I think it is pretty fair and honest to say that when I was growing up, we never talked about whether or not food was “organic.” Now, my mom was in to healthy eating and did the whole “back to nature” scene in the early seventies, but it was more about growing your own and not nearly at the level that things are now. In my own household, I find that my older teens and I are often deciding what we will eat and justifying our food choices based on whether or not something is organic—not necessarily whether or not it is actually good for us…
I know that organic fruits and vegetables are a no brainer. I prefer to buy at my local farmer’s market, however, that to buy the overpriced stuff in the grocery store. I do try to buy organic produce whenever possible and I know that is not how I started out my parenting all those years ago. When my children were tiny and we lived in the Midwest, there just was not really an organic selection of anything available. I remember that I actually used to order some vegetarian products to be delivered by the UPS driver because I couldn’t find them in town!
I am gradually buying more and more organic meat, but it is quite expensive when one is a single parent trying to feed a family. And I try to buy organic grains and such whenever I can find them and afford them too. What is fun is that when my kids are shopping with me and trying to convince me to buy something I might not otherwise buy, they will say things like: “I know they are cookies, but they are organic!” or “Let’s try this cereal, after all it IS organic!” In their world, the world that they inhabit, they know that organic makes it “better” and makes it more likely that mom will give in.
I confess that I never dreamt that organic food and parenting would go hand-in-hand or that my own children would use the term “organic” as a bargaining tool. I realize that this is really just another way that we affluent westerners are affected by consumer trends, but how can I argue with it? After all, it IS organic!
See Also: The FOOD Blog