Organic Foods

[Munchkin03]

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.

[33girl]

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.

[tunatartare]

*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.

[Dionysus]

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.

[midwesterngirl]

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.

[Honeykiss1974]

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.



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.

[Scandia]

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.

[JenMarie]

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.

[Rio_Kohitsuji]

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

These are AWESOME:

[tunatartare]

Kayla, those look amazing.

[MysticCat]

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.)

[tunatartare]

Originally Posted by jbj52503

I have bought into the Whole Foods lifestyle. It just freaks me out that the growth hormones given to cows have been linked to more natural twin births in my generation and that many chickens have been fed feed that has arsenic. Although I can't control what happens when I am out as far as organic goes, I try to in the home.

Latest Whole Foods obsession is the spinach artichoke dip. It is so much lower in fat than the original, but better. Mostly artichokes and spinach. The focaccia and drunken goat cheese are awesome too!

picturing drunken goats now

[ZTAMich]

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.

[Honeykiss1974]

Originally Posted by KLPDaisy

picturing drunken goats now

Glad I wasn't the only one.

[FHwku]

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