Organic Toddler Foods

Why Organic Toddler Foods?

There are many compelling reasons to feed small children organic foods over conventional foods. Issues related to children’s health and proper growth and long-term health benefits all come into play.

How Pesticides Affect Children

There are benefits of organic foods no matter your age. However, some research relates that children may benefit more than adults. The main problem with conventional food is the amount of chemicals and pesticides found within them.

The Environmental Protection Agency has released grocery facts sheets recommending avoiding pesticides and has an extensive area of its website devoted to how pesticides in foods affect children.

According to the EPA, the following are some reasons why children’s bodies may be harmed by pesticides in foods more so than adults bodies are harmed:

• Children are in the middle of a growth process, which means (unlike adults) their internal organs are still developing and shouldn’t be exposed to pesticides.
• Compared to adults, children eat and drink more per their body weight, which may increase the pesticides they take in.
• Children tend to play on surfaces affected by pesticides; for example, grass that has been treated with pesticides or a kitchen floor where people walk (shoes are notorious for gathering pesticides). Add this to the pesticides they ingest from food and the numbers of pesticides start adding up quickly.
• Pesticides might be responsible for blocking the absorption of proper nutrients.
• Children don’t excrete everything as well as adults and may not be ridding their bodies of pesticides.

Long-Term Health Problems of Pesticides

Furthermore, there are long-term health consequences when an excess of pesticides are ingested. EPA studies have found that cancer, nerve damage, and birth defects can all result from pesticide exposure.

However, while organic is safer there’s no reason to panic if your child eats a conventionally grown apple (or even ten apples). Most of the long-term health problems that are currently proven show that you have to have an abnormally large excess of pesticides in your body to develop a major issue like cancer.

Still, on the other hand, if organic is available, why take chances? Research has yet to show us the very long-term effects of pesticides, either positive or negative. If organic toddler foods are available it makes sense to choose them over conventional. If your budget is tight you can even find coupons for organic foods that will help you save money.

To learn more on this highly charged topic, take a look at the following articles:

• Human Health Risk Assessment: An overview of how the EPA assesses health risks from pesticides.
• Healthy, Sensible Food Practice: How to limit pesticides in foods by washing and other techniques.

You may also want to visit the National Pesticide Information Center if you questions about a specific pesticide.

Where to Find Organic Foods for Children

It used to be more difficult to find organic toddler foods, but currently there is a large market that caters to this age group. With all the organic food items available everyone should have an easy time finding organics for their kids. As a bonus as availability has become more expansive, prices have gone down and will likely continue to go down.

Following are some companies and other good places to look into if you’re hunting down organic foods that are suitable for toddlers:

• Your local co-op or natural food grocer.
• The town farmers market – some cities have year round farmers markets and others are only in the summer, but when they’re open you can find great deals on local organic produce.
• Stonyfield Farm: Organic yogurt, milk, smoothies, ice cream, and soy yogurt products.
• Horizon Organic Dairy: Milk, yogurt, butter, sour cream, eggs, cottage cheese and more.
• Annie’s Homegrown: Pasta in sauce, frozen macaroni and cheese, crackers, cereal, and more.
• Yum Yum Snacks: This one stop online shop is great, offering all kinds of healthy, natural, and organic children-friendly foods..