Should You Buy Organic?
This is a question I get asked periodically…and people are often surprised by my answer. As I put it to one such person on the “Bodybuilding Revealed” forum:
“As a “nutritional expert” (your term, not mine), I am vastly more concerned about whether people eat the damn fruits and veggies at all. Organic food is often considerably more expensive than conventionally grown/produced items, and I am not about to advise people to break their budgets by pushing the idea that they’re wasting their time nutritionally or endangering their health if they can’t buy organic.”
Mind you, I do support organic farming, for environmental and economic reasons, but – in my humble opinion – making good food choices is the more important issue, regardless of their source (i.e., conventional or organic). If you can afford organic food – great. If not, the nutritional differences aren’t worth breaking your budget over.
Along those lines, I came across a thought provoking article in the New York Times yesterday: “Eating Food That’s Better For You, Organic or Not.” The author makes some very salient points…
People don’t understand that, nor do they realize “organic” doesn’t mean “local.” “It doesn’t matter if it’s from the farm down the road or from Chile,” Ms. Shaffer said. “As long as it meets the standards it’s organic.”
Hence, the organic status of salmon flown in from Chile, or of frozen vegetables grown in China and sold in the United States — no matter the size of the carbon footprint left behind by getting from there to here.
Local has always been a big issue for me, too – not just in terms of the carbon footprint involved in hauling stuff around, but also because of freshness – especially in the case of veggies and fruits. I’d just as soon buy a crisp, fresh bunch of conventionally-grown broccoli at the farmer’s market, vs. an organically-grown bunch at the health food store, that’s limp with age…nutrients are lost with prolonged storage.
In addition, “organic” doesn’t necessarily mean “healthy”…
…But the questions remain over how we eat in general. It may feel better to eat an organic Oreo than a conventional Oreo, but, says Marion Nestle, a professor at New York University’s department of nutrition, food studies and public health, “Organic junk food is still junk food.”
The bottom line, is that you should pay attention to food choices first. Worry about “organic” vs. “conventional” once you have your diet straightened out AND can afford it.
