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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Do You Eat Organic?

I was reading my "Glamour" magazine yesterday and there was an interesting food experiment in it where one writer could only eat things she saw advertised on t.v. for a week.  She chronicled her lethargy, changed behaviors, mood swings, etc.  Apparently, we consume far too much sodium and sugar daily and our bodies adjust to this and increasingly crave more and more to achieve the same initial baseline "high."  I guess I've heard this before.  Really, I know I consume way too much sugar in a day.  I mean really, how do you escape it?  It's in everything!

Now, this writer, generally, eats mainly organic so the week was extra challenging for her.  To this I say, "Good for you!"  But, I also say, "How?!"  I genuinely would LOVE to eat all organic, all the time.  It's true; I love Whole Foods.  I love farmer's markets.  I love healthy.  I love no chemicals, no processing.  I love supporting local farmers, bakers, etc.  However, unfortunately, it is just not realistic for me to eat all organic.  It's so expensive! 

Todd and I decided to do one week at Whole Foods instead of the regular grocery store before he left.  We spent as much, if not more, for probably 1/3 of the amount we'd normally buy.  We also frequented the farmer's market many weekends this summer.  The cherries were delicious.  They were also at least 3 times as expensive (close to 5 times more expensive when cherries were on sale at the grocery store) the same can be said for some of our other favorites, locally baked bread and sweet corn.

I know the health benefits can be huge.  I'd love to raise Kaia on organic.  I literally cannot afford it though.

Do you eat organic?  If you do, is it everything on your shopping list?  Or just certain items?  And how do you do it?  Are you rich?  Do you have tips for the average woman on how to shop organic affordably?

P.S.  Thank you to everyone's support and sweet comments.  We got to talk to Todd today and he's safe!  Shew!

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13 comments:

Ro said...

The BABY Eats mostly organic- we dont. She is one- her milk and her pre-packaged foods are all earth best organic or self made from organic fruits/ veggies. She is now at the stage where she wants to eat whatever we are eating- which means those day will be coming to an end soon unfortunately- like you said- cant afford it.

We were in whole food yesterday and I picked up gluten free organic pasta- 4 boxes $12!

Its unrealistic for us... but we try--especially with her milk.

1st time visitor! Loving it!

Ro

Mandi Miller said...

Yes I eat organic and no I am definitely not rich! :)

I coupon. It can be a pain but it's the only way I can afford the better foods for my family. There are a few organic coupons out there... you can find most of them through the blog The Thrifty Momma. But I use coupons for things that we buy other than food to help offset the cost a little. Like toilet paper, paper towels, zip lock bags, lunch meats, etc... A lot of what I make is organic but I can't say that ALL I ever eat is organic either. Coffee cream, butter, most of the yogurt we buy and a few snacks aren't always organic and I can usually buy these items for pennies with coupons. BUT... I normally try to COOK with organic foods. I'd say our normal consumption is like 75% organic - 25% non organic.

It is so crazy that the processed junk is what's cheapest. Frustrates me to no end!

TheBabyMammaChronicles said...

That's awesome Mandi, thanks for the tips! I'll have to look into both.

Ro, good for you! Maybe when Kaia starts eating solids I can at least do it for her if nothing else, and the milk will definitely be worth it I'm sure when we get to that stage.

Kat said...

My big thing is organic/grass fed/antibiotic-free meat. I guess I just feel that's where it makes the biggest difference in terms of flavor/safety/nutrient make-up?

I WISH we could afford to shop at Whole Foods all the time, though in the summer, we basically subsist off of the farm stand :)

Alex said...

I'm with 100% on this one!. I wish I could afford Organic food , its just too expensive. Glad to hear you got to speak to your husband.:)

Unknown said...

I agree, I would love to eat organic all the time but it's just not feasible. But then I think about all this news about what might be causing cancer or adhd or even autism and it's so scary. And what's more expensive..organic food or health care costs? Also "organic" isn't regulated by the FDA enough. I could slap some organic on Bliss's diaper bombs and technically it is! So it's a balance. Some veggies are better to buy organic then others. So I try and balance it out.

The Bonjour Four said...

that is a good question..I ask the same all the time! I hate that organic stuff is so expensive! :( i might have to check into couponing because we definitely need to be eating a lot more healthy around here.

The Bonjour Four said...

oh, and im glad you got to talk to your hubby!

mdforkids said...

Glad you talked to your husband today and so glad he is safe :)

I buy some organic when I can. Mainly fruits and raw vegetables. I pick and choose.

Anne said...

No, we don't eat all organic. I'm with you on the expense. It's just way too expensive. I do buy Rbst free milk and try to buy organic, free range meat (but this gets pricey, too). We usually only eat wild-caught fish. Trader Joes has a greta selection of reasonably priced organic products - that's where I do the bulk of my shopping.

Anonymous said...

it is SO hard. We have a whole foods near us and when we go, I always spend twice as much. Especially if you're buying meat. Right now B.B. is pretty much all organic....because he only eats fruits and veggies. That won't last though. I think the best we can do is try to be a chemical free as possible!

Luciana Silva said...

I eat, and they much more delicious !!!!

TheBabyMammaChronicles said...

Ladies, thanks for the feedback.

Kat, that's probably true, organic meat's probably a big one for sure! I luck out on that because I'm a vegetarian but my hubby and possibly eventually baby could do with some organic there.

Alex, thank you! You're so sweet.

Anastasia, yeah, I know I wish that the FDA had more control over the "organic" label. Hopefully in the future?

Libby, thank you! And I know I need to work on the couponing. I'm very impressed with those highly organized women who save tons through there organization and patience.

Melissa, oh, maybe I should write a question into your blog! See what you think, as a Doc, what is the most important to eat organic and what doesn't matter as much.

Anne, Trader Joe's seems like such a neat store! My cousin does a lot of shopping there but we don't have one here :(

Mamabear, that is the key I guess, isn't it? Do the best you can with what you have.

Luciana, that's great! What's your favorite organic food(s)?

 
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