Do You Eat Organic?

[erin1715]

We have recently tried to buy organic meat when we eat meat. My husband recently watched the documentary, What The Health, and was disgusted by what he saw with the pigs especially. I haven't watched it but it sounds awful and turns my stomach. I realize that every documentary is going to skew to the viewpoint of the creators, but there is also some truth.

So we've tried cutting back on meat in general, BUT a friend of mine recently gave rave reviews for Butcher Box which is a mailing service for organic meat, so I may try that and see how it affects our grocery budget.

 

[mnrose]

No. I’ve bought organic produce in the past, but it spoils quickly.

Like it's supposed to. Produce that doesn't spoil makes me wonder why. Not natural at all. Food isn't meant to last forever.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

I don't eat inorganic food... most food is already organic. I mean I don't think Cheetos are going to be sold in a whole wheat gluten free package anytime soon but the marketing hype around organic meat and produce? No thank you.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Some meats, some veggies but not everything.

 

[neverlandsky]

We're priced out. Due to the recalls, I've been sticking to only cooked veggies, bananas, & unsweetened apple sauce for fruit. Focusing on non hormone and non antibiotic white meats, & uncured bacon. I'm gluten free so it's meat, veggies, little fruit & dairy for me. I don't even eat rice due to the high arsenic.

 

[neverlandsky]

We have recently tried to buy organic meat when we eat meat. My husband recently watched the documentary, What The Health, and was disgusted by what he saw with the pigs especially. I haven't watched it but it sounds awful and turns my stomach. I realize that every documentary is going to skew to the viewpoint of the creators, but there is also some truth.

So we've tried cutting back on meat in general, BUT a friend of mine recently gave rave reviews for Butcher Box which is a mailing service for organic meat, so I may try that and see how it affects our grocery budget.

Seen What the Health it's good. The Magic Pill is also on Netflix. That one is good too if you haven't seen it. Put those 2 health documentaries together and it's the processed foods / factory farming that is harming health.

 

[mrodgers]

When married, yes. It was up to her. She thought we were rich. She spent about $300/week on groceries. Didn't matter that we couldn't pay bills.

Now that I'm divorced and living on 1/3 of a paycheck, unless Ramen Noodles come out with an organic variety, no, LOL

I will say that the difference between regular grocery store items and the organic stuff is like night and day. No comparison to taste and texture. Mother-in-law would get a regular crappy $0.89 and an organic ham or turkey for holidays and cook them both to feed the amount that showed up. I've eaten them side by side and they are like 2 completely different products. The Sugardale and other "good" brand names have the texture of eating a sponge.

 

[NYCgrrl]

We're priced out. Due to the recalls, I've been sticking to only cooked veggies, bananas, & unsweetened apple sauce for fruit. Focusing on non hormone and non antibiotic white meats, & uncured bacon. I'm gluten free so it's meat, veggies, little fruit & dairy for me. I don't even eat rice due to the high arsenic.

It can be more expensive but there are 2 specific factors that are driving my purchases: overall health in the years to come and my current diet that consists of less animal proteins and more vegetables. I do not want what I ate to have consumed antibiotics and that will probably not work on me when I need them. By eating less animal products and more veggies I found that my food costs eventually average out to the same amount I spent before.

 

[tvguy]

Probably more often than I know. Sooo many items not labeled organic these days are in fact organic, just not labeled and priced as such.

 

[Colleen27]

Sometimes. There are certain things, like berries, that I only buy organic if I'm getting them from the grocery store. I also buy a lot of not certified but grown using organic/no-chemical practices produce from local growers. Most don't have the money or the customer demand to spend $$$$ on getting certification, but also stick to more natural/old-fashioned growing practices because subbing their own labor for costly chemicals is a smart business decision.

I think organic meat and eggs is little more than marketing BS so that's not something I'd ever spend for. The animals can be just as poorly treated as conventionally raised. Instead, I try to buy from farmers who practice more humane animal husbandry. A factory farm feeding organic corn isn't better than a non-organic farm that pastures their animals.

