Beginning to Eat Organic

J.,
I have an 11 month old that we have tired to use as much organic food as possible. When he was eating solids we did a lot of shopping at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods but recently Shop and Save started carrying their own brand of organic. The brand name is Wild Harvest. Most items don't cost much more than the items that are not organic which really helps when you are shopping on a budget. We have been really pleased with the quality of things and the selection. There is also a new Whole Foods off at 141 and Clayton. Good luck.

Shopping organic on a budget is tough, but it can be done. First, talk to anyone you know with a garden or apple tree. We get so many apples and zucchini from people at my husband's work. Also, Aldi's now carries a wide variety of organic food including milk at about half the cost of grocery stores. My last tip would be to decide which organic food items you feel stronly about and purchase those first. It is hard and expensive to buy organic, and I just can't afford to buy everything organic. Milk is number one in my book. ALso HyVee carries a fairly good selection of organic produce, I buy apples in a bag and all the veggies I can for my daughter (1o months, I make her baby food). Good luck and you can always make the switch slowly.

My husband and I started researching/buying organic food last year after he was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 26. His sister gave me a book called "If It's Not Food, Don't Eat It" by Kelly Hayford, C.N.C. (she will even email you back if you have questions!) This book was a lifesaver and was really easy to read. It talks about everything you could ever want to know about organics, prices, even the politics behind it. (There is a chapter in there about cleansing diets, I didn't do that but the book is still so helpful even if you don't want to do that part). You could find it cheap on Amazon.com or at the library. I strongly recommend reading it. It will clear up any confusion and make it more manageable for you.

It was a bit overwhelming at first and my husband was opposed to it because he thought we were going to be eating really weird things. Once he realized that we ate mostly the same things, only home-made instead, he was fine with it. He now rarely eats anything that is unhealthy because he realizes how much better he feels now that we are healthy eaters. And, the best part is that we didn't even eat that badly before, but we still notice a difference in how we feel now that we have made some changes.

It takes a lot of time and attention at first. But, once you get to know the brands that you like, where to find them the cheapest, and some good recipes you like, it really becomes a way of life and is very little effort. Here are some tips to help:

-Read labels on everything. The more ingredients that you don't know what they are, the worse it probably is. Eventually, you won't have to read labels on things that you buy often that you know are safe. It gets easier.

-Be careful about vague labeling of ingredients. In non-certified organic items, like things that claim to be all-natural, can have vague labels such as "flavoring" or "natural flavor." This could be MSG, a harmful neurotoxin. They can get away with labeling things like that. Yesterday at the grocery store I saw some "all natural" laundry detergent in the regular detergent isle. Everything on the ingredient list seemed fine, but I called the phone # on the bottle to check to see if it contained Optical Brighteners, which are certain chemicals that make clothes look brighter, but stay on your skin and build up over time, becoming harmful. She checked and said that, yes, it does contain them even though it was not on the ingredient list, and it claimed it was all natural. Just be careful about paying more for items that claim things that are untrue.

-Whole, organic foods are best. The more processed it is, the worse it is for you. If you could find it in nature, it is a whole food. Ex, you could not find bread in nature, but you could find whole oats or whole grains. Whole grain bread is less processed than white bread.

-Get to know which stores have the cheapest items. It may mean going to a couple of different stores. Ex, I live in Columbia MO and I go to HyVee because they have the biggest organic selection, but Gerbes has cheaper organic peppers and strawberries.

-Pick up brochures, magazines, etc. that have coupons for organic items. Delicious Living Magazine is at most grocery stores in the organic section and they have a website. They have lots of coupons. Also, get to know what brands you like and then go to their websites to get coupons.

-You can pick and choose which items are most important for you to get organic. Here is a link to the organic dirty dozen. It shows which things you should always buy organic because they have the most chemical residue, and which have the least:
http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-214

-Learn how to make the most of what you buy. For ex, I buy Organic Smart Chicken. Costs more, but I buy the cheapest package I can find. Yes, you get less in the package, but I cut each chicken breast in halve for servings because the whole breast is way more than one serving anyway. So, you can then get 6 pieces of chicken out of one package instead of 3.

