Your grocery cart Splurge on • Wheat- and oatmeal-based organic products, such as flour, pasta and bread, as well as organic rice, which is quite affordable. • Cereals (I really liked Flax Plus Raisin Bran, which contains not only flaxseed but also 11 grams of fibre, instead of the five grams I get in my usual brand). Skip • Organic cereals for kids. Unlike conventional brands, they're usually not fortified with nutrients such as thiamine and riboflavin. Read labels carefully. |
Your grocery cart Splurge on • Organic apples, bell peppers, imported grapes, peaches, pears, raspberries and strawberries. Their non-organic counterparts have been identified by the U.S. Environmental Working Group as most likely to be contaminated. • Organic lettuce and spinach, as well as root vegetables, such as potatoes. • Herbs, especially more potent (but sometimes difficult to find) organic herbs for use in recipes that call for large amounts, such as parsley for tabbouleh. Skip • Organic asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, onions and sweet peas. Their non-organic counterparts typically carry fewer pesticides. |
Your grocery cart Splurge on • Organic dairy products (I'll definitely buy organic ice cream again: Mapleton and PC Organics make great chocolate ice cream that's not too sweet). Skip • Organic milk. Canadian milk is quite clean, says Gunta Vitins, vice-president of marketing for Pro Organics, a Canadian organic foods distributor. |
Your grocery cart Splurge on • Organic meats and poultry, if you're spooked about hormones, pesticides and antibiotics and have the funds to cover a heftier bill. (My husband and I found organic back bacon, chicken and eggs tasty enough to justify their cost.) Skip • Organic meats and poultry, if you can't afford them. A more reasonable compromise might be to buy natural meats, available at health food stores. These animals have been given conventional feed but don't receive hormones or antibiotics. |
Your grocery cart Splurge on • Organic soups and chips, which deliver taste without msg. I found Organic Yellow Corn Tostitos crunchy, not too salty and reasonably priced. • Organic tomato-based products, which, in general, had a richer flavour. Try tomato sauces, frozen lasagnas and condiments such as Heinz Organic Ketchup. Skip • Organic versions of bad-for-you-but-so-good comfort foods. The macaroni-and-cheese dinner from pc Organics, with its bland cheese flavour and lack of creaminess, totally let me down. • Frozen foods with organic meats – you'll often get a small serving and a low-quality cut |
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