With the increase of demand over wide range of these products would be easily accessible to most Americans, but this unfortunately is not the case yet. Many of the large companies are beginning to see the need for organic products and are beginning to expand their offerings in an effort to appease these needs. In the mean time, until organics are widely available at an affordable price, what are we to do? I am writing to offer some advice on purchasing healthy organic food in this region without breaking your budget.
If you live in Tampa you have a few great stores such as Whole Foods and the new Publix Greenwise Market which offer a store full of natural and organic products. These stores offer the convenience of one-stop shopping, as well as a clean and well-presented environment, but come with a bit of a higher price tag. If you live by in Pinellas County or Sarasota, you have Nature's Food Patch and Richard's Whole Foods, which have less product offerings at a higher cost as well, but again, the convenience of one stop-shopping. I have found that you can utilize these stores for the specialty goods that are not available in other stores and supplement your basics elsewhere. If you have time or are willing to spend the time to shop around and plan ahead you can save quite a bit of money while continuing to purchase natural and organic products.
The main supermarkets in this area include Publix, Albertsons and Wal-Mart, to name a few. You may be surprised at what you can find in these stores, you just need to know where and what to look for. Publix offers their "Greenwise" brand throughout the store, in addition to a specific area for natural and organic products. You can find produce, specialty products, frozen foods as well as teas, boxed and canned foods. They even offer organic beers and wines. Again, the products are spread throughout the store, but you can find your basics and some specialty items as well. Albertsons offers their "O organics" line that is spread throughout the store which is convenient. So if you are looking for juice you will find their organic juice mixed within the other juice choices. They do offer some organic produce but it is very limited. Wal-Mart, like Albertsons, has their organics spread throughout the store as well. They have produce, canned, frozen and boxed goods as well. Even Sam's Club and Costco are beginning to offer options as well. I am not suggesting any one store to shop in this area, just trying to offer some advice to those who would like to purchase more natural and organic products, but are running on a tight budget, as many are these days.
As society continues to awaken and focus on sustainable living the need for these products will continue and, in order for these companies to be successful, they must adjust with the times. We will continue to see an increase in availability and competition which lowers prices as well. Of course, if you have even more time and enjoy gardening, home grown produce is the best. Freshly picked fruits and veggies offer the highest level of nutrients and taste fabulous. You can also find local farmers or farmers markets to purchase you produce as well, just be sure to ask specific questions regarding their farming techniques. Keep your options open and make your health, that of others, and the Earth your priority daily to keep the momentum going!
