If you can be allergic to a chemical, you can be allergic to the pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and other treatments that we put on our food. Virtually any substance - but particularly those that contain proteins - can be allergens. For those who are already prone to allergies, this can be a real worry.

We are becoming more and more aware that organic foods are safer for us and our children. While much of the current food research points out that both conventionally grown food and organically grown food have the same vitamin and mineral profiles, recent studies prove that organic produce has much more antioxidants than conventional, while also being free of the harmful residues of pesticides. The health benefits of antioxidants are many, and we may be denying ourselves if we only eat conventionally grown food.

However, not all of us can afford to eat organic - especially in an economic downturn. While I have often seen selected organic produce on sale at my local supermarket for the exact same price as the conventionally grown, in most cases you are looking at a 20-100% premium to buy food grown without chemicals. The difference in packaged foods can be even higher.

How can you reduce your allergic family’s exposure to harmful chemicals, while also living within a budget? There are a number of tricks that can help you to include higher-quality produce in your diet.

1. Start by replacing just those foods that have the highest rates of pesticide. The top 5 offenders are peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery and strawberries. If you replace just these items in your shopping with their organic alternatives, you reduce your family’s pesticide intake without breaking the bank.
2. Can your budget handle more? Check out the most recent research by Environmental Working Group on pesticide residues in fresh produce. Avoid the top 30 items or so on the list - and replace with organic. The ten items with the lowest pesticide loads include cabbage, bananas, kiwi, asparagus, frozen green peas, mango, pineapple, frozen sweet corn, avocado and onions. Continue to buy these items conventionally grown and know that you are still eating more healthy.
3. Look for coupons! Coupon clipping used to be a high art, employed by almost every family. It has fallen out of favour in recent years, as family life became more and more busy. However, coupons can be well worth your efforts - and can bring the price of food items down into a range that works with your budget. Some sites now provide online coupons that save you time and effort. Check out OrganicCoupons or HealthyShopper. Another tip, courtesy of Grocery Coupon Guide is to go directly to the websites of companies that produce the organic food product you want. Many companies now post their own coupons online.