Our Journey of "Going Organic"

Let me preface this post by saying that I do realize that the whole topic of organic food can be seen as controversial to some. This post is in no way meant to judge others who do not purchase organic products; however, this has been a huge part of my life for the past year, and I wanted to share our journey of going organic in case others out there are curious about making the switch, as well. {If you are unfamiliar with the concept of organic food, here is a basic explanation - The Basics of Organic | Whole Foods} 

A year ago I had never given much thought to purchasing organic food, and I certainly had never stepped foot into a Whole Foods. Now, much of the food we purchase is organic, and grocery shopping at Whole Foods has become a weekly thing. 

Our journey of choosing to "go organic" sorta happened by accident. It all started when I was researching baby food options for Noah last winter. (You can read more about finding savings on organic baby food in my post, here). After a few days of reading up on the effects of potentially toxic pesticides on growing babies, I made the decision to go organic with regards to Noah's baby food. I was confident in this decision, but still hadn't given much thought about seeking out organic food for myself. 

Fast forward a few months and my husband was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. The cause of Crohn's isn't currently very well understood, but I couldn't help but wonder if all of the toxins in our food had, in some way, contributed to this disease. Surely, toxic + persistent chemicals, antibiotics, and growth hormones couldn't be helping his situation, right?! It was then that I decided to make a change to what we as a family would be putting into our mouths on a daily basis. In my opinion, there is really no downside to eating organic, so I convinced the hubby to start making the switch from conventional produce to organic. We started off slow, making the switch little by little - first focusing on fresh produce, meat, and dairy. 

Here is a quick look at what organic food items our household currently purchases:

• Fruits & Vegetables (especially items from the "Dirty Dozen" list) 

• Dairy (including milk, yogurt, cheese, and butter)

• Meat

• Eggs

The majority of the food that Noah eats on a regular basis is purchased in organic form; including many of his grain-based snacks. In addition to the food items listed above, our household is slowly making the switch to organic rice, pasta, sauces, soups, oils, etc... We are nowhere near a 100% organic household, and I am okay with that. I've come to realize that it's all about baby steps. One change at a time. 

A few tips on how to save on organic food ::

• Don't be afraid to purchase store brand versions of organic products (vs. name brands). In particular, we really like Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value.

• Look for coupons, and when combined with store sales, you may be surprised to find that many organic options can actually be cheaper than the conventional option.

• Don't forget to check out warehouse clubs, like Costco. Costco continues to add new organic options on a regular basis, and they recently added a huge organic in-store display. 

• Farmers markets are always a great place to shop for organic fresh produce. 

I did quite a bit of research when I was first considering making the switch to organic, and below is a look at many of the websites/articles that I found to be beneficial. If you are at all interested in going organic, I highly recommend checking out these sources for more info. 

{Resources}

Environmental Working Group (EWG) 

USDA's National Organic Program

Whole Foods: Reading Organic Labels 

Organic Trade Association

Growing a Green Family: Unscrambling Organic Eggs   

While there is still much debate over whether organic foods are actually healthier for you than their conventional counterparts, research has shown that organic dairy and grass-fed meat are in fact higher in Omega-3s. {I found this recent study regarding organic milk to be particularly interesting - Study: Organic milk contains more heart-healthy fatty acids} 

One of my goals for the new year is to write more about health + wellness. I've learned so much over the past year, and it's become a huge passion of mine. I continue to learn new things on a daily basis, and my hope is to share my passion with others. I hope you'll continue reading! 

Until next time...

Sumer