getting it delivered – and that is before you consider how much money you will save by not making impulse purchases whilst you are buying your organic produce.