-Find recipes for things you can make at home instead of buying. I love making cheesy chicken pot pies and quiches that require pie shells. So, I found a good recipe for making pie shells instead and I know exactly what goes in it. LOTS cheaper too. You can substitute half of the flour with whole wheat flour to make things healthier in almost any recipe (even cookies). I love allrecipes.com because you can create an account and save recipes you like to your recipe box. Pretty much anything you can buy in a package, you can find a recipe to make a healthier version yourself--mac and cheese, beef stroganoff, granola bars, soup, etc.

-Take it one step at a time. Master one new concept before you integrate another. You can work on fruits and veggies first, then packaged items next, etc. There is so much info but don't let it overwhelm you. That's where that book can help too.

-Eventually, you may want to look at your bath/body products after you feel you have a good handle on the organic food. I never realized how much what you put on your skin is absorbed into your body and the things that are put into body products (formaldehyde, mineral oil-a petroleum by-product, sodium laurel/laureth sulfate-an irritant and used to clean garage floors, just to name a few). You could start with switching body lotion since it stays on your skin the longest. I strongly recommend Kiss My Face: Olive and Aloe lotion. I LOVE it! A bit more expensive though, but lasts a while. You can go to http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php?nothanks=1 to see which products have harmful ingredients in them.

Here is an article about a school that is serving healthier food to the students and the changes in behavior they have seen. Very interesting. So many kids that are diagnosed with autism, ADD/ADHD, etc are actually just sensitive to additives, artificial coloring, artificial flavoring, etc. Even if you have kids without any type of behavioral diagnosis, think about how much healthier they will be growing up without the build up of pesticides and chemicals in their bodies.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_14507.cfm

Here are two articles about getting kids to try new foods. I don't know how old your kids are, but getting them involved will be the biggest help in getting them to try new things. Let them go grocery shopping with you and they can help pick out the veggies, fruit, etc. Let them help prepare meals and choose one of the sides. They can wash the veggies, pour things, mix things, stir, etc. If they have a part in it, they are more likely to try it. Also, it can take up to 12 times of introducing something for a child to try something new, so even if they don't like something at first, make it again and keep trying.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030800.asp "Feeding Toddlers: 17 Tips for Pleasing the Picky Eater" It has good ideas for introducing new, healthy foods to toddlers.
and
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T040200.asp "ABC's of Teaching Nutrition to Kids" I thought this one was especially good because it teaches parents how to make learning about healthy food fun for kids. It talks about how to educate kids so that they make healthy choices on their own later on and so they know which kinds of food are healthy and why. The only thing I didn't agree with was that he suggested rewards, but everything else was pretty good advice. The article talks about referring to "grow" foods for kids.

Sorry this is so long, but I hope it helps. Please don't hesitate to send me a message if you have any questions. I can give you my email address if you want it.
Best wishes, and great job for wanting to help your family become healthier.
C. G

My husband and I just recently decided to go organic...it is the best decision we have made. Of course, it has some downfalls, mostly dealing with costs but the overall outcome has been terrific. We have a 9 month old daughter that has been nursed since birth and we have only introduced only organic foods. I make all of my own baby food and freeze it for future uses. It amazes me how well she eats and she is not very picky. My husband and I also see major differences in ourselves. We sleep better, we feel better and we find that things that we wanted before...we no longer crave. We started small and have gradually worked our way forward from there. May I suggest reading a book by Rubin Jordan. He has numerous health books out there but I have just recently finished the one titled "The Great Physician's Rx For Children's Health." The one titled "The Great Physician's Rx for Women's Health" is also great. Some ideas you may find a bit far fetched but you can take some of his ideas...remember you do not have to agree with everything you read or hear...and then apply what you wish. In addition, I would also scoop out your local Farmer's Markets and Health Food Stores. We are unfortunate that the closest Health Food Store is about 45 minutes away, so we only frequent there when we are in need of items we cannot find locally. I would also look into local co-ops. You can google seach co-ops in your area and it is surprising that there is usually one locally that you are not aware of. Once you become part of a co-op, you will begin to meet other individuals that share your same feelings about being organic. It will surprise you the networking that will begin to take place. Local farmers that raise organic and pesticide free cattle, free range chickens and eggs and even in some places raw milk will be available. It is all about doing your research, so ask a lot of questions and start reading as much as possible. Hope this helps and good luck.

