Living “green” has not only become a global issue but has also become very trendy. Media emphasis on the effects of global warming, greater knowledge of one’s carbon footprint, and our social, industrial and economic reliance on foreign oil compounded by a limited supply of National energy sources, the importance of conservation has never been so popular. While natural foods, cosmetics and cleaning products were once relegated to the back shelves of health food stores, nowadays green is mainstream. Clorox, the company known for their environmentally incorrect bleach, has released its GreenWorks cleaning products with the endorsement of the Sierra Club. Wal-Mart and Safeway are trying to compete on the organic food front with in-house brands. MSN and Yahoo both have sections devoted to leading green lifestyles, and typing “green living” into Google’s search engine brings up millions of sites. Phrases such as sustainable farming, biodiesel fuels, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and eating locally, composting and carbon footprints are now incorporated into everyday conversation.

Unlike hemlines and shoe styles, trying to do better by the earth doesn’t change with the (less distinct) seasons. The need to “reduce, reuse and recycle” remains crucial to the health of the earth and its people, and even a few small lifestyle changes can help make a difference. One of the easier ways to do your part is to make healthier choices in the grocery store by buying more produce, whether organic, locally grown, or even conventional, and cutting back on your consumption of processed foods. Processed foods often contain unhealthy levels of sugar, saturated fat, and sodium and can be high in calories. Replacing processed foods with healthier options is valuable to a person’s health, especially in the face of the obesity crisis. In their annual survey of the “state of the health of the country”, the Center for Disease Control just named Mississippi the fattest state in the nation, and even the leanest state, Colorado, maintained an obesity level of 19% of the population. So the push to have people eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while simultaneously cutting back on processed foods has never been more widespread. In addition to their usually less-than-stellar nutritional profiles, processed foods often leave behind a far greater carbon footprint because of the energy needed to convert the food; package it, which must be somehow produced and disposed of; and then delivered a broad range, which requires fuel and generates pollution.

It is true that organic produce must also be trucked from farm to store, but the closer the food to its ultimate destination, the less energy it requires. Community supported farms and farmer’s markets have burgeoned in popularity in the last two decades; localharvest.org, a website devoted to environmentally sound practices, estimates that there are approximately one thousand CSAs in the United States, up from about 50 twenty years ago. CSAs are “subscriptions” of sorts: one becomes a “member” or “subscriber” to a farm by paying dues or a fee, usually up front, although some CSAs require their members to volunteer at the farm for a certain number of hours. In return, subscribers receive a weekly or monthly basket of fruit, vegetables, flowers, or whatever the farm grows. It’s a good way to eat locally produced goods (reducing the carbon footprint generated by the picking, packaging and delivering of goods across the country or even the state), and support local farmers.

Eating organic isn’t as complicated as it sounds, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Organic food commands a premium for several reasons: it is costly for a farmer to convert his fields to meet the standards of the United States Department of Agriculture; farmers are required to document every step of the growing process; the methods used to treat and prevent bugs are more expensive than synthetic pesticides; and the yields are often smaller. The use of the word organic is regulated by the USDA. Meat and dairy products sold as organic indicate the livestock were fed organic feed (it does not necessarily mean the animals were treated more humanely). Farms and companies must undergo a rigorous certification process and follow a strict set of policies in order to use the word organic on their products as well as the USDA’s seal. Not all foods that list organic ingredients can use the USDA’s seal; at least 95% of the ingredients must be organic.

There are several ways to eat well and keep the grocery budget reasonable. For starters, buy organic varieties of the fruits and vegetables you may rinse but eat with the skin on. Delicate varieties such as peaches and strawberries tend to absorb more pesticides that fruits with hardier skins such as bananas. The non-profit research group Environmental Working Group has a list it calls the Dirty Dozen, the 12 fruits and vegetables most likely to be contaminated with pesticides; it is available online at ewg.org. In addition to peaches and strawberries, other foods on the list include cherries, grapes and nectarines. If cost is an issue, it’s absolutely fine to buy conventional varieties of fruits you peel, such as oranges and bananas, but all fruits should be rinsed well before consuming.

Most stores label their organic produce, or have a separate section devoted to organic and vegetarian items, but if you aren’t sure, check the little sticker for its PLU code; if it starts with a nine you’ve got organic produce in your hands. Rarely, you will see a PLU that begins with an eight; that indicates the produce has been genetically engineered (but that’s a whole different story). It’s tougher to figure out where the produce came from, because stores are not required to list the country of origin of every item they sell, but more stores are beginning to showcase their locally grown options. Also, you will sometimes see produce labeled with the country of origin.

Other options to consider would be joining a CSA if one is available nearby or shopping at a farmer’s markets when you can. Research the CSA before you join and make sure you know what the farmer grows. If the yield one month is not satisfactory, you may be surprised by what you get, so you want to make sure you can prepare and will eat most of what you receive. If you don’t mind a minimal selection, scour farmer’s markets right before they close, when the farmer is more likely to bargain with you so he doesn’t have to take home any unsold items. If selection is most important, be sure to arrive early and be prepared to pay what the farmer is asking.

Buying organic meat and dairy products can also feel painful as the numbers add up on the register. Just like produce, whether or not you choose to buy organic meat and dairy depends on a few factors. Remember that meat labeled organic means the cows or pigs or chickens have been fed organic crops, have not received any growth hormones or antibiotics and had access to fresh air, although this last requirement doesn’t necessarily mean they were free-range. The regulations laid out by the USDA are vague on this front, stating only that the animals can be “temporarily confined only for reasons of health, safety, the animal’s stage of production, or to protect soil or water quality.” Also, loopholes in the USDA’s regulations can sometimes lead to organic livestock being fed non-organic foods, although this is less common.

Concerns regarding antibiotics and hormones are more indirect. As in humans, strains of bacteria that can affect an animals health may become immune to antibiotics with overuse, and while the FDA believes the synthetic hormones are similar enough to the natural hormones produced by cows to be of little concern, many environmental groups believe otherwise. Mad cow disease, transmitted when animals consume feed containing bits of dead animals, is a third issue, although rare. Overall, if these are concerns for you and your family, try to buy organic meat and dairy and consider cutting back elsewhere. However, a gallon of conventional milk is already around $4 a gallon, while organic milk can run close to twice that. The costs of organic meats vary, but they too tend to be priced at a premium. Some websites suggest that cutting back on meat is the safest practice, both for health and environmental reasons.

One last trick for saving money on organics: look into private or store brands. Publix sells its Greenwise line in the majority of its stores, and BJs, Wal-Mart and Target also have organic lines. The store brands tend to be less expensive than the boutique organic lines, but they are still subject to the regulations as laid out by the US Department of Agriculture. Nearly everything produced by a name brand has a store brand counterpart, and depending on who you ask, the quality is similar. Also, don’t discount Whole Foods. Even with its high-end aura, many of its products are usually comparably priced to regular grocery stores, and they also carry several private label products.

Most importantly, don’t feel guilty about not being able to eat entirely organic or local. Sure, not consuming synthetic pesticides is a healthy habit to establish, as is eating more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods. Doing your part to help the environment by choosing items that didn’t travel 3,000 miles can make you feel good, and the produce has probably retained more nutrients because it is that much closer to its picking date. But keep in mind, too, that most of the evidence supporting the idea that organic produce contains overall higher levels of antioxidants or tastes better is anecdotal or inconclusive. If cost is an issue when it comes to deciding between organic and conventional products, as it is for most of us, it’s still better for your health (and the environment) to buy the conventional bananas or yogurt instead of the highly processed, overly salty frozen meal or the Pop-Tarts.