 

[gillep]

No. I do try and make sure that I buy as much local in-season fruits and vegetables as possible though, which isn't difficult living in CA.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

Agree and I think food sourcing is much more important that organic certification. There are lots of small local producers that farm using what are essentially "organic" methods but here to be certified-organic requires jumping through all sorts of regulatory and administrative hoops and paying for costly permits and inspections. It isn't viable for many. Coming from a farm myself, I'm familiar enough with the practices that I'd buy from any small, local producer and feel fine about it.

As far as meat goes, I try to be really careful to only buy Canadian as our beef, poultry and pork have to be 100% free of hormones and antibiotics to be sold. Grass fed isn't really an option because our seasons are short and getting into whether or not an animal has been fed GMO grain is a losing battle but besides that, I'm comfortable. It's relatively easy to avoid imported fresh meat but I am extremely cautious about frozen, pre-cooked and packaged stuff. The idea of fish from Asia or poultry products from India skeeve me out.

The bolded is not true, unfortunately.

http://canadabeef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/3208_CANBEEF_factsheet_ANTIBIOTICS-2016.pdf
https://www.chicken.ca/on-the-farm/v/antibiotics
http://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Article...mones-and-antibiotics-in-food-production.aspx

 

[BLAZEY]

Only if the organic is less expensive thank the regular product, and dairy products when we travel to the US. US regular dairy products have hormones and antibiotics which are banned here in Canada.

 

[BLAZEY]

The bolded is not true, unfortunately.

http://canadabeef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/3208_CANBEEF_factsheet_ANTIBIOTICS-2016.pdf
https://www.chicken.ca/on-the-farm/v/antibiotics
http://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Article...mones-and-antibiotics-in-food-production.aspx

If you read the actual information, yes antibiotics can be used is the animal is sick, but after the course of antibiotics is done, there is a withdrawal period in which the animal must complete before going back into milking or to slaughter.This has been around since the 1980's. I lived next to a dairy farm that had kids the same age and spent a lot of time there it was fun to feed the baby cows. If and animal was sick and on medicine it was isolated, and not allowed back to milking until the withdrawal time was completed. Antibiotics in feed has been phased out. This is from 2016 it eve says that they began the phasing out of antibiotics and growth hormones.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

If you read the actual information, yes antibiotics can be used is the animal is sick, but after the course of antibiotics is done, there is a withdrawal period in which the animal must complete before going back into milking or to slaughter.This has been around since the 1980's. I lived next to a dairy farm that had kids the same age and spent a lot of time there it was fun to feed the baby cows. If and animal was sick and on medicine it was isolated, and not allowed back to milking until the withdrawal time was completed. Antibiotics in feed has been phased out. This is from 2016 it eve says that they began the phasing out of antibiotics and growth hormones.

I actually DID read the actual information. Antibiotics are also used to promote growth in the animals, not just used when the animal is ill. Dairy has different regulations than beef and chicken. Growth hormones are used in beef cattle, no added hormones are used in the production of milk, poultry, pork or eggs.

 

[BLAZEY]

I actually DID read the actual information. Antibiotics are also used to promote growth in the animals, not just used when the animal is ill. Dairy has different regulations than beef and chicken. Growth hormones are used in beef cattle, no added hormones are used in the production of milk, poultry, pork or eggs.

From the Canada Beef article you linked, page 2" While the use of medically important antibiotics for growth promotion in cattle has always been limited, it is now being phased out completely in Canada. The transition is anticipated to occur by December 2016 and is supported by Canadian farmers and ranchers who recognize the importance of careful use of medically important antibiotics."

Bolding is mine

 

[mom2rtk]

I noticed the box of bunny shaped graham crackers we bought this week says it's organic.

Does that count?

 

[kimmar067]

...yup....as long as it's sprinkled with MSG....

 

[ptlohmysoul]

We buy organic, but if we eat out, there are no organic restaurants nearby. And when we go to Disney we eat whatever (since we are eating at Disney restaurants). If we had a local organic restaurant (with actually good foods, like healthy oils, organic free range meats, etc.), then we would probably eat there 6 days a week.

 

[dotfurio]

We used to buy organic milk but don't anymore. We rarely even use milk anyway now that the kids don't really drink it. We were completely dye free for a long time but aren't as careful about that anymore. Otherwise we've never gone out of our way to buy organic.