Do you want to Unjunk your Diet™  by eating clean and buying organic as much as possible but feel like it will be too expensive?  I am here to let you know there are lots of ways to incorporate eating clean and organic into your life without blowing your budget. Click to Tweet: Unjunk your Diet™ without blowing your budget. http://bit.ly/1AdJIGG

Money Savings Tips:

Shop your fridge & pantry FIRST. Before you head off to the grocery store or farmers market, check what you already have at home. This will keep you from unintentionally buying duplicate items. Shoot, you may even be able to throw together an entire meal out of what you already have!

Shop at farmer’s markets. Now that spring is coming, farmer’s markets will start having tons of fresh produce.  If you are lucky enough to live in CA, FL or somewhere the climate is pretty consistent year round, then you can shop year round.  You will always be able to cut costs by buying directly from the farmer because you cut out the middle man. Plus, it’s always a good idea to get to know your local farmers.   They can give you amazing cooking tips for their produce.  By buying at farmer’s markets you are helping the environment and your local economy so it’s a win all the way around!  Tip:  you can get the best variety by shopping early, but you may get the best deals by shopping later in the day!  Need to find a local farmer’s market, click here.

Join a CSA.  A CSA is a community supported agriculture group.  You can pay your local farmer up front or weekly for weekly box of seasonal produce.  It ends up being a really great deal and a great way to try different fruits and veggies each week.  Need to find a local CSA, click here.

Buy in season.  When it comes to fruits and vegetables, buy items that are in season. It’s always cheaper to purchase seasonal produce and you can sometimes get great deals from local farmers when they have over productions.  You can buy in bulk and freeze or can.

Grow your own garden! Growing your own vegetables is economical and it doesn’t have to be a big time commitment. You can grow vegetables in containers if you don’t have the space or time for an entire garden. This is a really fun kid activity too.    If you can peel it and it has a thick skin – then buy conventional.  Wash first then toss the peel, which is the part exposed to the most chemicals. Dump the bagged organics.  You are paying to be lazy.  Take a few minutes when you get home and chop your own fruits and veggies.

Buy conventional rice, bread and pasta.  The key here is to focus on whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat pasta, which aren’t processed as white carbs.  Check your labels, just because it says whole wheat on the label doesn’t mean the ingredients are actually whole wheat.    

Where to Splurge:

The Dirty Dozen!  The Dirty Dozen is a list of the top twelve fruits and veggies with the highest level of pesticides and submitted by the EWG.  You should buy the Dirty Dozen in organic only.  Print off the list or download the app here, then take with you on your weekly shopping trips.

Splurge on organic eggs.   Eggs with the USDA seal contain less saturated fat and more omega-3s and beta-caroten than the conventional brands. Spluge on organic eggs.

Grass-fed meat is best. Grass fed meats contain more heat-healthy omega-3s and other good fats.  Choose budget cuts like skirt steak, chuck and flank and save. 

Buy organic meat in bulk.  You can buy bulk chicken, ground beef and ground turkey at most Costco stores.  Stock up and freeze.  You can save even more buy buying the whole chicken.  You can make so many things with whole chickens, including your own organic chicken stock to freeze for later. Each whole chicken essentially becomes at least two meals {one for the chicken and one for the chicken soup}.

Go wild!  Wild caught seafoods are higher in Omega 3 fatty acids, protein and contain very low levels of disease.  In addition, they are free from antibiotics, pesticides & artificial dyes. Farmed seafood has been found to contain residues of PCBs and other toxic contaminants, as well as residues of antibiotics and other drugs.  If you want to buy some farmed and some wild to save on budget, then I’d suggest checking out the Monterey Bay Acquarium Seafood Watch list here.

Now it’s your turn!  

If you have some tips that work for your, please share in the comments below.   Be sure to sign up for my healthy tips to the right and get my 30 Days of Healthy Snacks ebook.