Getting health/ organic on a budget ?

Cat72

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Hope you can help. I read an article in this weeks daily mail about a family who swapped lifestyle from junk food to organic HERE .
It got my mind working as I have a lot of health problems and would like obviously everyone else to be healthier. However how is this all done in a budget and whats the best way ?
I went to tescos and there organic meat was REALLY dear. I am a vegetarian and my other half eats meat, but is not a lot so I dont know where to but organic meat as there would not be a lot required ( on average about 4 chicken breasts, one pack of ham and one pack of meat ).
I am fortunate that I live kind of in the country and have farms beside me who sell cheese and vegeatables but I am unsure if this is organic or healthy ?
As for cleaning products -im so stupid and never considered this- where do I get healthy cleaning products and do they cost the earth ?
Im no saint but would like to make sure we eat our best and do our small but money talks and it needs to be in budget .

LizD_2

The Ecover range is good for cleaning. Less harmful to the environment and similar price to other brands. Doesn't use loads of chemicals, so good if other ones make you cough. Alternatively, vinegar! (many people here will tell you the benfits)

I'm veggie too, but OH is a meatarian. We sometimes go to the local farm shop and he'll buy a joint (beef or lamb), chicken pieces and sausages.

annie-c

I'm not veggie but have recently 'discovered' pulses. Now I buy small quantities of really good meat and bulk it up with pulses - eg add red lentils to mince to make bolognese/shep pie, make beanburgers to substitute for meat ones as part of a barbecue, use HM hummous as a dip/pitta bread filler instead of meat sandwiches for work.

There is loads to find on this site - I would have a browse through and start with one small change at atime. This time last year I was living on takeaways, microwave dinners and shop bought sandwiches, with as many bags of crisps, fizzy drinks and chocolates as I could fit in between 'ready-meals'..... Now I grow a bit of my own fruit and veg, cook and freeze my own healthy 'ready' meals, try new recipes every week... the list of how I've changed goes on and on, but I started small and I am still enjoying learning new tips and tricks as time goes on...

Good luck, and give us a shout if you need help!

Annie xx

Cat72

This time last year I was living on takeaways, microwave dinners and shop bought sandwiches, with as many bags of crisps, fizzy drinks and chocolates as I could fit in between 'ready-meals'...

I am afraid I am a bit like that myself, although I do eat a lot of vegetables everyday and dont really eatfrozen food - just chips.My weakness is coke and chips , :eek: , dont eat sweets :A but still eat crisps.
However my other half is a totally junk king- as I suspect most of us are but dont really realise it. So small changes are definately required for him.
Other suggestions would be great- I read about meat boxes from organic places on one other forumn but thought there would be too much in them for just one .
Where do you get the Ecover range ? I dont use a lot of cleaning products - always hated bleach etc mostily just washing liquid, washing powder and a household cleaner.

annie-c

You can get Ecover at Tesco, Asda etc. Another eco-friendly range is Surcare.

I don't know about meat boxes but have used organic fruit and veg deliveries, before I moved house, and found the quality to be lovely - but in the boxes for one person the range is often limited.

You can get organic meat/fruit/veg in any supermarket, if it's the quality you're after (supermarkets do tend to use loads of packaging and use loads of food miles but those are other issues altogether...). I got quite a bit of organic meat and veg in Asda on Monday night - all reduced because it was near the sell-by dat, but lovely stuff.

I try not to drink coke routinely any more, though I'll have the odd can as a treat. I weaned myself off by alternating it with sparkling water, which is surprisingly lovely on a hot day.

A really lovely thing I did las year was to sign up on a 10-week cookery course run by the local community education. I learned some lovely recipes and picked up tips from others in the class and it has really enthused me to keep experimenting in the kitchen...

lynzpower

Tescos have started to do thier own make of ecover version - about a 1/3rd cheper as well I saw last week

Yategirl

I'm going to be watching this thread with interest

I've never bought ready-meals, much prefering to make my own. The only "processed" food I buy are crisps and the occasional biscuits.. I was also buying sausages from the supermarket along with vegetables and other meat but none of it was organic and it was what I could afford to fit within my £50/week budget. I am trying hard to swop over to either certified organic or to (more often) meat/veg bought from the farmers market (which is often organic but they are uncertified for whatever reason). What I am finding is that from the farmers market, produce is cheaper than at the supermarket and I can get to know the people who grow the products therefore get to know how animals are treated / vegetables grown. I also have an allotment and grow salads/tomatoes at home. However... I am spending at least £20/week more this way. I am feeding 2 adults and 2 children (4 and 1) - both gannets who love fresh veg and fruit.

Thistle-down

didn't someone post a list of environmentally friendly cleaning products and Stardrops came out about the same as Ecover?

Callanish

I was amazed to find that my local Netto sells organic veg. Not a huge variety, but good basics like potatoes, carrots etc. The quality is really good, and they're very reasonably priced - typically cheaper than the larger supermarkets normal non-organic veg. I don't know if this true everywhere, but worth a look if you have a Netto nearby!

lynzpower

I think the key to decent veg, organic or not is where in the world is farmed. Produce loses its nutritional value from the minute its picked out of the ground ( or plucked, whatever) and you need to weigh up the nutritional value of something thats come from say GUatemala or Kenya. I mean when were they picked, let alone packed.

I try adn buy British wherever I can, although I am finding it a struggle at the moment what with all this foriegn grown stuff in.

A local FARMERS market is great, but Ive never found a farmers market cheaper than supermakets, but then Im in london, so I probably wouldnt :rotfl:

Lillibet_2

I've always found farmers markets horiffically expensive and not at all local, but then I'm in surrey, I'm sure they jack up their prices plus they come from all over the country so I avoid them,. Although their produce is excellent quality.

I buy meat from a local butchers, although none of their produce is actually from this county I think that's as much beacuse Surrey isn't big on animal farming:rolleyes:, they can tell me where every piece fo meat comes from (down to the cow's number), it's all organic & isn't pumped full of water like supermarket organic meat, so doesn't shrink in the cooking. It is on par with Tesco prices but is far superior quality & now that I have got to know the burtcher he always tells me what is a good deal each week, or gives me a couple of extra sausages etc (4 this week). The first time I went in I was very nervous & announced I was a virgin:o:o:o, I meant I'd never been in a butchers before so would need a bit of help selecting cuts etc but that's not how it came out, since then he has been very helpful though:rolleyes:

I think pick your own farms are the best deal for organic fruit & veg, that way you KNOW it's local, lots of farm shops import additional produce to supplement their own as this is the only way they can make their shops economically viable. I leave the imported stuff for others & just pick mine or chose local but again the novelty of it all can make it expensive.

For cleaning stuff, I go with soapnuts, vinegar & bicarb for most stuff, I am now looking at if soap nuts could make a washing up liquid gloop as they work in dishwashers (sadly not got one:p).

HTH & good luck;)