If you keep up with Our Ordinary Life, you know that we are avid supporters of products and foods that are organically grown. Here is a summary of what constitutes organically grown foods. Some people think it is a marketing ploy but the fact simply is that it’s far from a ploy.
The way something is made is important. Just as important is where its made. Organic foods are tied directly to both of these, so how and where the food is grown and what goes into making these fruits and veggies is essential to its out come.
Fresh fruits at Pike Place ‘farmer’s market’ in Seattle.
Whats also super important to realize is the problems with conventionally produced non-organic foods. One of the most important parts is if the produce is created from genetically modified organisms (GMO) or if it’s grown from natural strains that have evolved along with man for millennia. Second is whats allowed to seep and creep into these foods, before, during, and after growth. So the fertilizers and pesticides and fungicides used on these foods from the beginning, are affecting them from the beginning. It’s kind of like having a bucket of yellow paint and adding some drops of blue paint into it, no matter what they become part of each other over time.
Moving from the analogy, I want people to realize that the chemicals and products used in foods are derived from other chemicals that can kill and hurt life, big and small. I am not writing to try to scare you, since I for many years have been eating the foods that are easily available and what some consider cheap, which is a misnomer.
But one fact that people need to learn is that the more that organically produced foods are demanded, the quicker and more the price will continue to drop on these goods, economics my friend. Some organically created foods are just as affordable as their factory or chemically enhanced and saturated counterparts.
We do not live the strict organic or nothing lifestyle, and neither do you. But when the option is available we opt for foods that are produced organically. So here is a list of foods that have been found to contain the highest amounts of chemicals and pesticides and those with the least.
It is important to consider that many of these sprayed crops are used in conjunction with GMO seeds. Some GMO seeds are designed to be highly resistant to certain toxic chemicals and to tolerate higher amounts of chemicals, which is an easy way to kill everything but the crop. Too bad the dirt needs the life that is killed, no matter how meaningless it seems. Choosing organic foods is a way to avoid chemicals and GMO foods all together, plus create more work for people and zero pesticides to pollute waterways, rivers, and oceans.
Eating those foods in the ‘Clean 15’ category, even being non-organic produce, will reduce your consumption of these chemicals more or less than 70%. Also just cutting away the skin doesn’t do much because these foods are grown with these chemicals so they are a part of the product.
If you want to try organic products and save some money, check out local farmers market, even take a trip if need be. There are thousands around the country and most likely one near you. It’s a great way to support your local farmers and to protect yourself and your families.
thanks for much for this post, I always look at the organic section and think ‘it’s probably better for me but hey this other stuff is cheaper!’ but now that I know why it’s better, I’ll probably be more apt to try the organic food, when I can afford it. And thanks also for the list of the “dirty dozen”! I’m going to print that out and hang it on my fridge.
im still on the …i dont know if it makes a difference band wagon. my grandparents have a fruit stand every summer and get there products from the same farmers for over 20yrs….i still choose to eat their products.
I have always wondered why organic is more expensive than processsed food. After all, organic food has gone throught no processing, had no additional ingredients added nor any removed on top of the fact that no chemicals are used in its production.
I *love* the local farmers market. Everything I get from there tastes soooo much better.
As well the strawberries in my yard 🙂
That’s a good explanation of the benefits of organic! I think a lot of people don’t really understand a lot of the details.
I love the farmers market, I wish it were available all year round!