Organic Baby Products

Do you mind if I vent a bit this morning?  I’m still recovering from the sticker shock I experienced yesterday during a trip to the co-op for the upcoming week’s groceries. 

I spent a whopping $182.89 (after deducting $5.50 in coupons) and holy crap, I just don’t feel like I bought all that much.  Granted, I did splurge for some wild-caught Alaskan salmon for dinner last night.  (And it was deeeeelish…served on a bed of home-grown spinach and baby lettuces.)

But I keep thinking about all the things I didn’t buy because I just couldn’t justify the cost.  Like the local, organic asparagus for $6.59/pound!!!  It would have been great with the salmon, but I opted for green beans instead.  The rosy red organic peppers were calling my name but at $7.99/pound I figured I could do without.  My kids would have been thrilled if I had brought home some organic berries, but at $6.99 for a 1/2 pint of raspberries, $5.99 for blueberries and $4.75 for strawberries I decided to take a pass this time and wait (not very patiently) for our garden strawberries to ripen.

Now I know one could argue that I shouldn’t be lusting after foods that are not in season here in Minnesota.  But I am.  A true locovore I will never be.

Do you ever get frustrated by the sticker shock of healthy food?  Are prices for organic sometimes out of reach?  Trust me, I love shopping at co-ops and natural food stores because I know the food is consistently healthier for my family and for the planet than what I can find at a conventional grocery.  Plus I prefer to spend my money locally whenever possible.  But I can’t always do it.  Sometimes I have to compromise.  And when I do I get frustrated. 

Part of my anxiety about it is because I’ve been reading the book The Conscious Kitchen by Alexandra Zissu.  It’s a fabulous book (which I will be writing more about in another post) but as I’m reading, I’m thinking heck, I really should be doing a better job at buying food….there’s lots of room for improvement here….blah, blah, blah.  And then I head to the store all determined to buy everything organic and totally freak out about the prices!!  Does this ever happen to you?  I hope I’m not the only one to get a little cranky sometimes about trying to live consciously.

BTW – I’m hosting a book discussion about The Conscious Kitchen tonight as part of the Friends of the Saint Paul Library’s Eating, Reading and Living Well book series!  If you’re local, I’d love to see you there!  I promise not to be cranky.

{full disclosure:  The Conscious Kitchen is part of my Amazon affiliate program. Buy the book through the link and I will get a few cents out of the deal!}