Wallet-friendly organics

Despite that nagging voice that tells us organic food is better for the planet and likely better for our bodies, it can be hard to justify the extra cost — especially when most organic foods look the same as the regular stuff. We did some digging to find out how you can go organic for less.

Get it delivered
If you do a lot of cooking, getting an organic food box delivered can cut your grocery costs. Front Door Organics (www.frontdoororganics.com) offers a selection of 10 to 15 fruits and vegetables, including seasonal local produce, for $35, and for an extra $5 you can completely customize the contents. Wanigan (www.wanigan.com) comes in a little cheaper with eight varieties of box available and prices between $25 and $54.

Avoid specialty stores
There is no reason to shop exclusively at high-end natural-food stores. Increasingly, regular grocery stores are offering more reasonably priced organic products. President’s Choice, who supply No Frills, Loblaws, Dominion and Valu-Mart, have a fast-growing organics range. A bag of PC organic carrots will set you back only 40 cents extra, and organic orange juice or soy milk is only 50 cents more than the non-organic variety. More importantly, PC Organics foods are still invariably a dollar or more cheaper than their brand-name, non-organic equivalents.

Buy locally and in season
Off-season, you pay extra for the cost of storage or shipping (or both), which can sometimes more than double the price tag. In-season vegetables are even cheaper at farmers’ markets, which appear all over the city in the warmer months.

Be selective
Finally, going organic doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Certain foods carry a much higher risk of chemical exposure, so buying these from organic farmers can make a big difference to the amount of pesticides you ingest. Soft fruits like strawberries, cherries and nectarines, for example, are sprayed heavily to preserve their appearance during transit. Sturdier foods like sweet corn, pineapples and bananas don’t require nearly so much chemical intervention. A handy pocket list of the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen and Clean 15,” from which these examples are taken, is available online at www.foodnews.org.