Let’s face it, kids are expensive. Most of us factored in college fees shortly after the positive pregnancy test, but add on the more immediate costs of things like diapers, wipes, clothes and daycare and your piggy bank gets lighter by the second. Now add the luxuries you splurge on to make your child even healthier (eco-friendly toys and organic baby foods, for instance) and good ol’ piggy barely makes a sound when you shake him. If you’re like us, this may leave you wondering if going green is actually worth it.
As moms we strive to do the best for our children, including making nourishing homemade food. Sometimes, though, the thought of steaming and pureeing preservative-free meals at the end of the day is just too overwhelming to contemplate. So we raise our hands to the grocery store gods in hopes that they’ll deliver us healthy, ready made foods to nourish our cherished cherubs. And deliver they do. From whole grain rice cereal to organic harvest squash, there’s a wide selection of natural products to help alleviate our guilt over not cooking. These days, all that stands between us and a healthy meal for our babies is the mere turn of a lid, rip of a carton or pop of a top. And the added bonus of helping save the world with these products (less pesticide use means more energy saved) makes them even more attractive to parents who want to protect not only their children’s health but also the vitality of the world they will inherit from us. Are organic baby foods worth their hefty price tags?
This is where things get a bit grey. In terms of the benefits of choosing greener food options, it’s hard to know whether to believe the hype. There is little scientific evidence to prove that eating organic is considerably better for our children than munching on cheaper, non-organic foods. But it’s hard for many of us to believe that feeding our kids fertilizer-free veggies is a bad thing. Dr. Massimo Marcone, Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science at theUniversityofGuelphinCanadahas analyzed the nutritional properties of organic baby foods versus other brands. “Some of the organic baby foods were found to be higher in certain minerals,” he explained, “but it was not anything that would be significantly important for the average baby.” That said, he doesn’t suggest avoiding organic foods either. Confused yet?
Maybe this will help. In order to be labeled as organic, foods must be produced on a certified farm that follows strict government-approved farming practices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture bans the use of conventional pesticides and fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients for the treatment of plants as well as the use of antibiotics and growth hormones for animals. This doesn’t ensure that consumers will receive more nutrients from their organically-grown foods, but it does promise you foods that are free from unwanted manmade chemicals. Now the choice is up to you. In the end, feeding your children well comes down to practicing common sense. Whether you choose organic foods or not, it’s important to offer your baby a variety of healthy choices, including grains, fruits, vegetables and lean meats as part of a well-balanced diet. Talk to your doctor about when and how to introduce new foods to your infant and enjoy this new phase of their lives.
Still undecided or unwilling to commit to buying solely organic foods? Go slowly and start small. Here are a few of the most important foods to choose organic.
Root Vegetables
(carrots, beets, potatoes, turnips, parsnips) Ground crops such as carrots and beets can be high in nitrates, says Marcone. High levels of this chemical can cause a potentially fatal condition called Blue Baby Syndrome in which an infant’s blood is unable to carry oxygen to cells and other tissues in the body.
Apples
Pesticides often cling to the skin of apples and even when washed and peeled, these fruits can still have levels of organophosphates, which have been linked to respiratory problems.
Spinach
Like root vegetables, spinach, too is grown in the soil and can therefore contain higher levels of nitrates.
Dairy
Hormones used to treat dairy cows can filter through to the milk we drink. Some studies have shown a link between consuming these hormones and a possible increased risk of breast cancer. The findings, however, are inconclusive at this time and the FDA believe they are unlikely to create any food safety concerns in humans.
Poultry and beef
Early studies on hormone-treated chicken and beef have drawn a link between premature puberty in girls and their consumption of these foods. Again, more research is needed, so there’s no definite answer on this one, but it definitely doesn’t hurt to choose organic in this case, especially since early puberty can result in an increased risk of breast cancer.
Article by: Shandley McMurray