Over the past year supermarkets in Australia have really started to get on board with the Organic food movement. I feel Australia has been so far behind other Western countries like the USA in this area for too long. Finally it is becoming so much easier to eat organic without having to go searching too far a field.

What is all the fuss about Organic produce anyway? Organic certified products have been produced without the use of any chemicals. These chemicals are not only harmful to our bodies but also to the environment. The wash off from fields doused in chemicals runs off into rivers that supply our drinking water leading to other problems. Organic products are farmed using sustainable farming methods as well. Many reasons to get with Organic.

Eating from the earth with minimal use of mass produced packaged food is the ideal & best way to eat. Personally I try the best I can to eat this way. Let’s be realistic though & I’m a realistic person. Sometimes I am so dog-tired, time starved & hungry I find that I do need to grab something quick & easy to eat. Take away food is just not an option for me even if I did live near such outlets. I’m very lucky to own a Thermomix that can whip up a quick meal from scratch with a few basic ingredients. There are days though when I’m down to scouring the pantry when the fridge is looking sparse & seeing what I can throw into Thermy. This usually involves pasta, tofu or quinoa.

Packaged & canned food has a lot of down points in being high processed. However they do save us time when needed & I feel there is still a need for such food products. This is where Organic ranges come in. If you have to buy packaged & processed then we should at least go Organic to minimise some of the downsides. Buying organic means there won’t be any hidden nasties or chemicals used in their production.

Woolworths supermarkets have so many certified Organic products on their shelves now. Just six months ago there were a few things in the ‘Marco’ section. Now their own brand Organic can be found on every shelf right by the regular products. Pasta, sauces, flour, butter, yoghurt, maple syrup, jam, rice, nuts, cheese, tofu, canned veg, coconut oil & water the list goes on. Pretty much everything I would eat from a packet (which isn’t that much) I can now buy Organic.

The Woolworths Organic branding is pretty simple & easily recognised. Just look for the purple band. There are other Organic brands too. Make sure you look for the Organic stamp of approval either from Australian ACO, the USDA or your own countries Organic authority.

What about the price though? Yes Organic products in the past have been more on the expensive side agreed. However in Woolworths they aren’t that much more expensive, less than a dollar more. It’s all about keeping an eye out for specials, just like I would with regular products. Eating in season is a must for fresh vegetables & fruit. The other day Organic Kale was cheaper than regular Kale. If non-perishables like canned Organic chickpeas are on offer or rice I stock up & buy in bulk. Personally I prefer to cut back on other things in life to allow a few extra dollars to eat fresh & organic. It just takes planning. Think how much you can spend on a takeaway. A lot more than say an Organic bag of pasta & sauce.

You can easily whip up something quick & easy from the Woolworths Organic range. No excuses. Keep an eye out when you next shop to see what is on offer.

Love K xx

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©Seren Holistic Lifestyles Blog 2013
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