Do you buy organic food?

[Buffalo_Gal]

8 hours ago, Another Fan said:

A Whole Foods is opening up nearby where I live.  Have never actually shopped there.

 

Kinda seems it’s overpriced stuff anyway.  

The Whole Foods "experience" isn't the same since Amazon bought them. However, if you have Amazon Prime sign up with a cell phone number (they will send you a text) and can get sale prices that way.

Is it pricey? Yeah, but if you have allergies, eat only organic, etc it is a one-stop-shop. And, I still have Whole Food shopping bags that are over 10 years old. ?

If you want organic fruits and vegetables you can join a CSA.  Depending on the CSA you sign up for, organic fruits and vegetables can be much more economical that way. We used to belong to Porter Farms (outside Batavia) and I swear it is the best organic-CSA for the money in the United States. We moved on to one in Clarence that was twice the price but was a fast and easy pickup.

We now grow our own (backyard + hunting land) and will also drive for produce up in Niagara County (the orchards next door to the hunting land are an easy stop). There are also plenty of Farmer's Markets nearby where just about anything from organic fruits and vegetables to grass-fed beef and free-range chicken, duck, geese, etc eggs can be purchased. 

Note: my favorite Whole Foods is one in Jacksonville with a wine bar in the store. Hard to beat that!

[Augie]

5 minutes ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

The Whole Foods "experience" isn't the same since Amazon bought them. However, if you have Amazon Prime sign up with a cell phone number (they will send you a text) and can get sale prices that way.

Is it pricey? Yeah, but if you have allergies, eat only organic, etc it is a one-stop-shop. And, I still have Whole Food shopping bags that are over 10 years old. ?

If you want organic fruits and vegetables you can join a CSA.  Depending on the CSA you sign up for, organic fruits and vegetables can be much more economical that way. We used to belong to Porter Farms (outside Batavia) and I swear it is the best organic-CSA for the money in the United States. We moved on to one in Clarence that was twice the price but was a fast and easy pickup.

We now grow our own (backyard + hunting land) and will also drive for produce up in Niagara County (the orchards next door to the hunting land are an easy stop). There are also plenty of Farmer's Markets nearby where just about anything from organic fruits and vegetables to grass-fed beef and free-range chicken, duck, geese, etc eggs can be purchased. 

Note: my favorite Whole Foods is one in Jacksonville with a wine bar in the store. Hard to beat that!

 

I totally get that proteins might be better if organic. What about fruits and vegatables? Once you wash them, is there any difference? I take the dog to the Marietta Square Farmers Market (GA) almost every Saturday. A grocery store tomato is not really a tomato....and I just answered my own question. Haha.  ?

 

Never mind.....

[Buffalo_Gal]

2 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

I totally get that proteins might be better if organic. What about fruits and vegatables? Once you wash them, is there any difference? I take the dog to the Marietta Square Farmers Market (GA) almost every Saturday. A grocery store tomato is not really a tomato....and I just answered my own question. Haha.  ?

 

Never mind.....

We have organic pear trees ? (really needs a projectile vomiting emoji). The bugs are how we get extra protein.  ? The organic apples are surprisingly worm and bug-free (YMMV). And, I just got rid of my blackberries that were also organic (gave them to a friend who planted them next to his raspberry bushes).

Many people suggest buying organic fruits and vegetables that are listed as the dirty dozen - fruits and vegetables that are supposed to be worth the extra $$ to avoid pesticides. The list changes a bit yearly (they've been publishing that list for a long time). 

It isn't for everyone. My brother is an exterminator and refuses to buy anything marked organic.
 

[NoSaint]

7 hours ago, WhitewalkerInPhilly said:

There are two (somewhat related) topics here: organic foods and Whole Foods

 

Working in the food industry, and going through a lot of academic research, I can say that there is no study I could find that could conclude that organic food is more nutritious, safer, or tastes better than conventional foodstuffs when you go through double blind tests (neither the tester, or testee knows which is which during the test). That said, there is botanical work that suggests that organics in the store taste better because they aren't being grown for volume, as nutrients and flavor compounds are more densely compacted. Most megacorp-argiculture prioritizes size and speed of growth, so it can taste watered down. But it's not the "organic" quality that likely does it: it's freshness, and being picked at a smaller size that seems to give more flavor. If you can, roadside stands and farmers markets are the best way to go.

