Organic Foods -
Are they all they're cracked up to be?

So what does the organic foods label mean, anyway?

And do the benefits really outweigh the higher costs?

Is there an alternative to organic that can save you money and be just as good for you? (spoiler alert! Yes - keep reading!)

Let’s delve into these topics a little deeper...

The Definition of Organic Foods

Here are clear, concise, easy-to-understand definitions:

Organic produce must be grown WITHOUT human waste, sewage sludge, chemical pesticides, food additives, and ionizing radiation. They are also not allowed to be genetically modified (no GMO).

Organic meats come from livestock that have not been routinely given antibiotics (they only get them when they are sick) and have never been given growth hormones. They also must be given organic feed.

Why learn about the definition of organic foods? So you know what you're putting in your grocery cart and on your family's table.

The Benefits of Going Organic

You see where I'm going with this, right? Conventionally grown food is allowed to be grown with those things I mentioned above! I bet you'll be washing your produce with a little more vigor from now on!

Believe it or not, my point is not to try and gross you out, but to give you a glimpse of how withdrawn we've become from knowing how our food is grown.

I'm not talking about smaller scale farms, but the gigantic ones that stop at nothing to make the biggest profit possible. Without any regard to your health!

After all, why should giant farms:

• Put expensive compost down that will enrich the soil when they can fertilize with inexpensive sewage sludge?
• Worry about growing strong plants that can fend off pests when they can dump pesticides on them?
• Concern themselves with how clean the harvested food is when they can skip the hygiene and nuke it with radiation?
• Produce food that tastes good when they can inject it with chemical additives that have been formulated to taste like the specific food?

So you see, even when you buy organic food in small amounts, it still sends a message to these big companies that we care about how our food is grown and prepared.

It's a win-win for us as consumers. Because along with telling giant food companies that we want higher-quality food, we also see other great benefits. Here are the big ones:

• reducing toxins and other substances that depress your immune system and overall health
• ensuring a safer, more nutritious food supply
• cleaning up the environment for future generations

Are there Alternatives to Organic?

Some organic foods are not any better for you than their non-organically labeled competitors. You just need to know which of those foods to buy...and herein lies the secret!

You'll be getting all the benefits of organics, but with a lower price tag!

Why is this? Because the U.S. Congress declared in 2002 that farmers selling more than $5,000 worth of produce every year must not use the "organic" label unless they are certified by the USDA's National Organic Program.

Doesn't sound like a bad thing, you say? And on the surface you are certainly right. We need accountability. It is unfortunate, but you just can't trust people to sell what they claim.

But upon closer inspection of this USDA program, you'll discover that it really only benefits the large farms. A lot of small farms growing food organically have been left out in the cold.

Organic certification is expensive and the mounds of bureaucratic paperwork that come with it is just too much for most small, diversified family farms. Even though they choose to grow crops with safe, natural methods.

And because of the National Organic Program, small organic farmers cannot label their meats and produce with the organic label consumers are looking for.

What to do? Check out alternative certification programs geared toward smaller-scale farms, like the non-profit organization Certified Naturally Grown. From their site you can also link to their UK partner, Wholesome Food Association.

And don't forget to try shopping where organic products originated! At farmers' markets and, when possible, at local farms.

Although these farmers cannot call their products "organic," you can directly talk to them about how they grow their food.

How to know if they are telling you the truth? Yes, you can't be positive. But a good gauge is to ask to see their farm - even if you have no interest in going. Farmers with nothing to hide would be happy to show you around their farms.

And because they do not have to pass on to the consumer the high prices associated with organic certification, you'll get fresh, natural, nutritious food at an affordable price!

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