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Organic or Non-Organic

Organic or Non-Organic? Unfortunately, greed and cheaper solutions are even reflected in the quality of our food and the ingredients out there. Food is often highly processed, full of MSG, nitrites, pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, and other bad things which are responsible for many illnesses and are often a leading cause of death. It gets even worse when you realize that a lot of highly toxic and unhealthy additives are allowed and fully legal in the food industry.

Chef Tom Chef Tom Founder
Published:
September 29, 2023

Organic or Non-Organic?

Scared? Let me present you with one more fact. Some additive or ingredients don’t have to be claimed on the label or are even tolerated in certain amounts. So, just reading the labels doesn’t protect you either. On the other hand, you have the option to buy and eat organic food, which is supposed to be the holy grail of healthy person’s lifestyle.

Organic food is a good choice because, generally speaking, it provides you with healthier and more natural option than non-organic food. On the other hand, it is usually much more expensive and doesn’t necessarily mean that the food is better or substantially beneficial.

Back to Basics

In time past, when my great grandparents were alive, food was far less processed and certain illnesses much less common. People ate a variety of meals, didn’t worry about scary diets, and were much better at moderately consuming food. Part of the reason for this was easy access to natural food. A lot more people in rural areas had gardens, chickens for eggs, or even other animals for getting animal products and meat . And those that didn’t, usually knew somebody who was willing to share, so a flow of healthy, natural food was the norm and not a luxury. Was it certified organic? Definitely not, but it was real and non-processed food, which in certain ways is better than some organic food today.

My advice is to try to look and find the possibilities around you. Most areas have a lot of safe farmers and food manufactures. Don’t get discouraged if they are not organic. Get interested and learn about their processes and principles and you may get food even better the organic versions found in stores. Even better, food from these sources is usually much more cost effective. If some products are not organic, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is processed and unhealthy. It could also mean that the farmer just didn’t get certified because of the cost or process to become officially certified. At the same time, a farmer whose products are not Certified Organic can still produce high quality food similar to organic products, which may even exceed the quality of the certified products. For this reason, I often consider local farmers and produce an even better option to organic food. But be aware of where you’re buying from, and don’t take just “being local” as a guarantee of great product. Do your homework and ask questions. If you are able to, consider growing your own food, and even try to grow enough to be able to can for winter. You will have control over the whole process to make sure that you don’t eat anything bad, and it will be certainly most cost effective. And as a bonus, you will learn how to appreciate and enjoy food even more.

Fruit and Vegetables

Generally speaking, food and vegetables are really healthy and beneficial for you. But food and vegetables are often exposed to synthetic pesticides and other bad things in order to control growth and quality. In certain amounts, some pesticides used for growing non-organic fruit and vegetables have really little to no bad impact on your health, which is why it is totally ok (or almost unnecessary) to keep buying the non-organic version. Of course, it’s good to keep in mind that fruit and veggies without pesticides will always have a better impact on mother nature. On the other hand, there are quite a few which are so heavy with pesticides that it is better to skip their consumption or strictly buy organic to prevent the risk of eventually obtaining a serious diseases (from respiratory to cancer).

Always buy organic:

  • Strawberries
  • Spinach and salad greens
  • Peaches and nectarines
  • Apples and pears
  • Cherries
  • Grapes (including raisins)
  • Celery
  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers (Sweet bell and hot)

Ok to buy non-organic:

  • Avocados
  • Corn
  • Pineapples
  • Citrus (lemons, oranges, grapefruit)
  • Cabbage
  • Onions
  • Sweet peas
  • Papayas
  • Asparagus
  • Cantaloupe
  • Cauliflower and broccoli
  • Kiwi

Flour

You don’t have to buy organic flour, but you should always buy unbleached and unbromated flour (read here why) to get fewer toxins and more nutrients. However, if your budget allows you and you decide to buy organic flour, you will enjoy flour that didn’t see pesticides at all and is much gentler to the environment overall.

Sugar

You don’t have to buy organic sugar since non-organic doesn’t include a substantial amount of pesticides. However, similar to organic flour, organic sugar doesn’t include any residue of pesticides and is more environmentally friendly.

