As the cost of food continues to rise, many people find themselves needing to choose more carefully what they will buy. Buying organic foods is often the choice that we want to make, yet the higher costs make it seem impossible. However, with a willingness to make a few simple changes anyone on a tight budget can enjoy organic foods in their kitchen.

If you want to find organic foods at lower costs, the first step is to stop shopping at your local grocery stores. Many of the foods found grocery stores, even in the organic sections, have been imported from around the world. This is how they can offer fruits and vegetables out of season all year long. The cost of shipping and transporting adds to the cost that customers must pay. Instead, look for local producers who will more likely have a lower price.

Local farmers often sell fruits and vegetables at neighborhood farmer’s markets or in local food coops. You may even be able to buy fresh foods at the farms themselves, including meats and dairy products. Shopping this way means you will have access to organic foods at a much lower cost, while also supporting your local farmers to continue growing organically.

Buying organic foods in bulk is another great way to stay within your budget. Food is often cheaper when purchased in large quantities rather than individually amounts. Many fruits and vegetables can then be frozen to extend their use time. For those who are willing to learn, home-canning will also preserve foods for extended use. A jar of homemade salsa made from local organic vegetables will cost much less than buying a jar of commercial organic salsa in the store.

Those who have a very tight food budget may have to limit what organic foods they buy. Some foods have higher amounts of pesticides on them than others, making them the top priority when choosing organic. If you can only afford to buy some things organic, choose these fruits and vegetables first:

• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Apples
• Peaches
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Squash
• Green Beans

If you are choosing organic foods to avoid chemicals, these are the top offenders you will find. For other produce, you can invest in a good vegetable brush and food-safe soap to wash fruits and vegetables before you eat them. This will remove much of the pesticides on the outside of your food.

Growing your own food will also help you stay in your budget while enjoying fresh, organic items daily. Even those with limited space can grow a few simple plants in containers or small beds. You can purchase seeds for only a few dollars, often in amounts far more than a hobby garden could grow in one season. You can also collect seeds from organic produce yo have already purchased to be certain that what you are growing had the best start. Place the plants in a sunny spot, give them water and care, and you can harvest a small bounty for practically free.

Though food costs continue to climb, even the tightest budget can afford to include a few organic staples in the kitchen. By avoiding the grocery store, buying in bulk, and growing your own, you can eat organic fruits and vegetables without spending a fortune.

photo credit: fairfaxcounty

photo credit: lissalou66

I started putting together a sort of wish list for myself, but as it grew others took notice and commented they wanted some of the same gifts. That’s when I decided to make a Christmas gift list full of things green moms would want. Have a tree-hugging, organic eating, recycling mom in your life and not sure what to buy her? Here you go!

Books:

Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life Words like “organic,” “seasonal,” and “local” are on everyone’s mind, but how do we integrate food politics into a daily practice that is convenient, affordable, and delicious? Sustainable chef and caterer Louisa Shafia shows eco-conscious home cooks how to green their cuisine by making earth-friendly food choices, sourcing animal products ethically and responsibly, supporting local food, and reducing one’s carbon footprint through urban gardening, preserving, composting, and more. Promoting simple, delicious meals and green lifestyle ideas, LUCID FOOD celebrates the pleasures of in-season cooking that is healthy, honest, pure, free of additives, and transparently made, from farm to table.

Earth to Table: Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm Eating locally means eating seasonally, and Jeff and Bettina offer up the most delicious of what each season provides. It could be something as unexpected as Gnudi with Ramps and Morels picked from the woods across the road; as simple and as refreshing as Dandelion Salad; or when it is cold outside, as hearty as Bread and Butter Pudding.

Earth to Table lets nature write the menu. Tender, green things in spring. Ripe, juicy dishes in summer. The bounty of the harvest in autumn. Rich braises and tart preserves in winter. The result is a year of discovery of new ingredients and dishes, and a rediscovery of classics that suddenly taste the way they were meant to.

Bringing together stories of the passage of seasons on the farm; profiles of some of the world’s most innovative chefs—like Heston Blumenthal and Thomas Keller—and the farmers they count on; how-to sections that help readers make the most of the season and what their gardens and farmers’ markets have to offer; stunning photographs; and, of course, creative and delicious recipes that make anyone wonder why they ever considered eating a tomato in February, Earth to Table explores what’s best about food.

Chocolate Flower Garden – 100% Post-Consumer Compact Journal by Ecojot 100% post-consumer waste paper (no trees destroyed), and all glues and inks used are vegetable-based (= biodegradable), making them not only 100% recycled but also 100% recyclable. Made in “sweatshop-free” Canada by a landfill gas-powered paper mill, A portion of the sales from also goes to environmental causes.

