dirty dozen

Although I am crunchy in many ways, it might surprise you to know that I rarely buy organic. You see, my values sometimes war against one another. While I want to make a statement to the powers that be by buying local/organic/non GMO foods, I also firmly believe in being frugal and really can't afford the food I would like to eat. I am trying to figure out a happy medium. Here are some guidelines I've come up with for our family:

DAIRY: First of all, I try to use minimal dairy. I think we have an overabundance of it in our American diets. But we still go through about a gallon of milk a week and about a bag of shredded cheese. On the weeks I shop at Trader Joe's or MyOrganicMarket(MOMs) for $5.50 a gallon, I purchase organic milk. When I'm at Costco on the alternate weeks, I buy their milk, which is just over $3. I figure organic half the time is a step in the right direction, and it winds up costing as much as buying milk at a regular store every week. But as money becomes available, I do intend to buy more organic dairy products. And even when money is tight, I only buy dairy products which state that the cows are not treated with rBGH. It is inhumane to use on the animals, and may have negative effects on humans who consume them. Cows treated with this hormone require lots of antibiotics(for mastitis) which many believe can lead to antibiotic resistance in humans. This is a great little fact sheet, if you'd like to read more: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/docs/SayNoToRBGH-fww07.pdf

MEAT: After realizing how badly animals are cared for, and how contaminated our meat is, I have become more determined to eat only organic meat. My ideal would be to buy from small local farms! But that is just not in the budget yet. So for now, I am cooking mostly vegetarian dishes, so that I can afford to buy organic chicken breasts. Again, cooking less expensive meals has allowed for the "splurge" of happier chickens. The taste is SO much better too! We almost never eat red meat or pork, and when we do, I buy "natural" but not organic. The only fish we eat right now is canned tuna, and that is not organic, but I'm not convinced that is as much of a problem.

PRODUCE: This year, I made huge efforts to buy only seasonal produce. That means for a large portion of the winter, we did not have fresh fruit. (I make an exception for bananas, cause really, when are they "in season"? and we can never by local for those either!) It was tough, but we saved money, didn't settle for eating something that tasted only slightly better than wax fruit would, and took better care of the planet. Raisins and applesauce saved the day! And I have to say, I've never been more excited about summer fruits and veggies! But back to the point, I always try to buy local (from farmers markets mostly), but not always organic. Even in the summer, organic produce is still pricey, so I need to be wise about what I purchase. Someone has come up with a list called the "dirty dozen", which recommends avoiding produce that is most potentially hazardous. So this summer, I intend to make an effort to buy this "dirty dozen" either organically, or from farmers who use minimal pesticides. I'm not going to buy any other organic produce, at least for now. Here's a cute little cheat sheet(made by Heidi Kenney) for you to tuck into your memory when you go shopping! (The left picture is the part you need to memorize if you're following my advice here)

 

Go green--for the environment and your pocket

Someone has asked me to give some ideas to busy moms for how to be green on a budget. So here goes:

1) Cloth diapering! I know that most of us feel uncomfortable thinking about this. But I promise it's not nearly as gross or difficult as it sounds. It isn't for everyone, but many of us can do it, but haven't considered it. And there are so many reasons to do so! A few examples:

• saves you money! Sams cloth nappies cost the same as 4 mo of disposables.
• helps the environment. Each child produces an average of 8-10,000 diapers before potty training. That's an incredible waste! And they aren't biodegradable.
• safer and more comfortable for baby.

Here's a link to sam's diapers, which we are very happy with. Cloth diapers have come a long way! Check this out:
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=98&products_id=1279
2) Use Vinegar and baking soda for cleaning! Honestly, I've found that this works better than most commercial cleaners. Here are two pages of ideas:
http://www.vinegartips.com/cleaning/
http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/bakingsoda
3) recycle. Duh. =)
4) reusable bags for shopping. You can buy them for a buck at any grocery store these days. But if you want to invest, baggu's are wonderful (very convenient. I just keep them in a storage bag in my car):
http://baggubag.com/index.html
5) Use reusable glass storage containers for food where possible, and buy in bulk.
6) Use old cloths for cleaning instead of paper towels.
7) Switch to CFL (energy saving) light bulbs. They have a higher initial cost but save energy and money in the long run.
8) Buy local and organic when in season, and freeze. Also only buy organic on things that matter. Here's a list:
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/54-55/organic
9) walk, bike or ride-share whenever possible.
10) buy a water purifier for your faucet instead of using bottled water. (I did some research and found that this is as safe or safer, and cuts way down on both cost and waste!)
Well, there are the ones that I've tried to impliment. =) If anyone would like me to go into further detail on any point, just let me know. Hope that encouraged you!