Been there my dear. First, take it one day at a time. Try not to throw everyone into shock that all their favs are no longer available. As for the price. Check out if there are any local farmering communities in your area to purchase from directly....away from the somewhat pricier Farmer's markets. Plan some space for a garden of your own next Spring/Summer if possible. Then you KNOW what is and is not IN your food. As for beef, poultry, pork ie. ham,sausage, bacon... Again research local organic corn fed, hand fed, and range chickens/turkeys in your local area. Animals that have not been fed hormones or any kind of immunizations or harmful chemicals other than corn, and grain, and then those in abundance... Find a proper butcher, processing plant as well on line for local folks. You may have to be willing to travel an hour or so to achieve this, but it is worth it. Once you build a repor with folks, they will call you as soon as the fresh items are available also, or when they have runovers or extras. Become their "neighbor" persay, and you can reap the price savings. Bring them cookies and what not in return at Christmas and the sorts. Let's see, The stores are okay, but can indeed be pricey. WATCH the sales , stick with the stores that have the sales, and really plan your menus around that. Ie. asparagus is like 3.99 to 4.50 a bundle depending on the time of year in the store, but from a grower you can get it for half that,... if you buy more:O)
Sooo it is much more price efficient. Watch the quality though at the stores. They are not going to put the freshest things on sale, so that would not be the time to buy in bulk on the organics. Buy on sale , more often, and just what you are planning to eat that day or the next!
God bless you for the desire to bring your family up in the best healthy choices possible. Your bodies will thank you for it!

My family eats some things that are organic. I know some of the benefits is that your kids will not be pumped full of additives, hormones, etc. My daughter can only drink organic milk and in actuality, it tastes better. As for the fruits, veggies, bread, meat.....it all tastes better. Just know that you can't keep the fruits and veggies as long as you would the other fruit. THe fruit is really good. The cereal, I didn't care too much for that. It tasted more like cardboard to my family and myself. Hope that helps. Just watch your pennies and for their ads.

Fresh, whole, and organic foods can be addictive! ;-)

We are trying to buy local and organic when possible, too, and buy less "junk." It really helps to be willing to sacrifice something else to afford some of the price differences ($3.50 for that bag of potato chips? Let's use that money for some organic cheese instead!). Some things don't cost much (if any) extra; others seem expensive in comparison. But if you make it a priority, you'll find ways to compensate.

I think the biggest change I've seen is that my kids are eating better. They don't snack as often, maybe because it's not "empty" calories they're snacking on--it's usually fruits and veggies. If they do have cookies, they're homemade, so I *know* what went into them.

My husband and I have noticed a big taste difference with some things, too. Tomatoes, for instance--those bland things at the store just won't do anymore; we want the flavorful heirlooms from the garden or farmer's market!

I agree that the "dirty dozen" is the best place to start buying organic and/or local. If you eat a lot of certain foods (tomatoes, cheese, and broccoli for us), try to find organic versions of those, as well. I also agree that if you involve the kids, they are more likely to be willing to try new foods. And be willing to try new things yourself (my kids introduced me to alfalfa sprouts)!

If they already like a certain food (like iceberg lettuce), you can try adding in a small bit of a similar or complimentary "new" food (add some fresh baby spinach to the salad). I don't intentionally "hide" foods in my recipes, but I might not mention that I added something new or different until they either notice, or have eaten most of it already. ;-) We just don't make a big deal out of it.

A small garden, if you have the room and time, is great for "organic on a budget," and a good way to get the kids involved and interested in trying new foods, too. You can even plant some things (tomatoes, strawberries, herbs, etc.) in pots and grow them indoors. There are quite a few varieties of things that you can grow indoors during winter or even outdoors using a simple "cold frame."

In order to encourage our kids to try new things, every year I let each of them choose a new type of seed to plant and care for. It could be a variety that is new to us (such as Matt's Wild Cherry Tomatoes), a different color (Purple Dragon Carrots, anyone?), or a fruit or veggie we've never tasted before (like Ground Cherries). There are a few limits (size and space restrictions, for instance), but they still have TONS to choose from! We ordered catalogs from two companies that carry lots of different heirlooms (Seed Saver's Exchange and Baker's, I think), and the kids had a blast making their selections.

