Eating the best types of foods that we can is something that many of endeavour to do, particularly if we want to live a healthy lifestyle. With the cost of health and organic foods increasingly on the rise, however, actually sticking to an additive-free diet can be a lot be tricky than it initially seems. If you’re dedicated to following a natural, organic lifestyle, then you’re in luck; while many health foods come at a premium there are a few easy and cheap ways that you can fill up your shopping cart and stay healthy at the same time. Thought organic was expensive? Not anymore.
1. BUY IT RAW
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The reason why so many organic foods cost the amount that they do is because many of them factor in the hours of labor that have gone towards preparing them in a ready-to-eat form. Processed organic foods are some of the most expensive on the market due to the sheer number of hours that go towards their preparation, so if you want to enjoy all of their health value without the sky high costs, you can try going unprocessed. Buying ingredients in their raw, most basic form and preparing them at home can cut costs dramatically and give you access to some of the best ingredients on the market. It’s a win-win situation.
2. SHOP STORE BRANDS
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As with non-organic products, organic produce comes in many shapes and forms and across the board, there are a ton of different brands offering the best kinds of health foods on the market. If you’re trying to watch your pennies, you can try making a beeline for the supermarket’s own brand of organic produce, which will normally be clearly signposted. In many cases, a shop’s own brand of organic food is cheaper than a conventional name-brand version of the same product, so when it comes to buying on a budget, it’s worth paying attention.
3. BRING IT IN BULK
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In many health and organic food stores, certain produce is sold in bulk, presented in large bins or containers. One of the best ways in which to save money in the long run is to buy ingredients such as grains, nuts and spices in bulk from these bins, bringing your own containers in from home. Produce sold like this often costs a great deal less than its packaged counterpart and you can also save money by doing away with packaging. To eat organic, you only pay for what you really need.
4. SHOP LOCALLY
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Foregoing the chain supermarket in your town for a smaller, local store can save you a great deal of money, if you do it the right way. Heading to your local Farmers’ Market towards the end of the day can often mean getting your hands of a ton of fresh, locally grown produce at a fraction of its normal price. With sellers looking to get their stock off their hands, they often make huge reductions towards the end of the market’s service. While it can sometimes be a gamble as to what is left over, you’re bound to come away with an organic bargain or two.
5 GROW YOUR OWN
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Perhaps the best way to ensure that what you’re eating is 100% organic is to begin growing your own produce in your garden. Thanks to an increased awareness in organic foods and self-sufficiency, there are many useful guides out there to help you to form your very first vegetable garden and thanks to developments in vegetable boxes, you can even try planting a few shoots on your apartment balcony. Watch as your organic empire grows before your eyes.
