Organic Shopping Wouldn't you like to know more about Organic Shopping? Here you will get the know-how on finding coupons, see reasons why buying packaged food is a NO-NO and getting the real facts that organic food is not that much more expensive than conventional foods. How to find coupons on organic foods? Comparison Shopping – Organic vs. non-organic Homemade vs. Package Food What types of organic products Welcome – This is one of the most important pages you will read. I wish for everyone to understand what to do and how to do it when they go the market. Organic Coupons Best Organic Coupon Where to Look for Coupons Before going shopping, you can visit the Websites of your favorite organic food manufacturers and sign up for their e-mail newsletters that may include coupons.  You can also send e-mail messages to some organic food manufacturers through their Web sites and request that product coupons be mailed to you. Be sure to let them know how much you like their products when you go shopping and remember to include your mailing address. You can also call their 800 number (found on their Web sites) to request coupons from their customer service department. Some of the organic and natural food manufacturers that have printable coupons available on their Web site or in their e-mail newsletters are Stonyfield Farms for yogurt, soy milk, smoothie coupons. See more below: Let's Go Shopping ONLINE: The best deals on organic products are these Web sites: Mambosprouts offers free subscriptions to a juicy coupon book packed with $20 worth of savings for tofu, PowerBars, and more. The more you shop the more you save. Stonyfield has single-use e-coupons for many of the dairy’s products, as well as for foods from more than a dozen other companies, such as Spectrum Organic Products and Seeds of Change. Alex's Coupon features links and savings for a handful of organic products like Bonterra wines. Search for “organic”. - Here you can get a coupon on Kashi Vive Probiotic Digestive Wellness Cereal. Organic Coupons Best Organic Coupons You can also visit the printable coupon Web sites Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen and Amy’s among others, reward their customers with coupons printed on the box or tucked inside. The "Go Organic! For Earth Day" campaign included money-saving coupons that are available in free booklets at participating retailers. Selected retailers sometimes will have organic food demonstrations, product samples, and educational materials. Organic recipes, coupons and a store finder to locate participating retailers in your area can be found on the campaign Web site Organic Earth Day. Before you shop, here are some more links directing you to more coupons: Organic Coupons Best Organic Coupons Organic Valley Coupons Organic Valley recognizes the high cost of buying organic foods and they offer organic coupons for you to print and use at your local grocery. You can save $1 off milk, cheese, and soy products offered in your local grocery stores with their printable organic coupons. You also can print up to four organic coupons; you are not limited to only one. Comparison Shopping – Organic vs. Non-Organic Here is a small sample of organic vs. non-organic prices that I have checked in a regular supermarket. Cost of Fruit         Organic Non-Organic Banana .79/lb. .69/lb Apples $4.49 – 3 lbs. $3.99 – 3 lbs. Strawberries $4.49 – 16 oz. $3.99 – 16 oz. Oranges $4.99 – 4 lbs. $4.49 – 4 lbs.       Total $14.76 $13.17       $1.59 (Difference in Organic vs. non-Organic Fruits) (Wait for Organic apples & strawberries to go on sale – Quite often they do)    Cost of Vegetables         Organic Non-Organic Carrots $1.99/3 lbs., .89/lb. $1.89/3 lbs., .89/lb. Broccoli $2.49/lb. $1.99/lb. Celery $.99/lb. $.89/lb.       Total $5.47 $4.77       Only .70¢ Difference between organic and non-organic Vegetables Editor’s note: Kellogg's Froot Loops Breakfast Cereal: corn, wheat, oats, sugar, oil, salt, calcium carbonate, sodium ascorbate, ascorbic acid, red #40, yellow #6, blue #1, blue #2, natural flavors, vitamins, BHT preservative. Not all cereals contain this much artificial color but most are preserved with BHT, a petroleum derivative. FD&C artificial colors and preservatives like BHT, BHA and TBHQ can drive some kids wild. Just maybe, Froot Loops aren't such a good way to start to your child's day. Please when you go shopping for your children's cereal don't buy these type of sugary types. Here a good example of Potato Chips: There are two kinds of potato chips I am going to talk about, The Herr's 10oz Kettle Cooked Potato Chips and the real KETTLE 16 oz. Organic Potato Chips. See below for the difference: Wholesome Potato Chips - Kettle Ingredients: Select Russet Potatoes, Expeller pressed high monounsaturated safflower and/or sunflower oil. Regular Potato Chips - Kerr's Ingredients: Choice Potatoes cooked in vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following corn, cottonseed and soybean) and salt. The difference between these chips is not only the ingredients which show the regular having oils which contain corn that has been genetically modified, but also the price (see below): Wholesome Potato Chips - $3.99 16 oz. Regular Potato Chips - $2.99 - 10 oz. Ounce for ounce the wholesome chips are actually cheaper. Check out Organic Cost Note: I have found the most expensive items were milk and eggs. Regular milk is about $2.99/ ½ gallon and Organic milk is about $3.29. Regular eggs are about $1.20/dz. and eggs (where chickens are cage-free) are $2.19. ========================================================== Homemade vs. Package Food Here, I will explain how making a meal from scratch (don’t worry its not time consuming) is actually cheaper and just as simple to make, and, of course, so much better for you and your family’s health. Many family eats prepackage food because its easier -- you just take it out of the fridge or freezer, combine the ingredients together or just put it in the oven and you have an instant meal. Well, I am here to tell you that all of that instant this and instant that is really hurting your family. Please stop buying these type of foods. For an example: Betty Crocker’s Hamburger Helper. Have you ever seen the HUGE AMOUNT OF INGREDIENTS that are in these boxes? And for what, so it easier to mix with hamburger and have it taste good? Here are the ingredients in “Hamburger Helper”, Cheeseburger Macaroni: Enriched Macaroni (Durum Semolina, Durum Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate [Iron], Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Maltodextrin, Corn Starch, Salt, Whey, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Dried Tomato, Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, Dried Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Dried Onion, Modified Corn Starch, Whey Protein Concentrate, Monosodium Glutamate, Dextrose, Dried Garlic, Sodium Caseinate, Mono and Diglycerides, Citric Acid, Nonfat Milk, Natural Flavor, Colored With Yellow Lake 5&6 and Yellow 5&6, Sodium Phosphate, Glutamic Acid, Calcium Silicate (Anticaking Agent), Egg, Soy Flour. Just by glancing at these ingredients, I can see 3 potential dangerous ingredients: we now have to deal with disodium phosphate, a preservatives, MSG, a flavor enhancers and artificial FD&C yellow coloring. Such chemicals can be especially troublesome for those with learning problems. Also, the number of "natural" ingredients has grown to include corn, whey, tomato, sugar, onion, garlic,soy and egg. Why would anyone eat this stuff?  Here a few reasons: naïve, no knowledge, never really thought about it, and brainwashing by corporation. If you want to make noodles and hamburger casserole WITHOUT THOSE AWFUL INGREDIENTS, this is all you have to do: First, shop for hamburger or turkey that is not injected with growth stimulants or added hormones, and fed a vegetarian diet. I buy “Nature’s Promise” from Giant, its only $3.59 a pound, Laura’s Lean Burgers or Jennie-O Turkey.

