I was heartened to see the results of a survey of people who buy organic and natural foods - they’re hooked! Even in this tough economy, about 80 percent of the 1,000+ respondents said they weren’t dropping natural and organic foods from their shopping lists despite their needs to cut back on spending. Good for them!
Although organic and natural products can cost a little more than non-organic foods, you might actually get more than you’re paying for when you buy organic. In 2008 I celebrated my 3-year anniversary of eating only organic food (read The New York Times article here). Although eating 100 percent organic is sometimes challenging (ever try to find an organic choice at a convenience store when you’re hungry and pressed for time?), I’ve never felt better.
Choosing organic food can dramatically decrease your family’s exposure to dangerous pesticides. But your choices also reduce the negative effects of antibiotics, synthetic hormones and chemical fertilizers. Together we can work toward a cleaner, healthier planet for our children by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the rate of depletion of non-renewable resources, cutting down on toxic chemicals in our environment and stopping the uncontrolled spread of genetically modified organisms.
If you’re not already hooked on organics, I’ve put together a list to get you started. My Organic RX gives you the top 10 (with one bonus!) best organic choices. My list will help you take baby steps into a more organic lifestyle.
Already buying organic? Click here for 5 ways to buy organic on a budget…
| July 14th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
I keep in mind the top 10 important organic foods to select when choosing foods. Those are my “required” purchases. I use discretion on the other items, and I also frequent the farmers market weekly to find local, fresh, organic foods that helps support my community farms.
Sometimes, organic is .10 more and you have to ask yourself different questions. Some days it’s “I am choosing to support my local farmer instead of big agri-business”, “is my child health work the extra .10 cents in nutrition he will get from food grown from healthy soil” and sometimes, there is not need to question myself at all. I just do it.
Now, organic eggs, they are a different story! To be certified organic, they must meet organic “standards” including that a percentage of food consumed includes organic food. I know of a farmer who was not able to get his eggs “certified organic” because he let them free range, eating bugs and grass, and weeds, and all the other stuff, and since that was the main food source, only to be supplemented with feed (like oyster shell, for calcium sources) because it was “organic” he was not able to be certified.
Let’s think about the dynamics: I would much rather have a chicken who is freesourcing it’s food in a healthy farm environment than to be fed “organic” cornmeal, a food that is not typically in it’s diet, but certifiable because it’s sold commercially as a cheap food source.
Going to the grocery store today involves more thought provoking choices than ever before. Enjoy the process.
| September 9th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Honestly, I think I owe my current diet to convert into organic. In addition to the organic fruits and veggies, I also feed my family organic dairy. My grocery is a bit higher with the organic foods but it is well worth it. Organic foods help me & my family to feel better. There are plenty of advantages of organic foods, although eating organic won’t automatically make you healthier in it. One of the huge advantages of organic foods is that they haven’t been doused in pesticides. Once you’ve started making the change, you’ll soon appreciate the many advantages of eating organic foods.
Making organic food for babies is an especially good idea. A baby’s weight triples in the first year of life. It’s vital that baby’s developing organs, which can’t yet cope with chemical residues in food, are nourished with the best possible food, free from additives and pesticide residues.