Organic or not?

[DabRac]

With so much in the news these days about organic food having little or no nutritional value, I was wondering what other mums think

I believe my children should have protein and even though protein can be had from a number of foods, my children enjoy meat and as such at least one meal a day contains meat,
it costs a fortune for organic meat but what is the alternative, is there one?

Buy from your local butcher or farmer

Yes, but what do you think of organic meat?
is there a difference?

I think it comes down to personal finances - if you can afford it, go with the organic. If not, then the next best thing is to buy locally from a farm or butcher where you know they farm their meat ethically and humanely. We shop on a budget but there are some things I buy organic.

The flaw in the news story about the nutritonal value of organic food was that it only talked about the fact there was no 'extra' nutritional value, it didn't really discuss all the added chemicals etc that are in other food and the effect of other farming methods on the environment.

I always buy organic milk and eggs. Chicken I buy organic/free range whenever possible, but as a minimun always the more ethically reared ones.

Lamb I tend to see as free range anyhow, beef and pork I buy british, and never the cheap packs (ie 3 for £10) somehow I just don't trust them.

Agree with LLB - it's not about the nutritional value, more the added extras and the way in which the animal was treated.

Agreeing with plus3 organic milk and eggs, free range chicken and a small amount of decently reared other meat. We live in London and go to the Ginger Pig butchers and buy all of their cheap stuff! www.thegingerpig.co.uk/Welcome/tabid/36/Default.aspx

Organic is very expensive for the farmer as a percentage of the animals food needs to be organic too, so I don't bother about that for meat anymore. Just knowing that the animals are treated well is enough for me.

Find a really good local butcher if you can, or buy direct from a farmer

I buy mostly organic, except meat which I buy either from a local farm, where I can see the animals in the fields etc., or from www.blackface.co.uk or winstonchurchillvenision.com, a family run game estate just up the road from here, so the meat is either wild or humanely reared. If you buy the pie and casserole box from blackface, for example, you get 10lbs of good quality, humane or wild meat for about £40, how else are you going to get venison for £4 a pound?

I don't buy organic for nutritional reasons at all, it is more an ethical stance, like buying fairtrade, which I also do. The only thing, really, that I buy organic from a nutritional standpoint is squash. The chemically ones send my ASD kids loopy and we have massive temper meltdowns when they drink them.

It is more expensive than non organic/humane, but it doesn't have to be that much more. I base my meal plans around what comes in my veg box, only use a small amount of meat once or 2ce a week and only spend about £90 a week for a family of 7 (kids aged from 19-6.)

I think there is a theory that says that if the animals are happy that their meat is better for you. If they have been stressed it leads to higher levels of some chemicals in their flesh