Not everyone has easy access to organic food and I often get asked by my clients if it’s worth buying some foods organic and the rest non-organic.
The short answer is:
Yes.
The long answer is:
Organic food, in my opinion, is real food. It has been farmed without the harsh chemicals that are used in conventional farming. These chemicals might be pesticides, fertilisers, weed killers, hormones or antibiotics that if used in the farming process will undoubtedly result in us ingesting those chemicals with the food.
Filling your diet with as many organic foods as possible will lower your exposure to these chemicals, and reducing chemical load on your body has a great impact on your health and wellbeing.
Organic food contains higher levels of nutrients which will help to keep you well and reduce your need to take supplements such as multivitamins and minerals.
Organic food is happy food. This is relevant to vegetarians and carnivores alike. Organic vegetables have been grown in fertile soil, at the proper pace and are usually available seasonally (when they’re fresh). The welfare standard of organic meat is considered to very high plus the animals are not fed waste and genetically modified junk. Generally they are allowed to graze on grass, the way nature intended.
Organic food tastes better. Do the taste test, you’ll see what I mean. If you want strawberries that make your taste buds tingle, apples that taste like an orchard and milk that tastes like your childhood – go organic.
What about the cost? The second most common thing I hear when it comes to organic food is “but it’s so expensive”. My thought on this is that organic food represents the real price of food. Obviously if a carrot has to be left in the ground longer to grow without chemicals, it means that the farmer has a slower rate of production and therefore needs to charge more to cover costs and make a living. I’m cool with that.
Choosing to buy organic is about prioritising your health and quality of food over things like getting your nails done and buying new clothes every week. I choose to spend my money on organic food and to be honest I don’t think the price is that different. Organic fruit and vegetables generally last longer so there is less waste and eating food that makes you healthier means that you potentially will spend less on health care and medications in the future.
So if you’re wondering if you should venture down the organic route when you’re at the supermarket, give it a go! Your meals will be tastier, more satisfying, healthier and fresher and there is no harm in mixing a bit of organic with a bit of conventionally farmed food if that is all that’s available. At the end of the day no matter how your food is farmed, fresh is best and we can just take baby steps from there