The Case For Buying Organic

Most of us are aware of the ongoing debate of organic vs. non-organic. I hear from other moms all the time: 'we can't afford to eat organic' or 'that's just a load of hooey'. I, for one, believe that to make sure my children can be the healthiest they can possibly grow up to be, I must start somewhere. I started by taking baby steps: every time I went grocery shopping I would try a new organic product. This went on for about a year, and now we drink organic milk (tastes WAY better), eat organic fresh fruits and vegetables, honey, pasta, tomato sauce, tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, juice, and the list goes on. The more people buy organic, the more the market swings in that direction and the prices come down.

I look back about 5-6 years ago, when my son was a toddler, as a single mom I couldn't even fathom buying organic. It was so expensive! "6 DOLLARS FOR AN APPLE!?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!"  But now it's approximately 1 dollar for an organic apple (or cheaper if you buy in bulk from online distributors, such as SPUD.ca). It's simple economics, supply and demand if you will.

I borrowed an interesting cookbook from the library a few weeks ago, titled Everyday Flexitarian. This is a wonderful cookbook. It can be broken down for Vegetarian and Meat-lovers alike in a single recipe. In the forward, the author, Nettie Cronish, explains why it is important to eat organic. (She gets her information from the Organic Consumers Association):

• Organic foods contain higher levels of beta carotene, vitamins C, D and E, and essential minerals.
• Organic foods are free of food additives (such as colour dyes), flavour enhancers (like MSG), artificial sweeteners (like aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup), contaminants (like mercury), and preservatives (like sodium nitrate).
• Organic animals are drug free: they are not given antibiotics, growth hormones, arsenic or genetically modified vaccines; they are not fed slaughterhouse waste, blood or even manure (chicken manure is reportedly used sometimes as a supplement to a cow's diet), thus eliminating the risk of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, aka mad cow disease.
• More than 400 chemical pesticides are used in conventional farming, and residues remain on or within the cell walls of produce even after washing. Children are especially vulnerable to pesticide exposure.
• Organic food is not genetically modified.

Now, if money were not a factor would you choose organic or non-organic foods? Now that we know what is lurking at the supermarket, can we really ignore the facts that things like dyes, aspartame, HFCS and nitrates are going into our children's mouths? ONLY WE CAN INITIATE CHANGE. Nothing will change unless we do it first.

Do it like I did, in baby steps. Here is my 3-step guide to getting your family eating healthier, more beneficial foods:

1. OBSERVE:  Next time you need to go buy groceries, just observe. See what kinds of organics are available at your local supermarket and what the price difference is. Some supermarkets such as Loblaws (Superstore, Extra Foods, No Frills, etc.) are actively trying to keep the price of organics within a reasonable range of the non-organics. They do this to encourage people to buy organic even if it's not in their budget. For example, today at my local Superstore regular bananas are $0.77/lb and organic bananas are $0.97/lb. Only a few cents difference! Even if you're buying a crap load of bananas, it's only a $1 difference for 5 lbs of organic bananas.
2. ACT:  Once you know what is available, buy it. Start with just fruits, or just vegetables. It can be daunting when you realize just how much organics are out there. If you start small it will be easier. Organic apples are the best fruit to start with, and any other thin-skinned fruits as they soak up pesticides like a sponge. Even washing only gets rid of the stuff they spray on right after they're picked. The chemicals they spray on fruit while its growing is ingrained into the cell walls forever. Yum...
3. MAINTAIN:  Once you're on a roll, all you have to do is maintain. If you run out of ketchup, go buy some organic ketchup. Heinz even makes organic ketchup now.

See? Once you get going, it's as simple as 1, 2, 3. My family eats about 60-70% organic now. We will eventually be moving into the organic, grass-fed meats department. But this is our final step in the organic process. Look for this logo on certified organic Canadian products: 

Another great step to take is to plant a garden. I have a 10' x 10' plot in our local community garden (that's 100 square feet of gardening space!) and I purchase organic seeds online. This helps cut down our grocery bill in the summertime. The other day, I pulled at least 5-6 lbs of green and yellow beans, 2 lbs. potatoes, 8 large beets, a handful of fresh peas and a nice handful of cilantro (ALL  FOR FREE!). We had a feast to say the least. I encourage you to start your own organic garden, either in your own backyard or find a community garden in your town or city. The internet is full of information for brand-new gardeners. Even if you don't have a green thumb, you can grow a garden, trust me: the sun and the rain do most of the work.

Follow my blog here and I will continue to post tips for buying organic and also delicious recipes for you to try in your own kitchen.

Oatmeal & Cornflake Cookies

1 cup margarine or butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix well.Use a cookie scoop and roll in crushed cornflakes. Flatten with fork. Bake 350F for 12 mins. Only do 12 to a pan, they spread. These are so good! Everyone in our family loves them!

Meatball Stew

So I was trying to figure out what to take to my SIL's the other night for family dinner and this is what I made. It turned out awesome and delicious. 

Meatball Stew:

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 2" pieces

5 new potatoes, quartered with skins on

1 cup vegetable (or beef) stock

2 cans tomato sauce

2 tsp. thyme

Salt and pepper to taste 

18-20 handmade or store bought meatballs, thawed

Sauté onions, carrots, celery in Dutch oven over medium heat until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients, except meatballs and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 mins or until potatoes are fork tender. Add meatballs; heat through. Serve hot with garlic toast or crusty rolls for mopping up the sauce. Makes approx. 6 servings.

Would also be good with some fresh cremini mushrooms, quartered instead of green beans.