How to eat organic when your poor

I was talking to my brother-in-law the other night about how to eat organic food on a budget and I was telling him there are foods that are safer to eat than others, but didn't have the list with me. So at his request here is the list of safer foods as well as the ones that have the most pesticides. I am not going to tell you why you should start eating organic because I don't really care if you want to put pesticides into your body, however, if you are interested in eating healthier without spending as much money this will help.

These are referred to in many places as the "dirty dozen" These fruits and veggies you want to always buy organic (note: This list is from Kashi , I don't know where I got it from, but you can go to Kashi.com/recipes for some organic recipe ideas. )

Apples (these also taste so good organic! Apples are priced by what kind they are so I just buy the cheapest  variety)

Bell Peppers (green bell peppers are usually cheaper so those are the ones I usually buy)

Celery (super cheap so I buy these a lot. I make soups and stock in the winter and ants on a log in the summer)

Cherries (expensive! I rarely buy these)

Grapes (organic grapes mold quickly, so I wash them and put them in clear containers right away, which seems to preserve them longer and it makes it easy to see a bad one)

Nectarines (I don't really like those so I don't really buy them)

Peaches (these also mold quickly, so wash them, let them ripen, peel, slice and them put in containers in the fridge)

Pears (cheap and taste so much better organic, I buy these a lot)

Potatoes (these also mold quickly so I only buy what I need, I never buy those huge bags)

Raspberries (these are also expensive, however my local health food store puts them on sale a lot so I just buy them whenever they are on sale)

Spinach ( I buy frozen spinach because you get a little more bang for your buck, plus its easy to cook with so if we don't have a lot of food this is my go to item)

Strawberries (these are also expensive, however once you have tasted an organic strawberry you will never want to buy non-organic again! Also I will sacrifice many an item on my list so I can afford these when they are in season)

We pretty much eat vegetarian because it is cheaper and healthier. If we do purchase any animal products (i.e. dairy, meat, eggs) I always buy free range and/or organic, not only is it better for the animals, but it is also better for us and the environment.  It is really easy to get enough protein without meat. All you need to do is educate yourself on how to get protein without meat. On top of not buying entirely organic and eating less meat, making things at home is a great way to save money. The more prepared the food is the more it is going to cost. I know that most people would say they don't have time to make more meals at home, but really it is a matter of priorities. Cooking can involve the whole family and it can be very fun! My husband and I trade off cooking depending on if I am working that night or not, so it is not all on my shoulders or his. I have also hunted down and memorized quick and easy recipes for those nights that are rushed or when we are simply too worn out from the day, to make something fancy.  My two favorite vegetarian cookbooks are by the same author, Heidi Swanson. She takes time to educate you on all sorts of new foods, their benefits, and how to use them as substitutes in your regular cooking.  

This is the list of food that is very low in pesticides. I have no idea where this is from, I have it written on a piece of paper hanging on my fridge. So you are going to have to trust me that it is legit! I don't have many comments on these, except that it is better to buy local of anything when you can.

Onions

Avocado

Sweet corn

Pineapple

Mango

Sweet peas 

Asparagus

Kiwi

Cabbage

Eggplant

Cantaloupe

Watermelon

Grapefruit

Sweet potato

Honeydew