Strollerderby : organic food

Save the Planet, Save Money On Organic Food

Amy Kuras — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:31:00 GMT

In keeping with Earth Day, Consumer Reports (via the Consumerist) has some suggestions of how to save money on organic foods. One ideas is to prioritize your purchases: concentrate on foods that when conventionally grown have the most pesticides, like apples, peaches, strawberries and the like.

Another is to try the store brands. I swear by this –I couldn’t afford to eat anything organic were ti not for Trader Joe’s (also, almost one of their foods have high frustose corn syrup in them) and the private label organics from the two local supermarkets I prefer. Consumer Reports also suggests Costco’s Kirkland Signature organics brand. I agree – however, dealing with the massive warehouse club packaging can be a problem if you have a smaller family or a smaller house.

My personal Costco tip is to shop with a friend and split things. For example, they sell three-pound containers of organic spring mix for something like $5, less than half of what we’d spend for conventionally grown at the local fruit market. But that’s a lot less of a bargain if half of it ends up going bad before you can eat it. My solution is to give half to my mom, who loooovvves her some spring mix, whenever we buy it.

Also, look at some of the big organic brand’s websites for coupons, join a food co-op of there is one nearby, and shop in season. Some of the commenters also suggest buying a community-supported agriculture share or buying “pre-organic” from a farmer’s market. Many farmers are looking to switch to organic but have not been following those practices long enough to be certified as organic farms, so buying pre-organic can both save you money and help the farmer along in that process. Farmer’s markets, whether you’re buying conventional or organic, help the environment by reducing the carbon footprint of your food. And? They’re just plain fun for kids.

Greenhouse: Seven Ways to Green Your Grocery List

Amy Kuras — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:02:00 GMT

Here's an interesting phenomenon that I think reflect the sorry state of the economy here in Michigan: I am seeing a lot more people at Trader Joe's carrying Whole Foods canvas bags. And here's my theory why: Whole Foods, while a wonderful shopping experience (they smell like lavender!) and a great place to score beautiful, high quality food, is also referred to as "Whole Paycheck" for a reason.

Trader Joe's, on the other hand, while certainly a less upscale destination, is also a heck of a lot cheaper. I think Earth-conscious foodies are at least checking out ways to cut their grocery bills while not abandoning organics altogether.

Environmental magazine Grist recently had a piece on greening your grocery list while saving money. Their seven tips are:

Make a list – this simple step saves time and money, and keeps you from buying crap if you actually stick to it and don’t go wandering down the candy aisle;
Avoid genetically-modified products – they are bad for farmers and bad for the planet. The story includes links to a a guide to which foods have them; not surprisingly, the big brands tend to have the most.
Eat organic where it matters most;
Include more vegetarian meals in your diet, or eliminate meat altogether;
Stick to enviro-friendly household cleaners;
Shop farmer's markets whenever possible; it's often cheaper than buying nonlocal grocery store produce;
Grow your own, if you can.

Return of the son of stuff YUPPIE parents like

Brett Singer — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Because too much is never enough. And besides, didn't you want to see this photo at least one more time?

1. Organic everything: from a commenter. I've succumbed to some of this, partly because, living in Manhattan, the cost difference isn't as great as it used to be, and sometimes the quality is better. I also admit that I feel less guilt giving my kids "organic" pre-packaged crap than I do giving them "chemical-laden" pre-packaged crap. It's still crap, but it's ORGANIC crap.

2. Classes and activities: yes, from the same commenter. She said, "mommy and me classes" but in my experience it's much more than that. Around here, it seems like everyone has their kids doing something all flippin' day. A parent once told me that she didn't understand why Kindergarten went until 3pm; she wished it ended at noon so her kid could take advantage of everything Manhattan had to offer. I replied that I thought Kindergarten should go until 8pm. We don't talk much anymore.

3. Kids' music that parents can enjoy: All parents have benefited from the boom in kiddie rock. While I am of course very glad that children's music has evolved beyond Raffi (who really isn't that bad) and Kidz Bop (which is), sometimes this preciousness can go a little too far. Sure, anything by Dan Zanes or The Dirty Sock Funtime Band is better than Barney's Greatest Hits, but a little James Taylor, Peter Paul and Mary, The Beatles – lots of great "adult" music out there that kids might like.

4. Taking their children to live rock 'n' roll shows: "Alternadad" Neal Pollack brought his little one to see The Hives, a rather loud quasi-punk act. I spotted two sets of parents who had dragged their children to see Yaz at the Beacon theater (I myself was dragged by my wife, but that's another story). When commenters on Gawker are giving good parenting advice ("Neil [sic], seriously--ear plugs"), you know something is out of whack in the universe.

5. Anything that isn't made of granite. At least after we found out about the radiation.

For more, click here.

image: nostalgiacentral.com

More stuff YUPPIE parents like

Baby Penis Album only five bucks

Stuff White Parents Like

When playgrounds attack, the sequel

The Dark Knight -- parents strongly cautioned (to go see it)

Here's to the laddies who lunch

Kid Food Is Mostly Crap, and It's a Little Shocking

Greenhouse: Organic on the Cheap(er), For Reals

Amy Kuras — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:33:00 GMT

With gas and food prices going into the stratosphere and everybody worried about their jobs, spending half a paycheck at Whole Foods or paying double for organic produce can seem a little, well, unseemly.

