Strollerderby : organic foods

Bait and Switch: When is Eating Healthy Unhealthy?

Shannon LC Cate — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:30:00 GMT

Oh New York Times, you've spotted yet another parenting non-trend! This time, the Times tells us, mothers are giving their kids complexes about eating healthy food, which is, (ironically, of course!) unhealthy.

Who did the newspaper of record consult to get information on this trend? Why, specialists in eating disorders. That is, people who are exposed almost exclusively to unhealthy people obsessed in one way or another about food. A bit circular, don't you think?

Because in spite of the anecdotal evidence of the Times that kids whose mothers are careful with their diets--serving lots of organic vegetables, for example, or avoiding over-processed foods and transfats--are terrified at the prospect of eating an Oreo, or refuse to have a piece of cake at other children's (those with mothers who presumably have a healthy approach to transfat acceptance) birthday parties.

This article just irks me. Sure maybe people already inclined to eating disorders also have a fixation on the healthiness of their food. But most people could use some improvement in the food choice department. I take a great deal of care in feeding my children well. I'm a prime example of a mom who restricts her children to a nearly all-organic, all-whole-food diet. But my kids are not about to turn down cookies or birthday cake, given the chance. Not on your life. In fact, my philosophy is that if you keep your kids on the dietary straight and narrow 90% of the time, the occasional junk-food treats they enjoy will A) be a bigger, more fun deal and B) not hurt them a bit, given their overall health and nutritional intake.

Ah, but the food industry would love it if parents all decided that feeding kids healthy food--and teaching them to do the work of decoding package labeling, which is purposefully obscure--is the unhealthy approach.

Then maybe we'd all get back to buying Oreos like good little sheep.

Earth Day: Plan An "Earth Dinner"

Patti — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:32:00 GMT

Here's an interesting way to observe Earth Day with your family, especially if your kids are preschool-aged or older: have an Earth Dinner. The program is designed by Organic Valley, a farmers' collective, as a way of incorporating a meal tradition into Earth Day in the manner of other established celebrations.

It's kind of cool, actually. You can purchase a set of cards (profits go to the Organic Farm Friends Foundation) and use them as talking points to lead dinner conversation toward mindful eating, positive discussion about food and the earth, and personal memories. There are sample cards available for download, as well as recipe ideas to help plan a healthy organic dinner and a list of participatory restaurants for those who'd rather not cook. And specifically for kids, some fun links including Organic Valley's own kids' activity page.

I'm not really much for theme dinners that don't involve tons of garlic, tomatoes, and the Godfather saga, but I think I can get behind an organic lowcountry pilau with ham and bacon and going around the table to see who can name the most songs that reference food or eating, or hearing everyone's favorite food memory. It certainly beats our standard dinner conversation of poop, princesses, and politics.

'Green' Parenting Goes Mainstream

Alisyn — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 17:01:00 GMT

From cloth diapers to preservative free toys to organic cotton onesies to natural soaps, modern mamas are flexing their purchasing power more than ever, and 56% of us are doing our best to go green (or at least, greener). According to a poll taken by BabyCenter, women are living more eco-friendly lives to protect their children's health, and our planet, for the next generation.

So, how are we doing that? Little by little: we're buying more non-toxic cleaning products, recycling, eating organic food, using energy efficient appliances, and educating ourselves about the hazards of chemicals in our daily lives. Perhaps most importantly, though, we're teaching our kids to be smart about what they put on and in their bodies, and the importance of green living.

In recent years green living has become less of an urban/hippie trend, and more the societal norm, with the demand for eco-friendly products growing all the time. They used to be specialty products in specialty stores, but now eco-friendly products can be found in most mainstream superstores across the country.

Linda Murray, Editor-in-Chief of BabyCenter has a theory about how this shift came about: "Today's moms know small steps can add up and they want to do their part. It's a natural extension of the protective mothering instinct that kicks in the minute a woman learns she's pregnant. She becomes keenly aware of whether her food, activities, products, and environment are safe."

That pretty much sums up why I started eating organic, as well as buying chemical-free and non-toxic products whenever I can. Having kids is a pretty powerful catalyst for change - and having a strong collective voice is to speak out about the need for cleaner living for those kids is powerful as well.

Moms rule.

Organic Foods Found to Be Poisonous for Children

Karen Murphy — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 16:57:00 GMT

In an amazingly comprehensive new study funded by a Washington D.C. based neoconservative think tank, it was found that organically-grown foods, most notably fruits and vegetables, are actually poisonous to humans, especially the sensitive systems of our smallest and weakest citizens, our children. It turns out that the lack of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, as well as the hormones and steroids added to animal feed, creates an imbalance within the body that in turn secretes poisonous substances. In other words, if you eat organic? You are slowly killing yourself and your children.

The study shows that the chemicals we have been vilifying are actually necessary for human survival. Without them, the body slowly shuts down and organs begin to fail (this process takes on average 70+ years, but it is a sure and irrevocable process). Me, I am horrified. Here I've been paying, on average, three times the price of "regular" pesticide and chemical fertilizer-laden vegetables and fruits for ones lacking these crucial components for good health. It's enough to make me want to go get a big bag of Miracle-Gro and a spoon (yummy when sprinkled on ice cream; kinda crunchy but good).