Organic/Free-Range Meats Question

[LJSquishy]

My husband and I recently switched to buying organic produce almost exclusively, and eventually I would like to switch to organic and/or humanely treated meats, but it will take a while for us to be able to stretch our food budget that far due to the price of meat. I want to do this for overall health reasons as well as for being an advocate of treating all animals humanely. Organic cage-free eggs are reasonably priced now, but the meats seem sooo much more!

Can anyone tell me reasonable prices to pay per pound for organic/free-range meat?

I am mostly interested in boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lean ground turkey, whole chickens, and maybe ground beef or some cut of steak. We don't eat much beef.

Costco had organic boneless skinless chicken breasts for $5.99/lb but that seemed high to me, especially for Costco pricing. That is 3x the cost I currently pay!

 

[jdcthree]

Costco has the best prices I've seen in my area. $5.99 for chicken breasts isn't high at all around here, but then again I always have a hard time finding organic meat. We don't eat a ton of meat, but the organic ground beef from Costco is the best I've tasted. I think you get 3 pounds for $9.99.

 

[SDSorority]

For local grass-fed beef we pay $5 per pound. Free range eggs are $3.75 per dozen. Applegate Farms sausage is 10 links for $5.50ish. $$$, but this is the only meat we buy. If I don't have this type of meat in the house, we eat vegetarian until I can get some more.

 

[DisneyEater]

OP, we are in the same boat as you having switched the produce. From what I have seen, the average for chicken does seem to be 3x what I would normally pay which is why we haven't switched over.

 

[LJSquishy]

Costco has the best prices I've seen in my area. $5.99 for chicken breasts isn't high at all around here, but then again I always have a hard time finding organic meat. We don't eat a ton of meat, but the organic ground beef from Costco is the best I've tasted. I think you get 3 pounds for $9.99.

3lbs of organic ground beef for $10 is a great deal! I didn't look at the beef section but I will have to check it out soon. I usually buy 90/10 or 93/7 ground beef but I'm assuming the organic Costco beef is probably 80/20, but even then that is a great deal.

Hubby & I are doing the Insanity workout program right now and following the nutrition guide and are consuming quite a bit of meat (at least it seems like it) so we may have to wait until we finish the program to do organic poultry.

 

[Svhadden]

I also pay about $6/lb for boneless, skinless breasts, which is just about the only meat we eat. Turkey, sometimes. I'll only buy meat that's KNOW is free of hormones, steroids, antibx, is raised and slaughtered humanely, and is fed its natural diet. There are only two markets in our area that even sell meat that we'll buy, so I'll pay whatever I have to to get it, or we don't eat meat .

 

[TheRatPack]

We have a local farmer that sells grass fed beef and her prices are pretty much what has been quoted here, maybe a bit less (there is the whole cow price and then the package price so it varies).

I wish we could find a good chicken/turkey provider though.....we eat a lot more chicken and turkey. I wonder what 'whole' foods grocers sell this kind of meat?

We have quite a few newer stores in the area and I've not really ventured through the meat department.

 

[Happiest mommy]

BJ'S sells great low cost organic chicken its the only place we find it cheap

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I also pay about $6/lb for boneless, skinless breasts, which is just about the only meat we eat. Turkey, sometimes. I'll only buy meat that's KNOW is free of hormones, steroids, antibx, is raised and slaughtered humanely, and is fed its natural diet. There are only two markets in our area that even sell meat that we'll buy, so I'll pay whatever I have to to get it, or we don't eat meat .

Note that hormone use is illegal in poultry and pork production in the US, so all poultry you buy here should be hormone free.

 

[Lisa0620]

Do you have a trader joe's? We don't, but I try to stock up on things whenever we're visiting my sister a couple of hours away. Last time they had the applegate brand organic hot dogs for $2 less PER PACK than my grocery store! I don't remember how much the chix breasts were, however. I buy the whole chix, breasts and thighs from Costco. Smart Chicken is $7.99/lb at my grocery store, so 5.99 seems good to me!

 

[lucyem]

I do not have meat in the house unless it was grass fed/humanely raised, preferably local. The cost can be high but we offset it by eating less meat. Plus the meat is so much tastier.

We found the best prices for beef was buying part of a cow in the fall. Pasture fed 2 miles away. We have raised our own meat chickens as well.

Buying whole organic chickens is also cheaper then boneless breasts. There are youtube videos showing how to cut it up. A little work can save you a bunch.

 

[HappyArtist]

I've recently been trying to make the switch over also, especially to stay away from GMO food, including the meat where these animals were fed GMO corn feed. It is expensive but also are finding we are eating a lot less meat.

My Meijers has their own organic line that is reasonably priced and I am always looking for products at Big Lots and Tuesday Mornings. I recently bought organic sugar packets for $2.50 for 100. Plus really good organic vanilla chai tea for $2.

For meat, my city has a co oop where I can get meat, but it's not cheap.

There is a new Whole Foods opening up in a few month, but I hear they are expensive too.

I'm also growing a small garden using organic seeds.

 

[Karenj2]

You could look at http://www.localharvest.org/ and do a search for free range chicken. I found a local place near me, and it's where I get my turkey for Christmas... (I've also looked for grass fed beef)