Frugal Organic Shopping - Organic and GMO foods

After doing a lot of research, and making trips to several grocery stores I have developed a grocery list for myself to remember which foods I want to buy organically, which foods I can safely eat non-organically, and which foods I want to steer clear of entirely.  At the end of this blog you will find the list I carry with me to the store.  This way I can shop for the best prices!  Again, if you find a good price for produce and wish to purchase a larger quantity of it to use later, you can freeze, dehydrate, or can most of it to preserve it.

I also recently learned how to read the barcode labels on produce and I checked this out..it really works:

Remember to wash your fresh produce in some vinegar and water to remove surface contaminants when you get it home.  Rinse with clear water and dry it and store it appropriately for the longest shelf life.

Just a note about Genetically Modified Foods...  if they have a Certified Organic Label, they are not to contain any genetic modifications, so even though most corn is produced through genetic modification techniques, it is possible to find Non-GMO labeled corn and you should be safe if you can find it labeled as Organic.

For Dairy products, one of the biggest threats in the consumption of milk products that have been produced in a commercialized dairy is the use of a hormone called rBGH.  This hormone was created as a result of genetic engineering and is fed to commercially milked cows to increase their milk production.  The hormone is excreted in the milk and then we drink it.  It is also present in all dairy products made from milk.  There is an option in the grocery stores that is not necessarily labeled as organic.  There is a label that specifically states "no rBGH used".  I have seen it on many different dairy products and fell safer using those products. This may be important to your health.  We can't possible know what effect that synthetic genetically modified substance is doing to our bodies.   I don't want to expose my children to additional hormones. 

Meat - meat sold at the generic grocery stores is probably from animals raised on unnatural foods, many of them contaminated with pesticides and chemicals, and injected with steroids to help them grow, hormones to manipulate them, and fed grain that is genetically modified.  If it is ground meat, it may also contain all different varieties of fillers, some of which are just plain not good for you.  Since protein is one of the most important nutrients needed by the body, it becomes kind of expensive to meet all our protein needs organically with only grass fed meat.  I find this the most challenging of all.  Here is one tip:  Since we know that most of the toxins and contaminants are stored in the fat, make sure and trim the fat from your meat!  Fat from meat is not known to have any good nutritional elements.  The protein comes from the lean muscle portion of the meat.   Here again, I like to buy in bulk to get the best price.  I have 1/4 of a cow coming soon from a local farming friend.  I can be sure that the meat she sells me is pretty wholesome.  I look for price reductions on organic meats as well!

One of the most important things I do to serve my family's protein needs is drink 23 grams of organic undenatured whey protein in a shake every morning.  Whey protein is the best protein for the body.. the most highly utilized protein to support lean muscle (your heart is a muscle too!).  It has all the essential amino acids in it and being undenatured means it has been cold processed to preserve all the nutrients.  (heat kills nutrients and some amino acids).  I make sure my daughter also starts her day with this protein.  It ensures we have a good dose of this essential nutrient every day in an organic form and then I can stretch my food dollars a little bit the rest of the meals in a day.  Protein shakes are not just for athletes.. they are a smart meal replacement or supplement for the health-conscious.  At the cost of organic meat, I find this a great money saving way to ensure we are getting what we need without the addition of what we don't want in our food. 

Here is the list I promised that I carry with me to the grocery store so I can remember what to buy organically and what I don't need to buy organically.  It is based on research into the "dirty dozen" foods list and expanded from there through my own research:

BUY ORGANIC	GMO - DON'T BUY	OK FOR NONORGANIC
Apples	Papaya - all GMO	Asparagus
Bell Peppers		Avocados
Celery	Corn - only labeled non-GMO	Bananas
Imported Grapes	Soy- Don't touch it!	Broccoli
Nectarines		Cauliflower
Cherries	Russet, Atlantic, Shepody are occasionally GM	Kiwi
Peaches	Squash - Crookneck and Zucchini are occasionally GM	Mangoes
Pears		Onions
Red Raspberries		Pineapples
Black Raspberries		Peas
Spinach		Cabbage
Lettuce		Eggplant
Strawberries		Cantaloupe
Cucumbers		Grapefruit
Blueberries		Watermelon
Green Beans		Mushrooms
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots
Milk - Only Organic
Sour Cream (buy non rBGH)
Cottage Cheese (buy non rBGH)
Cheese (buy non rBGH)
Wheat