Is Organic Food Worth the Higher Price Tag?
You may think, “I’m making a healthy choice for myself and my family,” as you load organic apples into your grocery cart. But when you notice the increased price compared to nonorganic, you may also wonder, “Is organic food worth it?”
Other questions follow shortly afterward — what does that “organic” really mean? Are we actually buying more sustainable and better-grown produce? Or are we paying more for what amounts to roughly the same product?
We’ll get into all of that, but whether or not it’s worth it to you is subjective. We’ll take a look at how the organic designation is determined and how much money you could save buying standard produce. Plus, if you’re really wedded to organic, how you can fit it into your budget.
Is Organic Food Worth It? What the Label Means
The U.S. Department of Agriculture determines whether or not a food is considered organic. Organic products have to meet certain requirements to get the USDA organic label, per the organization’s website.
In general, in order to be considered organic, a product must, “be produced using agricultural production practices that foster resource cycling, promote ecological balance, maintain and improve soil and water quality, minimize the use of synthetic materials and conserve biodiversity.”
These are not the only stipulations. Also, the certification must be managed by a USDA NOP-authorized certifying agent, an organization that is responsible for actually signing off on the certification. Certain methods, like genetic modifiers, are “not considered compatible with organic production,” according to a USDA memo, as are certain nonsynthetic substances.
Make Quick Money to Help Pay for Organic Food
Is organic food worth it? Only you can really answer that, but we understand if it’s important to you to buy organic. That doesn’t make the price tag sting any less. Here are some of our favorite ways to make quick money that could help with a painful grocery bill.
| Offer | What You Can Earn | What You Have to Do | Take Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| InboxDollars | $225/month | Complete short surveys | |
| FreeCash | $1,000/month | Simple online tasks | |
| GoBranded | Up to $140/month | Share your honest opinion | |
| Kashkick | $1,000/month | Try out apps | |
| Solitaire Cash | Up to $83 per win | Compete against other players | |
| Bingo Cash | Up to $83 per win | Compete against other players |
Breaking Down the Labels
Still, not all organic labels are created equally. The USDA has four different types — 100% organic, organic, made with organic ___, and specific organic ingredient listings. To break it down, the former is the highest form of being organic, used for any product that “contains 100% organic ingredients.” The USDA notes that, “most raw, unprocessed or minimally processed farm crops” can be labeled in this category. The mere ‘organic’ label, on the other hand, is used for any product that has a minimum of “95% organic ingredients.” ‘Made with organic’ must have “at least 70% organically produced ingredients.” Specific ingredient listings show individual ingredients that are considered organic.
To put some of this in layman’s terms, the USDA has a helpful graphic that explains what organic really means based on category. If you’re buying produce and grains, organic generally means producers used natural fertilizers, eco-friendly pest control and, in some way, protected soil and water. For meat, dairy and eggs, the animals will have roamed freely outdoors and no growth hormones or antibiotics were used.
It’s important to note the USDA organic label is the “only government-backed marketing claim for organic food sold in the United States.” So, if you see something else, there’s a chance it’s not legitimate.
How Big is the U.S. Organic Market?
If you’re looking to buy organic, you’re certainly not the only one. An Organic Trade Association study, cited by USDA, noted that more than 80% of U.S. households bought organic food in 2016. U.S. sales of organic food products nearly doubled between 2010 and 2021, per data from the Nutrition Business Journal.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the bulk of organic food people purchase is produce, at about 40%, according to 2021 data. Dairy and eggs make up the second-largest percentage. And while organic food may have a reputation as something that’s straight off the farm, 88% of sales took place at conventional and natural food supermarkets and chains, according to the Organic Trade Association.
Still, inflation caused concerned consumers to cut back on buying organic products — 21% said they purchased gourmet or organic food less often in the spring of 2023, according to Statista data.
How to Decide What Organic Food You Should or Should Not Buy
Let’s start with some basic facts. How good is organic food for you? While it’s difficult to really differentiate between eating organic and nonorganic over a long period of time, data indicates there may be health benefits.
Research shows people who eat high amounts of organic food seem to have the fewest cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to the Mayo Clinic. It does also say people who tend to buy organic also tend to live more generally healthy lifestyles. That makes it hard to say whether or not the organic food plays a direct role. Eating food without pesticides is also recommended for pregnant people, as pesticides could lead to complications for the fetus.
Mayo Clinic also says the organic label doesn’t necessarily mean the food has more nutrients, and both kinds of food adhere to the same set of safety standards. Eating organic food does, however, limit your contact with pesticides. If that’s important to you but you can’t afford to go fully organic, consult the Environmental Working Group’s list of foods with the lowest and highest amounts of pesticides.
The 2025 edition says items like pineapple, avocados and onions have the lowest amount of pesticides. So these foods don’t necessarily need to be labeled organic to be low in pesticides. Foods with a higher amount of pesticides include potatoes, blueberries, spinach and kale. So if you’re concerned about pesticides, those foods may be where you should focus your organic efforts.
How to Save on Organic Food
First of all, it’s important to answer a common question. Is organic food really more expensive than nonorganic? The response is, unfortunately, yes, based on the available data.
An April 2025 study by online lending marketplace LendingTree showed organic produce costs 53% more than the standard. This is consistent with earlier data from University of California, Davis, which found organic food costs about 50% more than “conventionally-produced counterparts.”
A chart from USDA breaks down the price premium for spinach, apples and strawberries, looking at its shift from 2015 to 2023. For spinach, the price premium for organic was at roughly 170% in 2015 only to dip to 20% in 2023. Apples and strawberries, on the other hand, stayed more consistent, halving from roughly 85% to 40% in the same period for apples and 65% to 30% for strawberries. In every case, the organic produce was still more expensive than the conventional produce.
Still, if you’re committed to organic, there are ways to save money on the food you need to stock your home. Here are some tips.
1. Buy in-season food
If you’re willing to experiment with the foods you eat and don’t need to stock up on the same produce every week, then you may be willing to lean on in-season food. Produce purchased at the time of year in which it is grown is generally cheaper for a variety of reasons, including the reduced effort required to yield product. Foodwise has a helpful seasonal food chart that allows you to select types of food that are in season by month.
2. Join a CSA
If you want to really get involved in your produce, consider joining a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture groups. An annual membership fee usually gives you access to a certain number of fruits and vegetables each week direct from local farmers. You can expect to spend around $400 to $700 a year, per the N.C. State Cooperative Extension. The USDA’s Local Food Directories can also help you find CSA programs near you.
3. Buy frozen organic foods
Buying frozen organic vegetables may allow you to save some money and still get access to better-quality produce. The price difference between frozen organic and standard produce versus regular organic and standard produce is often lower.
4. Buy in bulk
If you have a Costco membership, then you probably know buying food in bulk is often a way to save money on the good stuff. The same goes for organic products. You can even try specialty sites like Food in Bulk, which allow you to search for the specific items you want and find available discounts.
5. Start a garden
If you want to really get access to organic produce at a cheaper price, you could invest some initial costs to get a bigger haul in the long run. What we mean is: have you considered starting a garden in your backyard? If you have any green space or share some communal outdoor area with neighbors, starting a vegetable garden is very much possible for you.
6. See if you qualify for additional public assistance
Do you qualify for any kind of public food assistance, like SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or EBT, the electronic payment system for these benefits? If you do, then you may be able to get Double Up Food Bucks — double the amount of economic power — when you spend your SNAP benefits on fruits and vegetables.
Writer Elizabeth Djinis is a contributor to The Penny Hoarder, often writing about selling goods online through social platforms. Her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Smithsonian Magazine and the Tampa Bay Times.
