NEW GUIDE SHOWS FAMILIES HOW TO GO ORGANIC FOR LESS

03 September 2007

As Organic Fortnight kicks off (1-16 September), celebrity chef, Lesley Waters, has teamed up with the Organic Milk Cooperative to demonstrate that switching to organic food doesn’t need to cost the earth. Her free guide, One Trolley, One Week – a Family Guide to Going Organic, contains tips, advice and recipes, and is available to download free here

Many people want to introduce organic food into their family’s diet but perceive it to be prohibitively expensive. The guide shows that it is possible to buy organic staples and not blow the budget, by being savvy about what you buy, where you shop and what you cook. It also contains breakfast and lunch ideas, plus a week’s worth of delicious supper recipes.

Lesley comments, “By making a few simple changes it is possible to include more organic food in your diet, without it breaking the bank. Not all organic products cost a huge amount more that their non-organic equivalents. For example a family of four can make the switch to organic milk for less than a £1 a week, so it’s really worth it. Milk, yogurt and eggs are my organic dairy staples, and the children do get through a large amount of these each week.

“Shopping online, opting for an organic vegetable box and buying directly from suppliers can often be cheaper than going through a supermarket, and you know that you are supporting local farmers.”

The benefits of buying organic are plentiful. Rosie Palmer, Marketing Manager for the Organic Milk Cooperative explains, “There are many differences between organic and non-organic farming, but in essence organic is a less intensive, more natural system. We don’t spray the grass with synthetic chemical pesticides or fertilisers, we never feed the cows GM cattle feed and we only treat them with antibiotics if they are actually ill. The cows enjoy a diet high in fresh grass and clover, they have space to roam and the organic system means that the farmland is a haven for wildlife.”

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Top tips for those wanting to go organic for less include:

• Shop around – don’t just stick to one supplier, compare the prices of supermarkets, local stores, online services, farmers markets and box schemes
• Buy seasonal produce – nutritionally it is preferable to buy local, seasonal produce but it is often cheaper too
• Meat as a treat – buy better quality organic mear but a little less often. Try introducing different cuts of meat into your diet, for example chicken thighs are cheaper than chicken breasts but just as tasty
• Reduce processed foods – cut out expensive processed foods; cooking for yourself costs less and goes further.
• Use your freezer – Cook in bulk and freeze the surplus for healthy ‘ready meals’.

For more information, images and/or for interview opportunities with Lesley Waters/a local organic farmer please contact Abby Richardson, Camille Daltrey or Edith Barton-Harvey at Grayling PR on 0117 9227799 or email abby.richardson@uk.grayling.com

Notes to Editors

• Organic milk costs on average 8p more a pint than non-organic milk
• OMSCo is the UK's leading and longest established organic dairy cooperative uniquely focused on the production and supply of organic milk. With nationwide membership, OMSCo now supplies the majority of organic milk produced in the UK. OMSCo is dedicated to building a sustainable future for British organic dairy farmers.