Frugal Food

I've been inspired by Boulder Locavore and have decided to spend a bit more time on our food decisions.

My thrifty spin - follow the thrifty cardinal rules at the grocery store/farmstand:

DO NOT shop for food when you are hungry.
AVOID the "specials" on the endcaps.
DO NOT shop at peak hours - you'll feel rushed and might make choices that aren't thrifty.
DO NOT buy more than you need - specials like 10 for $10 may be too many.

In order to stay within my food budget, I can't exclusively buy organic food. Blasphemy in Boulder, I know. I can, however, make as many healthful choices as possible.

One way is to avoid the Dirty Dozen. Each year the Environmental Working Group releases a list of produce with the highest pesticide levels. There's even a handy dandy wallet card in case your memory is like mine.

The list starts with the worst item at number one.

1.  Celery
2.  Peaches
3.  Strawberries
4.  Apples
5.  Blueberries
6.  Nectarines
7.  Bell Peppers
8.  Spinach
9.  Cherries
10. Kale/Collard Greens
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (Imported)

When you buy these items, make sure they're organic. It will give you peace of mind. Besides, buying fresh food and prepping it yourself is more frugal than giving in to temptation and buying packaged food.

On the wallet card you'll also see the Clean 15, a list of the least contaminated produce. This list starts with the best item at number one.

1.  Onions
2.  Avocado
3.  Sweet Corn
4.  Pineapple
5.  Mangos
6.  Sweet Peas
7.  Asparagus
8.  Kiwi
9.  Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potatoes
15. Honeydew Melon

In other words, you can feel good about buying these items even if they're grown conventionally.

Regardless of your grocery budget, you CAN make informed healthful purchases.