I found this old, but still relevant, article on Bankrate.com about buying organic on the cheap. Some of it's stuff we've all heard before: Buy in bulk, shop farmer's markets, buy in season, etc. but there are some suggestions I haven’t heard before.

For example, did you know you can team up with friends and family and start a buying club in order to place wholesale orders from certain providers? Ask at the local health food market or food co-op who their distributors are –several may be willing to work with you for a guaranteed minimum order.

This can even work with farmer's markets. Back when it was difficult to get really good, varied produce, my family belonged to what was essentially a neighborhood buying club, which was group of people who took turns going down to our big farmer's market on Saturday mornings and buying what looked good, and then splitting it between all the families. This was back when things like bagels and good cheese were really hard to find, and I had my first taste of both from the co-op. Nowadays, things like humanely raised meats or organic dairy might be good targets. And splitting up big stashes of anything with friends can reduce your individual trips to the store and tus your carborn footprint.

They also suggest "buying big" in season – buying tons of organic stuff when it's available at the local market, and freezing it for use in the winter. I've done this too, and it's great to need, say pesto or roasted peppers for a recipe in December and knowing I have my own homemade in the fridge instead of buying jarred that sits forever.

What are your "organic on the cheap" tips?

How To Pick A Fight, in Five Easy Steps

Adrienne Martini — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Step 1: Write a story about Similac Organic Formula and how it contains sucrose, which is, essentially, cane sugar. Mention, too, that most formulas use milk sugar, which is far less sweet than cane sugar.

Step 2: Quote pediatricians who are concern that sucrose early in life may be connected with obesity, cavities and countless other undesirable conditions.

Step 3: Fail to mention breastfeeding and how it is the best thing since sliced bread, electricity and orgasms combined.

Step 4: Open comments.

Step 5: Watch fur fly.

Photo credit: Peter DaSilva for The New York Times

Pediatrician Poll: Organic Food

editors — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:00:00 GMT

"I'm not an organic foods fan. I think there is a degree of fraud in the organic business. That's not to say that there aren't problems surrounding the way we eat, but I don't think all organic is the answer." — Charles I. Shubin, MD, FAAP. Baltimore, MD.

"I think organic food is good. But it isn't possible to get away from all toxins. There isn't enough evidence that all organic is healthier in the long run, so I encourage organic food, but I don't push it." — Kenneth Saul, MD, FAAP. Thousand Oaks, CA.

"The FDA has a list that shows which vegetables are particularly exposed to toxins and hence more important to buy organic. Apples are one of them. If money is an issue, you can look at that list. It is important to lower exposure to toxins." — Erin Thelander, MD, FAAP. Brooklyn, NY

To obtain these results, Babble randomly called 300 AAP-approved pediatricians in 50 states, then tallied the answers of the 20 who called back. Pediatrician Poll appears in Strollerderby every Friday.

Drinking Organic Milk in Pregnancy May Reduce Baby's Risk of Allergies

Karen Murphy — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:05:00 GMT

At last! I knew that eventually there'd be a reason to feel good about drinking organic milk. Not that I didn't already have many reasons. And not that I'm presently pregnant or (knock on wood) planning to be. But if I were, I'd be very interested in the new study that says that "Children who drank organic milk and whose mothers drank organic milk during pregnancy [and while breastfeeding] had a 36% lower incidence of eczema than those using normal dairy products."

And this is why:

Previous research has shown that organic milk has higher levels of vitamin E, omega 3 essential fatty acids and antioxidants than non-organic milk, and also that milk from pasture-fed cows may contain more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is a type of fat which is thought to protect against health problems. And the study in question revealed that the difference in organic milk translated into raised CLA levels in breast milk and a reduced chance of eczema in the children whose mothers drank it and who drank it themselves.

At approaching $5 a half gallon, I would still say it's worth it, especially if there is a family history of allergies.

Of course, I could go one step further and suggest grass-fed raw milk which avoids the factory farms that even mainstream organic milk producers utilize, but...one step at a time.

Kids With Gardens Eat More Vegetables

Karen Murphy — Sat, 19 May 2007 14:41:00 GMT

As parents, we're often trying to get our kids to eat something, anything, healthy, and it turns out that there's a pretty easy way, as long as you have the back-forty cleared and easy access to a rototiller: a new study shows that kids eat better when they're eating from their own garden .

According to the study, "garden-fed children were more likely to see their parents eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and that people in homes with gardens had access to greater variety of produce." (Except in my garden, where I refused to grow anything but tomatoes, green beans, and cucumbers.) Actually, I would say that this was true in my kids' case. They now look on vegetables differently had we not had several years of our own backyard garden. And there was a fair amount of enthusiasm for the project, which helps tremendously.

Great! So get out your Garden Weasel and your Troy-Bilt Lead-Free Garden Gloves and $100 worth of organic seed, and you're set! No word about what to do when you don't actually have a back-forty, or even a back yard. I dunno, lemme think about it after I open this bag of Oreos.