making the change to organic: the hard truth & worth the effort

I'm always so surprised by how many people are scared of the word "organic." For 10 years now, our family has been doing the "organic" and healty eating routine, and I have people all the time ask me: What does it mean? How do I know if it's better? Is it worth the higher price? How do I get started because I feel so overwhelmed by it all? Is it really good for me? How do I do this with my Bunch since it seems like a lot of work?

But the questions and interest have started flooding in since the movie Food, Inc. became so widely popular. People are now asking, what do I eat? Since we've had many people ask on this blog (via our survey) about making the transition, I thought I'd offer up a few thoughts on this topic. We know this is not our normal conversation here, but one we wanted to address for those interested. Warning....the hard truth is ahead.  

The first thing is know this is a worthwhile endeavor to take on. Eating better and healthier food benefits everyone in your family--less health issues, better behavior, less trips to the doctor. It doesn't have to be expensive to eat well. Beans, rice, a bit of chicken and a salad is better than eating a Lean Cuisine or frozen pizza--hands down! Going through 3 gallons of milk a week for a family of 4 might set you back if you switch to organic, but the truth is we don't need to drink that much milk. Start switching over to more water and you'll find one gallon of organic milk to drink (perhaps some soy milk in the cereal) will, in the long run, be better for everyone. Same with meat. You'd be surprised how little meat we actually need to eat each day.

A big thing to note as well: This is not about losing weight. Healthy, smart eating isn't a diet program. Organic food isn't low in fat or calories. A bag of organic tortilla chips will get you just as fat as a regular one. However, that corn used for the chips wasn't sprayed with pesticides.

HOW TO GET STARTED: The easiest way to get started is to read up on the topic. Ominvore's Dilemna by Michael Pollan is about all you need to get the gist of what you should and shouldn't eat. But it's a bit of a long read for us Bunchers so the Cliff's Notes version is Food Rules by the same author. Seriously, you can read it while watching both your kids eat. If you follow these very basic rules most days, you're good to go. [My favorite rule: #2 Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.]

Next take a look at your pantry. This was where our family started 10 years ago. Take everything in a box out and start looking at ingredients. You need to know words like "partially hydrogenated oil" or "high fructose corn syrup" or "Yellow No. 5." Things with preservatives like this are not food. They taste yummy and your kids love them because they have fun characters on them. But they are not food and not good for you body. My suggestion is throw it out and don't buy it again. Yes, even the peanut butter. (Peanut butter should have no more than 3 ingredients--peanuts, oil and salt--anything beyond that it junk.)

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO START: If you are looking to make a change in what you eat, anywhere you start is a good start--milk, meat, fish, snack food, organic veggies, chicken, eggs. Organic milk means you reduce the amount hormones you put into you and your children. Grassfed meat, also no hormones, and it actually tastes better. My suggestion is start small. Our house started with organic milk, no preservatives or dyes in snack food, lunch meat, breads and eggs from free range hens. That was it. About 4-5 years ago, we've moved to more naturally handled meat (grass-fed beef, free range chicken and wild-caught fish). In the past year, we've made the transition to organic and/locally grown veggies.

CAN YOU DO THIS WITH YOUR BUNCH? The answer is yes! Our house doesn't have Goldfish crackers or fruit snacks. My kids, while they enjoy these on occassion at friends' houses, do not get these at home. We have raisins, nuts, cheese, carrots, hummus, pita chips, tortilla chips, homemade trail mix of cereals and dried fruit, preztels, etc. While I prefer to make my own chicken strips or pizza, I find Trader Joes has LESS processed food than the regular store at a good price. We don't buy in bulk because I want my kids to think of these "kid foods" as a treat and not a routine meal.

There are a million excuses to not do this, but a million reasons to do it.

I feel so passionate about this cause that I'm going to giveaway a copy of Michael Pollan's Food Rules. If you're interested in changing your food routine or already have, leave me a note here to be entered to win the book. Let me know A) what food change you want to make or B) which one was the toughest to make or C) what question you have on the topic. We'll pick a winner on May 11.

Comments

[Susan]

I am always trying to make the better more organic choices, but when reading the article my stomach dropped thinking of a world without goldfish...that scares me. The book sounds extremely informative and interesting, something I'd like to read.

[Baby Bunching]

A world without Goldfish is a hard world. It was a rough, rough few months. But now they think Goldfish are the coolest crackers ever. Side note: I gave up the Goldfish because of where I found them....ground up in tampons in my purse. The food part was a bit of an afterthought. I was really just tired of finding orange crackers in everything! :-)

[Julie]

After watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, I am trying to buy healthier foods for our family (even bought pretzels instead of potato chips for myself this week). All the hormones in milk scare me now that we have a little girl. But, as a SAHM of two, who is hoping to convince hubby to go for three, I'm scared that our grocery bill will end up shocking us all even more if we switch to organic.

