organic for cheapskates

[onebatmother]

okay, so I try to buy organic veg and meat esp for the kids.

But I am v broke and also not too uptight about it so..

does anyone know which veg are the ones you'd really want to get organic versions of?

for example, seem to remember that with peppers, it's either VITAL that you get organic, or it doesn't matter a jot, but no idea which..

Thank you!

Someone may have already posted this but Lidl have a growing range of organic and fair trade fruit and veg. and of course are cheap, especially as they often have half-price promotions on too

amazement emoticon!
My ds is 6 and at HM!!!!
am racking brains now - is that wrong? (ie potentially buggering our anonymity!? or don't care?)

BettySpaghetti
blimey didn't know that.. will hotfoot it down there pronto.

They also do fair trade chocolate if you want guilt-free pleasure

no way! his first name begins with g....

g.. a?!!

I believe I know who you mean! They play together but aren't in the same class! How amazing..

Don't know your sil v well but she's good friends with someone I know.

my ds is Oscar btw.
but don't tell sil my talkname though or le tout Walthamstow will mock me.
correction mock me more.

a is the 2nd letter of his name....

why don't you email me on hoxtonchick AT hotmail DOT com & i'll dish everything .

hooray!

Re bananas I read ages ago non organic bananas are seriously bad for the environment as they put a plastic blue chemical bag thing round each hand of bananas which often then cause a lot of damage.

We used to be pretty much totally organic but now need to cork up. I've let my Riverford box go-sniff. It was with great regret as I've had one for years but I worked out we were cooking round the box so not the cheapest way. Also the kids just weren't eating the leaves and some of the other items. I'm saving quite a lot now. Now buying just the fruit & veg we eat so no wastage and eating cheaper meals like omlettes, jackets, veg lasagna etc. Buying organic baked beans, frozen sweetcorn etc to keep up the veg. I know boxes are way better and I miss mine big time but I am saving a lot of money.Will get one again when a bit more flush.

I wouldn't touch any non organic soft fruit or lettuce, just go without. Lidles had quite a few organic things even eggs. Asda is brilliant at the moment for organic stuff, I feel like I've signed a contract with the devil each time I go in but if I want us to keep on eating organically it's needs must I'm afraid for now, can only afford what we can afford. One day we'll be able to afford Waitrose again-gazes off into the distance whistfully.

Also wouldn't touch non organic meat so veggie most of the time although we are meat eaters. I try to buy seasonally, locally and non flown to ease the guilt a bit, to be frank taste isn't high on my agenda. It's health for the kids no 1 and then the environment that I worry about.

This is the first time in years we're having to buy a lot of non organic stuff which I don't like but needs must until I go back to work. However it is possible to still buy some organic items on a budget so this thread has been useful.

thanks mila - your sitch sounds v much like mine.
trying to cut back on the meat but I'm sooo crap at veggie mains. Useless.
Can do lots of lovely side dishes, salads etc but really flounder in winter for something hearty and warming but not too.. studenty.

we saved about £30 last week doing a meal plan. Amazing really and a bit shocking.

Yes veggie mains that kids will eat is the hardest.

Pasta- they now eat the red pesto (not the green which is a great cheap meal as I only use half a jar between the 5 of us, not much veg though in that meal so I either make sure thay've had a lot of fruit during the day or give them some tinned fruit after.

The Annabel Karmel hidden veg one they love but I'm sick to the back teeth of it, it's a good one as you can bung any veg into it really.

Veg curry with coconut milk they eat if it's mixed up with the rice. Risotto they're getting into I found a nice one with salmon fillets(from Lidles) and peas.

They adore sweetcorn fritters with homemade tomato sauce(tinned toms, puree and a fried onion and garlic).

We do homemade pizza at the weekend, base in breadmaker then homemade tom sauce, mushrooms, pepper and organic bacon.

We do have fishfingers and organic chips and peas on swimming nights.

Roast chicken and chicken curry the next day.

Jackets

Omlettes

Smoked mackeral /ham salad in the summer

And that is pretty much the end of my repertoire so if you have any whizzy ideas to add I'd love to hear them as I'm getting so bored of it. Also would like to get a bit more veg in there.

Since giving up the box I've been spending £50 a week instead of £110 admittedly at Lidles and Asda and far less organic stuff but I was shocked at the difference.

Theres some ideas for veggie mains on www.mumsnet.com/Talk/4/453365?ts=1200920935730 this thread .

Oh I forgot shepherds pie with organic lamb mince (reasonable) we have a lot sooo sick of it but you can get a lot of veg in.

Organic chicken thighs made into tarragon chicken or pie but again boooored of it.

Organic frozen sausages(Tescos quite reasonable until the boys started wanting 3 each), mash and beans, onion gravy (homemade)

Ohhhh that looks like a good thread-thanks. Veggie savoury rice with omlette strips they love. Getting inspired again.

I buy mine from local growers and farmers, they have carts by the side of the road and sell fresh seasonal, local organic veg, eggs, potatoes, fruit at a fraction of the cost. There are also farmers markets.

amazingly my kids will eat veggie stirfry with extra leftover chicken lamb whatever if there is any.

Mushroom risotto, again with chicken if available.

er.

that's it.

sweetcorn fritters sound like they'd go down a treat though.

Oooh Betty, that link is good.
I love the thought of Guiness and mushroom pie. you could do Mushroom and Red wine pie, as well - basically boef en daube (red wine, mushrooms, onions thyme clove garlic orange peel, cooked for 3 hours then pie crust on.

rebelmum, in London farmer's markets seem scarily pricey. A bit of a retail therapy thing, I think, ikwim.
Supermarket organic, sadly, is the most affordable..

Nobody much has mentioned brassicas. My late dad was an entomologist working on non-pesticidal crop protection and he always reckoned (waaaaay before anyone was talking about organic food) that these were dodgy because things like brussels sprouts, cabbage and their ilk capture the sprayed chemicals in their layers and it's difficult to get them out just by washing.

Now, it may just be that he hated brussels sprouts and was looking for a reasonable argument to justify not eating them, but it seems to make sense to me.

oh balls midnight. Is there really nothing that is okay then?
thin-skinned no
underground no
brassicas no

squashes yes

there's only so much squash you can squash in though.

Sorry obm! Like I said, he was the world's pickiest eater, so who knows, but it does sound a pretty reasonable argument to me.