Blog | Ely

Should you be eating organic?  The short answer is yes.  The long answer is do what you can, especially for little ones.  Pound for pound babies and toddlers ingest more pesticides then adults do. 

There are several benefits to eating organic. 

You'll be avoiding eating pesticides.  Yes pesticide amounts are regulated by the government however combining of pesticides is not regulated.  Your lovely green broccoli may have a cocktail of 3 to 4 different types of pesticides. 

If you're eating meat or consuming dairy you'll be avoiding antibiotics and hormones that are used to avoid infections in the animals and to speed their growth.  It's not a very far fetched thought to link the use of antibiotics in our food to the growing amounts of antibiotic resistant bacteria, amongst other things. 

You'll also be avoiding eating genetically modified foods.  I've always advocated eating foods that are closest to its natural source.  Although we are being told that GM foods are safe, no long term testing has been done on them.  GM foods have been used widely since the 1990's and many studies have linked GM foods to food allergies, asthma, digestive problems and fertility problems. 

Organic produce has a higher nutritional value, at least 20-40% according to a 4 year study done by Newcastle University in England.  If your toddler is already skimming by in the vegetable department, get the most out of the veggies he does eat!

My personal reason for eating organic is that it tastes so much better.  Fruits and vegetables taste so much crisper, juicier and more flavorful. It's like they're infused with flavor. Most vegetables don't even need a dip or seasoning since they taste so wonderful.  The way nature intended it.

Unfortunately eating organic can be expensive and harder to find.  The best way to overcome these challenges is to increase the demand as consumers.  Talk to your local grocery store about incorporating more organic foods into their produce line up.

So if you can't eat organic all the time, what can you do? 

First of all, avoid the dirty dozen.  The dirty dozen are fruits and vegetables that are the most contaminated with pesticides and chemicals.  Avoid eating them if they are non-organic as much as you can, especially for younger children.

- Apples
- Strawberries
- Peaches
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Nectarines
- Cherries
- Pears
- Grapes
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Potatoes

There is also a list of fruits and veggies that are least contaminated.  They are your best non-organic bet.

- Onions
- Avocados
- Sweet Corn
- Pineapples
- Mango
- Asparagus
- Sweet peas
- Kiwi Fruit
- Bananas
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Papaya

Can't get your hands on organic produce?  Try a farmer's market.  The produce is fresh and local.  Fresh vegetables and fruit are picked when ripe and contain the most nutrients. And buying from your farmer's market helps your local economy as well! I personally love the farmer's markets we have here in Hamilton.  So much variety and the price is really good too.  In the summer I buy 2 bags worth of veggies for less then $20. I love seeing broccoli with dirt still on it and walking by the stands tasting the fruits. 

Alternatively you can grow your own fruits and veggies!  I will be trying my hand at gardening this year so I will keep you posted with my hits and misses.  Fingers (or green thumbs) crossed that there will be more hits then misses. Kids have tons of fun helping with planting seeds, watering and later on picking their own vegetables.  They'll be much more motivated to eat veggies that they've had a hand in growing.

What are your strategies for avoiding pesticides and chemicals? What has been your experience at farmer's markets?  Are you planning a vegetable garden this year?  Wanna help me with mine? ;)
 

Ely Kettle, Registered Holistic Nutritionist