Making Smart Organic Food Choices
| By Christina Morgan | Category: Inspiration and Wellness
Is organic produce a waste of money?
Many people are making the switch to organic foods…but with practically everything now labeled as organic and coming with a higher price tag, is it just a fad that’s going to break the average consumer’s bank? Revive Your Life spoke with Katie Cavuto (MS, RD), a registered dietitian and personal chef based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By investigating some of the health studies which support the harmful effects of non-organic foods, as well as heeding her advice, readers can gauge the best strategy for their own lifestyle and budget and begin making healthier choices when it comes to organic products.
Many individuals in the United States want to improve their food choices to support their health, but are limited by finances. The price of many organic foods in the shopping aisles is drastically higher than their counterparts. Cavuto explains, however, “Organic food doesn’t have to be expensive. There are alternatives to the high-end grocery stores. Find out how you can support your local growers by joining co-ops, buying clubs and attending farmers markets. Check out www.farmtocity.org for more information.”
If these options aren’t available where you live, spend wisely by purchasing only certain types of produce organically. If you are on a budget and can’t stock your entire grocery cart with items with an organic stamp of approval, focus on purchasing those items in the list below. A non-profit organization located in Washington DC, the Environmental Working Group, released a list containing the twelve worst foods in the non-organic supply – those which contain the highest level of pesticide residues. They developed their list from analyzing approximately 43,000 tests conducted by the Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2004. The following list contains what is known as The Dirty Dozen – foods that you should buy organic to safeguard your health.
- Peaches
- Apples
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Pears
- Imported Grapes
- Spinach
- Potatoes
- Lettuce
The average person can lower their pesticide intake by 90% by avoiding the non-organic version of the items in this list. It’s true that non-organic produce can be washed with soap, but this will not eliminate all of the pesticides that are present on the food items. Typically, each of these foods above, when eaten in non-organic form, contain two to three pesticides. Cavuto also adds “when buying fruits and vegetables, conventional produce is OK if there is a thick skin (citrus, bananas, mango, etc.) that you do not eat. Organic fruits and veggies can be eaten with the skin on, however, which provides extra vitamins, minerals, and fiber.”
Why is it important to avoid these foods when they are non-organic? Here are just some of the health issues that have been linked to pesticide intake: various cancers, including leukemia, brain cancer, kidney cancer, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, neurological problems, child cognitive development, low birth weight and birth defects, and disruption of hormone functions. Many researchers also believe that there are side effects of pesticides that we do not yet know about.
Aside from health issues, Cavuto also points out, “If you are going ‘green’, eating organic has less of an impact on the environment.” This is an issue that is becoming more important to consumers in society today.
Other food items that should be on a consumer’s watch list when making healthy choices include milk, meat and poultry. Often, the animals providing these products are given hormones and antibiotics. Pesticides can also be used in producing the grain fed to animals providing meat and milk products. Cavuto adds, “I always recommend organic milk and dairy to my clients as a dietician.” Fair Trade Organic Certified coffee is another great choice, because by choosing it, a consumer is supporting fair treatment of the workers involved in the production of the coffee.
What other health tips should we follow when making healthier choices in the supermarket and in cooking? “Make your plate as colorful as possible so you know you are eating a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants,” suggests Cavuto. “An example might be buying yellow, red and orange peppers along with the green.” She also adds, “When buying packaged foods…like crackers and cereals, I always say that if you can’t read the ingredient list (and you can’t pronounce the words), put it back and do not buy it!”
The Environmental Working Group provides a free, comprehensive guide to pesticides in food, and can be found at www.foodnews.org. Learning as much as possible about what you are putting into your body has the potential to improve your health and help ward off more serious disease.
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Thanks for the article. I found it really informative. I have been trying to buy more organic produce for my family whenever I can. The problem is that my grocery budget doesn’t always allow for it because the prices are usually so much higher. I’ve noticed lately that the prices are coming down a little bit. I can often find organic apples on sale for $1.00/lb now. I’m hoping some of the other items will follow suit!
Hi Rebecca,
Unfortunately, the cost is usually the main deterent when it comes to buying organic produce. I’ve found that joining a local organic farm co-op makes the produce more affordable, but these may be hard to find depending on where you live. Focus on buying the “Dirty Dozen” organically and you will have gone a long way in providing healthy produce for your family!
I’m glad you enjoyed the article.
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Organic vs Non-Organic Food
Over the past two decades the world has become increasingly health and environmentally conscious. The world of social activism is no longer confined to protest marches and leaflet campaigns. Today, consumers realize that they have the power to evoke change by voting with the most important tool at their disposal, their wallets. Today, it is a well known fact that if you want a cleaner environment and healthier food you should choose organic products.
What makes food organic? In strictly scientific terms, organic substances contain carbon, the building block of life. By this definition, everything that we eat is technically organic. However, agricultural parlance has changed the definition of organic when it relates to food and other consumables. Inorganic food encompasses everything that organic food is not.
Organic food must be free from all synthetic chemicals.
This starts at the ground level when a farmer prepares his field. He cannot use any petroleum-based fertilizer or chemically altered material in his soil. Manure and compost are acceptable natural products; Miracle Gro is not.
Chemicals are also not allowed for pest or disease control. A farmer can treat his crops with insecticidal soap or neem oil, but cannot use store-bought sprays unless they are certified organic.
Organic food cannot be genetically altered in any way.
Traditionally, changes to plants and livestock were accomplished through selective breeding techniques and hand pollination. These techniques are still certified organic.
Genetically modified food, or GM food, has been tampered with at the genetic level. Sometimes varieties of plants have been cross-bred to create hardier or tastier strains. GM seeds can be drought resistant or have higher yields. Purists feel GM technology tampers with the work of Mother Nature and is therefore inorganic.
Organic food cannot come in contact with inorganic food.
In order to ensure that pesticides or other chemical treatments don’t rub off on organic produce, it must be packaged and shipped separately from conventionally farmed food.
Proponents of organic food say that the products are healthier than conventional produce. Fewer chemicals mean fewer carcinogens. They also say that the food just tastes better. At the same time, organic soil may still produce run-off, but it isn’t toxic run-off that will permanently damage the water table. Animals that are fed exclusively on organic products, such as free-range chickens or grass-fed beef are generally believed to be treated more humanely, though this isn’t always the case.
Summary:
1. Organic and inorganic foods are differentiated by their farming processes, not their chemical makeup.
2. Organic food is chemical free, GM free, and free from contact with inorganic food while inorganic food is anything that doesn’t meet those strict guidelines.
3. Many consumers believe that organic food is healthier, tastes better, and is better for the environment than inorganic food.
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Unfortunately, the cost is usually the main deterent when it comes to buying organic produce. I’ve found that joining a local organic farm co-op makes the produce more affordable, but these may be hard to find depending on where you live. Focus on buying the “Dirty Dozen” organically and you will have gone a long way in providing healthy produce for your family!
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It is a smart and highly responsible approach to make sure you follow the right nutritive diet, especially when you decide to get pregnant. The entire development and health of your unborn relies on your own health and how you manage to preserve it. Even before I had my first born, I went to a specialist to ask for advice upon what diet should I follow during pregnancy and I even asked him for a recommendation upon the best baby formulas available on the market.