Greener Eating on a Budget

One of the most common misconceptions I have heard about going green is that it is expensive, making it a somewhat difficult to do in these tough economic times. People will see eating something organic and say, "How can you afford that?" Well, in order to help dispel the myth, I headed over to Whole Foods in Glendale, California and met up with Becky for a Value Tour.

Becky introduced me to Whole Food's own 365 Everyday Value brand. At first I was a little skeptical because I remember when I was a kid and my mother was trying to cut corners she would buy the store brand products that never tasted the same and suddenly I dreaded my once loved peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. To prove that this was not the case with 365 Everyday Value, Whole Foods graciously donated products from the line to see how they stacked up against their conventional counterparts in a taste test. I compared items from every department including ketchup ($1.99), yogurt ($.89), cereal ($2.99), frozen pizza ($4.99), and yes- peanut butter ($3.49) and jelly ($3.49). I tried a lot more and to my delight all of the 365 items tasted as good as the conventional versions and much better than other store brands.

On the tour Becky and I explored everything from organic and Grade A conventional produce to vegetarian-fed beef and poultry and just about everything in between. There are informative signs posted and brochures in every department and store employees are very friendly and knowledgeable, but if you really want to know more about the food and products you're buying and learn about ways to save, I highly recommend a free Value Tour at your local Whole Foods store. Becky had some great tips for saving money without sacrificing better food standards, all of which she shares on her value tour. For example: check out The Whole Deal circular at the store entrance for valuable coupons. Also on the tour- how to shop the specials, shopping the bulk bins, recipes for affordable meals, and more. Call your local store for information about setting up a tour for an individual or for groups.

While it's great many large chain grocery stores are offering more and more organic products, you can't beat the selection of healthy locally grown and organic foods available at Whole Foods. Whether you're already a fan or you've yet to experience all that Whole Foods has in store, you'll love this next giveaway! Whole Foods has donated a $25 gift card to Pink Green Chick for one lucky reader! There are 5 ways to enter, but only one of each entry method will be allowed per person for this contest:

1) Check out the Whole Foods website and leave a comment to this post telling me what you found most useful or informative.

2) Follow Pink Green Chick on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway including "@pgcblog" in your tweet! Leave a separate comment to this post with a link to your tweet URL.

3) Post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a separate comment to this post with a link to your blog post URL.

4) Follow Pink Green Chick and leave a comment to this post telling me you did so or already do.

5) Become Pink Green Chick's friend on Facebook and leave a comment here telling me you did so or already do.

This contest ends at 12:01 PM on Friday, July 24, 2009. One winner will be chosen via Random.org. Good luck to all!