Are Organic Foods Worth The Added Price?

Buying organic has been the trendy thing to do the past several years, and it is quite common to now find everything from organic bananas to organic teas right in your friendly neighborhood grocery store. More people are demanding organic, and stores are supplying it. But is it really worth the price difference to buy organic when the non-organic version of the same thing is nearly the same price?

What exactly is organic? It means that the farmers do not use pesticides, antibiotics or hormones when farming. Food production is also regulated by the government, to help prevent trace pollutants from cross-contamination.

It has not been shown that organic food offers any additional nutritional benefits over the same food in the non-organic variety. But many do not like the idea of putting any sort of chemicals into their bodies or serving it to their family. And those chemically sensitive do benefit from organic products.

The most noticeable difference in organic food is in the taste. Taste a regular apple versus an organic one, and many notice the difference in flavors. But on the same note, some can’t taste the difference, in the same way that some just can’t tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi or Sprite and 7-Up.

And organic seems to be seeping into every aspect of life. You can now buy organic shampoo, and even organic pet food and treats. Again, great for those with chemical sensitivities, and a great marketing ploy by companies.

Are you on a budget? Chances are, you will do just fine with non-organic. Or splurge on items that are most important to you – if you love to drink a cup of tea after the kids have gone to bed, perhaps the extra expense of organic tea is worth it to you if you can notice the difference.

Is your household food budget not as restrictive? Then you might want to incorporate more organic produce and products into your lifestyle.

And if a member of your family is chemically sensitive, it might be worth the expense to make the switch and cut back on other areas of your life.