Learning Your Organic Beginnings
Learning Your Organic Beginnings
Shopping organic foods has become quite the norm these days, but there are some out there yet who still feel maybe a little overwhelmed by the task. Understandably so.
It can be a little more pricey, sure, I get that. I really do, however, because the demand has grown so much, organic foods prices have really come down. Grocery stores now even offer coupons and sales on their organic products probably just as much as the other. So much so, that I usually get many of my organic items way cheaper than the non-organic versions! Truth!
After the sticker shock is solved, the other issue I hear about often is that people just don’t know where to start with it all. Why should I buy organic in the first place? Do you buy everything on your list organic? What if certain items don’t come in organic? Are there healthy and safe options for plan B? I hear you. I’m hoping I can help.
Let’s get one thing straight. Convention vs organic. What’s the difference? Here’s an explanation from the USDA on organically grown foods. The USDA defines the term organic stating: “Organic crops are raised without using most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Animals raised on an organic operation must be fed organic feed and given access to the outdoors. They are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. The NOP regulations prohibit the use of genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, and sewage sludge in organic production and handling.” “In 2002, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) established an organic certification program to help regulate how organically-labeled food would be grown and processed. Under the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP), organic food must be grown and processed using farming methods that recycle resources and promote biodiversity.”
To answer the first question, why should you buy organic in the first place? Organic living, in my opinion, is more of a natural way of living. It’s living with less chemicals in and on our bodies.
Labels, Bad Words and The Dirty Dozen
· Learn to read nutrition labels and ingredient labels and read them often!
· Know the “bad” words. If you aren’t able to pronounce it, it just may be a chemical.
· Look for foods with less ingredients in them. Typically, about 5 or less, unless the extra ingredients are spices or something you know.
· Look for organic, non-gmo labeling on the package/product.
· Grass-fed meats and animal products are better than conventionally raised animals, not just for us but for the animals as well.
· Pasture-raised eggs and chickens are truly raised caged-free.
· Know your sugars. They’re not all the same. Sugar-free can be grossly misunderstood and there are well over 50 different “bad” word names for sugar.
· Check out EWG – Environmental Working Group – and get their Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen list of foods. (Link below.)
Key Terms to Know and Labels to Look For
· Organic
· Non-Gmo/Gmo
· All-Natural/Natural
· Cage-Free
· Free Range
· Pasture-Raised
· Grass-Fed/Grass-Finished
· Fair Trade
· Local
· Sugar-Free
The biggest takeaway here is to consider all the things. Consider your health and your family’s health. Do you have health concerns or maybe a specific diagnosis that needs to be considered for organic shopping? Consider your lifestyle and your budget. There are many factors at play here. Be more green and eat more fresh organic foods. Organic farms are eco-friendly and safer for the bees and other animals and insects, not just humans. It’s comforting to know that buying organic foods is also supporting organic farmers. They don’t get a lot of the help from the government like the other guys do.
Choose what is best for you! Want to learn more? Check out my Living Naturally Masterclass on sale now!
References:
https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/5-tips-for-choosing-organic-food/
https://thesweetpotato.ca/organic-natural-foods-industry-glossary-terms/