DCL
How and where you'll find the greenest goods that money can buy.
Sometimes, it can seem like putting all this effort into developing a greener lifestyle is costing a fortune: you can get to feeling like you've got to do things like buy a hybrid or shop only at expensive health food stores. Not so, my friends. Not so.
But I don't blame those who feel overwhelmed by the price tags on many 'green' items. That's why I've come up with a list of green goods that are cheap and affordable. In this two-part series, I'll discuss where to find the cheapest, greenest stuff. Some might seem obvious, others not so much. Today, we'll look at which foods you can find on the cheap, without sacrificing good green quality.
Organic/Local Vegetables
It's pretty easy to find cheap, super fresh vegetables—just steer clear of your health food store. Instead, look to farmers' markets, Community Supported Agriculture, or food Co-ops.
Home Baked Whole Wheat Bread
Extremely cheap, and extremely delicious, all you have to buy here is a little yeast, flour, butter, and salt—most of which you probably already have lying around the house. Find an easy, fantastic recipe for whole wheat bread.
Organic Tortilla Chips
Tortilla chips, like the Corn Cheaps from Natural Choice are a cheap, green way to snack. You can find these at most health food friendly grocery stores and supermarkets.
Coffee at McDonald's? What the hell is green about that, you ask, perhaps angrily. McDonald's is, after all, one of the most un-green corporations around. Well, ever since McDonald's started selling organic coffee in the Northeastern US, it's actually been a good place to find cheap, green coffee. The coffee is made by Newman's Own, a fantastic, eco-conscious company. Free Range Eggs If you've ever picked up a carton of free range eggs at the supermarket, you've probably made at least one deduction: they cost a lot more than the other eggs. But fear not, you can still get better, greener eggs for cheap—at your local farmers' market. Many farmers' markets offer fresh, free range eggs along with their produce, and they're a lot cheaper there than their store bought brethren. Grass-Fed Beef Alright, let's get a little meat up in here—the carnivores among us need some cheap green options. The good news is that though grass-fed is always a better option, it doesn't always mean expensive eats. Still not quite as cheap as regular ol' beef from disgusting 9-cows-to-a-stall ranches, the grass fed variety from companies like Lasater Grasslands Beef won't break your bank. You can order the meat from the Lasater online store. Chicken Wings Okay, so chicken wings don't exactly have the greenest rap. So often they're served in bars and burger joints with a thick pool of grease around the bottom. Follow this recipe for some cheap, green chicken wings. Organic Chocolate Let's close out our cheap green eats list with a desert?organic chocolate from Green and Black. Nowhere near as cheap as a Hershey's bar, it's still one of the cheapest organic chocolate bars on the market, and available at discerning supermarkets around the country. Or, add a bar of Green and Black to your order at Organic Direct for less than two bucks. Savor it over time and you can stretch out the several dollars it will cost.
