Local, Organic and Affordable? Ideas to Chew On...

I was talking to a friend recently about my frugal angle with these blog posts and she posed an interesting question:  “I've wondered about how to feed the family in a sustainable way on a budget.  I know people say buy local and organic, but I haven't always found that to be the most inexpensive way to eat. Are there other tips on where or when to shop that I'm missing?”

It’s a great question whether you cook a lot or dine out often.  I don’t have kids but even buying local and organic just for myself has its financial challenges – last year I bought a juicer and was a bit stunned at the sudden increase in my food spending just for that fresh glass of organic carrot-apple-ginger juice every morning.  And $5 for a bag of mushrooms at the farmer's market always seems crazy (but I do it).  So out of curiosity, I posed my friend’s question to some folks here at PECI. 

I expected a variety of responses quoting Michael Pollan, Alice Waters, Fast Food Nation, etc...  And I expected ideas like backyard gardening, shopping seasonally and buying the less expensive (although not by much, it seems) generic organic brands.  Mostly, I expected responses which had the underlying theme of investing in slightly-more-costly food now for your own prolonged health and the prolonged health of the planet. 

I got some of that but the most common answer was simply, “Give up meat.”

Well, of course.  The internet is full of statistics on why we should reduce or eliminate meat from our diets – ranging in rationale from health, to environmental, to ethical.  For all of these reasons, I gave up red and white meat for about 15 years but after a four-month stint in South America a few years ago, I’m now what a coworker has coined an “opportunistic vegetarian.” I won’t buy meat at the grocery store, but if it’s presented to me in a tasty cooked dish and I know where the meat came from, I won’t say no.  (Especially if it’s bacon…  Mmmm, bacon.) 

When I cook at home, though, I generally opt for all-vegetable or “faux” meat dishes.  Luckily, there is no shortage of available resources to help me figure out what’s for dinner.  Here are just a few of my favorites:

• EnviroMom put together eighty amazing meat-free recipes
• Meatless Monday gives ideas on how to start each week meat-free 
• Greens founder Deborah Madison lists tasty meat-free recipes on her website

Farmers market vendors often provide recipes for their seasonal offerings, too.  And Bon Appetit offers 50 ways to eat green that hit on frugality as well as sustainability.  (Tip #1: Eat More Chocolate, might be my favorite...)

Eating out sustainably can also be a challenge.  I’m fortunate because Portland does not lack green and organic restaurants.  Even our local Burgerville chain offers “fresh, local and sustainably-produced food” – and seasonal specials like asparagus spears and chocolate hazelnut milkshakes.  They aren’t always inexpensive, but a treat once in a while to support a local business (and the planet as a whole) is a worthy investment in my opinion.

But enough from me… What tips do YOU have for my friend?