Jewelry
Beads and Recycled Magazines Red Bracelet

Tagua Nut Green Pendant – Fair Trade Gifts

Brass, Glass Beads, Iron Green Earrings – Fair Trade Gifts

Recycled Record Necklaces

Bath and Body

I Love My Mama Gift Set by Earth Mama Angel Baby Included in the complete set: Earth Mama Body Butter: A skin-drenching herbal shea butter lotion in a convenient 4 oz. pump dispenser. Only organic herbs and essential oils are used to help revitalize the skin. Super-rich shea butter is blended into pure aloe extract and olive oil, for a moisturizing treat that smells heavenly. You have no worries over synthetic additives in any Earth Mama products because only natural essential oils like orange, vanilla, neroli, rosehip and carrot are added to help relax your body and refresh your spirit. Happy Mama Spray: This uplifting aromatherapy spray is a must-have for helping the soon-to-be-mom through those tough mornings. To help soothe an upset tummy, try spritzing this calming mist onto your wrists. This spray is gentle enough to use as an all-over body mist, and the cleansing aromas of lime, ginger, tangerine and orange are a can’t miss for anyone in need of a quick ‘lift’. With just a hint of ylang ylang oil to add gentle, yet powerful mood-lifting relief, this Happy Spray will leave you with a calm, positive perspective. Size: 1 oz. Natural Nipple Butter: Ideal for protecting your most sensitive skin from becoming cracked and sore, this 1 oz. jar contains organic plant-based ingredients like olive oil, Calendula extract, cocoa butter, shea butter and mango. There’s no need to wash before nursing your baby because these ingredients are completely safe. For best results, reapply after each feeding. Mint Herbal Lip Balm: Treat your parched lips to a fresh mint herbal balm. Simple, pure ingredients like shea butter, Vitamin E, essential oils and St. John’s wort extract offer uplifting, soothing relief. Happy Feet: An organic, herbal blend created for tired, swollen feet and ankles. Earth Mama’s Happy Feet jar includes a muslin steeping bag that you fill and toss into a small foot soak tub.

Lovely Lavender Gift Set – Fizzing Milk Bath, Lotion & Soap This fabulous Bath & Body Gift Set of Angel Face Botanicals Aromatherapy products makes a perfect gift for yourself or someone you love! This gorgeous set of natural products will arrive lovingly gift wrapped in a 100% recycled Kraft box tied with a satin fabric ribbon & an Angel Face Botanicals label.

Nettle Scrub Towel & Soap Set Green / Handmade in Himalayan Nepal Detoxify and moisturize the skin with the Nepal nettle scrub towel with Himalayan natural ingredients. Nettle yarn is similar to the linen and is gentle exfoliation on face, body. Handknitted by local women in Nepal.








Treats and Sweets

Endangered Species Rainforest, Dark Chocolate (72%) with Deep Forest Mint, 3-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12) All-natural gourmet chocolate. Shade-grown ethically-traded cocoa beans from small family-owned farms. Supports endangered animals habitat and humanity. Each bar contains educational information about the endangered animal on the wrapper.

Alter Eco Fair Trade Organic Coffee, Whole Bean, Ethiopia, 10-Ounce Bags (Pack of 6) Fair Trade. Ethiopia: Oromia Cooperative. USDA Organic. Fair Trade Certified. Moka Harrar is a rare, intense coffee with a full body, low acidity, and a distinctive earthy taste. Its excellent dry fragrance and strong character make it a unique, seductive coffee. Harrar is a natural coffee that fully captures the fine aromas of Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. By selling Fair Trade coffee, the indigenous farmers of Oromia are able to carry on their proud tradition of coffee cultivation. The coffee is hand-picked by members of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU), an umbrella organization that consists of 23,000 small-scale coffee farmers in 34 cooperatives. In accordance with traditional practice, this bird-friendly coffee grows under a forest canopy and is treated with natural compost, contributing to the natural balance of the ecosystem. Thanks to a higher income from Alter Eco and Fair Trade, farmers are able to invest in agricultural modernization and social projects, thus increasing their capacity, product standard, and quality of life. Alter Eco offers a complete range of delicious Fair Trade products such as tea, rice, quinoa, and sugar; all of which are cultivated using sustainable methods that preserve the natural environment. Fair Trade Certified by TransFair USA. Alter Eco is a member of the International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT).

Rishi Tea Organic Black Tea Set, 2.8 Ounce Box Glass Teapot with Stainless Steel Coil Filter 300ml (10oz). Organic Fair Trade China Breakfast Black Tea. Organic Fair Trade Earl Grey Black Tea. Handcrafted Bamboo Gift Box. Steeps 53 servings. Both teas are First Place Winners at the 2008 World Tea Championship!

I spent hours picking through the usual suspects to find the gifts that really stood out, the best of the best. Each one of these is something I would absolutely feel comfortable in giving, and would be thrilled to receive.