Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Lisa's Daily Fitness Tip
Tips on Buying Organic
The first time I heard the term "organic" was a few years ago when my daughter was getting ready to start drinking cow's milk for the first time. Someone had mentioned to me that I should buy her organic milk to reduce the amount of chemicals entering her small body. I took their advice and have never turned back. But organic food is not cheap. In fact, it can be up to 40 percent more expensive than regular foods. I like the idea of putting fewer chemicals in my body but I'm not sure my budget could handle an all-organic food supply. And considering my thumb is blacker than a freshly paved street, I'm not sure I could handle growing anything organically in my small back yard.
So who better to get tips on buying organic food than Nora Pouillon, owner of Restaurant Nora and Asia Nora, Washington's two organic restaurants? She adopted an organic lifestyle more than 30 years ago, around the same time that she opened Restaurant Nora. Twenty years later, it became the country's first all-organic restaurant, serving 95 percent organic food, and remains one of the few in the country. Here are her tips for buying organic:
Tip #1: If you're interested in going organic, start out small, says Pouillon. Buy one or two of the items you eat the most of and then gradually add other items when your pocketbook is ready.
Tip #2: Realize that going organic is much more than just about the food. The term organic often gets lumped into the whole green movement. And Pouillon agrees that buying organic food is also an environmental and health issue. In fact, she says organic food actually ends up saving consumers money in the end. "They're less sick and they miss less work and their kids miss less school," Pouillon says.
Tip #3: Buy organic food seasonally. It'll be in more abundance, which means it'll be cheaper. Winter foods include root vegetables like parsnips, potatoes and carrots, as well as cabbage, dark green vegetables like chard and kale and citrus fruit. Grains and legumes are also a good buy in the winter.
Tip #4: Buy organic food at farmer's markets when you can. Not only is this a great way to buy organic food that's in season but you get to talk to the farmers directly about how the food is grown. Plus you support the farmers who have invested in organic growing processes. "The more we buy organic, the more chance there is that the prices will eventually go down," says Pouillon.
Tip #5: Buying food that's labeled "all-natural" doesn't mean that it's organic. Organic food is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which certifies that the food is genuinely organic. For example, Restaurant Nora is inspected on a regular basis by USDA officials. All-natural doesn't require any certification or government approval.
Tip #6: Organic food can be just as processed as regular food but it's the ingredients that make it organic. Read labels to know what percentage of the ingredients are organic. Decide how much non-organic stuff you're willing to tolerate. "Sometimes you have to give in and not grow all the food yourself," Pouillon says. "You have to buy some things that are already, to a certain extent, prepared."
Good places to buy organic food:
Whole Foods Market: The chain sells natural and organic food, so read labels to make sure you're buying organic.
My Organic Market: This small local chain sells only organic food, as well as a large selection of environmentally friendly paper products.
Trader Joe's: This national chain also sells a good amount of organic and natural food so again, read labels.
Traditional food chains: Giant, Safeway and Harris Teeter have all introduced lines of organic food over the last few years, selling everything from organic produce to crackers.
Re: Lisa's Daily Fitness Tip
Thanks Lisa,
I've been considering going organic, but my budget has kept the idea at bay.
Sunflower Market also had a great organic selection and Stanley's Produce market carries some organic stuff at a decent price.
Also - check out this link from Consumer Reports about when it "pays" to buy organic. I printed it out and stuck it in my wallet so I have it when I grocery shop.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/2guqel
http://tinyurl.com/2guqel
Thanks!