what do you buy organic?

[GDG]

At the moment I'm buying organic milk, fruit juice, fruit (bananas, grapes, strawberries - but not apples), carrots.

I'm just wondering if anyone who is an 'expert' on organic stuff can tell me, if I'm going to choose a limited list of things to buy organic what is most worth it iyswim. I'm pretty sure someone told me milk, carrots and bananas were worth buying organic. Anyone know?

I just get a box of fruit and veg delivered. I would buy milk but I can only shop once a week and I don't think organic milk lasts that long.

I buy organic bread - but only because that's the only way to avoid emulsifiers, flour improvers etc.

I buy organic sausages to avoid MSG, preservatives and pointless fillers.

I buy organic soy milk to avoid colouring and obscene amounts of sugar.

I buy organic snack bars because they are egg free.

I'm not remotely interested in their organicness - but their similarity to real food appeals to me.

Most of the time: meat, fruit, veg, milk, peanut butter, ketchup.

Sometimes: butter, fish, wine and erm lots of other things I'll think of later.

I've heard that if you only buy one organic thing it should be milk (sorry not sure why) and was also told by a food-researcher friend that peanuts are particularly bad for absorbing whatever rubbish is sprayed on them.

Oh yes, snacky fruit bars/crisp-type treats and raisins for ds

i buy organic sausages so the boys can have them without all the crap.

organic carrots and milk very often.i think carrots are meant to be the best thing you can buy organic as the non organic absorb so much crap.

Oh yes, I buy the organic raisins too.

I don't buy organic sausages but I buy from a good quality butcher so I don't think they have any crap in them either.

That's what I've heard about carrots alexsmum, and the same for bananas.

In general if it is "made" in an organic version I buy it. I am always concerned (in particular) how long non0 organic fruit and veg last - left some tomatoes in the fridge for 3 weeks whilst we went on holiday many years ago and when we returned they still looked fine - not normal.

gdg - salad (lettuce, celery esp) - essential to buy organic imo, ditto any wheat products (which means bread, pasta for us) as wheat is another baddie for absorbing nasty stuff.

i would've said milk, soft summer fruit, but you're doing that already

I'm just buying those three GDG, milk (which as afamily we consume loads of), bananas and carrots.

And raisins too - I eat handfuls of them before I go out for a run.

similar discussion \link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=4&threadid=89778&stamp=050706213745\here} has useful info

\link(www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,2763,1495674,00.html#article_continue\guardian} article

\link{http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,2763,1495674,00.html#article_continue\guardian} article

Thanks for that iota - great article

GDG - got it from that thread - posted by maomao - put it on here to highlight it

milk for ds and carrots.

Quite often other stuff but those are the only ones I do consistently. However, I do try to shop at the local market where unfortunately they don't do organic stuff at all.

I've always been told that if you buy anything organic, it should be root vegetables, as they absorb all of the pesticides into the root.

And I agree with the milk thing, if only because when I moved onto organic dairy products, my exczema went from severe to bearable.

We buy a lot of organic - but also because I believe that it helps farmers and the countryside as well as being good for us. In particular, will only buy organic meat because of animal welfare considerations. But Hugh Furry-Knittingwool is quite good on this in his meat book if you want to pick and choose - it's quite hard to mistreat lamb, but only ever buy organic chicken (that's something else that's stuffed full of antibiotics and other rubbish)

Eggs and bananas.

Milk, butter and milk products like yoghurt.
Potatoes, carrots, parsnips, apples
Salad
Eggs

Always dither over fairtrade vs organic bananas.

Also have the air miles vs organic quandry a lot of the time. Have now got a veg box.

Don't eat meat - if I did I would only eat organic.

I will be increasing the proportion of organic stuff we buy as have become a member of a group that buys in bulk from a wholesaler locally - makes it a lot cheaper as we get trade prices.

Dairy is quite important because of the antibiotics/other medications that may be given to non-organic cows. Also, organic will contain ALL the nutrients that are supposed to be there, which may not be present if the cows are fed a non-organic diet (some cow feed labels simply state 'protein' as an additive, but do not state the derivative - it could be anything). Fruit and veg (especially soft) would be better organic because you know only natural fertilisers will have been used - no nasties. I buy whatever I can organic and/or locally produced. Even if the ethics aren't really your thing, I think they taste better anyway. Carrots that actually taste like carrots (not just solidified orange water). Also, why are non organic carrots so vividly orange and regular in shape and texture? If you were concerned that organic doesn't last long enough (shorter shelf-life), you must ask the question what is in the non-organic produce that makes it last so long anyway, and would you really want to eat it? I think that so long as it doesn't contain hydrogenated vegetable fat, it isn't really necessary to buy things like organic biscuits etc, just be aware of the harmful ingredients and avoid them. Sorry I sound a bit like an eco-warrior (I really am not!!) but decent food is something I really care about. You reap what you sow... so to speak! Don't get too uptight about it though. It is OK to indulge in 'naughty' food sometimes too!!!

Forgot eggs too - for obvious reasons!

interesting name m1m1 :)

i bought a cucumber non-bio the other day, it was revolting (p thats my consumer rather than expert choice. Eggs organic, meat also if you eat it.

If there is an organic option I usually buy it. If it is for dd1 then it always is organic - apart from fish - never seen organic cod or haddock.

dd1 has organic milk - which is naturally rich in omega 3 - think it is because of the drugfree grass the cows eat.

Generally buy at Sainsubury's or the local Farmers market - occasionally have a veg box delivered - did when initially weaning dd1.

Dd2 is bf so I try to have as much organic as poss.

I was veggie for 20 years mainly for the crap in food reasons - I now eat meat but try to have as good quality as I can - even if it costs more.

milk and i hate yslef for it