Go organic on a budget

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We are increasingly being told that organic food is the way to go if we want to be super healthy and environmentally aware.

While we are all for that, we know this route can also be a more expensive option, so we have looked at how you can make the switch even if you have a budget you need to stick to.

Start with your kitchen cupboards
First of all, don’t throw out everything in your kitchen that isn’t organic – that causes waste which isn’t the aim of this exercise at all. As you run out of basics such as pasta, canned tomatoes, beans, rice, and other everyday dried goods, replace them with organic, which are often found at the same price as your regular non-organic items. Over time easy swaps will mean you have a kitchen cupboard which is full of organic basics so you will always be able to create a tasty meal or snack that is good for you and the world around you. You might also want to apply the same principles when it comes to cleaning products, as well as clothes, as there is a whole range of organic products out there just waiting to be found.

Do your research
Increasingly, supermarkets and independent retailers are offering organic ranges, so it is worth researching who is doing what. Outlets including Aldi, Asda, Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, and Morrisons now sell their own brand organic ranges which can be more cost-effective than dedicated non-organic branded products which not only means you can get the best value for money but you have a better choice. It may take time to do this, but we think it is worth shopping around and doing some price comparisons to get the best deals for you. Oh, and don’t forget to go to your local greengrocers, butcher and farmers’ market as they can be real organic treasure troves.

Go with the seasons
This can take a while to get used to, but if you want to go organic and keep costs down, eating local produce when it is in season is the way to go. From tomatoes and strawberries to rhubarb and apples, there are some great foods out there, you just need to know what to look for and when.

Buy a box
Another way to eat with the seasons is to take part in a box scheme. There are various options out there, including Abel & Co and Riverford as well as local companies and they are a fantastic way to move to organic eating. You can mix and match your foods, including eggs, meat, and cheese, to get a box that is right for you.

Shop at the end of the day
This isn’t exclusive to organic food, but if you shop at the end of the day and check the discount section, you will be amazed at some of the bargains on offer and if you freeze what you aren’t going to eat that day, there is no waste either.

Leave packaging behind
Retailers are starting to stop using unnecessary food packaging and this is often the case with organic options. You don’t need broccoli wrapped in plastic, so take a bag for life, or even better a basket, when you shop and you can feel extra pleased with your choices.

Do it yourself
Growing your own food is a brilliant way to go organic. We aren’t saying go and buy a farm and get chickens, but growing herbs in the kitchen, tomatoes in tubs and runner beans in the garden are simple ways to do it yourself. Not only do these taste miles better than shop bought produce, but having your own mini kitchen garden is rewarding and totally cost-effective, go you!

Cooking from scratch
With a well-stocked larder, we hope that breaking away from microwave meals and cooking from scratch might be easier? One of the best things to do is plan your meals and then batch cook, freeze portions and make lunches in advance. From soups and stews to pasta sauces and flapjacks, you will honestly wonder why you didn’t start soon.

Organic when you eat out
You don’t have to be tied to the kitchen sink to make organic choices. You will increasingly find organic restaurants when you are out and about, as well as organic coffees and teas being served in cafes and wines and beers in pubs. Once you starting looking you will be surprised at what is on offer out there.

We hope you can see that while you need to be a little creative, small lifestyle changes can help you and the planet be healthier and happier.

Team Pure Beauty

Stock up on strawberries this summer

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antioxidants, beautiful colour, blueberries, boil, bright, cellophane circles, cholesterol, Cinnamon, coconut water, cone shape, cook, crumbs, custard, damp, disintegrate, dissolved, easy to make recipe, eaten, fat free, freshly buttered toast, great, ground almonds, hazelnuts, heat, honey, ice cream, ice cubes, jam sugar, jars, kitchen paper, labels, low heat, minerals, mixture, offset, orange zest, organic Greek yogurt, packed lunches, pastry brush, pecans, plain flour, puree, red apple, rhubarb, ripe, room temperature, sliced banana, sodium, spread, star of the show, stem, sterilise, strawberry, Strawberry Crumble, strawberry jam, Strawberry Smoothie, sugar, supermarket, taste buds, tasting amazing, uncovered, villlages, vitamins, wax disc, wax discs, year

Go into any supermarket at the moment or drive through local villages and strawberries are the star of the show.

