Eating better for less. Is it possible ?

rom

I try to eat very healthy. Very little processed foods in my trolley each week. But I want to eat better. My in-laws grow veg that we get some when it is in season but it seems the choices are not great outside of that.

There is no comparison between what we get in the supermarket and what we get fresh from them.

So I am left with two choices. Continuing buying fruit and veg in aldi/lidl or buy organic which is crazy expensive in some instances.

e.g. A bag of walnuts in aldi is 1.79. Organic walnuts are like 5.70

It seems to me that the organic market in Ireland prices are crazy. I am just as concerned about how long it takes for the fruit/veg gets to me.

Reading posts like this make me feel that there is a missing market here in Ireland.

Is there any websites that deliver fruit and veg that is in season and fresh but does not cost the world ? I would like my carrots to taste like carrots for a change. I don't mind paying more but not 3 times more.

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2012/09/paris-blog-going-to-farm-and-picking.html

drquirky

Have used Home Organics before and they are pretty good


http://homeorganics.ie

Krusty_Clown

Ah yes... France... We're so close to France, yet so, so far away...
This thread really belongs in the Food and Drink forum, not Athletics / Running. While you'll find some folk knowledgeable on the subject, naturally (pardon the pun) you'll find a lot more expertise on the subject matter forum.

By the way, in terms of how long it takes for fruit/veg to get to you, there is little difference between organic and non-organic foods (in fact, organic foods may have to travel greater distances as they may need to come from more climatically appropriate regions, where non-organic foods get a 'helping hand').

rom

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Ah yes... France... We're so close to France, yet so, so far away...
This thread really belongs in the Food and Drink forum, not Athletics / Running. While you'll find some folk knowledgeable on the subject, naturally (pardon the pun) you'll find a lot more expertise on the subject matter forum.

By the way, in terms of how long it takes for fruit/veg to get to you, there is little difference between organic and non-organic foods (in fact, organic foods may have to travel greater distances as they may need to come from more climatically appropriate regions, where non-organic foods get a 'helping hand').

Well as my focus is more a sports performance perspective. Does it actually have benefit ?

menoscemo

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

This thread really belongs in the Food and Drink forum, not Athletics / Running.

This is discussed quite regularly on Nutrition and Diet:
Here are a few recent examples:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056818138
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056783695

Krusty_Clown

rom wrote: »

Well as my focus is more a sports performance perspective. Does it actually have benefit ?

You reckon there might be organic farms or suppliers aimed just at performance sports foods?

rom

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

You reckon there might be organic farms or suppliers aimed just at performance sports foods?

I suppose that could be one side of it but I am more interested in the top performers if they buy their food in super market, farmers market, grow their own or other and do they think it makes a difference.

With food supplement market being huge there clearly is a market for this sort of thing. One example is http://www.beet-it.com/

tunguska

Yeah Organic prices are nuts. Although theres an organic market every saturday & sunday in temple bar where I buy anything I need. I know the people there who are selling fruit and veg and its the real deal at very cheap prices. Theres another market just off cork street aswell.
Dont know if thats any use to you though, are you in dublin rom? If not I'd be pretty certain there'd be something similar in every city in the country, ask around.
It is good to eat organic but I wouldnt get too stressed about it if not everythng you eat is organic, so long as its natural and has one ingredient you're good to go. I know theres issues with pesticides and the like with non organic food(some would argue theres issues with pesticides with organic food too)so I take a spoonfull of chlorella everyday to balance things out. Its powerful stuff and it removes toxins, heavy metals etc from your body. Its a complete food aswell, really good source of protein.

Krusty_Clown

How about Devoys organic farm? They're in Rosscarbery, in Cork, and sell vegetable boxes. Might be worth a try. There's also Ballymaloe, Narmada Organics, or you could check out this booklet of local producers in Cork (though it's from 2004, so some of the entries will no doubt be out of date). This list of suppliers is probably a little more up to date, and all do farm-gate sales.

rom

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

How about Devoys organic farm? They're in Rosscarbery, in Cork, and sell vegetable boxes. Might be worth a try. There's also Ballymaloe, Narmada Organics, or you could check out this booklet of local producers in Cork (though it's from 2004, so some of the entries will no doubt be out of date). This list of suppliers is probably a little more up to date, and all do farm-gate sales.

Wow excellent. The shops in the city are great as I can't get to the farmers markets. Thanks for finding that pdf.

macinalli

rom wrote: »

So I am left with two choices. Continuing buying fruit and veg in aldi/lidl or buy organic which is crazy expensive in some instances.

Do you have a local fruit & veg shop? We used to always get our veg in Tesco's; never particularly liked it but there was damn all choice. A few months ago a green grocer opened up down the road and we now get everything there. They don't have the same range that Tesco does, but they do have 90% of what we need for our weekly shop. Surprisingly they're also cheaper than Tesco's. They may not be as good quality as home grown (it never is;)), but the veg has much more flavour than what you get in the big supermarkets.

jeffontour

I'm not sure about Aldi but I know Lidl do organic veg and it's not ridiculously expensive relative to the normal stuff from what I can recall.

rom

jeffontour wrote: »

I'm not sure about Aldi but I know Lidl do organic veg and it's not ridiculously expensive relative to the normal stuff from what I can recall.

Normally shop in aldi, try to go organic on a few things they have. Will just need to make a list from both places and see what is in both. Thanks

rom

Lidl has

Organic Spaghetti 0.89
Organic Mature White Cheddar 2.79
Irish Organic Eggs 2.09
Fairtrade Organic Bananas 1.59
Organic Apples 2.99
Cherry Tomatoes 2.29
Organic Onions 1.49
Organic Potatoes 2.79
Organic Carrots 1.49

Aldi has
Irish Organic Eggs 2.09
Organic Bananas 1.59
Organic Loose Peppers ?

tesco's can be seen on their website
i don't know about what dunnes do. will have a look over the weekend.

menoscemo

rom wrote: »

Organic Spaghetti 0.89

BobMac104

yeah from the spaghetti trees duh!
I would assume all the eggs flower and whatever else is in organic spaghetti are themselves organic

ebixa82

From a nutritional perspective there is actually very little difference between organic fruit and veg and normal, cheaper mass produced options.

Organic foods are more expensive because they are produced on a much smaller scale, much less intensively and with less chemicals involved. However they are no less unhealthy to eat. Granted they are not always as tasty, but often tasty enough, particularly due to the price differential that exists.