Our family has been eating organic for over six years. Many Mommas wonder how expensive this might be. Well, it used to be very, until I figured out a major shortcut that has helped me greatly! In fact, this seems to be the biggest complaint WHY people don't choose organic: THE COST. In this episode, you will learn my super shortcut that will allow you and your family to eat organic on a budget.
I have fed my son a healthy bowl of fruit after every meal as "dessert" so that's all he knows as an after meal treat. Usually, I slice up an apple, peach, pear, or banana. But his favorite and sweetest bowl of fruit to have is berries, all types of berries! Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and even blackberries. When he was a baby, I would buy only fresh berries in the little clear carton you get at the grocery store. After a while, I realized it was killing me and my budget. It was because I didn't even have a budget. It felt like this kid was "eating me out of house and home!" And he was!
I knew I had to find a better way to get him the berries he loves but not break the bank. As I did more price comparisons, I found the absolute best way to get organic berries was to buy them frozen. This option gave me a much better price point, and they stayed fresher for longer. One of my pet peeves was spending all this money on fresh berries, only to have the bottom half get moldy because I didn't use them fast enough. UGH! Frozen fruit never went bad. Score!
Okay, you say, that's all fine and good. But how do you feed a baby or a toddler frozen fruit? Whelp, you don't. My magic trick is to thaw them out overnight. What I do is take a mason jar and place the strawberries in the jar and then in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, they are thawed out with this beautiful strawberry juice to go along with them. My son would just drink it up!
What happens is, as the berries thaw, the frost on the outside melts away, leaving this gorgeous red strawberry juice. You can use it in oatmeal, mix into yogurt, or drizzle over waffles. It is the sweetest, most natural juice from a berry you can get. All organic, no sugar, and good for the entire family. I'm guilty of taking a few sips myself, and it's delicious!
I got a compliment when I hosted a Mommy Group Wine Night. I served these exact strawberries with some whipped cream, and so many guests asked me how I made them. They are ridiculously delicious and pair nicely with a dessert wine. Serve yourself a bowl of berries, put whipped cream on top, and drizzle the juice over them. I told them how I did it and it baffled them at how easy it was.
Still not convinced? Look at my price comparison. At my local grocery store, I did a price check on fresh organic strawberries vs. frozen.
You can see the frozen is a much better choice for almost 2/3 less on the price per ounce. You also get almost four times the berries, for just a couple of dollars more. Amazing! And if you want to play with the big boys, you can consider Costco. I got a four-pound bag there, and it lasts me an entire month. I have to guess the price was around $10 - $15 because I did not save the receipt on this one. Even so, you get way more bang for your buck! If I were to buy four pounds of fresh strawberries in those little plastic boxes, it would cost over $40!
So get out there and hunt for some frozen organic berries. They will always be ripe since they get frozen at the source. They will last up to a year in the freezer. And you can do the same for other fresh fruit you enjoy, like blueberries, mixed berries, peaches or mango. Go for it and give your child and your family the best!