Organic food is often seen as better for you – and for the planet too (Image: MEN)
Organic food is often touted as being healthier, more nutritious, and better for the environment due to sustainable farming practices. But what impact does an organic diet actually have on your body?
In honour of ‘Organic September’, a campaign promoting the benefits of an organic lifestyle, Dianne Bourne, Lifestyle Editor at Manchester Evening News, decided to switch her regular grocery shopping to entirely organic products.
“I’ve dabbled with trying to buy more organic foods in recent years, but I wondered just how easy it would be to do my full weekly shop with ONLY organic products – and how much extra it would cost me,” she said.
One of the main obstacles preventing people from going organic is the cost, as organic produce tends to be pricier.
Additionally, Dianne found that the selection of organic goods in many supermarkets is quite limited, reports Wales Online.
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“With all this in mind, I decided to set out and eat a fully organic diet for a week to see how it would make me feel, and also how much it would actually cost to shop in this way. Here’s how I got on.”
What is organic food?
Food and products can only be labelled as organic if they meet certain standards set by The Soil Association. These include the absence of artificial fertilisers and pesticides in the growing processes.
The organisation’s website extols the virtues of organic living, stating: “The way we farm and eat can make a world of difference. By opting for an organic lifestyle, you’re helping support a way of farming with higher animal welfare standards that is better for the planet, wildlife and people.”
Dianne shared her experience attempting to shop organically, saying, “Well, this was my first hurdle. I tried some of the supermarkets closest to where I live to try and work out where I’d be able to do a full organic shop.”
She expressed disappointment at the limited options available, noting, “I was disappointed to find only one organic item in my local Aldi – and that was a small bunch of bananas. When I went online and typed in ‘organic’ nothing came up either.”
Dianne found that Asda only offered a modest selection of organic produce (Image: MEN)
She found that Asda offered a modest selection of organic produce and meats, but it was Waitrose that emerged as the leader in organic offerings.
Dianne praised Waitrose for its extensive range and in-store presentation, saying, “Waitrose was also the best for displaying organic goods in store as well – there were clearly marked sections just for organic fruit and vegetables – with a big range of goods in both sections. They even had a special ‘Organic September’ fridge too, showcasing items from across their range.”
Regarding the cost of her organic haul, Dianne reported a total of £144.35, which she noted was about £50 more than her usual weekly shopping expenditure. The list included items such as beef mince (500g) for £5.50 and pork steaks at £6.90, all from the Waitrose Duchy Organics line.
Dianne headed out to Waitrose to pick up her organic food haul (Image: MEN)
Shopping list
Smoked salmon slices – £8.50
Wholemeal bloomer – £2
Yeo Valley cream of tomato soup – £2.25
Bananas – £1.95
Green beans – £2.15
Carrots – £1.40
Potatoes – £1.95
Jazz apples – £2.55
Strawberries – £3.50
Little gem lettuce – £1.75
Vine tomatoes – £2.50
Raspberries – £2.85
Hipp Organic Lasagne (baby food) – £2.20
Babich Organic Sauvignon Blanc – £14.99.
Clipper Organic Coffee – £6
Shortbread fingers – £2.25
Whole Milk (2 pints) – £1.65
Yeo Valley Greek yoghurt – £1.50
Buckwood Maple Syrup – £6
Stilton cheese – £3.50
Shaved parmesan cheese – £2.90
Mozzarella ball – £1.80
Kallo beef stock cubes – £2
Curry powder – £1.95
Whole-wheat penne pasta – £1.90
Salted butter – £2.60
Basmati rice – £3.40
Romano peppers – £2.30
Whole chicken – £16.36
Walnuts – £3.75
Honey roast ham – £3.75
Jar of passata – £1.50
Tomato puree – £1.40
Kikkoman soy sauce – £4.50
Large eggs – £3.50
Montezuma milk chocolate buttons – £5.20
TOTAL PRICE: £144.35
All in, Dianne’s shop cost £144.35 (Image: MEN)
What were the benefits?
Dianne said: “In terms of how I felt it benefited my personal health, well, the first thing I’d say is that making a conscious effort to eat entirely organic means you’re having a whole food diet. Even the items you could class as ‘processed’ in some way, like the shortbread fingers and chocolate buttons, had additive-free ingredient lists.”
She enthused: “I was able to make a range of healthy, nutritious meals for my family from the produce I got in store, the likes of pasta Bolognese and roast chicken with veg and pork stew.”
Dianne also noticed that the shift in her diet led to weight loss, even though she didn’t give up on indulgences.
She revealed: “It was pretty satisfying then that after a week of eating purely organic foods, and being able to still have treats like the chocolate buttons and wine, when I weighed myself I’d lost two pounds.
“I had not been doing this as a ‘diet’ as such, but it was a great benefit that eating in a more conscious way with just organic whole food, without going hungry in any way, helped me to lose weight.”
The verdict
Dianne declared: “With organic methods of farming more environmentally friendly, buying organic is definitely something that I will aim to do more of in my weekly shop.
“By consciously seeking organic choices, I found some products I would never normally have picked up that I felt tasted better than non-organic alternatives – like the Clipper coffee and the Buckwood maple syrup.”
Regarding the cost, she admitted the prices were staggering, especially paying £16 for a chicken.
“But the price of the meats was quite frankly a bit terrifying – particularly that £16 chicken. I was hoping to be totally wowed by it after cooking, but it just tasted like…. chicken,” she commented.
“It also seemed particularly small, and whereas my normal purchase of a £3.70 whole chicken stretches to making two family meals, this one bore only enough meat for one meal for two adults and two children.
“I simply cannot justify that kind of cost on a regular basis unfortunately. However, smaller swaps, particularly on the fruit and veg, is definitely something that I’d be happy to budget for in future.
“The fact I lost weight doing it as well as giving me a boost and encouraged me in my wider aims to ditch ultra-processed foods from my own diet.”