Organic Foods - what are they really?

[OCsunshine]

So I am thrilled because today I found an organic food store in my area. It's been here for a while, but I thought it was like a plain GNC store. But it's actually much more like a grocery store, I was SO excited!!!

They have organic peanut butter, organic pasta, organic pasta sauce, organice this and that....

So my question is, what does "organic" really mean? Does that mean it's not processed? It's not filled with preservatives? Is it more "pure" than what you buy at the local grocery store?

I love the "idea" of eating organic food (I love the taste of 'odd' things like hummus and sprouts and whole grain foods) but am not sure if it's really helpful to my health or just a trendy thing.

Any ideas?

PS- While we're on the topic, does anyone have any favorite foods they have found in organic stores? I am ready to experiment!

[Lukkychrm42]

According to recent government regulations, organic foods (ones that have the USDA certified organic labels) have a majority of ingredients (don't remember the percentage.. 75% or more?) grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

That being said, among companies selling organic foods, there tends to be a draw toward more natural ingredients, whole foods (unprocessed, close to original form), and fewer or no additives, preservatives, etc.

Health food stores tend to carry a wide variety of foods, particularly specialty products and ethnic food ingredients.

I love hummus, veggie booty, alternative baking company cookies, tofurkey slices, veganaise, rudi's og bakery breads, silk soy yogurt, bearitos refried black beans, crunchy sprouts, amy's no chicken noodle soup, etc. Lots of these can also be found in larger grocery stores, too.

It's trendy to a lot of people, but there's also something to be said for eating more whole grains, veg, fruits, beans, etc. Plus if you're buying organic eggs, cheese, and meats and stuff like that, there's an idea of being more 'humane' and being free of things like growth hormones and antibiotics.

[Poohbear]

I buy a good number of organic foods and I like them all much better than the "regular" foods.

One thing I notice a lot....I find the eggs and the hormone range free meats taste so much better and fresher. The meats are more tender and my tummy seems to digest them much better

[labas_2u@shaw.ca]

Hi Sunshine

Organic Foods...YES!!!

Organic foods around here are defined as chemical and pesticide free.

The soil that certified organics are grown in have to have been cleared of all chemical and pesticide residue for at least 7 years. Organic meat, eggs and dairy products are produced from animals that have been fed only organic feed. Fruit and vegies are left to ripen on their own instead of chemically induced ripening or sprayed with colours to look good and more inviting. You get the 'real deal'

We grow organic vegies in our yard and there is a big difference between store bought and organic. They are much richer in flavour and you can't beat the health benefits. Organics are more expensive and we cannot afford to be totally organic but I think that even some helps give our poor broken bodies a chemical break.

We don't use that many tomatoes in the winter time because nobody in our house likes them. They taste like cardboard but, in the summer.....we eat tomatoes almost every day and other goodies from the garden!

My kids eat the tomatoes from our garden like apples!

I enjoy getting outside in the spring/summer and fall and puttering away in the garden and then eating my 'fruits of my labour' for supper.

My husband does any manual labour required and I do the tending to look after it. I think it's also a great reason to get outside in the nice weather and just mosey around. Most of our garden beds are built up so I can sit on the side and weed or whatever else is needing doing.

Because we don't use chemicals...we get a lot of small wildlife in our yard and we enjoy watching them from our deck. It makes for a relaxing evening.

Even if you have a small yard or an apartment balcony...you grow your vegies in containers...we have multiple containers on our deck of peppers, lettuces and cherry tomatoes. The herbs smell wonderful in the evening and are great for cooking!!!

Sorry to ramble and go a little off topic but it is a great hobby and the bonus is chemical free food!!

Spring is coming guys..........

[janineerrn]

I buy organic. We have chickens so our eggs are wonderful. I drink organic soy milk and buy locally made butter. I sweeten stuff with local honey. I can and freeze a lot of the stuff we grow here on our little farm. In the summer you can walk through our yard and eat. We have blueberries, strawberries, razberries, apple, peach, plum, and pear trees, oh and the tart cherry tree and the fig tree. We grow everything from tomatoes to watermelon in the garden, lots of squahes too. The climate here is great, there is only abut 2 months where I really cant grow much. The lettuces pretty much grows all year long, and the peas and the squash and the spinach. Potatoes, onions, garlic.......

If I can t eat it I juice it...

Going to the store consists of going to the co-op to buy whole grain flours, dried beans etc... all organically grown. Its not real expensive. The expensive part is the meat. We buy from a local butcher and the beef, chicken, pork, is raised local and organically.

For those of you who garden, a great natural pesticide... pull up nettle leaves and put it in a barrel with water and cover. Let it ferment. Its high in nitrogen for your plants and the bugs hate it, keeps off fungus, blight etc.. too. I actually pull up nettle roots and all and let it grow near the compost pile. i put the fermented solution in a sprayer and spray everything in the garden.

Ok rambling here. I just think its important to eat natural whole foods when possible, rather than trying to get nutrients from vitamins.

Peace

Janine