Green Your Grocery Routine Without Going Broke

Contrary to popular belief, organic and eco-friendly eating habits are not just for wealthy yuppies, foodies, farmers, and tree-huggers. You don't have to undergo a major lifestyle makeover (or sacrifice your hard-earned cash to "Whole Paycheck") in order to green your grocery routine and ground yourself in healthier eating habits.

Through a combination of local, organic, fair trade, and conventional yet low-toxicity foods, you can easily incorporate items that are healthier for your mind, your body, and the planet—even your bottom line. Sometimes the greener option actually cuts costs from your grocery bill; a little homework goes a long way to make going green in 2009 a simple and affordable process.

To help you simply and affordably make the transition, Shoestring has interviewed the experts and compiled this cheat sheet to Greening Your Grocery Routine Without Going Broke:

THE DIRTY DOZEN

Knowing the 12 most toxic fruit and vegetable crops in the U.S., also known as the "dirty dozen," can help you make game time decisions between organic and conventional in any grocery shopping situation. Peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, strawberries, lettuce, celery, grapes (imported), pears, spinach and potatoes on average contain the highest amount of pesticides, and should be purchased organic when possible. On the other hand, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, bananas, asparagus, sweet peas, mango, pineapples, sweet corn, avocado and onions generally have the lowest pesticide levels (or have a removable peel that protects the edible portion), making them the 12 "safest" items, so you don't need to buy organic versions of these items.

Many online organic sources and green guides provide additional cheat sheets, such as these Pesticides in Produce "wallet guides" from FoodNews.org, part of the Environmental Working Group, with information on pesticide levels in industrial agriculture. Or, check out these Healthy Harvest guides to seasonal and local produce from Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment.

SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS

Supporting local food producers allows you to go green while spending less than conventional grocery stores. You can find area farmers, bakeries, and other organic producers or manufacturers in a number of ways: frequent farmer’s markets in the summer; sign up for an organic or local grocery delivery service; or grow your own kitchen garden or windowsill herb garden if you have the space. (Our Affordable Container Gardens article in October's launch issue can help guide you to frugal foodie bliss.)

Farmer's market produce is not only lower in pesticides but often also organic, and is cheaper as overhead and shipping costs are minimal. "Many smaller farmers do not pay for the official organic certification, but follow organic practices," Janet Morgenstern Passani, a healthy living consultant and old-school organic foodie, reminded us in a recent interview. Produce you buy comes freshly picked and spends little time on the truck, so it will keep longer too. spud!, an organic grovery delivery service from the West Coast to Canada, supports local, organic and fair trade producers, as does their competitor, Planet Organics, and others in various geographic areas the country. These services deliver fresh, local produce straight to your door—even offering the ability to set up weekly or monthly delivery options so you never run out—making them the green market's answer to Netflix. The spud! staff recommends: buying in season, especially berries; stocking up by freezing, jarring, or canning, instead of buying conventional off-season options; and incorporating winter squash, potatoes, and carrots into your diet will all keep your groceries low-cost and green.

EAT SEASONALLY

Where large-scale natural and organic delivery services are not available, it's often possible to find Community Sponsored Agriculture, or CSA's, which deliver a weeks' worth of local in-season produce from area farmers directly to your doorstep (or to a nearby, central location). Delivery options are greener because they support local crops with lower levels of pesticides, and they cut down on fuel emissions, both from your car and from long-haul produce shipping by commercial trucks. Many CSA's also offer great recipes included in each week's delivery for those who are less culinary-inclined or have never eaten offbeat veggies, such as beets or persimmons, before. Find a CSA near you by searching your ZIP code at LocalHarvest.org.

Additionally, you can save money by employing your green thumb and growing your own herbs and tomatoes on your windowsill for free, as we mentioned above, or by signing up for a (usually affordable) community garden plot in your city or town to harvest home-grown food for a season if you don't have the space.

BUY ONLY FAIR TRADE IMPORTED ITEMS

Many fair trade products are also certified organic, and while fair trade imported goods may cost marginally more, they're the greener choice as the certification supports a living wage for the farming communities around the world where they were grown and manufactured. “In the area of food and beverage, consumers don't need to choose between buying local and supporting fair trade," says Carmen Iezzi, executive director for the Fair Trade Federation. "Most fair trade commodities, such as coffee and cocoa, don't have North American-based alternatives."

Coffee especially is a big addition to many Americans' carbon footprint, as it has to be transported by air to the regions where it's being consumed. To offset this environmental and economic cost, many fair trade coffee companies and environmental groups have ongoing campaigns to urge consumers to brew at home. The FTF estimates that one pound of fair trade coffee makes 30 cups for $10 to $12 while an equivalent 30 cups brewed at a coffee chain would cost $54. While conventional coffee is cheaper, at an average of $6 a bag, Iezzi argues that these "products contribute to positive, long term sustainable development".  To sweeten the home brew, FTF also recommends consumers opt for fair trade cane sugar, at $3.99 per pound from Equator Coffee, instead of $4.49 for non-fair-trade raw sugar, which costs more to the planet and the wallet.  While organic products are often sold at inflated prices as premium goods, fair trade is an affordable choice available to the green consumer.

SHOP STRATEGICALLY TO SAVE

Online price shopping and coupon code hunting can help consumers save on their most frequent organic and green purchases. Amazon offers coupons for both organic and conventional products. Sophie Uliano, author of Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life, was raised on all-organic produce from her mother's garden in England. Now, as she raises her own kids, Sophie supports affordable green eating habits for the whole family by planning ahead. "I stick to an eating plan, or eating menu, for the week and then I will make a shopping list and absolutely stick to it and that’s my number one money saver," she said. "Within that I'll do one shop a week." Sophie keeps a budget book for comparison shopping. Letting go of brand loyalty is another way she sees clear to saving money, as store brand organic products are significantly cheaper in general, she says.

The bigger quantities you buy, the more you save, as with anything. Janet Morgenstern Passani also recommends frequenting the bulk aisle at your local organic supermarket. "In the summer, buy local berries in big quantities when they are on sale and freeze them for a winter treat." Lentils, beans, tofu, and nuts are also far cheaper than animal protein, easier to purchase in bulk, and healthier. The principle and cost savings are the same as an average family making the trip to a big box or wholesale store.

The economy doesn't bode well for families wanting to adopt an all-organic lifestyle right now, and doing so can be overwhelming even in prosperous times. However, switching your grocery list to include a combination of local, organic, and fair trade items can—and will—help you green your grocery routine while you saving money, too.

Photo Credit: Amanda Massello