Too much of the money I get each month goes on food. I was talking to my MIL about cutting down and she suggested not buying organic

[itati]

I know it tastes nicer but has it been proven to be better for you? I know MIL doesn't buy it for her and her husband - but will when she has my kids over - and they didn't have organic in her day and she fed her kids once on Smash and tinned meat so she is not bothered by organic. I am not prepared to give it up if it is better for the children, but equally I do need to cut down on spending. I must spend close to £600 a month on food.

Organic milk/dairy has been proven to be better for you, IIRC, but not other stuff.

I only buy organic carrots tbh .. and chicken .. everything else is normal

organic is a real luxury,not really necessary imo
I just make sure we have decent quality meat and fish

£600 is a farkin lot-how many of you are there ?

oh yes I buy organic carrots only

YOUR MIL is right

I'll be honest I think buying organic is barking, I haven't read anything that suggests it's better for you all i know is it much more expensive and I'm skint (in debt actually) and so I spend as little as I can on food shopping. Yesterday I went to aldi and brought everything we need for at least a week then I went next door to a place called home bargains and spent £12 in there, in total I spent £87 and I frequently feed 4 children and 2 adults, I got loads of cleaning stuff and treats and dd1 a new car seat and a cushioned toilet seat for dd2 as well as all the basics plus a luxery chicken, lean mince, diced chicken and loads of fresh fruit and veg, cheese, 24 mini yogurts, 6 low fat yogurts..........the list goes on and on!

Skeptoid's run down of the organic food industry - not sure how much holds in the UK as that's the US industry, but I'm sure there are a lot of parallels.

I no longer bother with organic.

I think a lot of orgnaic stuff is nonsense.

Oh yes, it's OK for me to have anothe crea, cake,. because it's organic

I never by organic stuff, and I am still alive as are my children

Buy decent quality meat and that's all you need to do

Recently studies have shown that pigs reared non-organically are actually far healthier than pigs reared organically too ... can't remember where I read it, will find a reference.

I can't afford organic - I spend £150 a month on food for DS and me and cut back some weeks to make it closer to £100

How many of you are there? Do you have markets and stuff to get cheap veggies?

Also, animals prioviding orgnaic meat are allowed, but law to have upto 15% non-orgnic feed, so orgnaic meat is ofetn not organic.
I personally don;t buy meat from the supoermarket, I get it from a butcher. It nicer and usually cgheaper

I think that a lot of the wanking on about organic food is going to fade away now that food in general is getting so expensive. Best to stick to the nice middle ground between organic hand-reared-sung-to-at-bedtime-etc meat and the own brand value sausages that are made of minced hoof and ringpiece.

Can't really afford organic. But I do spend as much as I can on meat and eggs. Very lucky that my mum gives us plenty of fruit and veg from their garden.

I don't think it has been "proved" that organic is better for people's health. The environmental question is still being debated I think. Interesting question.

i buy organic milk delivered from local dairy, so supporting local business, carrots, apples, potatos, onions and bananas. all from lidl so not dear !

i try to buy locally sourced food and british at least if not local

i also buy locally reared meat, free range, from the butchers.

everything else is bog standard

but i would rather not have chicken or meat now than have intensively reared stuff , you can taste the difference in the free range stuff.

Vitamins in organic milk
fatty acids in organic milk

But no evidence anything else is better, I think.

I think Free Range is a different issue to organic, personally. I will buy free range - there are definite benefits, both ethically and healthwise, I'm not similarly convinced by organic.

I only buy organic dairy.. and even that I've stopped lately to cut down on costs.. I used to spend between 100 and 150 a week on food.. now I spend between 20 and 40 a week

If you need to cut back, to be honest, yes stop buying organic.. you might find you don't have to change any other shopping habit

I buy organic milk and yoghurt
I buy meat from our local butchers and veg from our local greengrocer so although it is not branded as Organic I know where the meat has been reared and how it has been treated and with the veg.. I am supporting a small local business

DH and I made the decision that we would rather eat less meat but make sure the meat we buy is good quality.

it is much cheaper to shop Non organically in the supermarkets.

Madamez wanking on about organic food

Sorry for hijack here. Malory I know you hate Boden, and LOVE Boules, but can you give me the Boules website address, as I can't find it anywhere. When I type Boules into search engine, loads of French ball games come up

There are 5 of us and some pets too. My kids eat a lot and not everything I buy is organic. I get carrots, milk and ketchup always organic. Meat and eggs are organic or free range. I shop in Asda, Waitrose, Sainsbury's and M&S but would like more money for other things. We have no butcher or green grocer and a farmer's market only once a month.

FioFio, I started this thread as I want to spend less on food and have more money for other things.

Interesting link, RubberDuck. Thank you.