Organic~SchmOrganic! The Great "O" debate!

So, this one is a tough one~I've always laughed at the very few of my friends who ate "organic" and thought they were a tad on the nutty side. Who would spend that much money on food and then turn around and tell you about it~Oh, we eat Organic? Little did I know~I would become "that person"! Yikes! 

There's so much information out there, so many opinions, so I sat down at the computer and did my research on just what this Organic thing is all about. This quest began when my husband, who has been grocery shopping with me a handful of times in 11 years, wanted to try the milk with the cows on it.  Now, me being the shopper of the family, I almost had a heart attack~$4.69 for a HALF gallon of milk? Was HE nutty? I got in trouble for bringing home the Publix brand milk because I couldn't bear the thought of paying 4 bucks for a gallon of Mayfield...LOL! I'm not a milk drinker myself so it really didn't matter one way or the other to me.  Of course, I said "sure" since he rarely  asks for anything specific from the store.  His reaction was~"Don't every buy regular milk again. This tastes just like milk did when I was a kid".....So, little did I know, that expensive milk would change our lives!!

As I have said before~people do more research on electronics and everything in between but then turn around and buy whatever food is on sale because it has a coupon.  Funny thing is, you won't find coupons for the healthy stuff, that's for sure. Trust me,I about drove myself crazy trying to. The first objective I hear is that "we can't afford to eat organic".  Hey, I used to think we couldn't afford to eat organic either but let me tell ya~we can't afford not to. I tell this to my hair clients all of the time~that pair of shoes or purse that you spend a fortune on is an accessory and your hair you wear every single day. Same goes for the food we put into our bodies.  We need the best we can afford.  Besides~Target has CUTE purses for CHEAP!

Now, I am not saying for you to throw out all of your food and hop on the organic train. What I am saying is for you to do your due diligence and at least research it. Especially if you have children. The foods that we eat today is nothing like the food we ate when we were kids.  Everything does not have to be organic and you will eat yourself out of house and home if you even go there.  There are, however, certain foods that you really should buy organic. My rule of thumb is this:
 I follow the Dirty Dozen List, anything that I eat the skin to, and most of my animal products.  Here's the list of foods that are high in Pesticides~SCARY!!

The Dirty Dozen: 

Apples

Celery (who knew)

Strawberries and other berries

Peaches

Spinach, lettuce, Kale, Collards

Nectarines

Grapes

Red/Yellow/Orange Bell Peppers

Potatoes 

Sweet Potatoes (I do only b/c I eat the skin)

Milk

Coffee

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#fbIndex1

Check out the link and it'll will tell you WHY!! I will also have a permanent link to this and some other sites on organic eating on the blog.  We eat organic eggs, chicken (regular chicken makes me gag~it's sooo different), grass fed beef, local pork, milk, all cheese products, jelly (it's made from berries & grapes), and bananas.  Yes, bananas~they just taste better and last longer ~@ .88 per lb. it really isn't a big deal.

So, open your mind and at least look into it. You will be shocked at what happens to our food before we consume it~I was floored. If you stick to the basics then you'll be fine. Now, listen, I"m not trying to sell you on the fact that you must  eat organic in order to be healthy~I'm just saying that from what I've learned~it's worth it in our family. I use coupons on CLOTHES so that we can put our money where it matters.  We really don't spend more on groceries because A) I shop at Whole Foods where organics are their specialty (they are MUCH cheaper, contrary to popular belief) and B) I don't buy the junk food anymore ~so really our bill is about the same. We do spend more money on certain things~I'm not saying it's cheap but when you buy the good stuff and avoid the other stuff, it all balances out!

I hope this at least gets you thinking~I encourage you to go with what you believe is best for your family~This is something that I could go on and on about as I have learned so much  but I don't want to shove my beliefs down your throat~Do your homework. The information that I have found out has been a real eye opener  and believe it or not, the hubby is on board~he thinks it tastes much better also!

Hope you guys are enjoying the recipes & staying on track! I'll have the links up to some of my favorite sites for info just as soon as I can!! 

Until next time~

Jess~