Dear EarthTalk: My New Year’s resolution is to eat healthier. Which fruits and vegetables are worth spending extra money on for organic varieties? Likewise, is it worth it from the standpoint of health to also pay a premium for organic meat, cheese and eggs? – P. McAdams, via email
It is indeed difficult to figure out which foods are worth spending more money on for organic varieties. Sure, you can just buy only organic in every category, but you’d end up spending upward of 20% more every time you shopped. And certain “conventional” (i.e., non-organic) foods contain lots of pesticides and chemicals while others do not. Knowing where to draw the line in the grocery aisle is increasingly difficult given the profusion of organic choices these days. But luckily if you are armed with a few facts, you can eat healthier without breaking the bank.
Tomatoes are one of the produce aisle items on Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list of fruits and veggies that are worth spending extra on for organic varieties to spare yourself exposure to pesticide residues. (Dreamstime/TNS)
As for produce, many conventionally grown fruits and vegetables don’t contain or pass along significant amounts of pesticides or other noxious chemicals. The nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) suggests only buying organic for their so-called “Dirty Dozen” list of common produce items that do tend to harbor larger amounts of chemicals: strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, peaches, pears, cherries, grapes, celery, tomatoes, sweet bell peppers and potatoes. Going for organic varieties of these fruits and vegetables is one of the most affordable ways to eat healthier because the price premium on organic produce is in many cases negligible given more consumer demand driving increased production and supply.
On the flip side, EWG also produces the “Green Fifteen” list of produce that tends to be contaminant-free even when not organic: avocado, pineapple, onion, papaya, frozen sweet peas, sweet corn, eggplant, asparagus, cauliflower, cantaloupe, broccoli, mushrooms, cabbage, kiwi and honeydew melon.
As for animal products, organic varieties can only bear the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) “Organic” stamp if they are “raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors (like the ability to graze on pasture), fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not administered antibiotics or hormones.” As to whether organic meat is better for your health, don’t bet on it. A 2015 Spanish study found that consumption of organic meat does not diminish — and in fact might slightly increase — the risk of getting cancer. That said, other research has shown that organic meat contains more healthy omega-3 unsaturated fats — this results from the animals eating grass not grain.
Another good reason to go organic if you eat meat is ethics: Conventionally raised livestock are subject to confinement and overcrowding while being dosed with antibiotics to prevent the spread of bacterial infection in their midst. The same calculus applies to organic versus conventional dairy products: organic milk and cheese may contain more omega-3s but otherwise the health differences are negligible.
It certainly is a balancing act today to shop with your family’s health and your own conscience in mind while not breaking the bank. The bright side of this conundrum is that we do have so many healthier choices overall these days, and it’s easier than any time in the last 75 years to avoid chemicals in your food if that’s the way you want to roll.
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Why pay more for well-marketed national brands when store brands of everything from pasta sauce to frozen vegetables to canned fish may offer a cost advantage? “In many cases these products are nutritionally comparable or even superior to big brands,” said Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N., creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of “Read It Before You Eat It — Taking You from Label to Table.” She notes, “But it’s still important to compare nutrition labels.”
Other cuts of meat
America’s favorite meats like chicken breast and salmon aren’t necessarily the most cost-effective. Often, you can get more protein for your buck by opting for less popular animal proteins such as chicken thighs, mussels, bone-in pork chops, canned sardines and top round steak. Purchasing and cooking a whole chicken can offer a significant cost saving, per ounce.
Bulk up
Without the added cost of packaging and advertising, those bulk bins offer a viable option for less expensive versions of staples like oats, flour, nuts and seeds. Plus, you can purchase only what you need, which cuts down on food waste.
Plant power
Price increases in the meat, poultry, fish and egg categories have been among the steepest. Taub-Dix says making meatless meals more often using plant-based proteins including tofu, lentils and beans can save you cash. “But some processed plant-based items like packaged meatless burgers aren’t the cost saver you’d expect and you have to read labels carefully so you’re getting a product that is comparable to its animal-based counterpart,” she said.
Sub-zero heroes
When in season, buying fresh veggies and fruit is a good bet. “But buying some of your out-of-season vegetables and fruits from the frozen food section can offer considerable cost savings and even help reduce the trips you need to make to the store,” Taub-Dix said. For instance, a pint of fresh blueberries may cost $5 which is what you can get an entire bag of frozen berries for. As a bonus, frozen produce is harvested at peak ripeness and quickly frozen to maintain nutritional firepower.
Be the chef
It’s true that many restaurants need your support more than ever, but it’s also true that dining out and ordering take-out frequently is perhaps the quickest way to blow up your food budget.
A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that meals prepared at home allowed people to improve the quality of their diet at less cost. By contrast, eating out regularly was associated with higher food expenditures, yet lower diet quality.
Watch out for greenwashing
Food labels such as “hormone-free,” “freerange” and “all natural” often raise the price tag. Sadly, these nebulous terms too often lack any real muscle and might not be worth the extra cost. “Do your label-reading research and look into the business practices of particular brands to determine where a splurge is worthwhile,” Taub-Dix said.
Shop close to home
Check out your local farmers market, if open depending on your location, for locally grown options. Depending on the market, conventional and organic items may be available at lower cost and higher quality than what is offered at the grocery store. “Before you commit to buying anything, do a lap of the market to compare the prices and quality from different stands,” Taub-Dix said.
Convenience costs
Slash your grocery bill by taking a do-it-yourself approach to food. That means shelling your own shrimp, shredding your own cheese, deboning your chicken and chopping your own fruits and veggies.
Come with a plan
“Shoppers who show up at the grocer with a prepared buying list are less likely to make impulsive buys of foods they didn’t need,” Taub-Dix said.
Try planning a week’s worth of dishes, make a detailed list of necessary ingredients, and stick to it. “And organize your list in a way that corresponds to the layout of your store so you save time by not needing to backtrack,” Taub-Dix said.
Be neighborly
If you’re single or part of a small family, pair up with a friend or neighbor and split items purchased in large quantities such as bunches of herbs, family packs of meats, and bags of potatoes. You’ll waste less and reap the cost savings of buying in bulk. “Just keep in mind that buying in bulk is only a cost-saver if you actually use up the entire item,” Taub-Dix said.
Snack, then shop
It’s a good idea not to push a cart with a growling tummy. “If you go shopping hungry, everything starts to look good and you’ll end up buying stuff you don’t need or don’t end up using which will cost you money,” Taub-Dix said.
Don’t settle for junk
Most people assume that an unhealthy diet is much cheaper than one based on whole food, but the cost difference isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker. According to research from Harvard School of Public Health, the healthiest diets cost about $1.50 more per day than the least healthy diets that are skewed toward processed foods.
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