Organic peaches were unavailable at Wal-Mart, so I did not include them in our comparison. You’ll pay $3.98 more at Wal-Mart for these organic items compared to the same non-organic items found at Harris Teeter.
My last stop was to the local farmers' market. Buying produce from the farmers' market not only supports local agriculture, but it also saves countless pounds of carbon emissions since your food has not been shipped from afar to your supermarket. The farther produce travels, the less nutritious it is, and the more chemical preservatives it’s likely to contain.
Farmers at the local market grow the food they're selling. You’re able to talk to them and get to know them. While some farmers choose not to pay for the “USDA Organic” certification, many of them do not use pesticides or chemicals on their crops and they’re able to pass those savings on to their customers. The farmers' market didn’t offer eggs and chicken, but I was able to comparison-shop the produce:
*Strawberries ($4.49/LB - $0.50 less)
*Bananas ($0.30 each – $0.05 less)
*Peaches ($1.50/LB - $1.99 less)
*Tomatoes ($1.49/LB - $0.50 less)
*Avocados ($2.49 less - $0.50 less)
*Sweet onions ($1.00/LB - $0.49 less)
That’s a $6.02 savings by going directly to farmers and cutting out the middleman. When buying organic, Aldi takes the lead with a 46% savings over the same non-organic varieties.
In second place, with a 37% savings, is the farmers’ market.
Be sure to shop around because prices can vary from store to store and change weekly due to promotions.
As health expert for Lifetime television’s morning show and syndicated radio host,
Dr. Friedman has spent the last fifteen years interviewing hundreds of health advocates, scientists, doctors and New York Times bestselling authors. His goal has always been to share cutting-edge topics and advice to help his audience reach their optimal health.
Unfortunately, that’s not what happened. Instead, every guest would end up leaving them (and Dr. Friedman) more and more confused. From proponents of a Vegan, Paleo, Mediterranean Diet to a Gluten Free and Low Carb Diet, the opinions are as different as night and day.
After becoming frustrated with so much biased (often paid for) and conflicting research, Dr. Friedman created a common science meets common sense approach that finally puts an end to the culinary conundrum!