[Amanda]

Awesome! Expensive but totally worth it! My children have been almost 100% organic since they were conceived and we can see the results in that they have NEVER been on antibiotics in two and a half years (we have twins).

We do grass-fed beef from a local farmer, organic whole chickens from Trader Joe's (expensive but worth it if you make your own organic chicken stock from the carcass), dried organic beans from the bulk section of Whole Foods (actually quite cheap that way!), goat milk and cheese (goats are never fed hormones or antibiotics, at least not yet), convenience foods from Trader Joe's like organic 100% fruit leather, rice crackers, hummus, etc. We are not 100% organic because even Whole Foods in our area has stopped stocking some organic produce, but when there are no other choices, we buy produce from the "Clean 15" list from EWG (a list of the produce types with lowest pesticide residue) rather than the "Dirty Dozen."

Big change I would like to make: I want to grow my own organic produce in my backyard: spinach, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes. I have a great spot to do it, but I need to find some time in the schedule to make it happen. Expecting #3 in October and I'm just not sure it will happen this year without some help. I am thinking about asking the retired lady down the street to help me. Please enter me in the book contest!

[Baby Bunching]

Amanda, were doing grow your own this year, too. I have a brown thumb, but Im convinced I can do this. Were starting small with a teeny garden and I hope by next year, I can grow a good part of what we eat. Plus, I think its good for the kids to learn about eating from what we can produce ourselves. If I can just keep the dog from digging up the squash plants!!! Good luck to you, too.

[Natasha]

This topic immediately grabbed my attention. I'd love to start eating more organically, but have been a little bit unsure how to even begin. After reading your brief summary of the book, I have a starting point. I'd love to have an actual copy of the book to learn more!

[Brenda]

we are hoping to do this over the next year - but will require a huge change for us - Giving up the horrible eggo waffles and processed oatmeal is going to be the hardest for me - but we've started slowly with the meat area... This book would help me to understand how to make the changes and what to avoid. Thanks for the giveway!

[Tricia]

I choose organic whenever I can and scour ingredient labels. Our family eats real foods and avoids the junk. However, the most difficult switch for us is milk. I buy milk that comes from cows not treated with hormones. With three kids we go through almost a gallon everyday. They drink milk and water and nothing else. A glass of milk with meals and I use it to make morning oatmeal. At any rate, I"d love to add the book to my library so we can continue to make good choices.

[Baby Bunching]

Wow, Tricia! That IS a lot of milk and with #4 on the way I imagine thats hard to swallow. With the 4 of us we go through a gallon a week, but hubby doesnt drink it. However, we do go through about 3 $5 cartons of plain Greek yogurt a week.  --Linda

[Mara]

I can answer A, B & C!
A) what food change you want to make-
I want to have a garden this year AND can tomatoes. My sister has done it, but I'm a complete newbie!

B) which one was the toughest to make- I've been doing baby steps (the only way I can make ANY changes it seems) and the one I've started with is no HFCS. It's in EVERYTHING (or so it seems)

C) what question you have on the topic-
how do I get my midwestern, I LOVE MEAT, hubby on board. He seems to think the "food revolution" is a vast left wing conspiracy (well, not completely, but you get my drift)

[Cara Fox]

I have seriously been making fun of Linda for her eating habits for a decade and now I'm eating my words (haha). Food, Inc. is next on my Netflix cue so I haven't seen that yet and we're definitely not as bad as the Food Revolution town, but I know we've got a loooong way to go.

I started within the past year with our bread products and peanut butter and have really improved on our snack and cereal situations. This past weekend after talking with some friends visiting from the UK, I made the decision that milk and eggs have to be next for us - ugh.

We're getting ready to move and I have high hopes for a vegetable and herb garden in my next home, despite the fact that I can barely keep a houseplant alive. I really want to eat more locally but can't ever seem to get my crap together enough to make the separate trip to the once-a-week farmer's market we have here, so that's another clear next step to work towards.

I do feel like it is both harder and more expensive but I also know it needs to be done. Since I'm not eligible for the giveaway copy of Food Rules, can I borrow your personal copy, Lindy? You pseudo-converted me to your vaccination ways - maybe there is hope here, too. : )

[Liz]

I would love to start a veggie garden but it seems like an extremely daunting task. Also I have 3 big dogs and would they get into it? Do I have to build a big veggie box in the ground or can I do it in pots? I'm too overwhelmed to start.

Winning this book would be terrific!

[Kelly]

The longer I'm a parent, the more hippie I get. :) (In a totally awesome way) I just switched to cloth diapers too.

The food issue is one that has been weighing on my mind for a while now. I'd like to start making some changes, but it seems like I always cheap out. I did stop buying fruit snacks though, except for an occassional Annie's fruit bunnies which I *think* are better. I also switched to Annie's mac & cheese instead of Kraft. I need to learn more about it though, and probably need to stop shopping at super walmart.
I've been thinking about a garden, but I'm lost on how to go about it!

