Are organic foods better for kids?
By JoAnne Pastel, President and founder, Farmer’s Hat Productions co-author Bur Bur and Friends book series
I will admit it: I am an advocate of organic foods. I worry about health and the safety of the food we eat – and especially what my son eats. I simply get more peace-of-mind thinking that the organic products are free of the pesticides, non-organic fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics that are used in conventional food production.
Organic defined
The USDA says that:
Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing radiation. All organic food must come from farms and processing plants that are certified by the government.
Did you read that last part about “synthetic ingredients,” “sewage sludge” and “ionizing radiation”?!?
In fact, a report by the Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that organic foods are no safer or nutritious than other foods. And the USDA doesn’t actually guarantee that organic is safer or more nutritious than non-organic. It simply certifies that the organic foods can limit your child’s exposure to pesticides and other potential contaminants in foods.
But to me as a mom, these things just do not sound safe or healthy. I am not really concerned about whether organic is more nutritious as some advocates claim, but I do like the claims that it is more environmentally-friendly. And I get more reassurance that with organic foods, I am helping aid the healthy development of my son’s growing brain and body.
It’s actually an emotional topic for many parents… I guess what it comes down to for our family is that I am choosing the widest margin of safety I can when it comes to organic vs. non-organic.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t indulge in a Dairy Queen malt or KFC every once in awhile, but my goal is to keep making choices that make our diets as high-quality as possible, as often as possible.
What do you think about organic vs. non-organic? Any comments are welcome!
P.S.: One important thing to note: “Natural” doesn’t always mean organic. Only the USDA Organic label certifies that a food is truly organic.
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