Organic - Where to Buy

Damn Hippie Food!!  I hear Cartman's voice in my head when I see organic labels and signs or even when I pass the local Whole Foods or Sprouts Market.  I used to roll my eyes and think to myself, how it was just trendy or posh to buy organic foods.  That people did it to "look" like they were trying to be environmentally responsible - you know, hippies!  But, I must admit, I was wrong.

I want to explain the basics about organic food - where you can buy it rather inexpensively (it will still cost more than conventional items), what you should look for and, of course, why you should take the extra time and money to do this for you and your family.  I want to try and keep these postings shorter, so this one will cover where you can buy organic.  Look for separate postings on the What and Why.

Where?

Just about anywhere!  Wal-Mart, Target, Market Street, Sprouts, Tom Thumb, Publix, Albertson's.  You name it! You can probably find a dedicated organic produce and fruit section in addition to various store or national organic brands for canned or prepared items.  Archer Farms at Target (look for organic in the label - not all Archer Farms items are organic), O at Tom Thumb, Full Circle at Market Street just to name a few.

Personally, I split my grocery shopping mostly between Target and Market Street because they are close by.  But, I do make the trek to Whole Foods when I want to buy meat - they only sell grass-fed which is also important because the meat is leaner and has more CLA.  Grass-fed cattle is a topic for another posting to come.  :)

One thing to note - just because you're at Whole Foods or Sprouts, it doesn't automatically mean that anything/everything in there is organic.  They sell both organic and conventional options.  Easiest way to tell if produce and fruit are organic is to look at that sticker - it will actually mean something to you and not just the cashier!  If the number on the sticker begins with a 9 - then it's organic.  You'll notice some even make the 9 a larger size to make it easy to spot.  So, if the signage isn't clear or you're not sure, then just look for the sticker and the leading 9.

Anyways, check out your regular grocery store and keep your eyes out for organic options.  You might be surprised at the kind of selection you have.  As people are becoming more aware of what it means to buy organic it is becoming increasingly popular - which means the big grocery chains are following suit to make sure you'll buy it from them and not go elsewhere.