Now here is the easy part, get it to taste good. Here is the sauce that is so simple and nutritious that you can add after the noodles and hamburger is cook.

After noodles and hamburger are cooked I add about 6 oz (more if you want) of organic tomatoes sauce (spaghetti sauce if you like) and add organic shredded cheese (any kind) and small pieces of broccoli to the cooked noodles. Add spices (oregano, basil, pepper, sea salt. chili powder or any kind. Mix well and then add the cooked hamburger. That is all there is to it.

Ingredients for the Entire Recipe

• 1 lb. cooked ground turkey or hamburger (w/o hormones)
• 1 pkg. Organic Macaroni & Cheese (cook according to package) Note: I use two types – Nature’s Promise or Trader’s Joe’s brand
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• shreddred cheese (any amt or any kind)
• 3 cups cooked small pieces chopped broccoli (optional)
• 6 oz. tomato sauce (organic brand)
  

• Cook Macaroni
• Brown meat in large skillet; drain.
• After macaroni and meat is done STIR rest of the ingredients to the macaroni
• Heat on low; simmer 5 min., stirring well.
• ADD cooked meat and broccoli (if you like); simmer 5 min.

Breakdown of cost is below:

Betty Crocker’s Hamburger Helper Macaroni & Cheese - $3.09 Regular Hamburger or Turkey - $3.00/lb

Total Cost - $6.09

My recipe:

• 1 lb. organic hamburger/turkey - $3.59
• Box of organic Macaroni & Cheese - $1.09
• Chili Powder – pennies
• 6 oz. Tomato sauce - $.85

Bottom Line: Your dinner can cost less, preparation time the same and a whole lot healthier. What are you waiting. Let's go shopping!!

Shop Organic!! Shop Organic!! Shop Organic!! Shop Organic!! Shop Organic!!

Any certified organic plant product must come from fields that have remained free of chemical application of fertilizers and pesticides for at least three years, and must follow USDA Regulations.

Foods grown on lands not yet meeting organic standards may receive a "transitional" label if they follow the strict requirements for conversion.  All crops have specific regulations for post-harvest handling; this results in a paper trail that includes the date of sale, purchase, and origin of the commodity.

1. Organic dairy products:

Milk from all dairy animals, including cows, goats, and sheep, may be certified organic. Certified organic products cover nearly the full dairy spectrum, including milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, cottage cheese, sour cream, ice cream, and more.

At no time may organic milk be blended or otherwise come into contact with non-organic milk. Standard hygiene and dairy safety procedures are followed, including pasteurization. Certification requires humane treatment of the animals, clean water and bedding, and access to the out-of-doors for pasture, exercise, and fresh air.

To qualify for organic certification, a dairy farmer must feed 100% certified organic feed produced on land untreated with synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for at least three seasons prior to harvesting the crop.

The farm on which the herd is pastured must be certified organic as well. In addition, organic dairy products must be free of drugs, including growth hormones or antibiotics.

2. Organic meat and poultry

Organic provisions require animals to be raised without receiving antibiotics, hormones, or growth stimulants.

Humane treatment and access to the out-of-doors are stipulated, and the animals must be fed 100% certified organic feed and must graze in certified organic pastures.

All meat and poultry processing must be done according to strict USDA standards in a plant certified and regularly inspected for organic production. Animals designated for dairy may not be sold for slaughter.

At the packing plant, animals are isolated from conventional herds and fed organically. Few plants process exclusively organic products, so the entire line is cleaned to organic specifications before any meat or poultry product is run.