Organic, or not..

[Springtime]

I have tried to be as organic as possible for the past months, and it's been working nicely with my cooked vegan diet.

But now that i plan to incorporate more raw foods in my diet, i look at the prices and i just feel terrible, because i know i won't be able to keep up my ambiton of 100% organic if i'm gonna go more raw.

I know organic is a big important issue, for our bodies and our earth, but i'm not sure i'll manage.

How about you, what are your thoughts on being raw and/or organic?

love
/r

[juliebove]

I get a box of organic produce most weeks. Don't do it sometimes because there will be too much in it that we don't like. Like yams. I go to Costco and get organic sliced apples and baby carrots. This is usually enough for us for a week. But sometimes I want some other things. I try to get organic, but if I can't, I don't stress over it.

[Veronica01]

I only buy fruit that looks good and fresh, and i buy what I can afford. A lot of the organic stuff shipped up here is older than the conventional fruit so it's more or less overripe anyways. I have found that organic apples taste better, most of the regular apples and pears taste like water to me.

[*RayRay*]

Raw before Organic....for me!

[kaybee]

springtime--

is there anywhere you can put in a garden? this will save you loads, it will be organic, and there are some greens (kale, parsley dandelion chickweed corn salad, etc) that even overwinter in cold climates, and others that will overwinter with mulch (cauliflower, etc). zucchini produces abundantly, as do some other things. for me, its the fruit thats super expensive and i just can afford to buy it organic...but if you are growing your own veggies then you will have extra money to put aside for other stuff. if you dont have a yard, perhaps see if you can get an allotment?

[rayofsunshine]

I buy organic when I can and if the produce looks healthy. At Whole Foods, the produce almost always looks great and I am not disappointed. I find a big taste difference in organic bananas over conventional, so I always buy them organic. I avoid conventional produce that is heavily sprayed. If you do a search on this site, you will find the list.

[Raw Joy]

When I first started eating raw, I didn't even know where I could get organic fruits and veggies. So I just started eating conventional. When I finally found some organic at a little HFS, the prices were really really high, and the produce didn't look all that great. So I just kept doing what I was doing, eat regular old supermarket stuff.

I still lost 25 pounds in three months.

Now, I always make sure my greens are organic. I can usually find organic apples, celery, and carrots within my price range. The rest, I get what I can afford when I can, and don't worry about it when I can't.

Do what you can with what you've got.

[T-Bird]

Can you do some container gardening in the house? If you don't have a yard?

[busy91]

I buy what I can find and afford. I am lucky to live near a chinese market that has a high turnaround of fruits and vegitables. I do buy organic when I go to Whole Foods, and I also visit a farmers market near my job (not that they are all organic). I do what I can where I can. I do have vegetable wash that I use on all of the produce.

[T-Bird]

oh - do you live anywhere near a traders joes?

I've gotten fantastic prices on organic avocados, bananas, apples, oranges, pears, they had strawberries and kiwis too - but I don't remember/think the price was fantastic, lol!

[Springtime]

thanks for all the ideas!

I don't have a backyard or anywhere else big enough to grow kale or zucchinis. I have a few little tomato plants in my window, but i'm worried i wont have enough room to let them grow big.

I will definitly check out the list of heavily sprayed vegs!

[gs4life]

i buy as much organic produce as i can, but eating all raw is more important to me than eating all organic...here are 2 lists that might help you:


12 Most Contaminated definitely try to get organic
Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes (Imported)
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes

12 Least Contaminated not as important to get organic
Onions
Avocado
Sweet Corn
Pineapples
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas
Kiwi Fruit
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Papaya

just do the best you can :)

[Jenifae]

I love what David Wolfe says about the Organic issue. He says he's just amazed that people ask him if it's important and don't want to spend the extra 50 cents or a dollar for Organic.

His response is: "Well, you can pay for it now or you will pay for it later in Medical Bills"

I love that phrase and I agree. Non-Organic food is sprayed and sprayed again with all sorts of chemicals; herbicides, fungicides, DDT, etc....... Cancer causing chemicals. So, if I am being raw to be Healthy why am I not eating Organic? It just doesn't make sense to me. I think it's more important to be organic then raw even.

[Raw Joy]

I love what David Wolfe says about the Organic issue. He says he's just amazed that people ask him if it's important and don't want to spend the extra 50 cents or a dollar for Organic.

Ahh, but when you're buying as much fresh produce as we do, that extra 50 cents or a dollar can add up. Say you want to buy 25 apples. Not unreasonable, especially if you have a family. Regular are $1.50. Organic are $2 Total: Non-organic - $37.50. Organic - $50.

Do the same with 30 bananas. 70 cents/lb for non-organice, $1/lb for organic. Total: Non-organic - $21; Organic - $30.

