What is clean eating worth to you? Think about that question and then take it a step further and think about where your food comes from. Is your food source clean? Next time you're at the market on a Saturday, observe the produce section.
I am an indoor smart-gardener. My produce pantry is alive. Garden-to table eating happens everyday in my household. Here's the monetary costs of a few items I grow in my gardens.
My gardens paid themselves within the first year. I now spend about a dollar per plant (depending on the life-span of the plant.)
$1 for a bunch of lettuce (any variety I choose)
$1 for a sweet bell pepper plant. Yields 8-10 peppers depending on variety. Love the Purple Sparkler variety in the picture above!
$1 for months of orange mint. Tea anyone?
Total: $3.00
Here are the average market prices (varies):
$2.99 – bunch lettuce
$1.99 – 1 red bell pepper
$3.49 – 1 bunch of mint (this is regular mint. I could not find orange mint)
Total: $8.47
Note that I'm not including resource expenses for either totals. Both methods require a little time and effort. I'll let you weigh the remaining costs (health, convenience, etc.) on your own. Based on price alone, the winner is clear.
Everyone can be a gardener. This includes brown-thumbed urbanites. No need for outdoor space, or even dirt. The evolution of modern gardening is inclusive. Smart-garden hydroponics delivers affordable clean-produce during every season.