Digesting Life: You can go organic
without wasting hard-earned dollars

By Carolyn Gilles

The Wholesome Chef

The benefits of organic food are immense. You can trust that your food is free of GMOs(genetically modified organisms) and pesticide use, and that it contributes to asustainable farming system that protects our ecosystem. However, if you’re like me – and any other average person – you know that organic may cost more. Here are a few ways to base your diet around organic foods without wasting your hard-earned dollars.

* From a pesticide and chemical standpoint, use the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. You can feel safe about buying items in the “Clean 15″ conventionally grown. The “Dirty Dozen” are fruits and vegetables you’ll want to splurge on to keep your body free of additional toxins.

* Watch for sales at your local grocery. If an item you typically store is on sale, go ahead and stock up so you have it when you need it.

* Shop your local farmer’s market. You’ll be surprised at the deals you can find from local growers.

* Watch your waste. Broth going bad? Pour it in an ice cube tray, freeze it, then store the “broth cubes” in a freezer bag and use when needed. You can also do this with tomato sauces and pesto.

* Join a food buying club. You can find your grocery items at a lower cost. There’s one right here in Lexington.

* Eat at home. An organic meal made at home will likely cost you less  money than a conventional meal at a restaurant.

* Grow your own vegetables. Vegetable seeds are just a few cents apiece, and the bounty is tremendous. If you’ve got a yard, why not till it up and grow some food? Just get your soil tested from the county extension office first. Another option is this neat vegetable tower. Let me know if you’d like one, I can connect you with a discount.

This column original appeared on www.thewholesomechef.com/blog.

Carolyn Gilles is sassy enough to balance two careers: chef instructor and owner at The Wholesome Chef and owner and chief small business consultant at Bourbon & Beans. With formal culinary education and business degrees from New York City schools, she brings big-picture thinking back to her home state of Kentucky. You may send her roses and lilies to carolyn@BourbonAndBeans.com.