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Is organic food worth it?

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  • Is organic food worth it?

    My wife is into the organic craze, and now we buy most of fruits, vegetables, and meats from Whole Foods. The only problem is this has increased our grocery budget by around 50%!

    I definitely see the benefits of buying organic foods, and we also buy healthier foods now (whole wheat, nitrate-free, etc).

    Do you think it's worth it to spend more on organic foods? Do you have any secrets to spending less on these healthier foods?

    This discussion started on my blog when I found some research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on how much we spend on food and wrote an article about it. It quickly turned into this organic foods discussion.
    Current Status: Traveling North American in our 1966 Airstream. Check out the remodel here.

  • #2
    In my opinion -- absolutely not.

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    • #3
      It totally depends on what kind of herbicide/pesticides are used and how they affect the body. Some things (like bananas) aren't worth the extra cost for organic and other things (like raisins) are.

      Then there's the matter of what constitutes "organic." Who measures it, what are the standards, and who verifies that the food meets the standards?

      It isn't a black and white issue at all.

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      • #4
        I think it is more important to avoid artificial ingredients, anything with high fructose corn syrup, and manufactured foods first, as in buying as much fresh and unprocessed or minimally processed as you can. Then if you can afford it, add organics. I think organic is important in leafy veggies and anything that is really thin-skinned like apples, pears, berries, etc. I'd go for wild fish over farmed, and anti-biotic free, growth hormone free meat and poultry if the organic is too expensive. Cage free and free range eggs if not organic. It's not really all or nothing. That being said, we always get organic milk. One of the biggies for us.

        Whole Foods is seldom the best option. They don't call it Whole Paycheck for nothing. If you have a Trader Joe's in your area you will find that much of their food is comparable, if not cheaper than, a regular grocery store as they have no middle men. Often a city or county will have a food co-op or a small, independent organic food store with better prices than whole foods. Fred Meyer (or it's equivalent for your area) has a large organic foods section with decent prices.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by LuckyRobin View Post
          That being said, we always get organic milk. One of the biggies for us.
          That's a bit of controversy over what constitutes organic in the dairy industry. Here's one link that rates organic dairies:

          The Cornucopia Institute

          Horizon is one brand I refuse to buy because it's extremely expensive and, according to various literature, is no different from generic non-organic milk.

          Doing research on various products and brands is essential to not getting ripped off.

          I agree with you about Whole Foods; try a Google search on disgruntled workers who spill the beans.

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          • #6
            Organic doesn't always mean pesticide/chemical free. Organic food costs more, so if you go that route do your homework on it first. You may discover that what you are buying isn't really organic at all.
            Brian

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            • #7
              Agreed with the above.

              No, I won't pay 50% more for food just because someone slapped an "organic" label on it. What does the label even mean?

              Is there even any scientific evidence that organic is better, anyway??

              I have a couple of hippie friends who are way into the organic lifestyle, but I respect it because they do their homework and are consistent in their purchases. They are very thorough and logical types. They study up on any company they buy from. (They also make a LOT of money and can afford to be choosy).

              On the flip side, you know how many people I know ho blindly buy anything with an organic label, while they use pesticides *inside* their homes, cover their bodies with chemicals (beauty products), etc.? I notice because I am actually pretty sensitive to chemicals. Like I literally feel uncomfortable to be inside their house it's so full of heavy cleaning products and chemicals. So yeah, I notice and I think it's silly.

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              • #8
                So many people have come to believe that "organic" means "healthier" and that simply isn't the case. Organic food has no more nutrients than non-organic. It has the same number of calories as non-organic. I can't tell you how many patients have told me that they are trying to lose weight so they switched to organic produce.

                I think if you are concerned about pesticides, focus on organic produce that is thin-skinned or where you eat the skin like apples, grapes, etc. For thick-skinned produce like bananas, oranges, etc. I think it matters much less.
                Steve

                * Despite the high cost of living, it remains very popular.
                * Why should I pay for my daughter's education when she already knows everything?
                * There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.