Eggs

Non-organic eggs would not harm you so you can go ahead and save some money here. But there is one good reason to consider buying organic (or at least free range eggs). Non-organic eggs are from hens living in terrible conditions; they are receiving terrible nutrients and have no access out of their cages and do not get to see the light of day. This is not natural and is why regular eggs have much less nutrients and much less vitamins. While cage free eggs can be controversial, it is at least a one step better option if you can’t afford organic, which will give you the most nutrients, vitamins, and the satisfaction that you are not supporting animal abuse.

Dairy Products

There are many different theories about whether you should buy organic dairy products. After a lot of research to determine what is best for my own family, I believe it is not completely necessary. Milk don’t get significantly impacted by antibiotics, food additives, bad life style and other with exceptions of losing big part of the nutrients. So, you can go ahead, gave up some nutrients and save money on this category as well. But if you can afford it, buying organic dairy is not a waste of money though since organic dairy has significantly more nutrients than regular milk. Cows producing organic milk have access to pesticide-free pastures, are fed with easily digestible food, and don’t get growth hormones and preventative antibiotics. They are living happier and healthier lives, which they share with you by producing more natural and much more nutritious products.

Tofu

Make sure to buy only organic tofu since non-organic tofu is often sprayed with tons of chemicals. The great news is that organic tofu is only a little bit more expensive than non-organic version.

Cocoa and Chocolate

No need to buy organic, but organic versions are pesticide free and more environmentally friendly.

Meat

Organic meat is a better choice. Mainly it prevents you from consuming unnecessary and potentially harmful additives commonly occurring in non-organic meat. Another good reason to invest in buying organic meat is to get more valuable nutrients. Any certified organic meat will never include antibiotics, hormones, MSGs, or any other toxic additives. There are a lot of theories if antibiotics in food (including meat) are harmful. The biggest concern about antibiotics in food is whether eating meat with antibiotics increases human’s resistance to antibiotics – which can be an issue if your health condition requires antibiotic treatment. Also, hormones added to food raise concerns about the rising chance of getting cancer and other illnesses. And, MSGs are chapter on their own, (read here more about MSGs). Non-organic meat has just too many additives, and even if over time some of them are proven to be not as harmful as originally considered, all together there are still just too many things which can be proven to be really harmful.

Animals that are sourced for organic meat are eating a diet more natural to them, and have had more of a chance to move around, have outside access, and have an overall better life. This all is projected into the quality of the meat, the taste, and most importantly, to the value of the nutrients present. Even if you may believe that antibiotics or hormones are not that bad, I would recommend you eat only organic versions of meat if you can afford it. With organic meat you will simply eat less unnatural additives and enjoy the peace of mind that you are not risking your health – aside from a lot of other advantages.

Fish

The term organic fish so far doesn’t exist in the U.S. You can buy wild caught fish or farmed. While, in general, both kinds of fish are healthy, wild caught fish is slightly healthier but usually much more expensive. If you buy farmed fish (most common types are salmon and tilapia), try to find antibiotic free to reach a more natural meat.

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Conventional, Grass-Fed, Pastured, and Organic Beef

April 17, 2024

Beef doesn’t magically appear in the grocery store. It follows a journey from the farm to your table, and the way cattle are raised along the way drastically influences everything from taste to sustainability. Let’s explore the different paths beef can take, and how those choices affect what ends up on your plate. Conventional beef, grass-fed, pastured, and organic beef: these terms represent significant differences in how the cattle were raised.

Read More
Chef Tom Chef Tom Founder

Don’t have time to look for local farmers or grow your own food?

Organic is the best choice if you don’t have time to look for local farmers or grow food. If your financial resources let you, then go for it and buy everything organic. If you are also looking for an option to save at least some money or to work with a limited budget, not all food is processed to a harmful amount or contains a harmful amount of pesticides. For this reason, you do not need to pay extra for organic versions of some food. It may have a little less of the nutrients available with organic food, but it still would be good enough to eat. So you can keep buying some kinds of food in the non-organic version from your supermarket without exposing your family to health hazards. Below are the most common foods that in my opinion (and based on my extended research) need to be bought strictly organic. It is totally up to you what you decide to do, however, keep in mind that everything could change over time so some non-organic food which I consider a danger today, can tomorrow became harmless or even healthy. Unfortunately, the only way to make sure you are consuming the right options, is to stay informed and keep following food trends and regulations.

About the Author:
Chef TomFounder
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