Just for those two fruits, you've spent an extra $21 or so for organic. For some people/families, even an extra $21 is a stretch in their budget. Now multiply that for celery, peppers, oranges, tomatoes, and on and on. It's just not realistic for some.

Believe me, if I was making the big bucks out the wazoo like DW, I wouldn't think it was a big deal either. :)

[T-Bird]

His response is: "Well, you can pay for it now or you will pay for it later in Medical Bills"

Unfortunately - not really accurate. Most of us (US anyway) have group health insurance through work. We pay premiums based on what the expenses of the group is, not our own individual use.

deductibles and co pays - but those are not the lions share of costs.

then after 62/5 - medicare.

Based on supply and demand - the cost of organic relative to conventional should have come down the past 10-20 years.

At trader joes, those of us lucky enough to be near one, the prices are more reasonable - indicating - it can be done - and profitably - without the crazy prices. Also - stanley's in chicago - fabulous prices on organic greens.

Unfortunately - the willingness of some of us who will pay anything for organic - is working against the lowering of prices. Not saying we should boycott or anything - each must decide for themselves. Just pointing out unfortunate circumstances.

This summer, I'm going to see about doing community supported agriculture. Check out if you have something in your communities!

[Jenifae]

Believe me, if I was making the big bucks out the wazoo like DW, I wouldn't think it was a big deal either. :)

Believe me, I completely understand. Instead of only paying $100 for my groceries I am paying $150 or even $200 sometimes. But, with my health it's worth it. I already have a comprimised liver.

We all have to do what we feel is best for ourselves and our families. For me it's worth a little sacrifice from other areas to afford more organic.

Many Blessings to you :)

[Jenifae]

I prefer not having "Western Medicine" work on me. They just want me to take more of the Pharmacuetical Cancer Causing Medicines.

No thanks! If that works for others that's great. But, I don't want it.

Peace!

[Myca]

I'm new so I'm not sure how much you will appreciate my thoughts but here it goes...

If mostly or all Raw is your goal, then perhaps organic can be your second goal.

Buy Raw, then buy organic when possible.

If these goals each have their own priority, then one will not be sacrificed for the other...

[Jenifae]

Great Suggestion Myca! :)

[DebB]

Boy, I'd love it if organic was only 50¢ to $1.00 more than non-organic!! Lots of things here are literally twice the price, some more than that.

Maybe someday we can buy all organic, but for now we do the best we can and call 'r good. *Ü*

[Visorblue]

I'm shopping for one and don't buy all organic. The nearest Whole Foods is a ways from me and even if I only shopped there, I don't, I can't get everything I eat in organic. Went to a farmer's market and there the prices were a bit steep. Worse, I'm not even sure they are 100% organic and they didn't have a lot of what I buy. I'm shopping at 3+ stores now as it is. If the prices are close, I'll buy organic if they have what I want and it looks decent.

However, I'm not seeing those 25-, 50-cent to a $1 differences very often. In some cases I'm seeing 88-cent versus $2.50, and the 88-cent ones are bigger and look fresher/nicer.

My compromise is buying a veggie wash (http://biokleenhome.com/products/household/kitchen) that's suppose to remove "pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, waxes and soil for a healthier, safer diet and food preparation area. Hold natural taste and appearance longer, without the use of preservatives."

I'm also hoping that my renewed immune system and self healing is better able to combat the much fewer poisons, etc. that I take in compared to when I was on a SAD diet.

[Tsurugi_Oni]

Kaybee hit the nail on the head.

Organic isn't always what it's cracked up to be. Sometimes you can catch companies use much more unsustainable practices just so they can market their product as "organic".

Where I live at a lot of the ethnic / asian stores carry a lot of prime fruit. It may be so ripe that some of them may even spoil in a couple of days, but that's the cost for providing fruit at the peak of freshness.

The watery fruit symptom is usually sign of very underripe fruit. Finding a place which consistently sells ripe fruit already gives them merit in my book.

It's like the tomatoes you buy at the store that are absolute garbage. The same kind fast food places on their burgers. Peak ripe tomatoes taste as sweet as an orange, and normally "sweet" fruits are just exploding with sugarly goodness.

Foraged -> organic -> store bought. Healthiest to least.

[RawSar]

Non organic is not allowed in our house.

We make it affordable.

[RawSar]

Believe me, I completely understand. Instead of only paying $100 for my groceries I am paying $150 or even $200 sometimes. But, with my health it's worth it. I already have a comprimised liver.

We all have to do what we feel is best for ourselves and our families. For me it's worth a little sacrifice from other areas to afford more organic.

Many Blessings to you :)

Agreed. :)

[Tsurugi_Oni]

Yah. There is nothing is too expensive when considering your health.