It's easy "being green" – at least when it comes to buying organic food, which can now be found at grocery and club food stores everywhere. For years, "organic" didn't have a real meaning. That changed in 2001 when the U.S. Department of Agriculture put standards into place that regulate the production of organic food. In a nutshell, organic food is produced without using: most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. But it's also more than that – organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. It also covers how animals are raised – organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.

 

 

Cutting your family's exposure to pesticides is the greatest benefit – especially if you have small children. Pound per pound of body weight, children eat more than adults.

That, and their eating patterns – kids tend to eat the same thing over and over – make them more likely to get larger amounts of a few pesticides. There are times when a person is more vulnerable to pesticides – during the fast growth periods of infancy and childhood, puberty and pregnancy. So it makes a lot of sense to consider organic if you or your family members fall into one of those groups. Buying organic also means you are doing your part as a steward of the land since a key factor in organic farming is using environmentally friendly growing techniques. Whether organic food is more nutritious, however, continues to be a topic of debate. Researchers in Europe have found that organic foods tend to have higher levels of antioxidants like vitamin C, and higher levels of minerals like iron and magnesium.

Organic food, in general, tends to be more expensive than conventionally grown. Most people have to pick and choose which organic foods to buy. Pick organic for the produce that tends to be highest in pesticides: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, and cherries. Also consider organic for foods your child eats often – like milk or cereal. Remember that washing and scrubbing produce not only helps remove pesticides, but also bacteria.