not to go against my principles by buying non-organic food even though I'm skint?

[ilovejonty]

I genuinely care about the lives of farm animals. However, I was looking at some chicken the other day and was sorely tempted by the non organic as it was so much cheaper. But I refuse to buy factory chicken, in fact I would rather go without. Am I being unfair on my DH and 17m ds, as this means we eat meat less often, ie when we can afford it?

[cocoapops]

YABU

[MamaG]

we eat a lot of non meat meals (I'm veggie). IF you feel strongly about it, then YANBU

[cocoapops]

the chickens won't thank you.

[piratecat]

i'd ask my dh tbh. many people eat very little meat, it depends what you can perhaps cut back on instead? I am veggie so tbh don't know the prices, but I guess i would look at my whole diet, and if chicken is importan, i too would buy organic, yet cut back elsewhere on other meals in the week.

[2point4kids]

You've got to draw the line somewhere as to who you put first - the chickens or yourselves!
Fine to stick to your principles if you can afford, fine even if you struggle a little but just about manage.
If you really cant afford to eat well on organic food then you should definitely start buying non organic until things pick up!!

[Colditz]

You are free to do what you want but so is your husband, so don't get upset if he comes home with a none organic chicken and feeds it to your child because he really wants meat.

[MakemineaGandT]

can you compromise and go for free-range (but not organic)?

[onthewarpath]

Yanbu, you'll have chicken less often but they will taste so much better and will have died happy chickens ( that can only make sense to someone who cares about the life of farm animals I know, but it is true.)

As long As you replace the chicken by something equally nutricious, you are definitely not being unfair with your DCs.

[vonsudenfed]

YANBU - I'm in the same boat. Are there local farmers around, so you can buy chickens that have lived well, but without being organic? (obv this not much help if you are in London).

[AbbaFan]

YANBU

I would NEVER buy factory chicken. I only buy organic or free-range. If these means we eat less of it, so be it.

[TheShipsCat]

You and DH could stop eating meat, so you could buy organic for DS, if you want to keep meat in his diet.

[unavailable]

YANBU at all. I do this. It may mean we eat less meat, but that is a good thing for us and the planet.

I dont understand why anyone would this is unreasonable - would it be more reasonable to insist the OP buys and consumes a product she feels is ethically wrong? She is not suggesting she let her family go hungry - there are alternatives to meat!

[youknownothingofthecrunch]

YANBU however non-organic does not mean treated unfairly.

As long as you buy free range then the animals have a good quality of life. Sometimes better than organic insofar as how certain things are dealt with (I come from an organic farming background and a lot of the rules do not take the animals' welfare into consideration, it's all about keeping certain (not all) chemicals out of the process).

Go free range. I can't eat factory farmed, so I have slightly less. No need to compromise on your ethics.

[Bramshott]

No, YANBU at all. No-one needs to eat meat, certainly not every day. In our family we have taken the decision to eat meat less often, so we can eat organic meat.

Do you buy a whole chicken or bits? A whole one is usually better value and we get at least 3 meals out of it so it lasts all week (or can be frozen). Luckily DH is a whizz at jointing chickens so we sometimes joint them and sometimes roast them and then pick off the cooked meat.

Waitrose have organic chickens on 20% off until the end of the week I think - we had one last weekend for £7 which is pretty cheap for organic.

[shootfromthehip]

It's a tricky one- I am cutting corners all over the place and many of the organic products that formerly found their way in to my fridge are gone- I try and do what I can but the meat is just too expensive. By all means cut the meat out if you can't see past the issues but I love my meat too much to get rid completely.

I am still buying my green cleaning stuff and am trying to convince myself that I'm still doing my bit.

[mayorquimby]

ask your dh.
if the rest of your family are going without on the basis of your principles then yab-a bit-u send him down the shops to buy it and you don't eat any of it.
if he's in agreement with you then no roblem

[mrspooh]

have you tried your local buchers? i refused to buy supermarket chicken the other day as it was so expensive. popped into my recently discovered local buthchers, got juicy chicken, superior quality, fraction of the price and the butcher could tell me where it came from.. just an idea but i've started going there regularly for good, quality well priced meat.

[KatieDD]

I have cut back on meat, in fact it's the first thing I reduced when I realised my shopping bills had to be cut.
Look at elephants, they are veggie and nobody tells them they need protein for muscles and development.
We actually could manage with a portion the size of a fist every few days of organic meat and so we do, I fill meals out with vegetables (not potatoes) and DH and I have lost weight and the DD's seem a lot more energetic.
The sweets and treats, biccies etc got cut out too and we haven't missed them either.
I'm going for quality over quantity.

[AlanPartridgeInAPearTree]

I do try to buy free range, outdoor reared meat etc, tho not necessarily organic

however, I aslo HATE to see food thrown away (something we do far too much of in the UK) so I will buy reduced meat at the end of the shop day as otherwise it will be chucked, don't see this as compromising my principles

same with fairtrade bananas - yes, usually buy them, but sometimes buy the reduced ones that will be chucked away

We also eat lots of meat free meals

[moopymoo]

I buy one free range non organic chicken a week usually from local butchers. costs about £8 depending on weight. I do a roast, some sort of pie with left overs, make stock for soup or chinese noodle things. works out pretty good value. i will not buy factory farmed chicken. Apart from the cruelty, it is imo a false economy as you cant get decent stock from a fast reared bird.