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Budget Stretching Advice for Organic Foods
By
Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers,
www.FreshBaby.com
By weight, a baby will eat more, drink more, and even breathe more air
than an adult. This means what you feed your baby (or child) has a much
greater impact than it would have on you.
Most people would love to go “all organic” with their food choices. Who
really wants the pesticides, hormones and preservatives in their food
anyway? But going organic can be a pricey proposition. If your family is
like most, your budget cannot afford 100% organic, so why not consider
buying organic for some foods. Here is some simple advice on
prioritizing your organic food purchases:
1. Eat organic at the top of the food chain: Purchasing
organic dairy, egg and meat products is a great place to begin organic
food purchases. Livestock eat pesticide-laden feed, are often dosed with
antibiotics and hormones, and all of this ends up in the package at the
super market. Even though produce is often associated with organic food,
many of the residues on these foods can be eliminated or greatly reduced
by properly cleaning and peeling them. There is no way to remove or
reduce the contaminants in the meat, dairy and egg products.
2. Buying organic for produce with the highest levels of
pesticides: Pesticides levels vary in produce. Foods that take
a long time to grow have higher pesticides levels and foods that are
high in sugar content tend to attract bugs and insects, and as result
are sprayed more frequently.
The Environmental Workers Union analyzed a large number of foods and
found that you can reduce risks of pesticide exposure by as much as 90
percent by avoiding the dirty dozen, or the top 12 produce items with
the highest pesticide residues. Here is the list:
Apples
Bell peppers
Celery
Cherries
Grapes (imported)
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Potatoes
Red Raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries
On the flip side, these fruits and veggies have the lowest levels of
pesticide residues:
Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn (sweet)
Kiwi
Mangos
Onions
Papayas
Pineapples
Peas (sweet)
3. Buying organic for children’s favorite foods: Babies
and toddlers are notorious for having some strange eating habits. One of
them is eating the same foods day in and day out. This is a perfectly
normal development step for your child. Buy organic foods for what your
little one is eating the most of at meals.
4. Be flexible, Buy what is on sale: Organic foods are
like all other foods products, there are always specials on foods that
are in season and there are always coupons. Keep your menu-planning
flexible to take advantage of supermarket deals and remember the savings
from one coupon can often equal the price difference between organic and
conventional.
5. Buy private label: If you think your family budget
can’t afford the prices at the fancy natural products stores, think
again. Wild Oats, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s all offer a private-label
brands of juices, soups, sauces and other processed edibles.
6. Explore the bulk aisles: If you thought the bulk
bins were only for hard-core hippies, think again. Many common kitchen
staples like pastas, cereals, nuts, and spices are offered in the bulk
section. The foods are in large containers and are priced at a per pound
rate. Bulk foods are more affordable than the pre-packaged foods. If you
are intimidated by the bulk food aisle, ask for help. The people who
work in the bulk food section are extremely helpful and very willing to
support new customers.
About the authors:
Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children
and founders of Fresh Baby. Creators of products that include the So
Easy Baby Food Kit and Good Clean Fun Placemats; Fresh Baby offers
parents convenient and practical support in raising healthy children.
Visit them online at
www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to
get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family's
healthy eating habits! Fresh Baby products are available at many fine
specialty stores and national chains including Target, Wild Oats, and
Whole Foods Markets.
Other articles by Chery Tallman and Joan Ahlers
Budget
Organics
A
Healthy First Birthday Cake
Healthier Halloween
Blueberries
Baby Food on
the Go
School
Lunches: Ideas and Recipes for Healthier School Lunches
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