If you are interested in adding more organic products to your diet but are concerned about the mounting costs of such a switch, here are some simple guidelines to help you make better choices.

Adding organic products to your diet is an easy way to benefit yourself, your family and the planet. While organic products are now widely available, they are usually more expensive than their non-organic counter part.

Luckily it is more important to choose some organic products over others. This is due to the way they are metabolized by your body or to the amount of pesticide residue that remains on them even after washing. Generally speaking dairy, eggs and meat products should be from the cleanest sources available. Vegetables and fruits are secondary but there are some exceptions.

See below for details and helpful hints on how to start including organic products into your diet.

Level 1: Dairy Products & Eggs

Organic milk, butter and cheese as well as eggs are important places to start. Hormones such as rbGH, as well antibiotics and other drugs are not things you want to serve yourself or your loved ones. If you eat dairy products or eggs on a regular basis, whether in baked goods, glasses of milk or pizza, we recommend that you start there.

Did you know that organic milk lasts longer in your refrigerator than typical milk? It’s true. If you find yourself dumping old milk, switching to organic milk could actually save you money.

Level 2: Meat, Poultry & Fish

Next we suggest switching to organically raised meat & poultry. Since these can certainly be more expensive we suggest the following two strategies for incorporating these organic products into your life:

1. Reduce your consumption of meat & poultry (a good step for most Americans) while increasing the quality of meat that you are consuming. Reducing the size of your grass fed organic steak by 20% can take a major dent out of the increase in price per pound. Plus it is better for you too.
2. Start using cheaper cuts and learn how to incorporate them into to your meals. Less known cuts can be easy and tasty substitutes for the more expensive cuts. See this New York Times article to start and don't hesitate to ask your butcher for ideas as well.

Seafood is a complicated issue. There are many concerns with farmed seafood sources, even ones labeled organic. Issues include the waste water introduced to the local environment as well as the amount of antibiotics needed to keep the fish and seafood healthy. Wild caught fish while often better can be from unsustainable practices which are rapidly depleting the oceans.

Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Seafood Watch” is an invaluable resource for anyone concerned with eating seafood from sustainable sources.

There is even a Seafood Watch app so you can access this information on the go.

Level 3: Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are the last products we suggest buying organic on a budget, but there are exceptions. Environmental Working Group's “dirty dozen” is a list of fruits of vegetables we would avoid unless they are from organic sources. These include:

• apples
• celery
• sweet bell peppers
• peaches
• strawberries
• nectarines (imported)
• grapes
• spinach
• lettuce
• cucumbers
• blueberries (domestic)
• potatoes
• green beans
• kale/greens

Click here for more information on the EWG's dirty dozen.

EWG also has a "Clean 15" list, which includes fruits and vegetables that can be the last on your organic switch list. Click here for for the full list.

Switching to organic products is an important step in becoming aware about what you are putting in your body. This practice goes beyond questions of whether a product is organic or not. Beginning to read labels and understanding the different levels of salt and sugar as well as serving sizes can be a life changing practice for anyone struggling with weight or blood sugar concerns. Done correctly, switching to mostly organic products can be accomplished on all most any budget.

Summary:

Start with diary and eggs. Meat and fish are a close 2nd. Next go for the “Dirty Dozen” and finish up with the “Clean 15.”