The Organic Mommy Weblog

There has been alot of debate in the news recently over whether toxic chemicals leach from plastic baby bottles into the milk they contain.  The chemical in question is Bisphenol-A (BPA) and it is in most clear plastic products.  When exposed to heat this chemical can leach out of the plastic into the milk.  Research has shown that even very low levels of BPA can disrupt hormone function, cause learning disorders, hyperactivity and early puberty just to name a few. 

A study by Consumer Reports tested plastic baby bottles and found that this chemical did leach into the milk.  They calculated that a normal baby who drank out of a bottle would be exposed to BPA dose of about 4% of an amount that has affected lab animals in studies done at the University of Missouri.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission urged parents to make sure that baby toys and teethers are not made from PVC plastics.

If your like me you believe that any amount of a toxic chemical should not be in anything that a baby uses.  The FDA has stood by its years old claim that polycarbonate bottles are safe.  I think that the FDA owes us another look at this with some up to date testing and research.   In the meantime here are some tips for keeping your baby safe.

• When I found out about this info my son was around 5 months old.  I immediately switched to glass baby bottles and found them to be just as easy to use and felt that they were easier to clean anyway.  You can put them in the dishwasher and heat formula without any worry and I never had any break on me.  Just check them frequently for any nicks or cracks.  Evenflo makes glass bottles and they are available in most baby stores
• PVC is commonly used in teethers and soft squeeze toys for young children, beach balls, bath toys (some rubber duckies), and dolls. Check the product or label to see what number plastic has been used
• Avoid buying any plastic items that have the recycling symbol 3,6,or 7 marked on the bottom
• Because it contains a variety of additives and lacks a uniform composition, PVC is far less recyclable than other plastics
• If you still want to use plastic bottles then avoid heating the plastic bottles over the stove or in the microwave

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In a world where gas prices are soaring and some of us can barely afford to heat our homes in the winter months; you may wonder why anyone would voluntarily spend more money on food.  When my son was born my husband and I decided that I would stay  home with him rather than putting him in daycare.  This meant cutting our annual income by over a quarter and dipping into our savings account more times than we would like to admit.  So with that said I can understand the worry of affording to give your family organic food. 

My plan was to admit that I couldn’t afford to do everything organic.  If you are lucky enough to say that you have plenty of money and you don’t have to worry about grocery bills then god bless!  But if you do need to stay in budget then you need to first pick your battles.  Look at what your family eats most and then look at what products are the most dangerous for your health. 

For our family I started with organic produce.  My son was just starting table food and I wanted to make sure he got as few chemicals as possible.  I used the list at the bottom of this post to determine what fruits and veggies we used most and were at the top of the list.  The top of the list are the worst produce to eat conventionally.  (A regular pint of strawberries at the grocery store contain over 40 pesticides!)    Take blueberries for instance, they are relatively low on the list so I may buy those regular because the organic ones are twice the price.   If you are on a budget you should use your money for organics wisely by buying organic produce that would normally contain the most pesticides.

Next I started buying organic dairy products.  Again my son ate alot of them so I was concerned about his health.   For more health facts regarding your children you can read my website www.theorganicmommy.org.  I buy all milk, eggs, and cheese organic; but I haven’t been able to afford butter or half and half  organically yet.  I figure we only use very small amounts of these so its best to buy organic milk over these for now.  As for meat I buy both beef and chicken that are free of antibiotics, steroids, and hormones.  My store doesn’t carry these in organic and unfortunately I probably couldn’t afford them even if they did. 

So my advice is to shop around and take notice of what products are sold organic and what the prices are.  If something is on sale that week then stock up and freeze extras.  Also you should always try to buy locally first since its less impact on the environment and supports local farms.  If you are lucky enough to live by a farmers market then check that out first and see if they grow organically. 

Sometimes you will have to choose between local vs organic because not all farmers obviously grow organic.  Again use the list to help decide what you really need to be organic and what you can buy regular from a farm stand.  While I truly believe that American farmers are under appreciated and should be supported, I will always put my families health first and buy organic from a large store over regular at a farm stand if its produce that is high in pesticides.  That is a personal choice and one that you must make for your family based on availability and your beliefs.

I hope you find these tips help your family go organic on a budget.  If you know all the facts about why its better for your health to eat organically, then I’m sure you will find yourself buying less junk food and more healthy snacks if your on a limited budget.  Good luck and keep your family safe and healthy!

This produce ranking was developed by the not-for-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) based on almost 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce.  The fruit was washed and peeled just as a normal person would eat it.  This list is ranked from worst to best meaning 1. is the worst for high levels of pesticides.  For more info you can visit www.ewg.org

1.  Peaches

2.  Apples

3.  Bell Peppers

4.  Celery

5.  Nectarines

6.  Strawberries

7.  Cherries

8.  Lettuce

9.  Grapes (imported)

10.  Pears

11.  Spinach

12.  Potatoes

13.  Carrots

14.  Green Beans

15.  Hot Peppers

16.  Cucumbers

17.  Raspberries

18.  Plums

19.  Oranges

20.  Grapes (domestic)

21.  Cauliflower

22.  Tangerine

23.  Mushrooms

24.  Cantaloupe

25.  Lemon

26.  Honeydew Melon

27.  Grapefruit

28.  Winter Squash

29.  Tomatoes

30.  Sweet Potatoes

31.  Watermelon

32.  Blueberries

33. Papaya

34.  Eggplant

35.  Broccoli

36.  Cabbage

37.  Bananas

38.  Kiwi

39.  Asparagus

40.  Sweet Peas (frozen)

41.  Mango

42.  Pineapples

43.  Sweet Corn (frozen)

44.  Avocado

45.  Onions

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