Why Organic Matters…

When it comes to food, knowing what you are putting inside your body is important.  Moreover, once your child comes into the picture, his or her health and development becomes the number one priority. Naturally, you look for the best food options out there for your baby. And that is when the word “organic” comes into the picture. However, it is a fact that organic foods, whether it’s bananas or milk, tend to cost more. So that makes you wonder, “Is organic really worth it?...”

To understand if organic food is really worth our money, we must first recognize what the term “organic” actually means. Simply put, “organic” refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed.

Organic foods are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, or ionizing radiation. Moreover, organic foods are not grown from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In addition, animals that produce organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.  So, organic food is not about the potential for higher nutrition, as some may believe. The core benefits of what organic is all about lies in the following: removing harmful chemicals, pesticides, and toxins from our food.

While the reality remains that we cannot limit all of our children’s exposures to toxins in the environment, we do have a say in the food they eat. Choosing to eat “organic” gives us the opportunity to fill the bodies of our babies, as well as our own bodies with foods that are “chemical-free”.

Organic food is a healthy choice for all of us, but especially for kids. Infants and children are particularly vulnerable to chemicals for two reasons: their immune systems are still developing, and pound for pound, they are exposed to more chemical residues than adults. As well, if you think about it, babies and children tend to eat a lot more certain foods than adults – for example, bananas or apples. Feeding our babies organic foods limits their exposure to chemicals during the most sensitive time of their lives and supports their developing body and brain by protecting them from susceptibility to harmful substances.

So, is organic really worth it? If we want only the best for our children and ourselves, then yes, organic is really worth the cost, because it is one of the best choices we can make for the health of our loved ones.