Eating Organic Realistically!

There are so many reasons to eat organic:  you know you aren't getting or supporting the use of pesticides, your food is richer in nutrients (and flavor), and you are making a choice to support your health with food.    Excellent!

Now ...  how is this going to fit into your everyday life?  Are organic products easily available?  And are they local?  Do you need to drive all over town? And how much is this really going to cost?  Hmm, is this still going to be feasible?

In an ideal world, we'd all be able to pull up to the local farmer's market and fill our pantries.  Better yet, our local supermarket would stock all the local and organic products. In some cities this is  easy enough, there are lots of local farms but in other areas organic shopping is a huge struggle.  So what are your options?

1) Check out Farmer's markets. Bear in mind that not every stall will have organic certification, but many will be working toward it and all are local. You'll have the option to ask questions and get to know your farmers.  This is also true for local butchers and fishmongers.  You may have to travel more to find these shops but you'll get to know the people and your food.

2) Look into Organic Food Delivery Services.  Most major centres have companies that provide weekly food bin deliveries to your home.  The bins are stocked with fresh fruits and veggies and some have connections to local meats, eggs and dairy.  For links to food delivery services in BC have a look at FarmFolk/CityFolk.

3) Make smart choices.  If its just not possible to go completely organic, look at buying organic for those foods that are most affected by pesticide use and conventional for those that are safer.  Look back to the Environmental Working Group website to find out which foods to focus on.  Here is a link to this year's Dirty Dozen (buy these organic) and the Clean 15 (ok to go conventional).   And of course, these guys have an app so you can check this on the go.

Enjoy, your tasty foods and enjoy getting to know your local producers! And as always, feel free to email me with comments or questions.  Happy shopping!