Fact vs. Hype About Organic Foods

Organic foods are surrounded by what may seem like a lot of hype – and some of it is. Green is the new black, so food companies that hop on the bandwagon can expect to benefit, but that doesn’t mean consumers always reap the rewards. Following are some facts you should know about organic foods.

HYPE: If you don’t buy everything organic, your whole family will suffer needlessly from pesticide exposure.

Buying everything in organic form is not for the faint of heart or short of cash. Organics can be pricey and making all those decisions about which organics are best is complicated. If you want to avoid the bulk of pesticides and other chemicals, make sure you always buy the following in organic form:

The dirty dozen: This list is the worst of the worst when it comes to produce. If your family eats these items all the time, buy them in organic form. Click here to see the other foods you should almost always buy in organic form. The list in the previous link seems long, but it actually is pretty small. If something is not on the list, it’s fine to buy it in conventional form and save your money for the worst pesticide offenders.

FACT: Many organic foods are certified for quality.

This is a fact – IF you know which label to look for. If you see the words USDA Organic or USDA Certified Organic on a food item, it’s certified to be at least 95% organic. Besides ensuring organic quality, this label also means the item has not been genetically altered or treated with radiation. It also ensures that meats do not contain growth hormones or antibiotics. Other labels you may see don’t mean as much and some mean nothing. If you want true organic quality, look for the USDA organic seal. Learn more: How To Read Organic Food Labels.

HYPE: Organics are the healthiest foods to eat.

Organics tend to be equated with perfectly healthy eating and that’s just not true. Yes, organics are healthy in that they don’t expose you to harmful toxins, but pesticides and chemicals are only ONE part of the healthy food picture. Organic foods can still be high in fat, high in calories, and loaded with salt. When considering healthy eating or planning your diet, don’t use organics as a catch all for health. Organic companies promote “healthy” but it’s not true from a whole life standpoint.

From time to time we’ll look at more organic hype vs. facts – there’s a lot going around.

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