How not to buy organic

I wish I had my camera. It was a fantastic photo opportunity, although I'm not so sure that the lady in line in front of me at the grocery store would have been so keen on the idea.

Tonight I saw firsthand a perfect example of how not to buy organic food. What, you say??? This, coming from the one who lectures us on nutritious food?  Don't worry, I'm still the same health-conscious, alfalfa and brewer's yeast eating gal I've always been (that one was for you, my darling Mrs.S).

The vision I saw before me tonight was of a cart, piled high with expensive foods, covered in labels that screamed "I'm organic, I must be good for you!". The total of the woman's cart came to (get ready for this)... $300!

The amount of food in that cart would not have sufficiently, nor nutritiously fed my small family for two weeks, yet it comes close to our entire grocery/household/toiletries budget for the month (ok, ok, she had some laundry soap and toilet paper in there, too).

So what did she buy? Organic sodas, organic chips, organic canned soups, organic frozen juice, organic freezer food (looked like special fries or gyozas or something), organic milk and a brand of cereal that is marketed as being healthy (it's not). There were a few other items, but quite honestly, it didn't amount to a whole lot of real, fill your tummy, nourish your body kind of food.

Organic or not, the kind of food that I want to spend my husband's hard earned dollars on is unsprayed produce grown in nutrient rich soils, grass-fed beef and free-range poultry and eggs, clean and pure raw milk and cheeses and butter, whole grains like spelt and oats and barley and quinoa. I still care about organic, if I can buy it for a reasonable price above another similar (but not organic) item.

But when it comes down to it, let's not kid ourselves. Packaged and processed food, by any other name- even organic!- is still just packaged and processed food. Wise consumers know true value when they see it, and are not fooled by gimicky advertising and trendy words. Know where your food is coming from, and what's it's true value proposition is. Is the nutrient content higher? Are you being protected from chemicals, additives, and sprays? And most importantly, is it real food, whole food that will nourish your body and not just empty your pocketbook? Then that's how you know when to buy organic.

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Comments

[Amy]

Great point!

[Kimiharris]

I so know what you are talking about! A lot of that "healthy" prepackaged food is junk! Its just a lot more expensive to buy! :-)

[Noah]

VERY good point. I'm also puzzled by people who fork out lots of money for processed foods, organic or not! I occassionally buy organic mac and cheese or soups for easy lunches, but that's about it! It's no wonder things like diabetes, obesity, etc are on the rise in this country!

[fullheartandhandsmama]

Excellent point. I'd rather my children have nonorganic whole foods over organic processed foods anyday. Though, in a pinch, I have no problem with the occasional organic processed food. It is all about balance.

Also, do you think you could show a sample weekly menu that is budget friendly? And, any advice for those of us whose husbands aren't quite as commited to eating so naturally?

[Mrs. Taft]

I don't really buy a lot of processed food period, but I admit that if I do, I buy the organic version. :) I'd rather support that market than the other one if I'm going to toss money toward something quick. So yeah, we have mac n' cheese from a box occasionally and we also buy "luncheon" meats that are natural and preservative-free once a paycheck. We also like Pirate's Booty and organic tortilla chips. :) But...most of our food is homemade, so I don't really sweat it too much :) I prefer my "crap" organic :D

[Stephanie]

fullheartandhandsmama, I've actually saved your comment in order to write a post to answer your questions in the New Year. Thanks for the excellent questions!

Mrs.Taft, I agree with you. If I do happen to be buying something packaged, and the organic version is available and affordable, I will get it (tortilla chips for instance- Costco sells a great brand of organic ones for a very reasonable price- when I get chips, I get these ones!).

I see no problem with doing this sometimes- in fact, it's great to use organic rather than conventional products when we can, as it reduces our consumption of sprays, hormones, etc. The issue I have with it is when people continue to eat processed foods, but simply switch over to those ones that happen to be organic. Perhaps their intention is to eat healthier (and they are, in a very small way), but they are actually missing the major elements of healthy eating- fresh, unprocessed foods in their natural state, full of nutrients to nourish our bodies (which is what it sounds like you are doing!).

And, yes, I'd rather support that market, too. The more consumer support there is for foods that are organically grown, the more farmers will change their methods, which will benefit the environment, make organic foods more available, and ultimately make these foods more affordable as well! Excellent point!