As well as tasting amazing, the humble strawberry is packed with packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and they are sodium, cholesterol and fat free.

You can of course eat straight them from the box with cream and add to packed lunches, but you can also create a strawberry treat that will have your taste buds tingling.

Strawberry Smoothie

This smoothie is a great ‘on the go breakfast’ or as healthy afternoon treat that will keep you away from the chocolate.

For two large glasses, you will need:

1 ripe, sliced banana
1 cup of strawberries
1 cup of blueberries
1 red apple, peeled and cored
1/2 a cup of coconut water
3/4 of a cup of organic Greek yogurt
1/2 a teaspoon of honey (optional)
4 ice cubes

Place the banana, strawberries, blueberries, apple, and ice cubes into a blender and whizz for 30 seconds. Next pour in the coconut water, yogurt, and honey, puree until smooth then enjoy.

Strawberry Crumble

Bear with us on this because we know it sounds a bit odd but it tastes great. For one family sizes crumble, you will need:

350g of clean, halved strawberries
3 sticks of rhubarb, cleaned and chopped
85g of plain flour
50g caster sugar
25g ground almonds
50g unsalted butter, chopped into small cubes
¾ of a cup of pecans and hazelnuts, chopped
Grated zest of one small orange
Ground cinnamon

To make:
Heat your oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.

Cook the strawberry and rhubarb mixture over medium for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the chunky mixture is syrupy and place in a pie dish.

Mix the flour, sugar and ground almonds together then add the butter and rub together until you have rough crumbs. Stir in the orange zest which will offset the taste of the strawberries and rhubarb wonderfully.

Spread the crumble topping over the fruit, then sprinkle with the copped nuts and cinnamon.

Bake for 25 mins until golden and bubbly and once cooled serve with ice cream or custard.

Strawberry Jam

There is something so special about strawberry jam, especially when it is homemade. This great, easy to make recipe tastes amazing with everything from freshly buttered toast to warm scones but be patient as it is a fiddly job.

You will need:

1kg of washed, hulled strawberries
750g of jam sugar
The juice of one lemon
A jam pain
A pasty brush
A preserving or digital thermometer
A selection of jars and lids, wax discs, cellophane circles and rubber bands
Labels

Prepare the strawberries by wiping them with damp kitchen paper so the fruit won’t absorb lots of water. To hull the fruit simply cut a cone shape into the strawberry and remove the stem. If you have any large berries, cut these in half.

Place the strawberries in a bowl and gently toss them in the sugar. Leave then uncovered at room temperature for 12 hours, this is often best done overnight and by doing this, hopefully the fruit won’t disintegrate too much and will keep its bright, beautiful colour.

Tip the strawberry mixture into a preserving pan along with your lemon juice. Set the pan over a low heat and cook really, really gently.

If any sugar stays on the sides of the pan, dip a pastry brush in hot water and brush it into the liquid.

When the sugar has 100% dissolved, turn the heat up so the jam starts bubbling and bring it to the boil.

Boil for around 10 mins or until the jam has reached 105C (this is why you need the preserving or digital thermometer) and then turn the heat off.

Use a spoon to skim any residue from the surface of the jam.

Leave the jam to settle for 15 mins and meanwhile, sterilise your jars.

Gently ladle the jam into the jars, filling them just below the rim. Place a wax disc on top of the jam, this prevents mildew forming, then cover with a lid or cellophane circle and elastic band.

Label the jars, adding a date, and while you can store for up to one year, but we are sure your jam will be be eaten way before that.

Team Pure-Beauty