Organic VS Nonorganic Options For Baby Food Preparation:
Buying organic makes a lot of sense for some foods. Others, on the other hand, not so much. The question everyone asks is what’s the difference between organic and non-organic foods is. Here’s all you need to know about the two types of labels, including the benefits and drawbacks that each brings to the kitchen table.
There isn’t much of a distinction between the two at their heart. They have a similar appearance and, more often than not, a similar flavor. All organic foods often have the same nutritional, mineral, and vitamin content as non-organic meals. To be designated organic, a food producer must have the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) evaluate their growing procedures and approve all of their production processes. Organic foods often include fewer pesticides, fewer multi-drug resistance microorganisms, and no genetically engineered organisms or foods.
The Advantages & Disadvantages:
If you’re worried about how environmentally friendly you are or how your activities affect the environment, organic foods have a lower environmental effect than non-organic meals. Furthermore, organic foods include no antibiotics, hormones, or synthetic ingredients.
However, for many families, the disadvantages of purchasing organic may exceed the benefits. What is the number one disadvantage of purchasing organic? The cost. Organic items are 47 percent more expensive than non-organic foods on average. This varies based on the product and season, but buying organic will almost certainly cost you a lot more. Another disadvantage of purchasing organic is that you must wait until each product is in season. In the late winter, organic apple supplies diminish from grocery shops, although non-organic apple supplies may be plentiful. Produce is one of the most impacted foods by the seasons, but organic meats and eggs may also be influenced.
The Effect On The Cost:
One advantage of non-organic foods is that they often allow you to stretch your dollar farther than organic goods. Furthermore, you may find practically any sort of food, vegetables, or meat at any time of year, even if it is not in season. One disadvantage of non-organic foods is that you may be ingesting larger doses of pesticides, antibiotics, or hormones, and your food may come from less strictly monitored growing circumstances than organic items.
This does not necessarily imply that organic foods are better or healthier for you. If you go to a farmers market, ask your farmer about the fertilizers and growth conditions that are employed. Even if he or she has not paid to be certified organic, he or she may be using fewer pesticides or farming in a more environmentally friendly manner. This is one technique to get close to organic food or meat without paying the additional price.
Pesticides are present in non-organic fruit and goods, but they are not the sole source of pesticides in our everyday lives. Even if we solely bought organic, we would come into contact with pesticides on freshly sprayed grass, in the air we breathe, and in the soil and dust. It is virtually hard to eliminate our chemical exposure entirely.
Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen
When shopping for ingredients to offer your baby, it is also helpful to reference the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists put together by the Environmental Working Group.
Every year, the Environmental Working Group updates these two lists to foster pesticide awareness. The Dirty Dozen list displays fruits and vegetables ranking high in pesticide loads, while the Clean 15 list highlights fruits and vegetables ranking low in pesticide levels. These lists are developed with research-based results and identified by the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. The guide is based on tested results from more than 43,000 samples of produce that are tested after they have been prepared for general consumption. The purpose of these lists is to elevate consumer awareness and help them reduce their exposure to toxic pesticides. It is recommended to choose the organic varieties for foods listed under the Dirty Dozen list to diminish pesticide intake levels.
DIRTY DOZEN 1. Strawberries 2. Spinach 3. Kale 4. Nectarines 5. Apples 6. Grapes 7. Peaches 8. Cherries 9. Pears 10. Tomatoes 11. Celery 12. Potatoes | CLEAN FIFTEEN 1. Avocados 2. Sweet Corn 3. Pineapple 4. Onions 5. Papaya 6. Frozen Sweet Peas 7. Eggplant 8. Asparagus 9. Cauliflower 10. Cantaloupe 11. Broccoli 12. Mushrooms 13. Cabbage 14. Honeydew Melon 15. Kiwi |