We talked a couple of weeks ago about the “Dirty Dozen,” a list of fruits and vegetables that you should only buy organic; and last week, we went over the “Clean Fifteen,” those fruits and veggies that are generally low in pesticides even if they’re not grown organically. Unfortunately, those two lists aren’t the end-all-and-be-all of safe/unsafe foods. We’ve done a little more research for you, and there’s more. So, without further ado, we give you the “Wait! Is That Organic?” list of foods to think about.
Baby Food: Children are especially vulnerable to pesticides, so think about buying organic baby food whenever possible. Think about the sensitivity of a young child’s stomach, the rate at which their bodies and their brains grow and then decide how much risk you’re willing to take with baby food that is potentially high in pesticides.
Peanut Butter: Have you given much thought to your peanut butter before, or have you, like most people, just grabbed your old faithful and spent the rest of your shopping time thinking about organic produce? Well, now it’s time to consider your peanut butter. Non-organic peanut butters are high in pesticides and fungus, and they also contain aflatoxin, a potential carcinogen. Peanut butter and jelly are staples of childhood, so go back to the argument for organic baby food and add “peanut butter” to the paragraph.
Milk: A lot of you are already reaching for the organic moo juice, but if you’re not, give this some thought: Conventional dairy cows are routinely given hormones, antibiotics and grain that is full of pesticides, and all of those things eventually are poured into your child’s morning sippy cup of milk (and your coffee!). And if your child is drinking whole milk (which many young children do), know this: The higher the fat level, the higher the pesticide level.
Meat: So goes the milk, so goes the meat. Animal feed, as we said above, often contains pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones; it’s just common sense that these things can also end up in the meat one eats. It’s also probable that the use of antibiotics in food production is helping to foster drug-resistant bacteria, and no one wants that. Just say no to meat that is not raised organically.
Eggs: Pesticide residue, antibiotics and growth hormones are passed from chickens to eggs, so those eggs you’re using to cook, bake and otherwise feed your family, are spreading their negative qualities throughout your diet. Organic eggs are produced by chickens that are not given antibiotics or growth hormones, and that are fed only organic feed.
Shopping for food these days can be time consuming and confusing. Is this organic? What’s the English translation of this 20-letter word in this list of ingredients? Why did my apples triple in price with the word “organic”? There are so many things to think about and prices just keep rising in the grocery store. It’s not always easy to know which foods are safe to eat without the “organic” label, which foods you should always buy only in organic varieties, and/or which foods have a sort of self-protection from harmful chemicals. We hope these last few blogs have given you a start, a place to jump from when you think about what to put in your cart this week. Eating organic foods grown locally is important to Brown Bag and we hope you’ll join us in supporting local farmers, especially local organic farmers, by searching them out and bringing the best and cleanest food to your table.
