Watered-down organic

Whenever possible, Matt and I try our very best to buy USDA-certified organic products. We recognize that it's more expensive, but for the sake of our health and for the good of the planet, we figured it was a justified expense. But after reading this Washington Post article over the weekend, I'm not so sure. The increasingly lax standards as they apply to baby food were especially shocking.

I read that story, and I felt like I'd been duped. How can something be labeled as "organic," yet still contain all sorts of chemicals, pesticides and additives? If the ultimate focus of the organic label at the USDA is to grow the brand instead of enforce strict environmental and health standards, is buying organic products even worth the expense? I'm not sure anymore.

Having My Cake

Last summer, I posted about my Splenda dependency. At that time and for months before, my friend Jessica had harped on me about the other habits that had hung on from my Weight Watchers days. In my relentless pursuit for foods with few or no calories, I found myself eating copious amounts of chemicals, artificial flavors and unnatural colors.

Giving up Splenda set off a firestorm of healthy eating. Last summer I also read Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, and I subscribed to Heidi Swanson's cooking blog. I focused less on counting calories and "Points," and more on eating whole, natural, organically grown food. I gave up eating four-legged animals last fall, and I focused on getting protein from nuts and beans and iron from leafy greens. I gave up as many processed foods as I could and I convinced myself that it's okay to eat real butter and olive oil. I even switched Barley's food from Science Diet to one free of fillers and other artificial ingredients.

The most amazing thing about this shift in nutritional focus is that I haven't gained any of the weight I lost on Weight Watchers. In fact, I think I've lost a pound or two. I'm literally having my cake and eating it, too, even if the version I'm eating now is made from organic whole wheat semolina instead of flour.

Think Globally, Buy Locally

I've read several articles lately about how buying locally grown foods is better for the environment than buying organically grown ones (unless, of course, you're lucky enough to find foods that are both).

This site is a great resource from the Natural Resources Defense Council to help determine which foods are grown locally in your area. That doesn't mean that all the apples sold in Maryland in late-October were grown here, but at least it ups the odds.

Good Eats

Finally, some uplifting news from Baltimore City Schools!

WYPR, our local public radio affiliate, reported on a new program that not only feeds children healthy meals (made with real food!), but also supports local farmers. They've hired a new chef, Tony Geraci, who realizes that teachers can't do their jobs if their clientele is "jacked up on Lucky Charms, or worse, no food at all."

The root of so many of our country's problems is a lack of education, but that lack of education is a direct result of poverty and poor nutrition. I'm so proud of this initiative!

Click here to listen to the story.

To buy or not to buy?

To buy or not to buy organic, that is. Some friends of ours (who shall remain nameless) say that there is no difference between organic and non-organic foods. They say they can't taste the difference, but as we know, buying organic is not about taste. It's about health, both for the human bodies who may ingest the pesticides and for the planet that may soak them up.

In an effort to help those who choose organic, the Environmental Working Group recently tested 43 different fruits and vegetables for trace pesticides. They cleaned them as a typical shopper would clean them (i.e., washed the apples, peeled the bananas, etc.), and measured the amount of pesticides left behind. That research produced a list of 12 foods that should be purchased from the organic section, as well as 12 foods that could be purchased from the mainstream produce section:

12 foods that should always be organic:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet bell peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Lettuce
• Grapes (imported)
• Pears
• Spinach
• Potatoes

12 foods that don't have to be organic:

• Broccoli
• Eggplant
• Cabbage
• Banana
• Kiwi
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas (frozen)
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Sweet corn (frozen)
• Avocado
• Onion

It makes sense that the foods with peels or rinds would present less of a risk for humans, but the risk to the planet remains the same. I'm going to continue to drive Matt crazy by insisting that we pay more for our bananas and avocados.

My name is Rachel, and I have a problem.

"Hi, Rachel."

There really should be a support group for former dieters who become addicted to artificial products. I posted recently that I've turned to locally grown, organic produce and hormone-free dairy products, but feel guilty that I'm still holding on to old weight-loss habits--especially my Splenda dependence.

At the height of my addiction, I was pocketing handfuls of the yellow packets at restaurants, coffee shops, and even weddings! But after Barley ate an entire box of the stuff and I let myself think about how harmful artificial sweeteners can be, I really started to feel like a hypocrite. Each morning, I brew a pot of organic/free trade coffee and pour into it organic half and half (no more of the chemically fat free stuff) and Splenda. Ridiculous! So I decided to kick my habit cold-turkey.

Thank goodness for Trader Joe's! Their organic sugar is made from "100% evaporated cane juice." There are no artificial chemicals or additives to be found. And the best part is that it still has just 15 calories per teaspoon! Now I'm off the powder and on the juice--sugarcane juice, that is, and I'm loving it!