Is Organic Food Necessary for Baby?

Categories:

Nutrition

Many parents wonder if organic food is worth the money and effort. It can be expensive and hard to find in the regular grocery stores.

The way I think about it is this…

The younger your baby is the more rapidly he is growing. It is the most important time in his life for providing his body with quality food to support the cellular processes that are happening and creating the foundation for his health. It is also the most important time in his life to support his immune system and avoid stressing his body so that he can avoid any illness that could threaten his young and fragile health.

The younger your baby is the easier it will be to get her to eat almost all organic food. When your baby is at the age where she is eating only milk and baby food it is very easy to provide everything organically. Organic baby food is available in almost any grocery store. Yes, it is more expensive than regular but your baby’s health is worth $1.5o a jar and if you consider how little they eat you are still only spending a few dollars per meal. That is a lot less than it costs to make a meal for yourself out of non-organic food.

The younger your baby is the less efficient her organs are at filtering out toxins such as pesticides. That means that the same exposure to the pesticides in an apple have a much harsher effect on her than you.

The younger your child is the greater the relative amount of toxins they are taking in compared to an adult. If your toddler loves fruit and eats multiple servings per day consider the amount of pesticides in that fruit and how it measures up to your body size and then your toddlers body size. That tiny little body is getting a massive dose in a few pieces of fruit a day.

Here are a few ways to make things easier. If you visit the Environmental Working Group you will find a list of the fruits and vegetables that are the most contaminated. Buy those foods organically and don’t worry too much about the others.

Also, pay attention to the foods that your young one eats a lot of and buy those organically. If it is a meat or dairy product you can drastically cut down on the hormones and antibiotics that their little body is exposed to buy switching that one food.

If you are able to go all out and buy all your child’s food organically then go for it. If you are not able to do that then that is okay. Do what you can. It does not have to be all or none.

Remember, that tiny little body will be better off if you only change one favorite food rather than changing nothing at all.

11 comments

just from adar lab coats says:

March 5, 2010 at 12:39 am (UTC -5 )

Due to screening, commercial baby foods may contain a lower level of nitrates than homemade as parents do not have the ability to screen veggies for nitrates. Please keep in mind that baby food companies voluntarily screen for levels of nitrate and there is no Federal (U.S.) regulation or mandate requiring them to screen. You see, nitrates are naturally occuring in the vegetable itself and not even the folks at Gerber/Beechnut/Heinz et al. can remove nitrates.
Dustin from Baby Hip Carrier says:

March 24, 2010 at 8:50 pm (UTC -5 )

Great looking site and a great post! I agree that it’s really good to encourage our infants to eat organic. You really can’t put a price on your babies health and starting at such a young age can really go a long way! Thanks again!
.-= Dustin @ Baby Hip Carrier´s last blog ..Boba Carrier: The Shopping Mama Review =-.
Watershed from Bigtalk says:

May 7, 2010 at 6:15 am (UTC -5 )

I am kind of a health nut when it comes to my kids food and diet. As I get older, I appreciate now more than ever that good food is so important– as are good eating habits. I am trying to set a model for my kids of healthy eating. Don’t worry– I am not psycho about it. We just don’t opt for french fries and burgers. Not my style.

When my kids were babies I had 3 options for food (1) make it myself (2) buy regular (3) buy organic.
lynne from Green Houses says:

May 12, 2010 at 6:55 am (UTC -5 )

There wasnt so much organic stuff around when my kids were small but they still ate healthily with plenty of fresh veg and fruit and the best thing is that now there’s no fruit or veg they won’t eat.
Cecilia from Pregnancy Symptoms says:

May 20, 2010 at 12:34 pm (UTC -5 )

The food nowadays is not very healthy for kids especially those burgers and fries, they are all junk foods. From the very beginning, we shouldn’t let our kids to get used to eating foods like this. It is important that at a very young age we train them to eat healthy. Organic foods are good for them and parents should try to incorporate these foods in anything they serve or cook. We should also train them to eat more fruits and vegetables instead of chips or candies. Also, try to do it yourself as you will be their role model in doing things like this.
medicines safe for kids says:

June 9, 2010 at 12:52 am (UTC -5 )

So, depending on how safe or unsafe you believe baby’s food is or isn’t, it is up to you and the research you have done to determine the right choice of regular or organic baby food for your baby.
Agos says:

June 10, 2010 at 1:45 am (UTC -5 )

Organic food is often twice as expensive as non organic, and that can strain family budgets. Also, no conclusive research has shown that organic foods are more nutritious than their non organic counterparts. So if buying organic means that fewer fruits and veggies wind up on your table, then that is not a good trade-off. Making sure that your kids receive the minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients they need from fruits and veggies is more important.
babieshealthnaturally says:

June 10, 2010 at 8:07 am (UTC -5 )

Even if the nutritional value of organic and non-organic fruits and vegetables were the same, which I doubt, what is definitely not the same is the level of cancer causing pesticides.
Our children are considerably more sensitive to those pesticides and are consuming much larger amounts relative to their body size for the same size portion compared to an adult.
And now, studies suggest that pesticides may be to blame for ADD and ADHD. I don’t find that hard to believe at all.
You gotta choose your battles wisely.
Georg Smith from summertime film says:

June 18, 2010 at 6:03 am (UTC -5 )

Unborn children and children under 3 years old are more likely to be susceptible to pesticides and other chemicals because of their size and their developing brains and nervous systems. So, organic foods are very much essential for kids and children.
Gary from baby shoes says:

September 30, 2010 at 4:37 am (UTC -5 )

Organic food can only be a good thing but, if you can’t afford it I think its more important to get you kids used to eating good “home made” meals with fresh fruit and veg. It’s cheaper, in the main, than serving pre-packed junk foods. They are the real “evil”.
angelle torrejas says:

April 28, 2011 at 2:20 am (UTC -5 )

Organic foods are very popular now in very parts of the worlds because organic foods are a commitment to gain a healthy food…also it is an agricultural process of foods, and it is very essential to the children instead of eating nonsense food like junk foods…