Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Conventional versus Organic Produce: Why We Made the Switch


Making sure good food goes in this little tummy is a priority in our house!

I've often had friends ask me why I spend that extra $$ in the market for something labeled "organic" and what exactly that means. It’s been on my mind to write a post on the topic of conventional foods versus organic but where to begin?

The problem with conventionally grown food is that it is sprayed with pesticides, the fertilizer is treated with harsh dangerous chemicals and all this stuff is soaked up by the fruits and vegetables and absorbed into your body when you eat it.

Ever since the Green Revolution of the 1960's the chemicals used to fight pests have had to change and are only getting stronger. Some people are obviously starting to wonder if there is a correlation between health problems and these chemicals and as of now there have been links to the pesticides used in conventional produce causing cancer, diabetes and heart problems. Uh, yuck.

I’ve mentioned the Dirty 12 list before here and recommend everyone check that out to get an idea of what foods you should try to buy organic and which ones are low enough in pesticides that you can get by with purchasing conventional.

Another way to get your organic produce cheaper is through farmer's markets and co-ops. Many of the farmers that sell their goods their don’t use pesticides but they can’t afford the USDA’s organic label. As I've explained before, you really know where your food is coming from by getting to talk to the farmers directly.


2 comments:

  1. Hello. I'm also trying to be organic but with a husband and two kids it's sometimes difficult and expensive. Lovely bakings you have here. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh I certainly agree! That's why it is important to just do what you can and know that even the smallest change is better than nothing. I don't buy everything organic, it's simply not practical when you are living on a budget.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it immensely!