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What does it mean to eat organic?  Can a person really eat 100% organic foods and is it worth it?  In my recent quest to become a healthier person I made the choice to eat more vegetarian and organic foods, without actually knowing what it meant.  I had heard enough news stories and personal accounts of the potential health benefits but I had never done the research myself.  Last week I started my adventure by buying as many organic and vegetarian foods as possible during my weekly trip to the grocery store.  You can read more about my shopping experience in my last blog post, Losing My Vegetarian Virginity.  I have bought a few books that others have recommended to encourage my growth in this area and I have watched a few documentaries.  The overwhelming message in American culture is that organic is good.  Organic is a buzz word; it’s trendy; it’s cool; it’s apparently helpful for someone, but who?  What does organic mean in real terms for the average consumer and is it worth my attention?  This has become my mission, to figure out where organic fits in my life, if at all. 

What is Organic?

In its most simplistic form, organic means natural.  Organic is simple, healthy, and free from anything artificial.  In terms of food, organic means without pesticides, antibiotics, or hormones.  Farmers who grow crops and feed their animals in such a way that it doesn’t include any harmful chemicals are considered to be organic.  Organic food is healthy because you ingest fewer chemicals and pesticides.  This doesn’t apply equally to all foods but more than you might imagine.  Organic farming is sustainable, meaning that it’s better for the earth and the same land can be used for much longer periods of time than other farming techniques.  Organic has also become a blanket term for safety, meaning that the lives of the farm workers are considered in the process of getting the food from the land to your dinner plate.  In general, organic is a word that means progress; or ironically, reverse progress because we’re reverting back to older methods of farming and eating that doesn’t include many modern technologies designed to make food creation faster and cheaper.

The $$$ Cost of Organic

Yes, organic foods are more expensive than traditional foods.  There’s no doubt that in order to be healthier and to support the farmers and companies who are providing organic foods readily, you will have to pay a higher premium.  Large corporations that create traditional food can lower their prices significantly by using cheaper and more efficient means of production.  The result is usually less healthy food, unsafe working conditions, unnecessary and harmful treatment of animals, and a drastic degradation of the environment.  Check out the documentary Food Inc. to get a better insight.

My Conclusion

I am willing to pay more for organic food because I care about my health, the health of farmers, and the health of the environment.  I am willing to make sacrifices in other areas of my life in order to fund my decision to eat better foods.  I am proud to help organizations and people I care about.  I want to help where I can and it’s an easy decision to simply put better food on my plate more often.  I’m not perfect and I still eat bad foods occasionally, but I have made a change.  I have made a permanent, life altering decision to consciously think about what I eat. 

Where to Shop for Organic Foods

Farmers markets are awesome.  I don’t shop at them often enough, but like I said I am beginning an adventure that will hopefully result in more positive choices more often.  Farmers markets are filled with locally grown, organic foods and they’re fun places to shop.  Visit LocalHarvest.org to find farmers markets, family farms, grocery stores, websites, and other organic suppliers in your area.  You can now find many organic, vegetarian, and vegan foods in supermarkets everywhere.  Kroger actually has an organic section all by it-self.  Many other grocery stores have organic foods labeled throughout the store, like Publix who uses brown pricing stickers instead of white.  FYI, organic food has a 5-digit number that begins with the number 9, and traditional non-organic food has a 4-digit number that begins with the number 4.  This numbering system is used for food sold in bulk, so it may not apply to all foods. 

Foods You Should Eat Organic

Ideally, you should eat organic whenever possible, but if you have to choose, check out these foods.  TheDailyGreen.com has an article called Top 12 Foods To Eat Organic that highlights the foods below.  To begin eating more organic stuff, start creating substitutions for what you already eat.  In other words, if you have yogurt every day for a snack, try organic soy yogurt and see what you think.  So far, I’ve been surprised at how many foods I’m really enjoying that I expected to taste like dog food.  I will say that vegetarian food in general might take more getting used to than organic. 

Try these organic foods: meat, milk, coffee, apples, peaches, peppers, celery, nectarines, tomatoes, strawberries, cherries, kale, leafy greens, grapes, carrots, pears, and potatoes.

You are What You Eat

If you eat organic, you become organic.  That’s as simple as it gets.  To become 100% organic, or for an animal to be considered organic, your diet can only consist of organic nutrients and nothing else.  The benefits speak for themselves.  Beyond the ones previously discussed, organic food typically has more nutrients, gives you more energy, reduces illness, and decreases your exposure to toxins, chemicals, and pesticides.  The bottom line, organic food is better than conventional food.  It’s not perfect and it won’t turn you into Superman.  Your overall health is affected by more than food, but making better choices in this area will certainly get you started on a path for healthier living. 

Resources

Food Inc. – Documentary
The Future of Food - Documentary
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
The Organic Food Guide by Steve Meyerowitz
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

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