Trader Joe's is a great place to get inexpensive organic and sustainably-grown foods while you check out the employees in Hawaiian shirts.

Whole Foods Market is the world's largest retailer of organic and naturally-grown foods. It is the only retail representative on the National Organic Standards Board, and have been advocates of organic agriculture, poultry and beef throughout the last 20 years.

t all started while I was holding a banana. One of my first encounters with an organic grocery store and I was floored by the price per pound of that potassium-filled, phallic-shaped fruit. I looked around the store in amazement. I was a poor recent college graduate, a deer caught in the headlights, fallen prey to the reality of the real world and really high prices. I quietly replaced the items in my basket and fled the high-priced haven. I sashayed across the street to a corporate-owned grocery store and felt my heart rate return to normal.

As unfortunate as it is, this is an all too common story for many people on a budget. Which, given the current state of our economy, includes pretty much everyone that I know. How is it even remotely possible to shop organic on a budget unless you are yearning for the heroin-chic look that was Kate Moss circa 1996? Quite frankly, in my opinion, it’s not.

If I could afford to shop organic, I would. I am well aware of the health benefits of ingesting pesticide-free, unprocessed foods. I also don’t care to support the poor human rights record and global-dominating style of large, corporate-run chains. I feel better about myself when I support locally-owned stores that sell organic foods, and I feel better when I eat the food that I can buy there; however, I find myself financially contributing to grocery-giants on a weekly basis. This process produces feeling that isn’t so good.

Eating healthy, wholesome food is important to me, and eating well is essential to my daily function. The simple daily act of consuming an orange, potent in vitamin-C, assists in my ability to fight off seasonal illness. The banana, the potassium-rich wonderfood that I mentioned before, helps my muscles regroup and rebuild, which allows me the benefit of being able to stand, walk, and carry more groceries home from the store. Oftentimes I find myself downtrodden because my effort to take care of myself is tainted by the chemicals and pesticides used in the growth of inorganic foods I am fiscally forced to purchase. How has it come to be that even when one thinks he is taking a proactive, preventative stance on his health, in reality his good efforts may have long-term negative effects on his well-being?

Of course, there are two sides to every story. The little devil on my shoulder is encouraging me to share just how wonderful grocery giants can be. They have everything. And, with the convenient ‘frequent shopper’ card available at all major chains, you get super discounts. I routinely get conned into purchasing more than I need because with my discount card I can buy two boxes of cookies for only one dollar more than the cost of a single box. A huge smile finds its way to my face every time I get the printout on my receipt showing just how much money I saved. However, something tells me I am not saving any money when I factor in the long-term cost of healthcare as a result of the highly processed, chemical-coated foods in which I am about to indulge.

It’s a matter of investment, really. I have two options: hang on to more cash, buy cheaper, more heavily-processed foods that have usually traveled a great distance to reach the store (1,500 miles or so), and take the chance that my lettuce isn’t tainted with cancer-causing chemicals, or spend more of my hard-to-come-by, hard-earned money (and eat less) on foods that have been grown closer to my backyard, use few, if any, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, or other undesirables, feel good about buying better and investing in a healthy future for myself and the planet, and just hope that my metabolism slows enough so I won’t have to keep cinching up my belt to keep my pants on. My verdict: I have to eat, so, though I don’t like it, I continue to do most of my shopping at the price-saving mega-mart, keeping in mind that the food I consume may not have had a happy plant or animal adolescence and may not be doing all it can to efficiently fuel my body. Truth be told, my sustainable mind is trapped in a consumerist, grocery-giant loving body. My name is Miles and I have a confession: not only do I possess three frequent-shopper cards, but I use them – all the time.

That being said, I’m happy to be able to offer a possible solution to the struggle. How can one achieve the benefits of an organic lifestyle while on a budget? As any high-wire circus performer will tell you, there is one thing that keeps them alive: balance. It is essential when you’re on the high wire, a must-have when discussing colors for your new wardrobe. Balance is also imperative when trying to live an organic lifestyle while counting your pennies. One doesn’t have to shop organic all the time to reap the benefits of pesticide-free, whole foods. Many people are surprised to hear that common ailments such as skin irritations and nasal congestion may be caused by the foods we eat. Try purchasing two or three things on your grocery list from an organic foods store (the rest you can obtain using your beloved frequent buyer card and still save some cash). I prefer to do this with most of the fresh produce that I buy, for example. Do this for a month or two and assess how you feel. Keeping a journal can assist you in keeping track of changes you observe as well as serve as an excellent place to divulge your crush on the very attractive hippie-looking hottie who bagged your groceries at the organic store.

As with many aspects of life, there is always a good and bad, right and wrong, beautiful and ugly side to everything. Shopping organic while on a budget is no different. Advice from someone who has been there and done that:

Try a few, budget-friendly items from your favorite, organic-friendly shop while still utilizing the much needed discount card at the grocery giant. With a little practice, finding the balance is as easy as picking up a picking up an organically-grown banana

Miles Glew is a recent graduate of the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash. He lives and writes in Seattle.