Moms Across America has many low-income supporters who have stated that it seems too costly to go organic. But more and more, we are also hearing from underprivileged area moms who are making the effort and making it work within their budget.

In fact, the first store in America to label food GMO was in Detroit, in the past one of the lowest income, most crime-ridden areas in the country. They have had other concerns, like violence, drugs, death and gangs that could trump food concerns. Recently, however, 20,000 volunteers a weekend are “greening” Detroit with over 1,200 organic urban farms and community solidarity is making a comeback! Americans see that genetically engineered and pesticide sprayed food contributes to mental illness, acts of violence, depression, poor school and job performance, etc. Doctors report that 90% of the children in low-income areas have diabetes and/or obesity. Allergies, autism and autoimmune disease is skyrocketing. It really is true that when moms say, "health comes first." Without health, we cannot function properly to do or enjoy other things in life like our career, schoolwork, family, and relationships.

It is actually not accurate to think organic food is too expensive when you factor in the health care costs from eating conventional, GMO toxic food. Conventional, GMO food and factory farming pollute our food, streams, air, and tap water supply, leading to the ingestion of toxins which are linked to dozens of costly illnesses.  Autism can cost a family $100,000 a year. Cancer can cost a family and insurance $10,000 a month. The fact is that America will be bankrupted by our health care costs in a little over a decade if we do not take immediate action and discontinue the use of GMOs and toxic chemicals in our foods.

Our government is spending hundreds of billions on health care and we are headed for health care budget bankruptcy. No wonder why they want to make cuts! The math shows that in less than 10 years the cost of diabetes will bankrupt the US health care budget if we do not reverse this trend. Factor in all the diseases, mental illness, and fertility issues we are facing and one can only imagine that the financial experts on the Hill have worked out that the pending bankruptcy from health care costs is a lot closer than 10 years.

The health care costs to a family can be tremendous. We spoke to a mother yesterday who said her savings is wiped out from 2 surgeries that her daughter needed on her colon, costing $60,000 each. They have nothing left and retirement looming. Middle America is becoming impoverished from rising healthcare costs, largely due to the toxins in our food and environment. Many low-income families are not getting the health care they need due to the high costs.

Besides health care costs, as a mother, when I saw my son's allergies improve in just 4 months and my other son's autism symptoms disappear in 6 weeks, by eating organic and restoring the gut microbiome with fermented foods like sauerkraut, and the impact on their learning ability, I realized that we could not afford to NOT eat organic. Their health, well-being, happiness and future potential means more than anything. I have told my husband I would rather live in a trailer or with family than not buy organic. We do not buy the latest phones or TVs, we rarely shop for things like clothes (I go to thrift stores first), we make gifts for each other instead of buying them, and we go on vacation camping instead of expensive hotels and resorts. We make organic food our top priority.

People often think they have to eat processed foods for convenience, which are much more expensive per pound and by nutritional content. If we go back to eating whole foods, like a baked potato instead of a bag of chips, we consume much higher nutritional content, feel full and satisfied for much longer,  and can buy more food by the pound. When we eat whole organic foods with higher nutritional content,  we are not as hungry and can eat less food, saving money, because we are not consuming empty calories.

If you can afford chips and soda...

  Total cost per serving: .71 cents
-16 grams of protein, 39 grams of sugar (9.75 teaspoons), 185 grams sodium. Contains GMOs and toxic pesticide residues.

You can afford Organic Rice and Beans.

Total Cost per serving: .66 cents
- 19.9 grams of protein, 42 grams of carbs,.7 grams sugar, 6.7 mg sodium, 358 mcg Folate, 14.9 mcg Vitamin K, 324 Omega-3, 304 Omega -6, 802 mg Potassium, 93.9 mg Magnesium, 79.6 mg Calcium, and more essential vitamins and minerals. GMOs and toxic chemicals are not allowed in organic.

We suggest that low-income families take a close look at their budget, then make organic food a priority. Do the best you can.

1. Budget. What are your highest expenses? Do they match with your values and priorities like health and shelter? Are you spending money needlessly on clothes, nails, trendy items, electronics, coffee, fast food, and gifts for others? It may seem like you aren’t spending a lot of these items, but they really add up.  Cut those out.  Consider that you can buy a 25-pound bag of organic rice on Amazon for the same price as 2 manicures. Plus, you avoid the neurotoxic chemicals in nail parlors.

2. Buy less processed food and more bulk whole foods like organic rice, beans, vegetables and fruit instead of chips, cookies, soda and snacks. You can save $971 a year for a family of 5 by buying organic potatoes and baking french fries at home instead of eating fries at a fast food joint 2 x a week. A 25-pound bag of rice, beans or steel cut oats stores nicely in a standard popcorn tin and will last for months.

3. Prioritize organic dairy, bone broths, gelatin, lentils, and bread or wheat products, as these can contain the highest levels of glyphosate. Eat less meat and when you do, eat organic meat or cold-water wild seafood to avoid toxins. Asian ancestors ate meat about once a week and had far fewer health issues. Meat costs 5-7X more than dried beans, which can be cooked in a slow cooker while you work and have plenty of protein.

4. Get Creative. Make gifts, go on inexpensive vacations, stop buying the latest technology, and create other sources of revenue to afford organic food. The saying goes, "Frustration is the mother of invention." Allow the frustrating situation of having a low income be an opportunity to get inventive and you will be even more proud of yourself and fulfilled than if you had the money.

5. Grow your own! Even a small fire escape can fit enough pots to grow cilantro, parsley, basil, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers. These foods spice up rice and beans and give your family important nutrition.  Visit the local library to find a large assortment of books on growing food in small spaces.  One of my moms lives in an apartment complex with no yard of her own, but she found a small space near a maintenance shed and they allowed her to put a garden in!  

You will be pleasantly surprised that there is a lot of organic food you can buy and grow and you could see health benefits in 3 days to a few weeks.

If cost is not the only problem, but access to organic food is difficult, the good news is that more and more online sources are selling organic food online.

Links to buying and growing organic food:

Organic rice on Amazon                              Organic cereal and baby food on Thrive

Organic beans on Azure Standard               Find a Farmer’s Market Near You

Grow Your Own Food in Small Spaces         Make your Own Gut Healing Food

                       Find a Local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)