Because our diet consists of so much protein and produce, people often assume we eat organic. We don’t.
At least, not exclusively. We dabble in organic foods, and certainly, when Farmer’s Market season comes around, we love to buy our veg off the back of the truck from local farmers. But as far as organic items sold in grocery stores, that’s another matter.
My motto has always been this: buy the best quality of food you can, for the cheapest possible price. Meaning, if the organic version of something is the same price (or within cents) of the standard product, why not buy organic? A few weeks ago, organic pasta was on sale, making it a whole dollar cheaper than the standard pasta I usually purchase. So I stocked up on it, because sales.
But at the same time, we are a one income family with five mouths to feed. If I can’t taste a difference, if the ingredients aren’t that distinct, I’m going to buy the standard product. That organic pasta was good, but so is the product I usually buy. Is the organic worth the extra $1.50 increase for its normal price? Not to me, not at this stage in my life. But sure, I’ll grab some when it’s on sale.
This week at Kroger there is a sale of Simple Truth and Simple Truth Organic items, including both meat and shelf stable items. Kroger runs this sale frequently in January, probably to capitalize on the New Year’s resolutions of eating better, eating healthier. Many people tend to shy away from these foods because they are more expensive.
But is eating store bought organic better and healthier? That’s a question I’ve been looking into for years and honestly, I am not 100% sure of the answer.
What does it mean when we say organic? Organic produce contains fewer pesticides, which boosts production of vitamins and antioxidants, causing some researchers to say they have a higher nutritional value. Organic food that can be classified as shelf stable does not contain as many preservatives, which means it may have higher nutritional value but it also will not last as long. That’s one of the biggest arguments with organic shelf stable items: you’re paying a price premium for an item that isn’t exactly shelf stable.
There was a big to-do a few years ago because a big chain store had been marketing an item as organic but it turned out it was the exact same item as their store brand, just with a different label and higher price tag. Ever since then, I have have carefully compared the labels of “healthier” versions of a product to their standard counterpart. And guess what? Sometimes that “all natural” ketchup has just as much high fructose corn syrup as the common brand. You end up paying a premium for a pretty green label, and a 1% difference in the preservatives used.
What it boils down to is this: the only way you can know something is truly organic is if you raise it and harvest it yourself. And frankly, I have a lot on my plate and don’t have time to be raising chickens and harvesting tomatoes. If your goal is to eat healthier in the new year, fantastic, good for you! Just know that you don’t have to be all in on something just because a store tells you it is the healthiest version. Do your own research, read the labels, compare, compare, compare. And remember: eating healthier is a comparative journey. A banana is healthier than a bag of chips, even if it is not an organic banana.
- Bananas, 2.88 lb-$1.70.
- Blueberries-$4. In store sale, 2 pints for $4.
- Clementines, 5 lbs-$5.99.
- Chuck Roast, 1.75 lbs-$6.14.
- Granny Smith Apples, 1.47 lbs-$1.46.
- Heritage Farm Chicken Thighs, 5.50 lbs-$5.45. In store sale for .99 a pound.
- Honey Bunches of Oats (2)-$3.98. $1.29 off regular price each with Buy 5, Save $5!
- Oscar Meyer Smoked Turkey, 1 lb-$4.49. $1 off with the B5S5 sale.
- Private Selection Ribeye Steak, .75 lb-$8.20. Manager’s Special!
- Private Selection Brioche Rolls-$1.99.
- Private Selection Whole Wheat Bread-$1.99.
- Private Selection Ice Cream (3)-$5. In store sale, 3 for $5.
- Private Selection Dry Pasta (2)-$.2. Buy Five, Save $5 brings it to $.99 each.
- Red Leaf Lettuce, .70 lb-$1.18.
- Roma Tomatoes, .98 lbs-$1.26.
- Roth Case Grand Cru-$3.68.
- Apps I’ll submit to: Fetch Rewards, Ibotta ($.20 off Any Item)
Total Budget: $67.53
Total Spent: $58.49
Total Saved: $24.73
Rolled Over to Next Trip: $9.04
If this trip looked very different to you, you’re not wrong. It was grab and go kind of trip. The deli closed early, they were re-stocking seemingly everything we usually buy in produce and meat, and I had a screaming infant. So I did like the Dave Matthews song said and just made the best with what was around. The good news is double fold: I got a crazy new cheese to try (Roth Case Grand Cru, sounds like a band college kids are into) and I finally made it in under budget! Okay, 2019, I’ll take it.
Did you take advantage of the Simple Truth sale? How about Buy 5, Save $5? Have you ever tried Grand Cru cheese? Let me know in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey three years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!