So You’re Considering Organic, But is It Worth the Price?
Ask any parent, and you’ll likely hear that parenthood can be broken down into one simple idea: choices. From the moment you bring your little one home, it seems as parents that a big part of our role is looking at the selections of foods, products, and activities available to kids, making sure we give them the best choice to meet their needs.
Just around this time, parents are also looking at whether feeding their little ones organic is the right move. While most agree eating organic has a bevy of health benefits, you’re probably wondering whether it’s worth the price.
If anything remains certain, Baked Smart Cookie takes a whole new approach to eating organic, packaging 4 wholesome vegetables and 4 nutritious fruits into something that wouldn’t necessarily be considered such: one chocolate chip cookie. Let’s take a look at what organic means, how it affects our kids, and how it could affect your pocketbook.
What is Organic?
Take a stroll down any grocery store aisle and you’ll see the word “organic” front and center on many labels. In recent years, organic has taken on an entirely other meaning aside from being defined as products made “without the use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers, or bioengineered genes (GMOs).”
Recently, organic selections have come to represent a clean eating movement that is sweeping the country.
Organic, However, is More Than a Trend
More than a trend, organic foods have been studied and evaluated to offer benefits to the emotional and mental health of those who consume them, as well as more positive impacts to our environment. And people with certain food allergies have been found to experience lesser symptoms as a result of eating organic foods, as opposed to those made with certain preservatives.
Unfortunately, many of the foods we bring home are loaded with harmful chemicals that pose a real risk to our health and safety. Toxic pesticides used to preserve many of the fresh foods found in markets include high-risk insecticides that potentially cause cancer or disrupt hormones.
In fact, The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that many of the pesticides used on foods are especially harmful to children and their long-term development. Choosing organic is one of the best ways to limit our kids’ exposure to many of these dangerous toxins.
Organic Foods Support Your Local Community
Aside from the health benefits associated with choosing organic, buying locally-sourced foods supports your community, local farmers, and growers. Because stores look for freshness in the produce and goods they offer, you’re likely to find a range of foods grown close to home during your grocery shopping trip.
When you purchase foods grown from local farms, you’re making sure the money you spend stays within the local economy. And even more importantly, the foods that wind up at our tables are fresher and better tasting because they travel less distance to reach us.
Eat Well on a Budget
As it is, most families stick to a budget when it comes to their day-to-day spending. It’s possible to buy many of the delicious organic foods available with a little planning. We’re fortunate to live during a time of technological advances that help us make better choices.
Nowadays, you can find websites and smartphone apps to help you create and track a budget for your family’s food and groceries. And even sticking to a well-planned out shopping list can help you avoid overspending at the grocery store by eliminating impulse buys that eat away at your budget for fresh and healthy foods.
The Organic Choice is the Right Choice
We all know many kids experience a picky phase that impacts many of the choices we make. What parent hasn’t experienced their little one turn away a healthy vegetable or two?
Introducing healthy food choices at an early age is a great way to set your kids up for success when it comes to their nutrition. Fortunately for parents, products like Baked Smart Cookie — the non-GMO, vegan cookie packed with eight different kinds of fruit and vegetables — offer kids a healthy and delicious snack food option to enjoy anywhere, anytime.
