Okay so we know that we should buy organic, but do we know why? At first glance, when shopping in a supermarket the decision to buy organic can be over ruled by the price difference between organic and non-organic produce. It may pull at the purse strings but trust me it's worth it.
Organic produce is defined as food that,'must be grown without synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilisers or genetically modified organisms'. For meat to get the organic stamp of approval, it has to come from animals that were raised in a natural setting, did not receive any antibiotics or hormones, and were fed 100 percent organic feed. For an food to be stamped with the 'USDA organic' or 'Certified organic', seal it must have an ingredients list and contents of 95% or more certified organic. By this definition, organic food should be friendlier for the environment and pose less harm to our health. On the flip side, pesticide exposure has been linked to an array of health conditions including Parkinson's, cancer and birth defects in babies. The jury however is still out on whether the pesticides in conventional foods is in large enough quantities to pose a real concern to our health.
Organic food is growing from strength to strength with numerous studies proving its health benefits. A meta-analysis study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found organic produce may have substantially higher concentrations of antioxidants & other beneficial compounds. Furthermore, a recent study concluded organic dairy and meat contains appprox 50% more omega 3 fatty acids. In short, the less pesticides and least amount of handling to your food, the more nutrients and health benefits to you, the consumer.
5 reasons to go Organic
1) Lower Risk of Pesticides
Non organic produce is four times more likely to have pesticide chemicals. Levels of Cadmium, toxic heavy metal found in cigarettes, are twice as high in regular foods and are detrimental to our health by causing loss of memory, bone damage, cancer and increased blood pressure.
2) Immunity Boosting
Organic food contains 6% more vitamin C, essential for fighting off bacteria to surviving cold and flu season.
3) Higher Nutrients
Organic fruit and vegetables are not over fertilised and therefore come in smaller portion sizes but are packed with more antioxidants. Evidence from the Soil Association shows consumption of organic produce allows a 20-40% increase in antioxidants. Furthermore, torganic means no GMO's.
4) It Burns Fat Faster
Fat burning compounds are 12% higher in organic food. Researchers from the University of Newcastle found that organic food can make you live longer due to the 'weight loss, or lack of weight gain' from eating organic food.
5) It's Better for the Environment
Simply put, organic farming is how farming used to be before the industrial revolution and the creation of synthetic chemicals came about. Our planet needs a healthy farming ecosystem and buying organic supports this.
Rules to Live by
'Buy organic to the extent you can, when you can', Nestle.
Here are some top tips of how to buy organic on a budget and to get the most bang for your buck:
1. Prioritise your purchases
Buying organic is more expensive so cut down by prioritising the food your buying, and making your supermarket shop visits little and often. I often visit a supermarket at least a couple of times a week to ensure I am buying as fresh as possible and food is not going to waste. Buying organic is especially important for certain groups including young children, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system. At the top of your list should be organic animal products including milk and eggs. The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 guides are good for working out what produce has the highest pesticide content.
Buy organic on these items that top the Dirty Dozen list for containing the most pesticides: in first place are STRAWBERRIES (with a sample showing a whopping 20 different pesticides!), followed by spinach, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes and sweet bell peppers. Buying organic on these fruit and veggies means your saving yourself from the most pesticides.
The Clean 15 guide, of you guessed it, the 'cleanest' produce contains fruit and veggies with the least pesticides. Topping the chart are avocado's and sweetcorn. Followed by more than 80% of pineapples, papayas, asparagus, onions & cabbage, with no pesticide residues. Other clean produce are eggplant, cantaloup, honeydew melon, broccoli, kiwi and cauliflower.
Tailoring your shop around these items to help you save those pennies when buying organic and your body will thank you for it.
2. Buy in season (and local if possible) Buying organic produce in season tends to not only be kinder on the wallet but be tastier and fresher as a result of being grown locally. Did you know that the more your food is handled the less antioxidants, vitamins & minerals? A huge case for buying local! It will also help your community by supporting local farmers, local eco-systems and local businesses.
Foods currently in season for autumn are apples, broccoli, blackberries, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, kale, leeks, mushrooms, onions and pumpkins. Get buying and try out some of these seasonal recipes - butternut squash soup, thai broth, creamy autumnal apple & blackberry porridge, mushroom chicken with sautéed kale & cauliflower mash, and pumpkin & veggie tray bake.
3. Grow your own
It may sound a bit daunting, but growing your own produce isn't as difficult as it sounds and means you will be eating fresh and seasonal ingredients. Get started with this Getting Started guide by Good Housekeeping. Slightly difficult if you live in London (like me) but luckily my mother-in-law has an amazing vegetable patch that she is more than happy to load us with fresh veggies from. Try encouraging parents, grandparents or friends with a garden to grow their own if you cannot, there will be plenty to share.
I hope you have enjoyed this post and it has been insightful. Please share with friends and family, subscribe to the page to be the first to be notified of posts or say hi on instagram or lisapenny.blog@gmail.com.
Lisa x