HTH! Good luck!
--A.

You have received many good ideas. I will share 2 things I have learned and 1 I want to learn more about:

As one person recommended, Trader Joe's has quite a lot of safer and organic foods. The variety of brands are limitted, but who needs variety when the brands are good? I find the prices to be comparable or better than Schnuks and Dierbergs. And you can be sure that Trader Joe's brands never have high fructose corn syrup or MSG in their products. MSG is often not listed as MSG, but as 'natural flavors' or 'natural spices' in other brands. Trader Joe's is moderately priced and trustworthy. Don't let the smallness of the store fool you. They have almost everything I need for weekly shopping.

The second tip is to go to Dr. Mercolla's web site and search for the list of fresh produce that you don't really need to spend more on to get the 'organic' label. Some foods, such as bananas, are traditionally grown organically anyway and you are just paying more for the 'organic' label. But, you need to experiment on your own. I find Trader Joe's bananas to be good whether I buy organic or not, but we can really taste the difference between organic and non-organic bananas at Schnucks. I notice a big difference in carrots and celery as well.

Lastly, I want to find something that they showed us on The View last week (one of Whoopi's favorites). They were called 'Green Bags'. They looked something like the plastic produce bags at the grocery stores, but you buy them in a box like zip-lock bags come in. They showed 8 day old bananas that were kept in the Green Bag and 8 day old banans that weren't. The freshness and ripeness of the bananas in the bag were remarkable. I will be on the look for Green Bags. I will be willing to buy more organic produce if I can be more certain they will last longer.

Hi Juli, good for you starting on organic! Yes it does cost a little more but it is worth it. If you are here in the Kansas City area, you have Natures Pantry at 40 highway and 291 in Independence or Whole Foods on Metcalf and around 93rd. They have an excellent meat selection. You can also find organic foods at all of the grocery stores as well, not as big as a selection but a pretty good one. As far as your kids they aren't really new foods it is how they are grown or processed, without chemicals or additives which make them much more healty for you, and no growth hormones, sterooides, and antibiotics in the meat or the milk.....can you say lactose intolorence! My Husband and I switched over a couple of years ago and it was funny how many foods brought back memories of growing up on the farm and the way food used to taste when I was little and lived with my grandparents. You can find coupons and sales as well just stock up when items are at a great price! (you can even find organic stuff at Wal-Mart now too, they are getting a clue also!!) Good luck to you!!

We try to eat organic if possible. My largest concern in food are the processed foods that have no nutritional value, meats that have hormones and antibiotics dosed in the animal, and fruits and veggies that have pesticides.

That said, I can't afford to buy all organic, so I try the hardest to stay away from the processed food, buy all natural or organic meat (keep in mind that all natural is not regulated, so you have to read the label to see what that brand considers all natural), and really try to buy my fruits and veggies organic. If I can't do them all, I do stick to buying the "dirty dozen" organic then really scrub the others bought hoping to eliminate as much pesticide as possible.

I also am a supporter of local produce and meats. Many cities have a local "food co-op" that you can join and buy locally farmed produce and meats at discount prices. While it may not be all organic, it is generally healthier than what you can find trucked into a huge grocery store chain or discount superstore.

During spring, summer and fall, find the local farmer's market. Take the kids along to help pick things out. Everything looks so good that it is hard to resist buying stuff...The colors and shapes and taste test flavors are great!

look up recipes online and integrate the organic food into recipes you would normally eat. If your kids are used to processed food, it is going to take some time before they stop complaining. If they are old enough, I would discuss the detrimental effects of hormones, anti-biotics, and pesticides on their bodies so they can be involved in their health by eating foods that are better for them.

Just do the best you can for your budget. My mindset is that some is better than nothing at all!! :)

Congrats! My family and I started eating about 80% organic last year. We actually buy most of our organic food at Wal Mart Market! We did find a farmer/butcher in Missouri who raises orgaic cows and bought that for ou meat and steaks. I would definitately start at Wal Mart and go from there. Let me know if you have any questions!

