Cost of Eating Organic: A weekly break-down

[JoyNChrist]

This just really shows me how much cheaper Trader Joe's is. You are paying less for some organic stuff than I am paying for non-organic at the supermarket! Wish I had a TJ's close to me... This is veyr helpful though!

This is a really awesome breakdown though. I think it would be a little more expensive at my conventional grocery store, but not terribly. Thanks!

[daisymommy]

You're very welcome mamas, always glad to be of help in any way that I can

Let's see, answers to your questions:
Yogurt: My kids each eat a bowl (about 4-6 oz.) every single day. It's like "dessert" to them, they love it so much! DH and I eat some probably every other day.

Organic bananas: yes, due to the thick skin, negligible amounts of pesticides penetrate into the fruit. BUT the amount of pesticides used to grow them is the highest of any tropical crop, and it is destroying the environment and wildlife where they are being grown.

Also, they taste so much sweeter and yummier than conventionally grown bananas. There was actually a study done with gorillas, and organic and regular bananas were placed in front of them. They sniffed at both bananas, then ate the organic ones. Cute eh?

Edited to add: I won't buy organic bananas if the price is double the cost of regular. But when it's a small difference, then I don't mind paying for it. In this case, at Trader Joes, regular bananas are 19 cents each, organic are 29 cents each. Not that much of a biggie; only adds up to an extra 60 cents for my bunch of bananas.

And I do plan on doing another weeks worth or so of organic menu cost break down. I'd be happy to post it for ya'll!

[m448]

Love this! Around here my kids eat tons of plain yogurt too (some with different mixins). All three easily go through 3/4 of a quart in one morning. I recently discovered a countertop method that only uses a large bowl which makes 2 quarts of yogurt from 1 half gallon of organic milk (which is about $3 for the half gallon around here).

[Pepper]

Awesome breakdown, thanks! What do you end up doing with all of the yogurt?

We buy the whole-milk plain yogurt, and use it in place of sour cream on baked potatoes, tacos, etc. We also eat it plain or with fruit...and when I have the last bits of a container to use up, I make waffles:

http://neighborhood-dish.blogspot.co...nd-beyond.html

[squimp]

Amy you are awesome! I want to come eat and your house!

[Green_Tea]

You may not get any pesticides from the fruit, tucked safely inside the skin, but the small children that work on banana plantations get some pretty heavy pesticide exposure.

Ah, I see. Thanks for the info.

[Green_Tea]

You're very welcome mamas, always glad to be of help in any way that I can

Let's see, answers to your questions:
Yogurt: My kids each eat a bowl (about 4-6 oz.) every single day. It's like "dessert" to them, they love it so much! DH and I eat some probably every other day.

Organic bananas: yes, due to the thick skin, negligible amounts of pesticides penetrate into the fruit. BUT the amount of pesticides used to grow them is the highest of any tropical crop, and it is destroying the environment and wildlife where they are being grown.

Also, they taste so much sweeter and yummier than conventionally grown bananas. There was actually a study done with gorillas, and organic and regular bananas were placed in front of them. They sniffed at both bananas, then ate the organic ones. Cute eh?

Edited to add: I won't buy organic bananas if the price is double the cost of regular. But when it's a small difference, then I don't mind paying for it. In this case, at Trader Joes, regular bananas are 19 cents each, organic are 29 cents each. Not that much of a biggie; only adds up to an extra 60 cents for my bunch of bananas.

And I do plan on doing another weeks worth or so of organic menu cost break down. I'd be happy to post it for ya'll!

Thanks for the banana info! Please post again after the next time you go grocery shopping - it's so helpful to see a family truly make organic work on a budget!

[boolady]

This is awesome. Thanks. It's motivating me to keep going the way we are right now.