Should I pay to eat Organic?

When buying produce, you happen to see a sign that says Organic and then you see the price which is usually a $0.50 to $1+ more than the non-organic version and you do one of two things. One is walk away and pick up the non-organic product since it hits your wallet less or you buy it because you want to reap the perceived health benefits of eating organic. Is either decision the best one for you? Let’s find out.

Organic implies that the food was processed to meet safe animal welfare, meet soil quality guidelines, and does not use synthetic chemicals and pesticides. Just by knowing this simplified definition, it might encourage to purchase organic products. Keep in mind the best benefits of eating organic come from leading a thorough organic lifestyle–you can’t pick and choose organic products and incorporate them into your diet and expect to see huge changes if everything else is not organic. Obviously, limitations of eating organic tend to be driven by price point as organic products are more expensive. Personally, I tend to buy organic veggies when I can because I would like the most beneficial nutrients from them but this I do in conjunction with my non-organic products. I do expect prices to come down for organic products in the future as demand increases (supply and demand economics, right?) but until that happens, I will dabble in this organic lifestyle.

How can you tell if something is organic? Look for labels that say USDA Organic or Certified Organic but be careful because you can now find labels that say Made With Organic Ingredients which does not mean the product is completely organic but rather has organic ingredients in it.  In other words, these products tend to have at least 70% organic ingredients while the remainder are made without using prohibited practices (synthetic pesticides, GMO, etc.) and can have ingredients that would not be allowed in 100% organic products. Also, remember organic products must not be genetically modified but that does not mean all non-GMO products are organic. Other ways to tell is if an organic certification body such as QAI, NFC, NCO, etc. are mentioned on the label. 

If you are satisfied with knowing that your product is coming from an organic farm and animal welfare is kept in mind and no synthetic chemicals are being used, then your next deciding factor as to why to eat organic is what can it do for me health-wise and where can i buy it? You can buy organic products at your local farmer’s market (best since you are helping the local farmer and your community) as well as most grocery stores today like Aldi’s, Whole Foods, Publix, Walmart, etc. as well as online markets like Brandless https://brandless.com/ and Thrive Market https://thrivemarket.com/. If you Google why to eat or organic or organic benefits, you’ll see many of what I’m discussing now but the main one that comes to mind for me is that I’m not ingesting as many chemicals in my food when I eat organic. Since the chemicals are not present, you are more likely getting the full amount of nutrients you need. Plus, not only are you supporting farmers and animals when eating organic, you are also helping our environment since organic ingredients and produce must adhere to strict guidelines. 

Eating organic can hit your wallet so if you choose to dive in, remember the benefits above and you will be happy knowing that you are helping your body as well as your community/farmers!

 Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.