I started my journey to eating whole foods a few years back after some health issues arose - it was time to take my health into my own hands. I started researching. And cooking. The more I experimented in the kitchen the more I became aware of how food affected the way I felt. I slowly got rid of the packaged foods in my cupboards, started shopping at farmers markets and developed my whole food cooking skills.
Moving from conventional supermarket bought food to organic produce was the next logical step of my food journey and is something I’m still working at. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a gradual process; you can’t do it all at once.
I think the very first thing we all should do is to figure out why buying organic is important to you. Research, watch documentaries and talk with the people working at your local organic shop. Once you have the knowledge about why it’s a good idea to eat this way, it will make it much easier to prioritise where your money goes.
Organic produce is generally more expensive than conventional and this is often the deciding factor against buying organic in many homes. I know it was and still is a deterrent in my household! The thing to remember is that when you’re buying organics you are paying the real price for food that is better for your body, for the environment and for animal welfare. When food is ridiculously cheap I become suspicious and wonder what steps the farmers have taken to get the price so low.
Here are some tips that have helped me in making the gradual conversion to eating organic foods.
- Clean 15 & the Dirty Dozen List - This is a very helpful list of fruits and veggies that are the most and least contaminated by pesticides and will help you decide when starting out which produce to buy organic vs. non-organic. The Dirty Dozen are the foods you should try and tackle first and the Clean 15 are conventionally grown fruits and veggies that are safer to buy non-organic.
The Dirty Dozen (in order of contamination); apples, celery, capsicum, peaches, strawberries, nectarines, grapes, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, blueberries, potatoes.
The Clean 15 (in order of least contamination); onions, sweet corn, pineapples, avocado, cabbage, sweet peas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplant, kiwi fruit, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, watermelon, mushrooms.
Besides from the obvious health benefits of staying away from sprayed produce, the taste of a real organic apple just doesn’t compare to a waxy sprayed version! In my opinion, this should be your first step towards going organic - buy an organic apple or two, you can thank me later! - Buy in season - To me, summer means nectarines, strawberries and watermelon! I eat them so much, until I’m truly over them for the year and then - thank goodness! - winter arrives and I welcome kiwifruit, grapefruit and oranges back into my life! When buying (and eating) in season, produce is more abundant and therefore cheaper. You also ensure a wide variety of different fruits and vegetables in your diet. If it’s the right season for the produce to grow it costs less to produce and they taste much better too!
- Join a co-op - A co-op is a great way of driving down the price of organic produce – basically just a group of people who get together to buy in bulk and split up the order. A quick google search will help you to find local co-ops working in your area and if you can’t find one close by, why not start up your own! Once you’ve got your box for the week, take 20 minutes to sit down and make a plan of what meals you can create out of the produce you’ve got to work with. I find that some of my most creative and delicious food is the recipes I create out of what I like to call a ‘mystery box’.
- Freeze, preserve and ferment - You’ll often see bulk fruits and veggies going for really cheap prices as the season comes to an end. Snap these great deals up and then figure out what you’ll do with it after! Cut up fruit to freeze so you can enjoy them out-of-season later in the year, or perhaps make a big batch of jam - check out my recipe for a super simple Blueberry Chia Jam here! You can easily replace the blueberries for whatever fruits you’ve secured. You can also ferment your veggies: cabbage, carrots, fennel all work really well and will give you a cheap and delicious source of probiotics - try my Red Cabbage, Apple & Fennel Sauerkraut recipe.
- Strengthen your green thumb - Homegrown produce is an excellent way of eating organic, even just a few different potted herbs or lettuce can make a big difference - don’t let a small balcony limit you! Lots of people have great success growing on tiny balconies or windowsills. It’s a really rewarding feeling when you can sprinkle some fresh herbs over your meal or whip up a quick fresh salad for lunch.
- Forage - I love to forage, much to my partner’s embarrassment! Take note of all the citrus, fruit and herbs growing in your neighbourhood and grab a few on your way past! Free organic food is the best!
Remember that ‘going organic’ is a journey and change takes time!