As far as I can tell, it doesn't do anything for any other type of foodstuff.

 

As for Whole Foods, I think they are a bit overpriced compared to Wegmans without a resulting increase in quality. They also range a lot depending on the store. The one that used to be by me had a great fish section and a better bakery, but was subpar to Wegmans in a bunch of areas. I'm not a fan, but I hear there are better ones in ritzier areas.

 

Mostly fair. But not all of us have a Weeman’s option- so that may skew your opinion! Compared to my local groceries there’s a noticeable jump in quality essentially across the board.

 

still not where I do the majority of my shopping but I do pop in with some regularity. As others mention- sometimes cheaper for certain items, and often have selection I can’t get elsewhere 

9 hours ago, Another Fan said:

A Whole Foods is opening up nearby where I live.  Have never actually shopped there.

 

Kinda seems it’s overpriced stuff anyway.  

 

How do you reconcile the second and third sentences? Did you go wander the aisles without intent to purchase while on vacation?!?

[Augie]

8 minutes ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

We have organic pear trees ? (really needs a projectile vomiting emoji). The bugs are how we get extra protein.  ? The organic apples are surprisingly worm and bug-free (YMMV). And, I just got rid of my blackberries that were also organic (gave them to a friend who planted them next to his raspberry bushes).

Many people suggest buying organic fruits and vegetables that are listed as the dirty dozen - fruits and vegetables that are supposed to be worth the extra $$ to avoid pesticides. The list changes a bit yearly (they've been publishing that list for a long time). 

It isn't for everyone. My brother is an exterminator and refuses to buy anything marked organic.
 

 

I tried tomatoes 4-5 years and always got bugs. Made my own organic spray, to no avail. Now I’m just resigned to the farmers market in season. The dog gets to sniff some butts (mostly other dogs), we all win. 

[Buffalo_Gal]

Just now, Augie said:

 

I tried tomatoes 4-5 years and always got bugs. Made my own organic spray, to no avail. Now I’m just resigned to the farmers market in season. The dog gets to sniff some butts (mostly other dogs), we all win. 

Wow, ok, yeah tomatoes are fairly easy.  This year I am growing organic cucumbers, peas, beans, cabbage (crossing fingers on these, right now they look beautiful), Brussels sprouts (was sure the bugs were gonna get 'em but they persisted), lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, a buncha herbs (that will be dried) and tomatoes in the backyard (so far, so good). The hunting land will end up with turnips, parsnips, edamame, and some other stuff (I don't do that, Hubby does... he does it as deer plots but I get first dibs as the deer are eating the farmer's corn next door until they plow under the field in late-November or early-December).

It isn't for everyone, but I enjoy it. ?
 

[Augie]

9 minutes ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

Wow, ok, yeah tomatoes are fairly easy.  This year I am growing organic cucumbers, peas, beans, cabbage (crossing fingers on these, right now they look beautiful), Brussels sprouts (was sure the bugs were gonna get 'em but they persisted), lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, a buncha herbs (that will be dried) and tomatoes in the backyard (so far, so good). The hunting land will end up with turnips, parsnips, edamame, and some other stuff (I don't do that, Hubby does... he does it as deer plots but I get first dibs as the deer are eating the farmer's corn next door until they plow under the field in late-November or early-December).

It isn't for everyone, but I enjoy it. ?
 

Sure, taunt me now! I know your type! ?

 

 

We just kept getting bugs in the tomatoes. Inside a pool cage in Florida. In pots and an Earth Box in GA. It’s the Farmers Market era for me now. 

 

 

But my herbs are doing well! 

[jr1]

"organic" is bs to overcharge you with

[Marv's Neighbor]

20 hours ago, dpberr said:

Yes - only because I have significant food allergies that robs the enjoyment of eating.  Dining out?  Forget it unless it's straight up meat on a grill with vegetables.  

 

Finding food items that do not have soy or tree nuts is difficult.  Whole Foods carries some.  

 

I've been aware of being celiac since 2001.  No gluten to include:  beer, bread, pasta, most dark alcohol, with the exception of rum.  The variety and quality of food has improved over the years.  Because of the expense, I only buy organic if I can't find the equivalent product.  That's not often, but it can happen.

