Buying organic (or not)

Despite the fact that we absolutely prefer and always try to buy organic…I really want to get one thing straight here. Just because something is organic does not automatically mean it is healthy and that you should eat it! There are still highly processed foods out there that just happen to be made with organic ingredients. Here are some examples:

• Organic ice cream sandwiches (the one pictured contains organic corn syrup and organic sugar in addition to white flour)
• Organic flavored yogurt (also full of organic sugar)
• Organic cookies
• Organic crackers made with white flour
• Organic chips and pretzels
• Organic white bread

Thinking about something being organic vs. highly processed is like comparing apples to oranges. It is important to first ensure an item is not highly processed and then also try to find the organic version if possible. So now that we have covered the pre-made stuff you might buy, here is some more food for thought…

Although buying organic produce from the grocery store does mean it was not treated with synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, it doesn’t mean that it has traveled any less far (and lost any less nutrients during the traveling process) than its conventional counterpart. Don’t forget that whether it is conventional or organic, the produce from the supermarket travels on average 1500 miles from the farm to your plate. According to Michael Pollan, the best alternative is to buy produce from the farmer’s market whenever possible. A lot of smaller farms aren’t able to go through the paperwork, trouble, or cost of becoming certified organic even though they most often follow an all-natural process. The nice thing about the farmer’s market is that you can just ask the farmer yourself how they treat their plants or animals before buying anything!

Just in case you aren’t convinced that you should spend the extra dough on organic (or natural) produce and meats then take a peak at this Fox News article about a recent Columbia University study. They claim that “pesticides can cause a number of health problems including, cancer, birth defects, and nerve damage…[and in children an] elevated risk of having ADHD.” If this isn’t enough reason to make a change then I don’t know what is… http://health.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/06/16/another-reason-to-buy-organic/