Buy Organic or Not?

It’s well known that organic foods can be better for you because they don’t contain added chemicals, pesticides, and hormones. Unfortunately, organic foods usually cost more than conventional foods, and it can be difficult to distinguish between the different types of organic labels. My budget doesn’t allow me to buy all organic, but I try to buy some foods in organic, as I can tell a noticeable difference in how I feel when I eat more organic foods (though that may not be the case for everyone I’m sure). Usually, if I see an organic product that’s close in price to the conventional product, I’ll go for the organic.

Types of Organic Labels

According to a news release issued by the Organic Trade Association, there are three main types of organic labels:

• 100% Organic: products are made with 100% organic ingredients (excluding water and salt)
• Organic: 95% or more of the ingredients used are organic. The ingredients listed as organic have to be all organic (not a combination of organic and non-organic), and the remaining ingredients have to be natural ingredients that aren’t available in organic
• Made with Organic: The contents of the product are 70 to 95% organic (Givens, H., 2006).

I also learned through a course that I took on sustainable agriculture, that products can be “organically grown”, meaning that they have been grown using organic standards. However, to meet the requirements of the FDA, products have to organically grown for a period of seven years before they can be “certified organic”.

Buying Organic On A Budget

The article, Buying Organic Food on a Budget, states that the best foods to buy in organic are meat and dairy products. It goes on to state that the following conventional fruits and vegetables contain the highest level of pesticides, and therefore may be good to buy in organic: peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots, and pears (Beattie, L., 2009).

In my personal experience, I’ve found that organic meat and dairy products are typically the most expensive things to buy in organic, but once in awhile I’ll find a good buy on those products and go with organic. I’m usually able to find organic produce, cereal products, and yogurt at a reasonable price. I watch for sales and keep an eye out for coupons. If I find a product that I really like, I also try to check the manufacturer’s website, and a lot of times they will have coupons available. I can’t think of anymore tips to offer right now, but if I do I’ll be sure to post them.