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                • #9
                  I have been very happy with the Organic Valley product line for milk. I've toured a couple of their farms and seen their practices up close and personal. I've seen the pastures, their barns, and talked to the farmers who have patiently answered my questions. I've seen the milking facilities and the cheese rooms. They also have very good flavor, which I cannot say for many of the organic dairies. Add on to that that they put out monthly coupons on their website (which is rare for dairy and rarer still for organic dairy) and I am quite pleased. We are a big dairy county so I have seen some of the non-organic dairies and the practices are quite different.

                  We have some good organic farms in my county and they are awesome about giving tours and answering questions. In fact they have a big tour day in the summer of many of the organic farms where you can follow a map and go from place to place.

                  Although I still think fresh is more important than anything, I will definitely continue to buy organic on certain things. And local as much as possible, too. I just won't break the grocery budget to do it.

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                  • #10
                    I think everything in moderation is the key. There are some foods that have higher amounts of chemicals on them so those are the ones that I buy organic. Peanuts, peaches, apples, those are a good idea to buy organic. I am a vegan and that can be expensive with all the alternative types of foods but I coupon and I cook and I only pay about $70-$90 a month on food for just myself because I buy in bulk and buy stuff only on sale or with a coupon or both at the same time. I think what someone said earlier is right eat healthy stuff and stay away from artificial stuff, it being organic isn't super important but how natural the ingredients is.
                    Last edited by gogirlanime; 02-15-2012, 03:38 PM.

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                    • #11
                      Great information, thanks everyone. We do follow the general 'dirty dozen' rules where we focus on mostly thin-skinned fruits and vegetables. It's interesting that thoughts vary widely on the 'organic-ness' of some produce... pretty disturbing really! I don't have time to research every product I buy to ensure it's quality.
                      Current Status: Traveling North American in our 1966 Airstream. Check out the remodel here.

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                      • #12
                        I actually buy about 90% organic whole foods. Basically, the choice I've made is to NEVER go out to dinner, and always buy organic whole foods instead. By not buying processed foods and not going out to dinner, my "food bill" is basically the same as it used to be. Now, I realize I could probably cut costs even more if I bought non organic produce, but I don't think I spend a lot on food ($300/month for 2 people).

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by agate
                          Group of 43 fruits and vegetables reduce your pesticide exposure from produce by up to 90 percent by avoiding the twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead. A high priority might be organic milk.
                          Are you quoting a study on this? If so, can you post the link? I'd like to see what they consider the 12 most contaminated.
                          Current Status: Traveling North American in our 1966 Airstream. Check out the remodel here.

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                          • #14
                            I buy organic milk from costco and eggs and other stuff because it's smaller than the normal sizes. That being said, honestly Whole Food is a rip off. If you read their signs a lot of their produce where I am is NOT organic but conventionally grown, so you are just paying more for something that is the same as a regular grocery store. But it makes people feel better to say they shop and eat at whole foods.

                            I do buy organic but I read how and why it's organic before I buy it unless, like I said it's costco and I don't have to buy as big in bulk. Pretty much everyone I know shops at Whole Paycheck and I doubt most even pay attention to why some fruits say conventionally and some say organic. I also buy organic at my local grocery and trader joes as well as at farm stands.

                            I agree with others the biggest health and money savings comes from COOKING. People think buying organic crap is great, but this mom tells me "it's organic pirate's booty." Seriously? It's an organic CHEETOS! Great, it's still a frigging cheetos. Get it through their heads, they are better off feeding their kid actual food instead of cheetos and cooking meals and not buying store made macaroni. Cook things from scratch, not buying processed foods or frozen meals.
                            LivingAlmostLarge Blog

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by LivingAlmostLarge View Post
                              People think buying organic crap is great, but this mom tells me "it's organic pirate's booty." Seriously? It's an organic CHEETOS! Great, it's still a frigging cheetos. Get it through their heads, they are better off feeding their kid actual food instead of cheetos and cooking meals and not buying store made macaroni. Cook things from scratch, not buying processed foods or frozen meals.
                              Very true, junk food is still junk food, it being organic only makes it like 2% "healthier" so you might as well just get the regular stuff. Eating healthy and organic at the same time is beneficial though. And just because it's organic doesn't mean it doesn't have unnatural things in it. Organic gummy bears still have food coloring, artificial flavors, and other gunk like that in it.

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