I priced eight common non-organic items as follows:
*Strawberries ($4.99/LB)
*Bananas ($0.35 each)
*Peaches ($3.99/LB)
*Tomatoes ($2.49/LB)
*Avocados ($2.99 each)
*Sweet onions ($1.49/ LB)
*Chicken thighs – boneless/skinless ($3.99/LB)
*Eggs ($1.69 per dozen)
Next, we go to Whole Foods, the nation’s largest health food grocery store, to comparison-shop organic varieties of the same items:
*Strawberries ($6.99/LB-$2.00 more)
*Bananas ($0.36 each-$0.01 more)
*Peaches ($4.39/LB-$0.40 more)
*Tomatoes ($2.19/LB-$0.30 more)
*Avocados ($1.25 each- $1.74 less)
*Sweet onions ($1.69/ LB- $0.20 more)
*Chicken thighs – boneless/skinless ($5.49/LB- $1.50 more)
*Eggs ($3.69 per dozen - $1.80 more)
With just these eight items coming in at $7.95 more, I could see how shopping for organic items at Whole Foods could be considered too costly for those on a tight budget.
Next up is Trader Joe's. They’ve been selling organic food before it was considered trendy. When comparing Trader Joe’s prices to the non-organic items at Harris Teeter, quite a few of them were less expensive:
*Strawberries ($2.99/LB - $2.00 less)
*Bananas ($0.29 each - $0.06 less)
*Peaches ($1.75/LB - $2.24 less)
*Tomatoes ($2.99/LB - $0.51 more)
*Avocados ($2.29 each - $0.07 less)
*Sweet onions ($1.49/ LB - same cost)
*Chicken thighs – boneless/skinless ($5.49/LB - $1.50 more)
*Eggs ($2.69 per dozen - $1.80 more)
Overall, Trader Joe's was $0.56 cheaper than buying the same non-organic items at Harris Teeter. If you’re a vegetarian and we exclude the chicken and eggs, you’d actually save $4.37 by purchasing the organic produce at Trader Joe's.
Now it’s on to Aldi, a health food supermarket chain known for keeping its prices low because of its no-frills approach. To save costs, customers have to bag their own groceries and pay a quarter to use a shopping cart, which you get back upon its return. When comparing the prices of their organic varieties to the non-organic items at Harris Teeter, I was pleasantly surprised:
*Strawberries ($2.99/LB - $2.00 less)
*Bananas ($0.29 each - $0.06 less)
*Peaches ($1.50/LB - $2.49 less)
*Tomatoes ($1.69/LB - $0.80 less)
*Avocados ($1.49 each - $1.50 less)
*Sweet onions ($0.60 each - $0.89 less)
*Chicken thighs – boneless/skinless ($2.29/LB - $1.70 less)
While Aldi is known for selling eggs at a bargain $0.75 dozen, they aren’t certified organic, so I did not include them in the comparison. Adding up Aldi’s organic options came in at an impressive $9.44 less than the same non-organic items at Harris Teeter.
I guess it’s worth it to bag your own groceries and return your cart.
Our next stop is Wal-Mart. Yes, Wal-Mart! The nation’s largest retailer stocks 1,700 organic grocery items, including organic produce, sold under its Marketside brand.
Let’s see how America’s leading discount superstore stacks up with our price comparison:
*Strawberries ($3.74/lB - $1.25 less)
*Bananas ($0.23 each - $0.12 less)
*Tomatoes ($2.46 each - $0.03 less)
*Avocados ($5.86 each - $2.87 more)
*Sweet onions ($3.46/LB - $1.97 more)
*Chicken thighs – boneless/skinless ($3.34/LB - $0.65 less)
*Eggs ($2.87 per dozen - $1.18 more)