10-fruits-veggiesOrganic Beginnings

The seemingly daunting task of living organic can feel overwhelming. Where should you start and how can you afford organics? How do you know what organic food is most important to give up first and what “counts” as organic? These are often questions that families ask when they are trying to transition to an organic lifestyle. The real solution is just doing a little homework.

Your Homework – It’s Fun!

The internet is chock full of information, some is helpful and some is not. Nevertheless, you can learn a lot – like what all those labels mean. Learning how to read the labels on the foods and items marked organic can go a long way to living healthy. Just because something is labeled organic doesn’t mean it is good for you. It also doesn’t mean it is ALL organic. Labeling can be tricky. You can then decide which ingredients on those labels you want to bring into your home – and which you don’t.

Bulk Up!

Whenever possible buy your products in bulk. Not that you want to turn into a mighty consumer! It is still best to live a minimal lifestyle. However, it can be cost effective to buy certain things in bulk that you know you will need. Often you can buy certain items, both food and non-food, in bulk and save more money than buying in smaller amounts Just be sure you are storing them properly. Sometimes, you can buy produce in bulk from a market because it is very ripe. You can get it very cheap and then preserve it by canning or freezing. Rice can be bought in larger bags but be careful and keep it in an airtight container away from moisture and pests!

The Dirty Dozen

It may sound like an old western movie – but they are not. The dirty dozen is the list of 12 fruits and vegetables that are the highest in chemical pesticides. They are some of the worse offenders for toxic overload. If you have to choose which foods to buy organic, you would want to make sure to buy these 12 all organic!

  • Apples (pears, nectarines –thin skinned tree fruit)
  • Grapes
  • Celery
  • Peaches
  • Spinach (leafy veggies like Lettuce)
  • Tomatoes
  • Summer squash
  • Cherries
  • Cucumbers
  • Potatoes
  • Strawberries
  • Hot Peppers

Make It An Adventure!

Any new journey can be fun – it’s all about attitude. With a little homework, some coupon clipping, labeling reading, and, of course, hitting up those local farmers markets when in season – living an organic lifestyle can be very affordable. If you have children, you can make grocery shopping a treasure hunt and discovering what your new world has in store for you can be exciting. Have fun with it, get crafty, and get to know others within your organic community. See you there!

Applications & Resources

iGOZEN is a philosophy and a way of life. We hope you enjoy our articles and posts as much as we enjoy bringing them to you. Try our organic, chemical free Fruit/Veg Wash or our Everyday Cleaner and bring all-natural cleaning into your home.