16 Easy Ways to Improve Your Diet, Save Money and Decipher Food Labels

Avoid the Dirty Dozen

organic choice, supermarket, grocery shopping, dirty dozen, organics woman in vegetable aisle

Pesticide residue is an alarming concept -- no one wants chemical poisons lingering on their foods. Choosing organic varieties not only ensures that the food you ingest is free of pesticides, but it helps protect workers in farm fields, the land and beneficial bugs in the wild.

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Here is our list of the \r\n top 12 foods you should eat organic.

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Save on Organics

avocado, save on organics Ideally, you\'d buy all organic foods, but the fact is they can cost more. Do you know where you can save on organics? These fruits and vegetables aren\'t loaded with pesticides, so you can spend your organic dollars where they\'ll count the most.\r\n

Go Green in the Kitchen

green kitchen, bowls Eating organic food isn\'t the only way to go green in the kitchen. Our food choices have a huge impact on the environment, and there are several easy changes you can make to lessen your impact on the earth. For example, consider reducing the amount of food packaging that makes its way through your kitchen by buying in bulk. These 10 easy tips will help you save time, money, and resources in food preparation and storage.

Brew Fair Trade Coffee

coffee, organic, fair trade When it comes to your morning cup of coffee, don\'t just think organic. Fair Trade Certification is important, and the label means that coffee farmers are paid fair prices for their products. Looking for a recommendation? These rich, fragrant coffees, like mighty strong Gorilla Coffee based in Brooklyn, NY, will make a switch to fair trade brews easy. \r\n

Green Your Pantry

green your pantry, food pantry Get your eco-conscious family on the path to good health by greening your pantry. This doesn\'t just mean stocking up on fresh fruits and veggies -- though that\'s a good idea too! Cut the clutter (try glass storage containers) and chemicals (make the switch to green cleaners) in the pantry with these six simple steps.

Understand Organic

organic food label Organic is organic, right? Not necessarily. A food label might say \"organic,\" \"100% organic\" or \"made with organic ingredients.\" What\'s the difference? Our\r\nguide to organic labels will fill you in.

Prep Your Kitchen for Power Outages

cooler, food storage Don\'t let your food spoil when storms and natural disasters leave your home in the dark. Avoid unnecessary food waste by preparing with these \r\n five steps. \r\n

Know Your Food Labels

fair trade coffee, food labels Food labels should provide you with more information about what you\'re buying, not confuse you. Know your organic from your Certified Naturally Grown with our food label decoder.\r\n

Know the National List

hops, beer, organic, national list Some organic foods can be made with nonorganic ingredients if the USDA determines that an organic alternative isn\'t available. Know what you\'re buying. Learn some of the approved nonorganic ingredients and why they made the list.

Drink Biodynamic Wine

wine, grapes, organic wine Biodynamic wine has a funny reputation (using deer bladders to make compost, anyone?). But the practice uses age-old methods to create natural wines, and several labels have been getting rave reviews for their products lately. Learn the basics of biodynamic wine, and why you should be drinking it.

Green Your Diet in 30 Days

organic foods, bag, groceries

The \"greenest\" foods are healthy foods. In four weeks you can make the switch to a diet of delicious, whole, organic foods, local foods, artisan foods with fewer pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, genetically modified ingredients or chemical additives.

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Here are our easy, enjoyable steps to a greener, healthier diet.

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Eat Superfoods

spinach, super foods, superfoods Looking for some extra health benefits with your lunch? Spinach and salmon might be obvious superfoods, but there are some sweet and easy-to-find eats that also make the list. Check out our list of superfoods and get cooking.

Think About Where Your Food Comes From

COOL, country of origin label Do you know where your lunch came from? After a year of publicized food illness outbreaks, it\'s a relief that the country-of-origin label (COOL) will be required on all meats, fish, poultry, produce and peanuts. Know what the label tells you, and why it\'s so important.\r\n

Get Picky with Your Milk

organic milk, hormones in milk Organic milk can\'t come from cows that have been treated with artificial hormones or antibiotics. But what about milk that isn\'t labeled organic? Learn why you should be concerned about hormones in your milk, and what your options are when shopping.

Save on Local Eating

farmers market, save on local eating The 100 Mile Diet authors remind us that the idea of local eating isn\'t new. In fact, despite the frequent assumption that going local is only for people with time and money to spare, cooking your own meals and putting away food for winter used to be considered thrifty things to do. Here are ways you can save and eat local. \r\n\r\n

Pour Organic Wine

wine, organic wine, green food tips Conventional grapes are typically chock-full of pesticides, and some studies have shown traces of those pesticides in conventional wine. Organic wine, on the other hand, is made with no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers -- it\'s good for the soil and your taste buds. But wine made from organically grown grapes might not always say \"organic\" on the label (if an organic wine contains added sulfites -- a natural preservative -- it can\'t be labeled organic). Check out our guide to learn everything you need to know about organic wine.

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