Here is the list referred to as the dirty dozen (fruits/veggies) It's worth it to buy organic on these.

The “Dirty Dozen”: Must-buy organic foods
Fruit

Apples
Cherries
Grapes, imported (Chili)
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
Vegetables
Bell peppers
Celery
Potatoes
Spinach

The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others. Based on an analysis of more than 100,000 U.S. government pesticide test results, researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., have developed the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables, above, that they say you should always buy organic, if possible, because their conventionally grown counterparts tend to be laden with pesticides. They cost about 50 percent more — but are well worth the money.

*tip, you can always try to grow an organic back yard garden to save money!*

We shop at Trader Joe's they do not have inflated prices and they have a lot of good stuff without the hormones, preservatives and pesticides. While they aren't 'around the corner' type of stores we love going there. The stores are smaller so they're quicker to get through and there are tasting counters in the store where they sample goodies which breaks up the shopping trip for the kiddos. The one we go to also has a find the animal and get a prize out of the treasure box and balloons. I don't really notice a difference in my kids but I know that I am feeding them really good stuff that will benefit them in the long run. Again their prices are REALLY affordable.

J.

I've read the same book. But because of my sickness and all the research I have done on what makes us sick. It is the environment we have in our house and what we eat. But mostly of the environment. I switch to shopping with a 23 manufacturing company that has toxic free products to wash your clothes, clean your house, loose weight, snack foods, etc.

When I did these things we saw a big change in my health and my sons asthama. go to www.livefamilydreams.info. All the products are very concentrated so you don't have to buy them every month.

D.

Hi J.,

Good for you for wanting to make healthier choices for you and your family.
I do try to eat mostly organic, BUT in my opinion, eating locally is an affordable and sometimes better option. Yes, you may still be getting some chemcials from food bought from local farmers, the food products may actually be more nutritious. "Organic" farms that are big enough to supply the big stores like WalMarts are still picked way too early before they are allowed to fully ripen and may be missing key nutrients that kick in at the tail end of the growing period. Think of your pregnancies and delivering too early.
Plus there is a lot of fuel used to ship those organics sometimes thousands of miles.
Now having said that, there are some fruits and veges that are highly sprayed and you should try to buy organic when possible while others tend not to have as many chemical residues. The "Dirty Dozen" so to speak are apples, peaches, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, grapes (especially imported) pears, spinach and potatoes.
Some fruits and veges that tend to be low in pesticides and yoou could buy conventional depending on your budget are onions, avocados, pineapples, mangos, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and eggplants.

Just keep encouraging your children to try the fruits and vegetables. Dr. Williams Sears says it may take up to 15 trys to develop a taste for a new food. And there is something called metabolic programming. Meaning the more and more you eat fresh fruits and vegetables and good healthy food, the more and more you crave it. If you would have even told me 2 years ago that my family (me, husband, 18 year old son and 14 year old daughter) would count the asparagus spears to make sure no one got more than the other, I would have told you you were nuts!
Speaking of Dr. Sears, he has a great book called "The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood." Great info on getting your family to eat healthier.

And while you're thinking healty, I would try to limit if not eliminate as many packaged/processed foods as possible. Especially those with artifical dyes and flavors. They are chemicals and while they may have been deemed "safe" by the government by themselves, many food additives have not been tested for safety when combined with other additives.

This is what I do. I read and research things like this and try to educate others.

Good Luck and In good Health,

Lori Krause, RN
www.YourKitchenCoach.net

I know this is the wrong season to start but since you seem to be thinking ahead, the best way to go organic is to grow your own. That way you know for sure what had been applied to the stuff you grow. Some fruits and veggies are easier then others but everything tastes better out of your own garden. And gardens really don't have to take up nearly as much space as you think and if you have a small family, you wouldn't want it really big anyway. There are all kinds of dwarf varieties of fruits now a days that you can even grow inside. We started a dwarf blueberry this year and it just grows in a 12 inch hanging pot that I can pull inside while it is cold. We also grew cantalop this year and had so much more then we could eat! The seeds I think cost a dollar and we probably got 20-30 cantalop out of one packet of seeds. This was our first year in a house where we could do a garden and we learned a lot so if you are interested, send me a message and I would be glad to share some tips with you.