Organic Meat issues

Martha_VH · February 2011

I know that organic meat is better! It doesn't have the preservatives and sodium that the non-organic does. I will not argue with anyone about the benefits of switching to organic.

I know that I could also go vegetarian, but I like meat. And so does my husband. He has been very good about my healthy changes, very supportive. And he hasn't complained, eating whatever I make for dinner. (I do sometimes make vegetarian dishes too.)

The grocery bill used to be $50-60, and now with all the healthier food its around $100. I knew it would go up but this makes it harder for me to want to buy organic meat. I will use hot dogs as an example. Regular hot dogs are chock-full of preservatives and sodium. But the price, Oscar Mayer hot dogs are $1.99 verses the Applegate organic $4.99
And deli meat, its hard for me to find organic deli meat. (Maybe I am looking in the wrong part of the store?)
I can justify spending more buying more fruit and veggies. However, organic meat is much harder for me to get over the price. Especially since I recently lost my job.

I guess I could cut my meat back to just 1 serving a day. Or start comparing prices and nutrition facts of all the brands my store offers.
Any ideas would be great.

bosox729 · February 2011

Have you gone to an independent butcher or are these prices from a typical super market's meat department? Depending on your geographical location, going to a butcher shop is usually cheaper than buying the organic meat at a grocery store.

As for your hot dog example, I eat NOTHING but Hebrew National

ajbeans · February 2011

Meat is kind of expensive anyway, and then when you go organic, yeah, it's out of control. Keep an eye out for sales or coupons for your favorite brands (do an online search for coupons -- the companies' websites usually have some) and stock up, keeping your meat in the freezer. Try to save meat for one meal a day, and then do eggs, tuna, beans, and other less expensive protein sources for your other meals. Make sure to hold yourself to a true serving size when you have it -- 3-4 oz isn't as much meat as most people eat at a meal, but it's more than enough to satisfy (most of the time). And while I'm pretty carnivorous, I try to have at least one meat-free dinner every week, making sure there's still plenty of protein in the meal. Tonight it's lentil loaf.

porcelain_doll · February 2011

Could you possibly live without the hot dogs and lunchmeat for now, and just stick with "regular" meat like chicken and ground beef, etc.? The prices are hard to swallow sometimes, I agree. Since you're out of work, I would do what you said and just not eat as much meat each day. You could maybe start making yourself salads and cut up chicken strips from a chicken breast and that could be your meat serving. Or make a big pot of chili and freeze it in portion-sized bags. Applegate Organics is a good brand but very expensive. Good luck with your decision.

carl1738 · February 2011

Regular meat is fine. Just try to pick lean meats like chicken or turkey breast, or lean cuts of beef. Fish is another good choice. Virtually all deli meats are fairly high in sodium, whether organic or not. Weiners are also usually very high in fat and sodium whether organic or not. Organic food may be slightly better for you, but they are much more expensive. If you're on a budget, I would just go with the regular meat, just try to pick lean cuts.

Red13 · February 2011

I don't know where you live but here in wisconsin we have options of buying directly from farmers. One of my friends works on an organic farm that sells ground beef for 3.00/lb---awesome! Do a little research and maybe that can be an option. I've also gone in on buying half a pig locally which can then be processed into brats, sausage, etc. That way I know where it came from and although it wasn't organic it was a lot fresher than conventional.

mlemonroe2 · February 2011

I am actualy working on a book, well cookbook, on how to buy organic on a budget. A few things you can do are cut back on your meat intake. Even if you make 2 vegitarian meals a week, it will make a big difference in your budget. Poultry is cheaper than red meat. Buy in bulk, especialy when it's on sale. Buy from your butcher. Use hearty vegetables like portabella mushrooms and eggplant in casserols insted of meat, or do half and half like when you're makeing a meat loaf, use less meat and add chopped mushrooms. That works for burgers too. Hope some of this helps! Good luck, I know it's hard but it is a better choice for your family. It's really sad that it's not more afforadble. Just because we are on a budget dosn't mean we should have to sacrifice our health!!

mlemonroe2 · February 2011

Regular meat is fine. Just try to pick lean meats like chicken or turkey breast, or lean cuts of beef. Fish is another good choice. Virtually all deli meats are fairly high in sodium, whether organic or not. Weiners are also usually very high in fat and sodium whether organic or not. Organic food may be slightly better for you, but they are much more expensive. If you're on a budget, I would just go with the regular meat, just try to pick lean cuts.

Organic food is really MUCH better for you, not just slightly. It is better for your health to eat organic beef than regular, lean chicken. You should do some research. You would be surprised!

Martha_VH · February 2011

Thanks everybody.

I am trying to eat a lot more sources of protein. For example, yesterday I had a salad with a variety of veggies, and used 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and 1 tbsp sunflower seeds as protein. Definitely including seeds and nuts helps.

We do try to eat fish 1-2 times per week, and I try to make chicken too.
Now that I think of it, we do have a family we are friends with who has talked about buying their meat directly from a farmer. I'll talk to them about it. They said it wasn't "certified organic," but the farmer was Amish, and they knew he wasn't using all the pesticides/preservative of other farms.

mikjenna · February 2011

Also try Costco. Costco has organic ground meat for a very reasonable price. Depending on where you live you can also get organic chicken from Costco. A budget just means you have to plan a little better. I've also bought organic meat from a family farm in the area which can also be cheaper.

Organic Meat issues

Replies

Categories