Going Organic - I've done it :-)

I'm sure I remember reading that onions (especially out of season) and iceberg lettuce retain the 'chemicals' used on them far more than other vegetables so you should always buy those organic if you can...

Good luck, hope you can make it work.

We did it for a while but I stopped as the meat was just a budget killer TBH and I decided that it wasn't worth it for us plus I found that sometimes it was very difficult to get hold of the things I wanted organic although I think supermarkets have got a bit better at stocking now.

We're about 95% organic and have been for nearly 16 years. Our grocery bill is about £80 a week for 8 people and that includes all food, toiletries, household stuff etc. We are veggie and don't buy anything ready made. I also don't go shopping with a list or menu planned as I find it cheaper to buy whatever local seasonal produce is available and make meals around that. I often bulk buy dried, tinned and other non perishable goods. We often use a box scheme although we aren't just now.

The list is great Thanks Ruth. I do remember reading somewhere about things like chicken and milk being good if you want to just choose a few organic things. I wrote down the one thing from each food group to go with, but lost it

Jules - I have bought mainly organic in the past, when I was rich well working and living off my credit card but stopped because of how expensive it was and hard to find certain things. One thing I couldn't find in Tesco yesterday was organic eggs so bought local Lancashire ones instead. I do feel it's cheaper now though and even Aldi have a good selection of organic products, so even if I have to go back to shopping there, it's a trek into town and back with a pile of shopping, I don't mind.

We're about 95% organic and have been for nearly 16 years. Our grocery bill is about £80 a week for 8 people and that includes all food, toiletries, household stuff etc. We are veggie and don't buy anything ready made. I also don't go shopping with a list or menu planned as I find it cheaper to buy whatever local seasonal produce is available and make meals around that. I often bulk buy dried, tinned and other non perishable goods. We often use a box scheme although we aren't just now.

This is really good to know that it can be doable, £80/week for 8 is great not organic, so I think that's brilliant Obviously I'd be buying meat too, but looking at the prices yesterday it was pennies rather than pounds more. Do you buy in the supermarket then or do you have a farmers market or suchlike you use?

Thanks for all the feedback girls this is great

We shop online, from a framers market, a local farm shop and the supermarket (ASDA is very cheap for organics but limited sometimes in what you can get).

I like this website for inspiration on meals:

http://vegbox-recipes.co.uk/

Well I've done it This is my first week of fully organic shopping. So far it's cost about £10 more than my normal shop and I have to go and pick some potatoes up this afternoon as I forgot to order them With a bit of forethought and shopping around I think I should be able to reduce that a bit over the next few weeks

I think that website is fab for ideas and I'll be using it to find some receipes next week I think

So I got some bits from the healthfood supermarket on Monday as the local delivery farm I found delivers Friday's and then I've jut had a delivery from then this morning. Everything looks good and the bread we've just had for lunch was yummy. I've had to give DH his orders that he can't eat the full loaf in one day I'll have to find something to do with the half dozen fresh tomatoes I've got as DH and I both hate fresh tomatoes, next time I'll ask if they can replace them with something else I also think I'll have to consider the whole chicken option as 2 chicken breasts just cost me £7 they're mahoosive and will make enough chicken curry for 3 weeks, but we do like our roast chicken at weekend and I'm sure with these chicken breast anything left over will go nice in the curry and then I can make enough for 4 weeks

So we've just enjoyed our second fully organic lunch and soon we'll be on fully organic dinners too

I'll have to find something to do with the half dozen fresh tomatoes I've got as DH and I both hate fresh tomatoes, next time I'll ask if they can replace them with something else

Tomato soup, cook and blitz them and use as pizza topping...trying to think of other things too...

Well done on taking the plunge...I would like to be more organic really but everytime i try and do it my shop ends up WAY more expensive grrr.

Interesting to hear that that it wasn't too much more expensive. Might take a look at the meat next time I do a shop. I have to say I was shocked at home much a normal roast chicken was the other week (large, enough for 7) and we ended up with a lovely corn fed one for not much more

Hope you enjoy it. I've always been put of veg boxes as I don't really like 'odd' veggies (or some normal ones) and would end up replacing everything with 'boring' choices

Hope you enjoy it. I've always been put of veg boxes as I don't really like 'odd' veggies (or some normal ones) and would end up replacing everything with 'boring' choices

I may be doing this yet Today the strangest things I got were tomatoes an avacado and some odd look beansproats Not sure what I'll chuck them in yet.

Tory - the first thing I though was tomato soup, but DH is fussy about soup and the only tomato soup he'll eat is Heinz Pizza topping sounds good though or I might just chop them up and chuck them in my bolognaise this week