Buying/Eating Organic:

How many of you buy/eat organic food products? Like milk, fruit and meats?

Message edited 1/28/2008 6:36:39 PM.

Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

I've been doing it lately, well mostly since new years.

Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

i only buy organic milk, i get 1% and its tastes creamy unlike regular 1% which tastes like water, i try to buy fruit veggies and meat organic but its not as easy in the regular supermarket, but when i order fresh direct i always get the organic i have been doing this for over a year now

Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

I do. I don't buy milk or eat meat, but we buy most of our fruits and veggies organic, as well as whatever processed/packaged foods we can. DH eats chicken and eggs and we buy those organic, vegetarian fed, cage free.

I find that, for the most part, organic (produce, at least) doesn't cost that much more than traditionally grown.

I also make an effort to buy local as much as possible.

Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

Milk, eggs and meat always. Veggies and fruits when I can (not often though).

But I do eat out and not worry about it. I just figure if I can cut back when at home, that is better than nothing.

I don't want to get obsessed about it though, since it is not easy to eat like that and still eat out/at family's house, etc.

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I do. I also buy for DS. I am getting DH on board with some things, but he HATES that it is so much more expensive for certain things, like salmon.

I buy as much organic as I can. I even have gum from Wild by Nature

Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

I try to buy everything organic and as local as possible. I love Organic the farmstand in the summer!! I will always buy organic dairy, veggies and fruits when available. I even go so far as to get organic boxed goods, especially anything my children may eat (which seems like everything these days)

Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

We do..

I dont do milk..Well I do in a creamer for coffee, but I mostly use Soy milk.

Organic meats are mostly all we use, although sometimes we slip, eating out we will eat whatever.

My son though eats only organic so far and I will do all I can to keep it that way.

I try to buy everything organic, but Obviously thats hard , but do it when they have it.

Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

We buy only organic dairy, chicken and beef, all of which I order from Freshdirect in bulk. I also try to do organic potatoes and apples.

Generally, I try to go for organic everything but it is not always possible for many reasons like availability and price.

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I have been buying more of my fruit and veggies organic mostly b/c DS is big enough to start eating some of this now. I haven't made the move to organice meats or dairy yet (except for DS's yo baby yogurt).

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I buy all of my produce and dairy from a local farm, it does not get much more organic than that. I can taste the difference, too.

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We try to eat organic when possible. But for DD, she gets organic formula and only organic fruits/veggies (jars plus I'm going to make my own w/organic veggies). It's important to me to keep it up as long as I can with her, and to incorporate as much into DH & my diets as well.

ETA: We're signed up with BIL/SIL for a veggie co-op from an organic farmstand out east this summer...VERY excited!!

Message edited 1/28/2008 9:48:31 PM.

Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

I look for organic first when I buy fruits, veggies, and fruit. If they have the organic, I'll get that instead.

We also are trying very hard to eat only whole and fresh foods. We are really trying not to eat so much processed food and preservatives / chemicals.

Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

I taught a class on this.

Read Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma - really really really good and explains all this.

The organic label can be very deceiving regarding protein. For fruits/veggies - it's GREAT.

For Beef - it's MUCH better to buy meat from cows that are strictly GRASS FED (which may not make them organic, as the grass may have non organic fertilizer, etc.)

If beef is labeled 'organic' and is not labeled 'grass fed' then the cow was fed organic grain/corn, etc. which is not natural or best for the cow. Cows should eat grass - period. It's actually better for the cow and for our health - buy 'grass fed.' If a cow is not grass fed, then the cow most likely spent every minute of its life indoors.

All eggs are organic - but only eggs listed as 'cage free' mean that the chickens were not kept locked in cages (sometimes 9 to a cage), sitting in their own feces. laying eggs. Not all chickens can thrive in these cages, so some are killed by the other birds to make room.

For chicken - what's most important is to eat 'free range' chicken - some of these organic farms feed the birds a chemical free diet - but keep them confined (in the thousands) inside a barn/feeding shed that is WAY too small - so they are all being poisoned by the methane/fecal matter in the air that cannot escape. This is not organic practice at all.

Avoid factory farming - it is one of the the BIGGEST environmental threat we have in this country - worse than air conditioning.

I'll NEVER eat Tyson foods again - they have done unbelievable environmental damage (see Peter Singer's book- the ethics of what we eat)

free range, cage free and grass fed trump 'organic' meat any day of the week.

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Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

I like to buy Organic, however I draw the line when my local vegan/organic supermarket is selling organic fruit thats grown in Chile and Peru. They find that their customers want it, so they buy it...but what a conundrum!!!

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I try to buy anything that says organic that I can find in the regular supermarket.

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Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

I do it as much as I can, buying in bulk helps, last year we bought 1/2 a cow from an organic farmer who was moving to FL. (a friend bought the other half) although Sir Loin (as he was named) is almost gone, so we have to look for another famer... We grow lots of our own veggies and herbs, so we know what goes on those :)

In the winter I have to buy fresh and when the prices allow I do buy organic. For packaged foods like beans and pasta the cost differnece isn't too bad. It's the fresh stuff that seems to kill the wallet.

ETA. I agree with the free range and grass fed discussion. The only thing is you may have to get used to the quality of the meat, it is a little tougher because the animals are using their muscles. Teh cow we bought was grass fed and roamed in a pasture, the meat is good, but definately a litter tougher and stronger in flavor.

Message edited 1/29/2008 7:45:21 AM.

Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

We don't buy organic milk since DH is lactose intolerant.

But, I do buy organic grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, and just started with cleaning supplies whenever available.

Re: Buying/Eating Organic:

We do - we don't eat meat, but we buy mostly organic for any dairy and produce we eat.

I buy a lot of stuff at Trader Joe's and from March through November we are part of a organic farm co-op - they deliver a bag of fresh, organic produce from a small local farm to our neighborhood every Tuesday.