[MaryBeth @ Four Silly Sisters]

We have a salad garden... several types of lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes, and this year we have a "subscription" to a local farm for 5 portions of organically grown veggies/fruits weekly.

Our family has a goal of finding at least one new fruit and one new veggie that we each like over the summer.

We're making baby steps to change our eating habits.

[Katie]

This topic totally intimidates me. For one, the thought of the grocery bill is terrifying- our grocery bills are high enough and we don't do organic! Also, how do you have enough time?? I'm sure once you make it part of your routine it's easy, but I have to admit I do feed my kids crappy, processed foods like goldfish, fruit snacks, frozen dinners etc. because they are easy and fast- especially when we're on the go. Not a good excuse, but it's true.

I like the idea of doing it one step at a time- I would love to switch over milk and meat. I never even thought of soy milk in the cereal. What a good idea. Baby steps...

[Ashleigh]

I wouldn't call my household anywhere near organic yet but we have made some small changes. I used to rely on boxed meals a lot because they were so fast and easy. I'm talking Hamburger Helper and those Oven kits and such but now I buy the ingredients to make these easy recipes myself and they taste a whole lot better! I also try to buy organic produce when I can but it's hard on the budget sometimes.

[Jenny N]

We made all of #1's baby food and plan to do so with #2. We still need to work on our own food, but now that #1 eats what we eat, it becomes more of a priority to eat better as a family. Thanks!

[Cara Fox]

Jenny - it's funny you mention that. I made all my own baby food with #1 and I remember that's when I started being acutely aware of what I was putting in my own body. I found myself wondering why certain foods were good enough for me to eat myself, but they weren't good enough for me to give my baby. Made me realize I needed to make some changes in our family diet before he became old enough to be a part of it!

[megan p]

I gave my three kids organic baby food when they were in that stage. I also give them organic milk (funny thing is that I buy the "regular" milk for my husband and myself). The cost of the milk is shocking, I actually try not to think of it as we go through at least 2 gallons of Organic and 2 gallons of regular a week ($17 for the organic versus about $4 for the regular!!). I would like to learn more about how to get into organic meats and which foods are a "must" for organic and which ones aren't as important.

[Amy L.]

I'm making the effort to incorporate more organic as well, but find the snack foods the hardest. I need to get more creative and add a little variety. Where I get bored is when I tend to fall off the organic wagon.

[Kim]

I have been thinking about switching over to organic milk, but with four kids under age 5 I am not sure we can swing it. I like the idea of using more water. I am going to try it next time I am at the store. My question is what about breakfast cereals. My kids eat cheerios religiously and what about juice for them?

[marla]

i think that we will switch to organic fruit and veg. first. just starting small. i was going to start with milk, but there is where my question for you is. i was looking up the regulations for milk. here is what i found (not sure if true or not did not do much "research") that milk can be labeled organic if it contains no growth hormone, and the cow when on antibiotics is set to pasture for one year. at most of our grocery stores the milk is labeled growth hormone free and it is supposedly tested to be free of antibiotics before using that cow for milk. am i missing something, because with this info it sounds like just about any milk can be labeled organic. i would love the book to find out more. now that the little ones are one and two i am finding i have a little more time to myself :)

[Holly]

I would like to start purchasing more organic and local products. We only buy organic milk but then I think - what about yogurt, 1/2 & 1/2, cheese? Why have I not committed to at least all organic dairy? The hardest to give up will be the fast, processed food that we shouldn't be eating in the first place.

[Baby Bunching]

Liz (and others who have asked), we have a fellow Buncher who just submitted a post on starting a garden with your kids. She has provided some incredible tips on how to start doing this with baby and todler. She is the one who inspired me to give this a try this summer. Well post it on Monday.

 

[star s.]

I think foods like tomatoes are high in pesticides so i use canned organic tomato sauce for cooking..always. i also think grapes are high in pesticides so i ALWAYS go organic for those. once i accidently grabbed the regular ones & i swear they made my throat burn!!
i do regualr bananas i feel that the peel makes them safer.
i would like to be more carefull with the meats i feed my fam.
-Star..mom of 2 (4 months & 22 months)

[Meg]

I have found that for me the hardest part of eating better is when I am out of the house with the kids. For example - the 3 & 1 yo and I were at a far-from-home playground after a visit to the library.
I was famished - now this is when I used to do fast food, but now I either need to have some heavy duty snacks around or had packed a cooler (and this was a totally last minute outing). I had neither, so we went to a pizzeria and sat at a table. It was nice. I guess I'd love more healthy drive-thru or similar options. Our favorite meal out is rice and beans but not as easy to find a Mexican place as it is fast food chain.

[PattiParks]

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