Organic diet on a budget ?

whirlpool

What are your thoughts on maintaining a diet with the following requirements?

• As organic as possible
• Low gluten
• Low dairy
• Low salt
• Low fat
• Low sugar
• Low / zero processed produce
• High protein
• High nutritional value
• Treats included
• Never going hungry

*By "low" I do mean "low" and not "no."

Any tips for maintaining this kind of organic diet?

How much would this type of diet cost?

On how low of a budget, do you think, is this kind of diet possible?

Or are you someone who thinks that this kind of diet is just too hard to try to maintain? If so, any tips on maintaining any of the above requirements are appreciated.

Are you someone who does actually manage to do this?

Frogdog

Just one question - why low fat?

whirlpool

Frogdog wrote: »

Just one question - why low fat?

It's not really a strict requirement. By "Low Fat" I suppose I really meant "Not high fat." And that is just for basic health reasons.

Frogdog

But fat is good for your health?

Google "the benefits of fat in your diet".

whirlpool

Frogdog wrote: »

But fat is good for your health?

I wouldn't be a complete expert on the benefits of fat so I won't start answering for you but as you said yourself Google it and you should find out what you want to know.

Adelie

If you're doing this:

• Low / zero processed produce

you really don't need to worry about these:

• Low salt
• Low fat

Everyone needs a certain amount of salt and processed foods can be loaded with it, but if you're not eating processed foods, you should add it to your meals or you could be low on it. As for fat the harmful stuff comes in processed foods. Also you will find it hard to have a diet with high nutritional value if you are eating low fat (e.g. lots of the vitamins are fat-soluble!)

About the eating healthy on a low cost - its a trade off between time and money really. If you have time to shop around and go to the butchers, fruit and veg shop, stock up on the bargains while they are cheap, cook all your own meals, then you can save a lot of money. If you are depending on the local SPAR and eating out then no way can you do it cheaply.

For organic stuff, pick and choose what needs to be organic. Stuff you eat the skin on like strawberries are more important cos you don't want pesticides on that. Stuff like bananas with thick skin or stuff that grows underground like carrots (cut the top off), not so important. Beef and lamb are always good quality in Ireland, don't worry about organic labels. Chicken and pork, less controls, do try to get better quality.

By the way I think that the avoiding processed foods is the most important on your list, if you want to prioritise.

whirlpool

Adelie wrote: »

If you're doing this.....

Great post, thanks a mill.

It hadn't really dawned on me that avoiding processed foods in itself would cover a lot of the angles that I asked about, so thanks for pointing that out.

The priorities of my post would be the "As organic as possible" and the "Never going hungry" parts, and what is the lowest budget on which this could be achieved.

As far as treats go, to start eating organically would, I suppose, require weaning from the processed produce that the body is normally subjected-to (i.e. finding a way to end the cravings) and to introduce the organic produce slowly. So any tips on organic treats would be appreciated!

nbrady20009

Adelie wrote: »

If you're doing this:

• Low / zero processed produce

you really don't need to worry about these:

• Low salt
• Low fat

Everyone needs a certain amount of salt and processed foods can be loaded with it, but if you're not eating processed foods, you should add it to your meals or you could be low on it. As for fat the harmful stuff comes in processed foods. Also you will find it hard to have a diet with high nutritional value if you are eating low fat (e.g. lots of the vitamins are fat-soluble!)

About the eating healthy on a low cost - its a trade off between time and money really. If you have time to shop around and go to the butchers, fruit and veg shop, stock up on the bargains while they are cheap, cook all your own meals, then you can save a lot of money. If you are depending on the local SPAR and eating out then no way can you do it cheaply.

For organic stuff, pick and choose what needs to be organic. Stuff you eat the skin on like strawberries are more important cos you don't want pesticides on that. Stuff like bananas with thick skin or stuff that grows underground like carrots (cut the top off), not so important. Beef and lamb are always good quality in Ireland, don't worry about organic labels. Chicken and pork, less controls, do try to get better quality.

By the way I think that the avoiding processed foods is the most important on your list, if you want to prioritise.

Your bang on about beef and lamb, the quality here is very high, there is very little difference between conventional and organic practices with these livestock. In terms of poultry there may be more of a case, but comparing battery and organic is not the only way to make comparisons. Compare a good free range and organic bird and there is not much difference. The difference in quality is not so much from the organic feed they get, but a good varied diet. Saying that, the poultry I keep are all fed organic pellets.

Leafy vegetables as mentioned before would be priority to make the switch to, especially anything that is not a vigorous grower as copious amounts of glyphosate are sprayed to keep the competing weeds at bay. You would also be shocked at the amount of pesticides sprayed on strawberries as the warm moist conditions they grow in, in glasshouses are idea homes for many pathogens. But by and large a good wash before you eat any fruit or veg will remove the vast majority of resides left from the field.

When price is concerned the only way your going to get to save money on your conventional shop is by buying direct from the supplier or growing/raising yourself. If you have a large, chest freezer it might be worth getting a hogget slaughtered for yourself. It would probably cost you in the region of €200-250 plus €15 for butchering but you'll have many months supply of meat and all those great cut you can't get here, that are usually exported to France. Might be an option worth considering. If you don't mind freezing, getting trays of 30-50 chicken breasts works out quite cheaply, about €1.25 a breast.