Does Quality Compensate for Price?

One of the pending issues with living and breathing organic is the price to do so. The price of organic groceries is significantly higher than that of conventional groceries and the same goes for other things, like hygienic products. Depending on the brand, the price of natural peanut butter can cost around $7.00*, where as a jar of Jiffy peanut butter is $3.00 at Walmart. In an economy where people are trying to save as much money as they can, budgets for food are getting tighter. How then is the demand for organic products going up? The quality. For all generations, eating healthier and being healthier is at the fore front of people's priority lists. Not having to worry about the possible side effects of eating the conventional brand, has become increasingly more important to adults and mothers in particular. Obesity is becoming more prevalent in the United States and mothers are trying to avoid it at all costs.

Another interesting speculation is with college students. If you look at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, in the those two main cities there is a Walmart, Meijer and Schnucks in each and numerous Walgreens. These stores are easily accessible and have low prices (that fit a college student's budget). However, when asking around the community students are still seeking out alternatives. With a farmer's market every Saturday Morning, a local Co-op in the downtown area and a health food's store, Strawberry Fields, Urbana is providing just that. Students aren't left with just junk foods and Genetically Modified Produce, because they are strapped for cash. Strawberry Fields, in particular, prides itself for having everyday low prices while only providing the most natural foods to it's consumers.

Instead of taking that quick trip to Walmart to save a couple dollars, go the extra 5 miles to Strawberry Fields and shop for quality, it will save you in long run!

* Price found at Strawberry Fields.

The Organic Trend

"Organic foods now occupy prominent shelf space in the produce and dairy aisles of most mainstream U.S. food retailers. The marketing boom has pushed retail sales of organic foods up to $21.1 billion in 2008 from $3.6 billion in 1997. U.S. organic-industry growth is evident in an expanding number of retailers selling a wider variety of foods, the development of pri- vate-label product lines by many supermarkets, and the widespread introduction of new prod- ucts. A broader range of consumers has been buying more varieties of organic food. Organic handlers, who purchase products from farmers and often supply them to retailers, sell more organic products to conventional retailers and club stores than ever before. Only one segment has not kept pace—organic farms have struggled at times to produce sufficient supply to keep up with the rapid growth in demand, leading to periodic shortages of organic products." 


This excerpt was pulled from a 2009 report from the Economic Research Service through the USDA called "Marketing U.S. Organic Foods: Recent Trends From Farms to Consumers". It is no question this huge increase in the organic trend. It has expanded from small co-op groups to aisles in large retailers like Walmart. In recent years, people are looking for the healthy alternative to things and organic has become the number one answer. People are seeking a way out of the mass amount of genetically modified organisms, foods that are sprayed with pesticides and planted with synthetic fertilizers, and water without sewage sludge. While many trends are made up mostly of hype, the organic trend has substantial research behind it. There are a lot of websites, blogs, and stores out there that can inform you more on the ins and outs of organic shopping, eating and living. 

Puppy Chow... The Natural Way!

While some snacks are just, in itself, not healthy there are ways to make them not as bad for you. By using ingredients that are natural and with more nutrients in them, you can get rid of that guilt for a having a once in awhile sweet indulgence. Here’s the recipe for the well known Puppy Chow but with an organic twist. 

Ingredients:

1. ½ cup natural honey peanut butter

$6.39 (0n Sale)

2. 6 ounces of semi-sweet organic chocolate chips

$4.99

 

3. ½ cup organic unsalted butter

$2.99

4. 1 box(9 cups) organic check cereal

$5.99

5. 2 cups organic powdered sugar

$3.39

*I found all of these ingredients and prices at Strawberry Fields in Urbana, IL. *

Directions:

1. Melt the chocolate, peanut butter, and butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Once melted remove from heat
2. Divide cereal evenly (about 4.5 cups) into 2 gallon size zipper bags
3. Once the chocolate mixture is no longer hot, pout it into the two zipper bags, splitting it as evenly as possible.
4. Seal the bags and shake until the cereal is coated.
5. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar into each bag.
6. Seal and shake the bags until the cereal is once again covered
7. Eat and Enjoy the delicious, actually natural flavors in your mouth!