Whatever the case, I have to make peace with myself each time that I fill my basket at Whole Foods and load up paid groceries into my “recyclable” shopping bags. I have to say that I’m not an organic “foody” because of the current trend to be “green”. In fact, I came about organic food years ago before it was all the rage.

My personal reason for choosing organic food was after a couple years of extreme stomach pain while I lived in the dorms in college. My third year of college, I moved to Belarus to study Russian. I talked to my mom over the phone after about 2 weeks and she asked me how my stomach had been feeling… the truth is that I had to stop and think. No, I had had no stomach issues since my move to Belarus. Now, wait a minute, I thought… why? Belarus has no “organic” food. And then I realized that in Bealrus, people eat differently. There really is no need for a distinction between organic and conventional food. Meat is local – always local. Cheese, milk, and fresh baked bread doesn’t travel more than a mile from the place it originated.

So, when I came back home… I knew that I had to make the personal switch to the very expensive, “elitist” organic grocery if I were to avoid lots and lots of future medical bills for feeling bad. That was years ago and since then, I’ve acquired a husband, two cats and two kids and realize that we have incorporated natural living and organic food into our lives quite easily.

With the changes in the economy, I feel sometimes that we should make the change of cuisine on our kitchen table… but never can quite make the switch. I guess that I’ve come to the conclusion that right now that organic and local food in our bellies is more important to me than an extra 400 square feet of living space.

I know that not everyone has the option to choose where their food comes from. And I’m not saying that if you eat food from Walmart that you’re wrong! I think that it feels good for parents to make decisions for their family based on information and their own desires. I hope that one day, organic food will be much less expensive than conventional food and conventional food will just drop off the face of the earth! I hope that all capable families will grow strong and healthy children and will give to people that cannot afford their own good food. I feel by paying a bit more for my groceries now, I am increasing the demand for good food so in the future the cost of organics will go down… we can all play a small part in changing things according to our passions.

So as I raise my organic yogurt smoothie in the air I say that I vow to always choose good food for my family over things that collect dust!

Here are a few helpful food resources:
“French Women Don’t Get Fat” by Mireille Guiliano – awesome book with lots of yummy recipes… encourages eating for fun!

Dr. Sear’s “The Nutrition Book” – a great addition to any parent’s library

http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php