Ethically Kate: I can’t afford organic meat and produce from the supermarket, what are my options?

There are cost-effective ways to source organic produce. Photo / 123rf

OPINION

Q I have always tried to buy organic produce and meat wherever possible. However, with the cost-of-living crisis I just can’t afford organic, and I feel sick about it. What are your thoughts?

A Even though organic is great, it’s not the end of the world if you cannot eat 100 per cent organic.

There are many other ways to eat well and stay healthy while spending less. Firstly, take away the idea that “organic” is the magic word to look for. Broaden your horizons.

Consider whether you could grow your own vegetables (without toxic pesticides), even if it is simply popping a spring onion in a jar of water on your bench (they grow well like this) or a tomato plant on your balcony.

Find neighbours who have excess vegetables they are happy to swap with you for baking or tool-borrowing. Even better, find friends who have land to graze animals on your behalf; we’ve done this before and it was a cheaper way to source meat.

Choose local produce and meat whenever possible and don’t be afraid to contact the growers and farmers of your favourite brands to ask about their growing and farming practices.

To prioritise your money more efficiently, refer to the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list online. The information is compiled in the US but is a useful reference. It’s updated every year and it details the fruits and vegetables highest in pesticide residue. Strawberries, spinach, grapes, apples and kale are among the Dirty Dozen.

If you can occasionally prioritise organic or find it in the clearance section, choose organic food from the Dirty Dozen list first. Buy organic in bulk when it’s cheap and freeze it.

Lastly, I need to point out that the organic option isn’t always the most expensive. At the supermarket it may be, but when you look at fruit and vegetable delivery boxes and compare the organic to the non-organic, they can be cheaper.

For example, I recently compared Huckleberry’s produce box of organic items to the equivalent in my local supermarket. The Huckleberry organic box cost $22.13 less.

I trust these ideas help you feel less sick when you tackle your food shopping list. You can only do your best. Think outside the box and keep in mind that just because something is organic, doesn’t mean it’s the best; there are so many other factors to consider.