Eating locally grown, organic fruits and vegetables is a great way to bolster your health and immune system. Organic produce often has a higher vitamin and mineral content than traditionally grown products, making it have a greater nutritional bang for your buck. Plus, the lack of harmful chemicals and pesticides is a big draw for many people.
Eating the stuff fresh year-round, however, can be a big strain on your pocketbook. While you could take a trip to Whole Foods each week and stock up, a better approach is to mix your store-bought organic veggies with a healthy smattering of produce from other sources. Read on and find out about five hacks for eating organic produce all year round.
Grow Herbs in Your Kitchen Window
One of the easiest ways to eat organic all year round is to grow your own herbs. Fresh herbs are more nutrient-dense than jarred spices, and they taste so much better. Cooking with fresh herbs helps you slow down and appreciate where each piece of your meal came from: and who doesn’t love the smell of fresh basil or cilantro as you slice it for a meal?
Many companies sell already done-for-you organic window herb kits. These slide right onto your windowsill to soak up all the sun. Personally, I like to keep mine by my kitchen sink so I have something nice to look at while I wash dishes. If you can’t find an already done-for-you kit, purchasing a few small pots, packages of organic herb seeds and a good soil mix will give you all you need to grow fresh herbs in your home, all year round.
Get to Know What’s in Season
Knowing what’s in season will help you plan your meals accordingly, so you always use up the produce you have. Generally, things like oranges, potatoes, and other root crops are in season during the cooler months. Berries, peppers, tomatoes, and others like corn and okra are in season during the warmer months. Eating in season is better for both your health and your tastebuds.
Use Growing Systems to Grow Indoors
Using vertical growing systems is one of the best ways to grow fresh organic veggies in your home. Most of us have a limited space in which we can grow our own produce, but these growing systems maximize space by growing up instead of out. Purchasing a 3-tiered grow system will triple how much you can grow in the same space, providing you with so much high-quality produce, you might have to share it with friends, family, and neighbors.
Take Advantage of Farm Shares
You might think the only way to get your hands on high-quality organic produce is to buy it straight from the grocery store or grow it in your backyard, but there are other options available to you. One of these is going to the farmer’s market and getting to know the farmers directly. Some of them will offer a farm share. This basically means that you get a certain amount, typically a box full, of fresh, local produce every week or month. This is a great way to get fresh produce and try new items you might have otherwise passed by.
Freeze Your Homegrown Organic Produce
Frozen fruits and vegetables have a similar nutrient profile as fresh do, though the taste isn’t as fantastic. If you know that you’ll have a hard time gaining access to truly fresh produce come wintertime, freezing your own is a good option. By doing it yourself, you ensure that the produce was processed at the optimal time, maximizing nutrition and taste. Even if you don’t garden, you can purchase organic produce from places like farmer markets to freeze yourself.
Eating organic veggies all year round doesn’t have to be hard, and it doesn’t have to break the bank. Though it’s often pricier than conventional produce, organic is worth it on every level. By making a few quick hacks, you can eat it year-round for not much more than you’d pay for standard fruits and Veggies while still containing much higher quality and nutritional value for you. We hope these ideas have helped plant a seed in your mind and shown you how possible eating organic year-round really is!
