new to organic, vegetarian diet?
Hey folks, I'm new here! After a history of eating disorders on both ends of the spectrum, I've decided to try an organic, vegetarian diet and learning to cook these foods for myself. I think that doing so, engaging with healthful, yummy foods regularly, might help me repair my relationship with eating. That said, I have some questions, as I am completely new to the topic! :)
Are there any general rules/tips for eating a vegetarian and organic diet? For someone who knows little about this kinda stuff, I mean?
I got the items for my first vegetarian dish tonight and, really, it can be organic or not depending on the items I buy to create the meal -- buy the items organic or not organic, for example. But trying to get every ingredient organic was getting pricey. I got fat free ricotta cheese and the regular was $1.50, the organic being $4.50. I simply cannot afford to triple my grocery bill in this way.
Is it possible to pick and choose which items you want to make sure you buy organic and which ones you can kinda accept the regular product? Is there a way to know which might be worth paying extra for by getting organic? Do some foods being organic matter more than others?
So I have questions for anyone into vegetarianism and organic eating (I'm wanting to do both):
Are there any general rules/tips for eating a vegetarian and organic diet? For someone who knows little about this kinda stuff, I mean?
I got the items for my first vegetarian dish tonight and, really, it can be organic or not depending on the items I buy to create the meal -- buy the items organic or not organic, for example. But trying to get every ingredient organic was getting pricey. I got fat free ricotta cheese and the regular was $1.50, the organic being $4.50. I simply cannot afford to triple my grocery bill in this way.
Is it possible to pick and choose which items you want to make sure you buy organic and which ones you can kinda accept the regular product? Is there a way to know which might be worth paying extra for by getting organic? Do some foods being organic matter more than others?
So I have questions for anyone into vegetarianism and organic eating (I'm wanting to do both):
- If you only have a certain amount to spend on organic items, what items are best to buy organic? For example, is organic milk more important than organic oranges?
- What kind of ingredients are in non-organic items that people dislike? For example, the organic ricotti cheese I did not buy, had about 3 ingredients while the kind I bought had about 10. Of course, I knew none of the incredients mentioned, so I have no idea what they mean. Any information about incredients in organic vs. non-organic foods such as milks, cheeses, etc.?
- How are organic crackers different from non-organic ones?
- What kind of bread should one eat? Not white, obviously, but what kind is best with regard to health? Is all bread processed foods? I want to eliminate processed foods as much as possible. Is the only way to get bread, then, to bake it myself? If so, I will.
- What exactly does "processed food" mean? I mean, I get that it is basically highly manufactured food with all kinds of added preservatives and colors and flavor chemicals, but is there anything else I should know? Is it easy to eat no processed foods at all? What would consitute a minimally procsesd food? Are some processed foods more proccessed than others? For example, iIs plain, original oatmeal less processed than a Hungry Man microwave meal (eww!)?
- What things can someone eat, aside from veggies and fruit, that is not a processed food? I bought organic granola bars and a box of organic granola cereal, but in the end, they are processed too, right?
- How do you know if something is free-range? Will it say on the box? I would like to buy free-range eggs. Free-range is good because the animals are not abused (as much) and are not injected with chemicals, is this true or am I mistaken? If I am mistaken, what is the reality? Does free-range milk exist from free-range cows or does it only work with chickens? If milk is organic, will it also be free-range or not really?
- My boyfriend is beginning to grow veggies in our yard, but we also want to find a local market to support community agriculture or something similar? I live in Austin, Texas and assume something like this does exist, but haven't a clue how to find it. Would it be in the phone book? LOL.
Thanks for any advice you may have! Don't feel obligated to answer every single questions, just anything that comes mind. I'm new to this and it feels somewhat overwhelming to figure out all at once, especially while standing in the grocery store. Thanks in advance and sorry for so many questions. :)