Can I eat organic on a student budget? | Lucy Siegle

Prioritise low pesticide residue vegetables and broaden your definition of ethical food to include social justice

I'm glad we've raised our collective aspirations when it comes to student food, recognising that the Pot Noodle is not necessarily the greatest thing since sliced bread. Still, not everyone's parents can have a weekly organic veg box delivered to their kid's student home (it does happen, apparently).

But budget organic shopping is possible if you prioritise. Slowly turn over store-cupboard staples like cans of beans to organic (frugality is easier if you can cook). Not eating meat helps with cost. But seasoned organic budget shoppers prioritise perishables with low "plate pesticide" counts. Check out the Pesticide Action Network - it has identified food with high pesticide residues. Substitute the worst offenders for organic.