 

There's no cure for what I have, and no drugs involved.  It's all done with diet control.  If I didn't do that, my immune system would break down, and I likely would not have lived very long after the original diagnosis.  It sucks, but considering the alternative, I'm making it.

[mead107]

Organic food grow in fields that used to be sprayed.  Chemical residues still in ground.  

[Sweats]

My sister-in-law bought a $90 organic turkey one year hoping to impress everyone on how much she spent for that bird on thanksgiving.

The following year, my wife and I bought a $30 regular bird and no one could believe how good it tasted.

 

.....the year after that, my sister-in-law bought a regular $30 turkey.

 

Take that, sister-in-law.......take that.

[Fadingpain]

I'm into cooking and eating good food.

 

I have always found Whole Foods to be kind of a hit or miss, ****ty organization.  

 

Their meat counter is probably the best thing about the store.  Much of their produce is nothing special but it is all way overpriced.

 

It's not uncommon to have someone working the fish counter not really know what the hell he is doing, which at a place like W.F. is outrageous.

 

Unfortunately, eating healthy and well in the USA is a very expensive activity.

 

 

[Happy]

The only organic food I buy is bananas.  I've found that organic bananas do not over-ripen as quickly as non-organic bananas.

[Foxx]

15 hours ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

... My brother is an exterminator and refuses to buy anything marked organic.
 

you're saying he doesn't get his fill of chemicals at work? hmmm.... interesting.

[Fadingpain]

18 hours ago, Augie said:

 

Interesting. I have a banana and skim milk for breakfast every morning, but this is news to me. I’ll give it a try. 

At our Publix grocery stores down here in FL, the bananas are always displayed on a big table with normal to the left, organic to the right.

 

The organic are more expensive and have a blue piece of tape wrapped around the bunch.

 

It is almost impossible to get a good green normal banana, but the organic bananas are always almost all green.  

 

I suspect that has something to do with food distribution schedules to the store as much as anything, but the organic bananas are definitely always green and the normal are almost always mostly yellow.

 

I have also noticed that organic bananas from other places, such as Trader Joe's sometimes don't ripen to a fault!  Like they kind of stay green forever, it is hard to tell when it is ripe for eating, and when you finally eat it, it's not that great.

 

I would put forth that a banana is better as a genetically modified organism!

 

 

[The Poojer]

There's no such thing as the bolded statement below....the best bananas are yellow with plenty of black/brown spots on them...true story!!

 

 

14 minutes ago, Fadingpain said:

At our Publix grocery stores down here in FL, the bananas are always displayed on a big table with normal to the left, organic to the right.

 

The organic are more expensive and have a blue piece of tape wrapped around the bunch.

 

It is almost impossible to get a good green normal banana, but the organic bananas are always almost all green.  

 

I suspect that has something to do with food distribution schedules to the store as much as anything, but the organic bananas are definitely always green and the normal are almost always mostly yellow.

 

I have also noticed that organic bananas from other places, such as Trader Joe's sometimes don't ripen to a fault!  Like they kind of stay green forever, it is hard to tell when it is ripe for eating, and when you finally eat it, it's not that great.

 

I would put forth that a banana is better as a genetically modified organism!

 

 

[Buffalo_Gal]

43 minutes ago, Foxx said:

you're saying he doesn't get his fill of chemicals at work? hmmm.... interesting.

That's what I said. He's either gonna die young from all the chemicals or live to 150 because he's basically embalmed.

[The Jokeman]

On 6/28/2018 at 12:52 PM, Another Fan said:

A Whole Foods is opening up nearby where I live.  Have never actually shopped there.

 

Kinda seems it’s overpriced stuff anyway.  

We got a Whole Foods here a few months ago, I haven't gone yet because it's rumored to be costly. In terms of Organic, my fiance buys it all the time at Wegman's because she just feels it's better and I won't argue with her but I honestly don't think there's anything to validly say it is. 

Edited June 29, 2018 by The Jokeman

[Soda Popinski]

I can barely afford regular food now, and prices are going up again.   

[Augie]

1 hour ago, The Poojer said:

There's no such thing as the bolded statement below....the best bananas are yellow with plenty of black/brown spots on them...true story!!

 

 

 

My wife always buys the greenest banana she can find because, well......she hates the taste of banana. So I wait.....