Organic Foods
 

I know that there are a good number of vegetarians on this board, but I wanted to know something else. The FDA just mandated labels for what they deemed as "organic" (I won't repeat their definition). Maybe it's just the neighborhood I live in, but most of my friends (especially the ones who are vegetarian) are pretty into it, and shop at places like the Whole Foods Market and organic farmers' markets.

For those of you who have...what made you decide to do it? Was it easy for you to make the transition?

For those of you who haven't..why not? Organic food is expensive, and supporters say that the price often prevents families with small children (who could benefit the most from hormone free, antibiotic and pesticide-free food) from buying it.

As for me, I do it, but I think it's easier because I'm a single person and can afford to pay 50% more for my food, and because it just tastes better.

We just got a Whole Foods here in Pittsburgh. I think it was their biggest opening in company history. I went there about a week after it opened, and they had ATTENDANTS directing the traffic in the parking lot, it was so crowded.

I stopped there to check it out and get veggies for my rabbit. The produce is just beautiful - it looked like a little kid's coloring book picture of food, the colors were so vibrant. I got a few other things, and it all looked delicious, but the prices were just out of control for me. Plus I grew up in the country and fresh out of the ground food isn't this big exotic thing.

My father (who admittedly is a bit prejudiced, since he worked for a farm-supply co. and sold LOTS of chemicals and fertilizer) pointed out that if the whole country tried to go organic, we could never feed everyone, since so much of the crop would be killed by pests.

*bumping this thread because I've lately started getting more into eating organic foods

I eat organic because it tastes and looks so much better, and I like knowing that my food is safe and where it's coming from. I also don't trust things like GMO's and you don't get that with organic. I started eating more organic this year after I had gallbladder surgery and lost the only digestive organ that I could live without.

Whole Foods Market is the shiznit. Their produce and seafood has way better quality than regular grocery stores. There's also a larger variety of foods. Their buffet is cool too. It's the only buffet I would'nt mind eating from.

I help to raise my 10 year old niece and she is a hyper insulin diabetic. We have gone to organic on the advice of her endocrinologist. She told us that non organic foods,particularly meat,are loaded with hormones and can cause excess weight and height gain, early onset puberty and various other things because of the hyper insulin. She told us that basically the healthier her diet,the healthier she will be. We want her to get into good habits now so she can lead a long and healthier life.



As for cost,we find that not buying all the junk and convienence foods,evens it out. You pay a similar price for some organic fruit that you might pay for say a bag of oreos or something.

I've noticed that my local grocery store has started carrying lots of organically grown items too. Shoot, I even saw that Kellogg Raisin Bran is now organic.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/th_i...gs-organic.jpg

There are a few Whole Foods in my city but they are small. I need to search and see if we have a large one that carries more items.

I am a vegetarian (though I do eat tuna sometimes). I do try to buy organic foods whenever possible. If I do not buy the organic equivalent of a food, it is mainly due to lack of availability. That the place that sells them is totally out of my way and I have no time to go and buy it.

I love Whole Foods and Trader Joes and the like. But I can't afford it so I go there when I want a good salad, sandwich or something specific.

We try as best as we can, but when the bill gets to high we have to give in :p But, we have our own veggie garden, so that helps!

These are AWESOME:
http://www.cedarlanefoods.com/images/p0189_300.jpg

Kayla, those look amazing.

Ms. MysticCat shops at Whole Paycheck fairly regularly, although not to the exclusion of more standard grocery stores. (Or the Farmer's Market, which is her main source of fruits and vegetables.) She does get a fair amount of organic food, and I'll have to admit that I can't tell any difference at all -- either in taste or my health -- between organic and non-organic. Well, I can tell a difference in price, but that's pretty much it.

That is, except when it comes to proceesed meats like hotdogs. (We are not vegetarians, but she will get organic or "no nothing added" hotdogs, primarily to avoid the additives that might aggravate MysticCat Jrs' ADHD.) Those things are worse than the cheap bright red hotdogs. They don't just taste bad, they taste weird. Give me Nathan's or Hebrew National any day. (And I refuse to live in a world without sausage.)

picturing drunken goats now

A few summers ago I was in Denver visiting my cousin. She had started using organic fruits & veggies for a healthier lifestyle. I was a little skeptical. I mean how good can a tomato taste?!?! D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. My local grocery store has a few ogranic foods, mostly fruits & veggies, and I try to buy them whenver I can. When I was growing up my dad grew a lot of our veggies so it takes me back to my days of eating just picked yummies.

Glad I wasn't the only one. :p

tasted some organic wine at the bar once. it wasn't bad.
maybe that's why the goats love it so much.

this one time, i saw an alcoholic goat eating grapes. i was like, "dude, you have to wait." - credit: mitch hedberg

So true. And I figure that kosher has to be almost as healthy as the "healthy hotdogs." (And please, no one try to disabuse me of that idea. I want my Hebrew Nationals. :D )

The only thing that sucks about them is that they go for around $8! And that's at Wal-Mart even! :(

I did eat one of Whole Foods "take out" burritos. MMM fantastic!

/That's about as organic as I get though

I do enjoy Whole Foods as well, but more than organic, I prefer to emphasize buying local. It was easier in Europe to buy local produce and meat, simply because the way most grocers labeled things was more specific as to origin and there are places like St. George's Market where you could buy the fish still moving from the Irish Sea. In the states, it has been harder to find peaches and apples that come from the US, let alone from my own state. Thank God for summer though, I love that I can drive not too far away and get awesome fresh produce.

All you treehuggers are uber gay. Go hug a tree and get a splinter or something

Local food taste so fresh and is full of flavor. I buy at farmer's markets when I get the chance and at hispanic and asian-based stores because of the variety and availability of rare but freshly organic (American) fruits and veggies

I'm always looking for farmer's markets around my area. Anyone know of any in Rockland or Orange County, New York??

Anyway, I read something on MSN about organic fruits and veggies. The top most easily contaminated produce should always be bought organic. I can't find the article now but I remember that apples and potatoes were on the list. Apparently, these types of produce absorb pesticides like crazy.

I found this interesting article: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/f...view/index.htm

I'm very upset with the Mad Cow situation. It's worth reading up on. Did you know Japan (up until a few weeks ago) banned beef from the USA? So few cattle are tested, there are sloppy records kept as to which cow came from where, and beef are STILL being fed animal by-products even though there is a very strong suspicion that's where mad cow originates.

I'm not happy with all of the hormones and anti-biotics that are injected into our chickens and beef.

I'm REALLY angry that the government still allows hydrogenated oils in our food-- even though it's been shown to cause hardening of the arteries. And I'm upset that high fructose corn syrup is still legal.

Yes, I do most of my shopping at Whole Foods. It costs me an arm and a leg, but I do it because I'm really trying to watch what I eat. I'm careful to buy only organic as opposed to conventional when I can.

A past Consumer Reports had an excellent article about organic foods. They were generally very in favor of them and had a list of the foods they recommend you buy organic, and which don't matter (fish-- for instance-- are better wild caught than farmed due to bacteria).

So I discovered a new organic product that's going to be an obsession of mine. Archer Farms fruit leathers from Target. They come in all-natural and organic, taste amazing, and the organic ones only have like 10 calories. :)