What is organic food? 10 tips for saving money whilst reducing toxic exposure.

So what is organic food? Something reserved for people like this?

Or this?

NO!

Organic food is simply food that has been produced naturally without the use of artificial pesticides and fertilisers and is not genetically modified. Non-organic food has actually only existed since 1950 when the population expanded rapidly after the Second World War.  Prior to this everything was organic.  As well as being better for our health, it is better for the environment. It is also better ethically for the working conditions of the farmers whose health can seriously suffer from the effects of pesticide exposure.  

me with my abel & cole
fruit & veg box. 

The word ending ‘icide’ literally means to kill (in this case it refers to pests, not humans, but still!). Does consuming something that contains residues of something designed to kill, sound healthy? Up to 350 pesticides are permitted in non-organic food.  Certain pesticides have been linked with cancers and other health conditions.  Although nothing has been proven yet, why expose yourself to more toxins than is necessary?  Our bodies have mechanisms for eliminating toxins and there’s no need to get obsessive but it’s a good idea to try to reduce your toxic load as far as is practical for the sake of your health.

For those who do consume animal produce it is worth buying organic in terms of health.  Consumption of meat from animals given antibiotics is linked with antibiotic resistance in humans. The use of antibiotics is not permitted in organic meat and dairy production, the animals are fed a healthier diet and the products contain a better ratio of omega 3 to 6 fats.

In terms of animal welfare, organic produce should be regarded as the lesser of two evils rather than cruelty free.

Unethical practices permitted in organic farming include:

• The disposal of day old male chicks considered useless to the egg or meat industry via gas or maceration (mincing alive!) 
• Separating calves from their mothers within 2 days of giving birth. 
• Killing unwanted new-born male calves from the dairy herd. 
• Repeatedly impregnating dairy cows without sufficient rest. 

see http://www.animalaid.org.uk/images/pdf/factfiles/Highwelfare.pdf for more info on this. 

(I am not saying this to deliberately try to make people feel guilty about the foods they consume but rather to explain my dietary choice which is often regarded as extreme or even an eating disorder.)

The animals are however given more outdoor space and de-beaking of chicks, castration without anaesthetic and tail-docking which are commonly practiced in factory farming are less common.

But it’s so expensive!

Yes, it can be but there are choices you can make to reduce your spending.  As a part-time library assistant and ex-student of an extremely expensive course, I’m on a limited budget but I still buy 80-90% of my food as organic.  I am aware that not everyone is as passionate about health as me and I might be ever so slightly neurotic about this but I really want to change people’s attitude towards organic food.  There are small changes that many people can make.

10 tips for saving money whilst reducing your toxic exposure:

1. Reduce (or eliminate) meat and fish! It’s far cheaper to base your meals around plant foods. If you do consume animal products opting for the slightly less fashionable (but still usable) kinds and using them to make vegetable-based meals (stews, stir fries etc) go further rather than as the centrepiece of a meal may make buying organic more manageable.  It's most important to try to do this with poultry and pork which is extremely intensively farmed.

this book is really good
 for
 advice on 
issues around food.

2. Focus on the vegetables and fruits that are more affordable (onions, carrots, kale, cabbage, leeks, broccoli, mushrooms, tomato passata, strawberries, British apples, plums, kiwi fruit) as opposed to pricier asparagus, avocado, raspberries, blueberries, cherries.  Other healthy foods that are affordable are: lentils, beans, chickpeas, flaxseeds, oats, brown rice, beansprouts, and peanut butter.  You’ll be amazed at what you can make if you have some imagination!

3. Not everything you buy has to be organic but if you prioritise buying the items that are most heavily sprayed with pesticides as organic (Lettuce, sweet peppers, peaches, apples, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes, spinach, lettuce, potatoes) you can reduce your exposure dramatically .  The least contaminated fruit and vegetables are: onions, avocado, sweet corn (frozen), pineapples, mango, asparagus, sweet peas (frozen), kiwi fruit, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and papaya.

4. Make good use of left overs and avoid food wastage.  Lots of food can be frozen to be eaten at a later date rather than thrown away.

5. Find out what time of day/day of the week your supermarket or local shop reduces the price of items.

6. Buy fresh ingredients rather than relying on ready meals and take-aways.  For complicated recipes that require lots of different ingredients, this does not always work out cheap, so keep recipes simple.

7. Be aware that organic fruit & veg tends to go off quickly as there’s no preservatives so avoid buying too much at once to prevent wastage.

8. Grow some of your own fruit & veg or herbs if you have time & a garden or windowsill.

Me picking blackberries in my garden.
the amount they charge in shops f
or blackberries & raspberries is a joke!

9. Try box schemes such as Abel & Cole or Riverford where you get a good mixture of fruit & veg for decent value.

10.Think about other ways you could save money. ‘Bring lunch to work, stop having that Starbucks latte in the morning, blah blah blah….’ Chances are if you don’t have a lot of money you are already putting these things into practice but there are other things that can be done to save money in other areas of your spending. Swishing (clothes swapping), buying items like books and CDs second hand online and freecycle schemes can be very helpful ways of saving money. 

I didn't pay anything
 for this dress,
got it swishing & it's a perfect fit

I am aware that with the astronomical rent and house prices and high cost of living today, buying organic is not always the first thing on people’s mind but not having a lot of money does not have to mean you are destined for poor health.

Can we all go 100% organic tomorrow? No. Do I eat 100% organic myself? Of course not. Can organic farming sustain a planet of 7 billion people? Who knows? But can we all take little steps? YES!